FUMES [2], jj maybank

33. YOU LEFT SOME HOLES IN THE PLOTLINE

    

JOHN B HAD GONE TO SHOUPE EARLIER. Initially, when he told me, I celebrated as well but now that I sit next to Sarah, I feel bad. A sad look on her face makes me move over to her. "I wish they could find Weston. My mom told Shoupe what happened. How he was on the island. Ward and him are both murderers," I pick at the couch cushion. "Probably because Ward is more powerful," Bailey says as she walks out with a glass full of some sort of alcohol.

    That's probably why. Sadly. "Do you regret it?" Kie asks Sarah. "No. He deserves all of it. And I know that." I rub at her back hoping it comforts her. "He's your dad, I get it. I'm sure it sucks to be in the middle," Kie quietly says. I hear Sarah's phone ringing. "Who is it?" I lean over her shoulder and when I see it's Topper, I audibly gag. "Sorry," She whispers to us and gets up to take the call. Kie and Bailey look to me. I mouth, Topper and they both roll their eyes.

  I watch as Sarah's body language changes. She shutters a bit and puts her head down. The boys shout in victory as Bailey walks back into the room. Sarah hangs up, "W—We need to go," She panics. I jump up from the couch, "Sarah? What's happening?" Kie shouts for the others as Sarah makes a b-line for the van. "Sarah! Yo!" I catch up to her and grab her shoulder.

  "They're arresting my dad. We have to go!" She roughly swings the van door open. The others runs out of the house and John B quickly starts the van. My heart pounds against my chest as I get in next to JJ. The tension has eased slightly between us since our civil interaction yesterday. John B speeds through the streets and suddenly there's cop cars right in front of us with their sirens blaring. "Shit..." Kie whispers.

  "Oh my God. Can you please hurry? I need to be there for Wheezie," Sarah panics. "Yeah, please, John B," I nod. I push myself towards JJ in hopes he'll get the hint I want him to give me some sort of comfort right now. "You think I wanna miss this?" I glare at John B's insensitivity towards Sarah. We stop right in front of the house and I immediately swing the van door open. We all get against the stone wall in front of the house. There's cops—everywhere. "Holy shit," Sarah curses.

  JJ and Pope argue next to me about how neither one of them can see and I roll my eyes. "If one of you pushes me, I'm killing you," Bailey glares at them.

  "Screw it. I'm going over," John B hops over the cold stone wall. "Right behind you," JJ crouches down and helps us over the wall then hops over right after us. "Where's Wheezie?" Sarah and I look at each other with panic. "There! Girls, right there!" JJ points towards her and Sarah and I run over. "Wheezie! Wheezie!" Sarah runs and hugs her first. I can hear the heartbreaking questions Wheezie spits out at her big sister.

  I can feel the lump in my throat when I see the sadness on Wheezie's face. JJ laces his fingers with mine and I squeeze back. The argument can be ignored. None of us have any idea to what is going on.

  The youngest Cameron runs back into the house. I can hear Shoupe yelling in the distance. "He's on The Druthers! Sarah!" I grab her arm and point. "Let's go! We have to go!" We run to the dock. I let go of JJ and moved my hand down to Sarah's so now we're hand in hand. The closer we get, the more cops there are. "Dad!" Sarah cries out as we jog down the dock. We put our hands up as we walk through the line of cops.