[rosemary] .jj maybank.

chapter forty-two

out of breath, rosie and john b stopped in front of the old church that held lots of significance for john b. "we'll hide here for now, okay? they won't check here." john b said, turning towards the brunette to see how she was doing. she nodded breathlessly, "okay."

following john b's lead, rosie made her way into the church and up the ladder, stopping to rest in the tiny bell room.

"i didn't even know you could come up here, what the hell?" rosie wondered aloud, looking out the windows with an old candle holder in her hand, just like her cousin. "my dad used to bring me here. and i brought–" john b started to explain, but whirled around in a rush when a small rattling sound was heard from the trap door in the floor. rosie lifted the candle above her head with fear, just in case, needing at least a sliver of leverage if her and her cousin were caught. but rosie lowered it once sarah had appeared.

"hi," sarah smiled softly at the two. john b and rosie were on the verge of tears, relieved that sarah was the one to find them. "what are you– hi," john b said, opening his arms for sarah. the two engulfed each other in a hug. rosie stood by, watching sadly.

"i thought i'd never see you again," john b whispered to sarah as the couple cried in each other's arms. slow tears spilled on rosie's cheeks, hearing her cousin's words. that's how she felt right now. will she ever see jj again? after tomorrow, what's going to happen? her chest clenched at the thought.

pulling away from john b, after a quick, but emotion-filled kiss, sarah rushed to rosie, engulfing in her a tight hug as well. the kook brought her arms around rosie, pulling her close. "i'm so sorry, rosie. are you okay?" rosie's heavy tears fell onto sarah's shoulder. trying to nod along to sarah's question, rosie's voice wavered as she spoke, "as good as i can get right now."

once the two pulled apart, more footsteps were heard. john b pushed both girls behind him as the small door opened, revealing topper. "what are you doing here, top?"

"hey. just take it easy, man," topper said, starting to climb into the small room. "topper, don't fucking move. get out," rosie spat, desperately wanting to step on the trap door so he would be forced out. however, she was already a wanted criminal– showing aggression like that would only make it worse. "i just need to talk to sarah. please," the kook pleaded. the pogues looked to sarah as topper started talking.

"it's not too smart, is it, meeting up with fugitives like this? hey. i'm not.. i'm not gonna do anything, alright? what? are you gonna try to kill me too, man?" topper threatened, watching carefully as john b held the metal appliance in front of him. "he didn't kill anyone. neither did rosie," sarah said seriously, stone-cold emotion on her face. topper looked at her in shock, "are you kidding me? they've literally brainwashed you, sarah."

sarah shook her head, "no." the kook princess' denial only fueled topper's anger more, "snap out of it!"

suddenly, the kook stepped forward, grabbing onto the rope attached to the bell, "hey, everybody! they're up here! they're up here!" the two pogues rushed forward, struggling to get topper to let go of the rope. "shut up, topper! you little bitch," rosie yelled alongside john b, who had squished the kook's face in his hand to get him to shut up. "topper, knock it off."

"you done?" john b asked, removing his hand. "we're good. just take it easy... sarah, i warned you about these pogues, didn't i?" topper said again, moving his head to look at his ex-girlfriend. "they're innocent," she stressed, locking eyes with the kook.

"then who did it, sarah? hm?" sarah paused until topper went quiet, awaiting an answer, "rafe." topper shook his head, sweat pouring down his face, "what are you talkin' about?"

"why would i say that my own brother did it... if it wasn't true? ...i was there, topper," sarah spoke calmly. topper's glare intensified, "don't lie to me, sarah–" the kook princess continued, "sheriff peterkin was trying to arrest my father, and then rafe shot her."

"no."

"that's my brother. why would i lie about that?" sarah reasoned as the sirens got closer to the church. several cop cars stopped in front of the church. rosie looked out through the slats on the window covers, heart plummeting all over again. it's been too close, too many times. "shit, guys. we gotta go, now." 

"sarah, you– you realize that i'm the one who loves you," topper tried again. "i don't care right now, topper! do you understand what's going on? ...i'm sorry for what i did. i'm sorry, but this isn't about you. okay?" sarah tried, talking carefully but pointedly. "what does that mean, sarah?"

rosie tugged on john b's sweater and sarah's arm, starting to smell smoke in the air, "hey, we've really gotta go."

"sarah, you've gotta realize that he doesn't love you. he doesn't love you. i'm the one that loves you," topper argued, trying to pull on sarah's arm. "get your hands off her."

the kook was persistent, "he doesn't love you like i do, okay? and i can prove it. sarah, just look at me. just let me prove it to you." the three teens looked at topper, waiting to see what he had in mind. to say the least, rosie was shocked with topper's proposition, but nonetheless, she climbed down the ladder quickly, sarah in tow, as the two boys switched clothes.

creating a diversion, topper walked out the front of the church as rosie, john b and sarah walked away from the church nonchalantly, trying not to draw any attention to themselves. "come on, let's go."

finally behind the church and away from the gathering of people, the three teens ran hand in hand– sarah grasping onto john b and rosie's hands. once again, the familiar feeling of burnt lungs returned in rosie's chest, however, she kept running, desperately trying to focus on something other than her uneven breathing.

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i'm crying i have zero space left on my phone i had to delete over 20 photos so i could post this LOL(🥲)