𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

forty four.

─☼☼☼─

𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝗕 𝗛𝗔𝗗 been arrested.

The news had made it to Charlotte midday the day after Rafe and Barry had raided John B's. She had made it home just before dawn, Rafe trailing her all the way home. A few hours later she had received the call.

It was lucky that she hadn't found out earlier, because if Rafe had even been in her vicinity when she received the news, the tongue-lashing he would have received would have been enough to make a grown man cry.

It was Ward Cameron who turned John B and Sarah in. According to Kiara, Sarah had returned home to try and sway Ward's allegiance. All that had resulted in was him tipping off the police, telling them to follow his daughter back to where John B and the others were hiding after escaping Rafe and Barry.

He was a cowardly man. One that Charlotte detested so much she could barely look at him.

Even now sat as he sat in the courtroom across from Charlotte and her friends, she couldn't bear to look in his direction, anger bubbling in her chest at even the slightest of glances.

She still couldn't believe this was happening.

She still could not fully grasp the fact that they were currently in a courtroom, awaiting one of their best friends pleas for a murder he did not commit.

The remaining group had been rather quiet as they had met up at the courtroom that morning. They all had so much to say, but no one knew how to breach it.

Now, they sat side by side, JJ and Charlotte's hands gripped in anticipation, Pope and Kiara's doing the same. With her free hand, the eldest Carrera had reached out and taken Sarah's, giving the terrified girl a small nod of comfort.

"John Book Routledge, pursuant to the North Caroline statute section 14, you are charged with murder in the first degree with aggravated circumstances. If convicted the maximum sentence would be the death penalty."

The words had barely left the judge's mouth by the time chatter began to fly around the courtroom.

But there, in the second row, five kids sat absolutely shattered, their faces giving way to the devastation they were feeling. JJ and Charlotte released their grips on one another, each of them deflated in horror.

Nausea crawled up Charlotte's throat as she watched the way John be folded him on himself, the breath leaving his lungs.

The death penalty.

This was the worst outcome anyone could have hoped for. Prison time was bad enough...but this? If John B was found guilty for something he didn't even fucking do...he was going to be killed.

"Your Honour, he's 17!" JJ was up and out of his seat before anyone had the chance to stop him. "He's 17!"

Charlotte scrambled up after him as others began to file out of their rows and into the main aisle. "JJ, enough." She warned, placing a hand on his chest and giving him a slight shove toward the door. "They'll arrest you for contempt of court if you don't—"

He ignored her, leaning into her hand as to get closer to his best friend. "Hey, John B. John B, we're gonna figure it out."

When John B turned to look at them, everything within Charlotte shattered. Her throat felt like it wad closing in on itself as her eyes stung with unshed tears.