JJ and a Routledge

Arrests and Tears

We got back on the island, earlier than expected John B and Sarah were hanging out or something so JJ and I headed to Heyward's to meet Pope and Kiara. Once we settled in, Heyward came. "Pope, there's someone here to see you."In came a fucking cop. 

"Evening, Officer." I hear Pope's voice shake. 

"I have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property." 

"What?" Heyward says, in disbelief. I watch Pope look over at JJ panicked. 

"Hands where I can see them." The deputy continues. "Young lady, out of my way." He nods to Kiara and she backs up. 

"Woah, Woah Woah, wait, Shoupe, what did he do?" Heyward demands. 

"Take a look at the warrant," Shoupe grunts as he twists Pope's arms back. 

"You're arresting him?" Kiara cries out. 

"I'm sorry, you're just arresting my boy?" Heyward asks in his deep voice. The voices in the room pile up, until I look over at JJ who has this look in his eye. 

"It'll be fine." he mouths to me, but I don't get what he means yet. We get all the way out to the cop car, and Kiara, JJ, and Heyward still arguing with Shoupe. JJ glances at me quickly and I see something I hadn't seen in his eyes yet. "It wasn't him!" He yelled out. Everyone goes quiet, and I gasp. "It was me." He stares right into Shoupe's eyes. He walks closer to Pope and Shoupe, I wish I could say something to get him to stop. But it's too late, what was said had been said. "They tried to talk me out of it." He points at me and Pope. "But I was mad because Pope had just been beaten up. I was so sick of those assholes from Figure Eight that I lost my shit." He pauses, looking at Pope. "I can't let you take the blame for something I did, bro." He sighs. "You've got too much to lose." 

"JJ, what are you doing?" I say in disbelief. 

"I'm telling the truth." He stares me coldly in the eyes, it felt like knives piercing through me. "For once in my godamn life, I'm going, to tell the truth." He laughs as if it's a funny joke. Shoupe still looks unsure, "I took his old man's boat too." JJ nods at Heyward. 

"What the hell." Heyward shakes his head. 

"JJ, come on," I beg him, Pope nods his head. 

"Just shut up Coral!" his voice raises. "Just shut up. He's a good kid." JJ tells Shoupe while pointing at Pope. "You know where I'm from."

"Yeah." Shoupe grunts. 

"This was all me," JJ states while looking at me, waiting for me to do something, but I don't know what. 

"That's the whole truth?" Shoupe asks Pope. 

"Whole truth, swear to God," JJ mutters. 

"I know what you think, damnit, I'm asking Pope." Pope glares at JJ, and JJ slightly smirks back. 

"Yeah, that about covers it." I wonder how much it pained Pope to say that. 

Soon, JJ and Pope switched roles, everyone was quiet as JJ got put into the back of Shoupe's cop truck. No one says anything as he pulls out, even as he drives away. What is there to even say, to be honest? 

Soon after, Pope runs off, cussing and screaming. I couldn't imagine how he felt right now. 

That's when it hit me, his dad is his guardian, and he'll have to bail him. And, who knows what he'll do after that. I cried that night, just thinking about all the possible things JJ might go through.