𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 // 𝑱𝑱 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌 \\

Chapter Fifteen

The four pogues were halfway into the movie when Pope leaned over to JJ. "JJ?" He whispered. "What?" JJ whispered back. "Gotta take a piss." Pope whispered. Valerie, who was still on JJ's lap, heard Pope. She chuckled as she kept her eyes on the screen. "Hold it." JJ whispered back. JJ clearly took his advice, as his leg had been bouncing for the past ten minutes. "I can't hold it. I drank too much soda."

"It's too exposed. They'll totally see us."

"I gotta go." Pope turned to the bathrooms to see the three kook boys, Rafe, Topper, and Kelce, sitting in front of the bathrooms. "They're blocking the bathrooms." Pope whispered. JJ looked to the side. "Alright, come on. I know where." He whispered to Pope. JJ tapped Valerie's thigh. She stood up and joined Kiara on the floor, still keeping her eyes on the movie.

"Hey, where y'all going?" Kiara asked the boys. "We gotta wring it out." JJ whispered back. "You gonna hold it for each other?" Kiara scrunched her face as Valerie laughed. Kiara rolled her eyes and sighed, also turning back to the screen. Valerie didn't fail to notice Rafe, Topper, and Kelce standing up and walking around the movie screen. Valerie nudged Kiara. "Kie, kook boys on the move." Valerie pointed to Topper who had just turned the corner, out of sight. "Shit." Kiara grabbed JJ's bag and pulled Valerie up. The two girls darted behind the movie screen. Kiara went to help Pope who Topper was fighting while Valerie ran to Rafe who was punching JJ while Kelce held him.

"Let go of him, Kelce. Rafe, stop!" Valerie kicked Rafe's stomach causing him to turn away from JJ and look at the girl. "Topper, stop!" Kiara shouted. Valerie turned her head to see Topper throw JJ's bag. She turned to Rafe, but not fast enough. Rafe ran at the girl. "Rafe, stop! Not her." JJ shouted, but Kelce was quick to punch him. Rafe shoved Valerie to the ground as he went to get on top of her. "Rafe!" Kiara shouted, hitting him in the back of the head. Kiara pulled Rafe off of Valerie, but turned to see Pope needed help again. Kiara ran back to the two, jumping on Topper's back.

"Rafe, don't." Valerie looked at him. Rafe chuckled as he grabbed Valerie and pulled her off the ground. He swung his hand to slap her, but she dodged. She punched him in the face causing him to fall to the ground. She looked up to see JJ struggling against Kelce. Valerie ran to JJ's bag. "Stay out of this, Kiara." Rafe grabbed Kiara and threw her near Valerie. "Jesus, Kie." Valerie whispered. Topper got the advantage over Pope. Kiara sighed as she crawled over to Valerie and opened the bag. The first thing they saw was the gun. Valerie looked up to see Rafe hitting JJ again. JJ was groaning loudly. "No, we can't. Anything else?" Valerie asked Kiara. Kiara nodded as she grabbed the lighter and crawled to the movie screen. Valerie stood up and watched Topper choke Pope. She ran over to the two, punching Topper. "Topper, stop!" Valerie shouted as she pulled Pope away.

Seconds later, Kiara had lit the movie screen on fire. The kooks saw this immediately, sharing a look with each other. The pogues heard the crowd gasping on the other end. "Kelce, let go of JJ!" Valerie shouted at the boy. Kelce dropped him to the ground. The kook boys pulled each other away and started walking off to not get caught. Kiara ran to Pope while Valerie ran to JJ who was still laying on the floor.

"You okay, Jayj?" Valerie helped JJ off the floor. JJ groaned as he grabbed hit hat and put it back on his head. JJ looked at the burning movie screen before grabbing Valerie's hand and following after Kiara and Pope.

The next day, Valerie, JJ, Kiara, and Pope were at Heyward's shop. "Don't let it get in your head, bro.There's three of them and two of us. That's some typical kook shit right there." JJ commented at the boy who was anxiously looking out the window time and time again. "Hell yeah." Kiara said, leaning on the counter. "What was your thought process, using your head?" JJ asked.

"I don't know, man. I just kind of acted off instinct, alright? I was a cornered animal." Pope responded. Valerie nodded and pointed at him. "Yes." Kiara nodded aswell. "Hey, Pope, someone here to see you." Heyward called out to his son. Everyone looked up to see Shoupe turn the corner. Valerie's eyes widened as she turned her head to look at JJ. "Evening, Officer." Pope mumbled.

"I have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property." Shoupe took out his handcuffs. Pope turned to JJ with wide eyes. "What?" Heyward scoffed. "Keeps your hands where I can see them." Shoupe walked around the counter to Pope. "Young lady, out of my way." Shoupe told Kiara who backed up next to Valerie. "Whoa. Wait, Shoupe, what'd he do?" Heyward asked. "Take a look at the warrant." Shoupe responded.

"Sorry, you're just going to arrest him?" Valerie asked. JJ moved behind her, staring at the scene in front of him. "You're just arresting my boy?" Heyward looked at Shoupe. "Be careful!" Kiara shouted at Shoupe who had just tugged Pope harshly. "Shoupe, are you listening?" Heyward yelled at the Officer. JJ ran his hands through his hair. "Anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law." Shoupe started to push Pope towards the door. "You have the right to an attorney." Shoupe continued. "How much did they pay you, man?" JJ looked at Shoupe angrily. JJ, Kiara, Valerie, and Heyward followed after Shoupe and Pope. All four of them shouted over each other at Shoupe. Pope stayed silent.

"JJ, don't." Valerie whispered, but JJ had already reached for Pope. Shoupe shoved him out of the way. "Do you know why he even did that?" Kiara shouted at Shoupe. "Shoupe, You can't do that to him!" Valerie shouted at the Officer. "That's my boy!" Heyward was now getting defensive. "It wasn't him!" JJ shouted, silencing everyone else. "JJ..." Valerie whispered, but JJ shook his head at her. "It was me. He tried to talk me out of it, but I was mad because he'd just been beaten up." JJ walked closer to Pope and Shoupe.

"I was so sick of those assholes from Figure Eight that I lost my shit. I can't let you take the blame for something I did." JJ stopped in front of Pope. Valerie held her hand to her mouth as Kiara was shocked. "You've got too much to lose." JJ continued.

"JJ, what are you doing?" Pope said to the boy. "I'm telling the truth. For once in my goddamn life, I'm gonna tell the truth. I took his old man's boat too."

"What the hell?" Heyward turned to JJ. Shoupe looked between JJ and Pope with his eyebrows raised. "JJ, come on." Pope pleaded for JJ to stop. "Just shut up, Pope! Just shut up." JJ shouted. "He's a good kid. You know where I'm from."

"Yeah." Shoupe nodded. JJ nodded along. "This was all me."

"That's the whole truth?" Shoupe asked Pope. "Whole truth, swear to god." JJ responded. "I know what you think, damn it, I'm asking Pope." Shoupe snapped. "Jesus Christ." Valerie whispered. Pope and JJ shared a look. "Yeah, that about covers it." Pope responded. Shoupe nodded as he took the handcuffs off of Pope. JJ turned around to look at the girls, specifically Valerie who had a hand to her mouth in shock. Shoupe put the handcuffs on JJ and guided him in the car. Shoupe got in the drivers seat and began to drive away. Pope threw his hat on the ground. "Shit!" He shouted. "Pope, Pope. Pope!" Heyward picked up Pope's hat. Pope ran away from his friends and father. Valerie turned to Kiara. Both of them had the same thought. "What the fuck?" Kiara whispered.