𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 // 𝑱𝑱 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌 \\

Chapter Twenty Eight

Pope was still driving Kiara's car very recklessly. It was later in the night. JJ had joined Pope in being high. Kiara and Valerie stayed quiet not believing the two boys. Pope wasn't looking at the road causing him to hit the side of a parked car. "Pope!" Kiara shouted. "Pope, you clocked that car, man. Like, that was so bad!" JJ laughed at Pope. "I'm just glad I'm not driving, man." Pope looked back at JJ. JJ continued laughing. Kiara whipped her head to Pope. "Pull over." She yelled at him. Pope harshly stopped the car. JJ still had a smile on his face. "JJ, it's not funny. He shouldn't be driving." Valerie glared at JJ. "Mama's mad." JJ whispered to Pope. Kiara got out of the car and walked to the drivers side. Pope crawled into the back next to Valerie.

"Where are we going?" JJ asked, still holding the blunt in his hand. "The last place they'll look." Kiara responded. Valerie didn't want to sit in the back with Pope and JJ together. Before Kiara could move the car, she sat up and started to climb into the front. Before she could sit down, JJ slapped her ass. "JJ!" She shouted at him. JJ and Pope laughed a little too hard as they high-fived. "I can't." Valerie whispered, shaking her head. Kiara nodded as she started to drive to the Cameron house.

Kiara stopped the car at the back gate of the Cameron House. Pope got out from the back as JJ leaned forward next to Valerie's chair. Kiara had already walked around the car, waiting for Pope. "Perfectly focused." He whispered to himself. " You sure this is a good idea?" JJ asked Kiara. "She's the only one who can clear John B." Kiara called out to him as she climbed the fence. "Last place they'll look because of how stupid it is." JJ said. Valerie turned around. "Have you calmed down yet?" She asked him.

"I've been calm this whole time." JJ replied. Valerie raised her eyebrows at him. "You laughed when Pope hit a car."

"It was funny at the time." JJ whispered. Valerie nodded her head, sarcastically, as she turned back around. The car was filled with silence for a few minutes. "Do you think John B will get caught?" Valerie asked him. JJ shrugged. "He's a good runner."

"He runs kind of ugly though." Valerie whispered causing JJ to chuckle under his breath. Valerie turned around again and looked at her boyfriend. JJ looked up at her at the same time. Valerie crawled to the back again and took a seat next to him. Now, both of the seats in the back were down. Valerie put one of her hands on the side of his face. JJ grabbed her wrist, gently, as he kissed the palm of her hand. Valerie smiled softly at him. JJ stared into her eyes, slowly leaning forward. The two connected their lips. JJ's hand moved to the back of Valerie's neck. When they pulled away, their foreheads rested against each other. "I love you, Val." JJ whispered. This time, he didn't hesitate. Valerie knew he was genuine. JJ almost never said 'I love you.' "I love you, too, Jayj." She whispered back. Kiara and Pope got back into the car. Kiara slammed the door once she got in the driver's seat. Pope got into the back instead of the front. JJ and Valerie pulled away from each other with confused glances between the two. There was clearly some tension.

"He confessed to her for sure." JJ whispered to Valerie. Valerie nodded in response. The ride to the Wreck was quiet. Nobody had anything to say. "Okay, we'll stay the night here and get the Phantom tomorrow." Kiara said to the pogues. They all nodded and made their way inside. Kiara and Valerie layed on a bench while Pope and JJ tables. They all went to bed completely worried about John B.

The next day, Pope and JJ were the first up. JJ stared out of a window. Pope joined him. "He's pinched for sure, man." JJ said to Pope. Valerie and Kiara slowly stirred awake. Kiara had sat up while Valerie continued to lay down, listening to the conversation. "No. They wouldn't still be patrolling if they caught him." Pope said. "Let's hope." JJ replied. "You know, we were in that car. They're probably looking for us too." Kiara said to the boys. JJ and Pope turned to look at her. Kiara shrugged when no one could think of an answer. "Well, if we're gonna be outlaws, we might as well help John B." Pope said to the pogues but more specifically to JJ.

"So, find him before they do?" JJ asked. Pope had already walked away and grabbing keys to JJ's motorcycle. "Pope?" JJ asked again. "I'm gonna get gas for the boat." Pope answered him. "Hey, you be careful. Okay?" Kiara looked at Pope. Pope didn't answer her. He turned to JJ and Valerie. "Meet me at the dock at three. Don't be late." Pope then walked out of the Wreck. JJ raised his eyebrows at Kiara. Kiara only rolled her eyes before walking out after Pope. JJ turned to the girl who was still laying on the bench. "Come on." He whispered, pulling her up and into his arms. Valerie groaned, but she did follow JJ outside. "Look, I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings." Kiara yelled to Pope. Pope revved the engine. "What was that?" He shouted to her. When Kiara tried to talk, he did the same thing. "Huh, how childish." Valerie rubbed her eyes and leaned on the wooden fence. JJ leaned next to her watching the rest of the interaction with Pope and Kiara.

"I'm trying to talk to you!" Kiara didn't get an answer from Pope. Pope drove off on the motorcycle. Kiara turned around, stomping. Before she could climb up the stairs to the deck JJ and Valerie were on, she heard a helicopter. She looked up causing JJ and Valerie to follow her gaze. "Who is that?" JJ asked. Valerie shrugged. "I don't know, but it doesn't seem good." Valerie crossed her arms as they watched the helicopter fly over them.

The three pogues went inside to gather food and drinks for John B and Sarah. "You sure he wasn't just being weird Pope?" JJ asked after Kiara explained what happened last night. "It wasn't really the kind of thing that needed interpretation." Kiara responded as she handed JJ a bag of bread. "Is that gonna be enough food for them?" Valerie asked. "I mean, for a couple of weeks, and that's all they need, so." JJ grabbed the brown cardboard box. "Look, I think I actually hurt his feelings." Kiara told them. She kept thinking about her interaction with him nonstop. Kiara walked out of the Wreck. Valerie held the door open for JJ as she followed. "Look, don't beat yourself up too much. He's completely changed his feels. The past 24 hours have been like Jekyll and Hyde." JJ answered Kiara.

"I hate to admit it, but I miss the old Pope. At least I knew what to expect from him." Kiara said while JJ put the box into the trunk. "Where have you been?" Anna stepped in front of her daughter. Tracy stepped around from Anna. "And you?" She asked Valerie. "We're fine. We slept here." Kiara answered for both of them. JJ stayed in the back not wanting to get involved. "Well, we were up half the night, scared to death, lookin' for both of you." Tracy gestured between her and Anna. "Were you even gonna tell us?" Anna shouted. "We're telling you now." Kiara responded.

"What the hell are you three up to?" Tracy asked the three pogues. JJ walked next to Valerie, putting his arm around her waist. "I'm sorry, Miss Tracy, but we really gotta go." JJ told the two moms. "No. Absolutely not!" Anna shouted. "Mom!" Kiara pleaded. JJ, who still had Valerie in his arms, walked around the car. "Valerie! Do not walk away from me." Tracy followed her daughter. Tracy grabbed her daughter's arm, pulling her back. "Mom! Let go of me." She struggled to get out of her mother's grasp. Eventually, she did. Valerie walked back next to JJ, holding his hand. "You bailed at Midsummers and you haven't been back since. These friends of yours are a bad influence!" Tracy shouted. "No, they aren't!" Valerie shouted as she opened the back door. JJ was about to get in the front, but he opted to sit in the back with his girlfriend. "Is that your boyfriend? Are you sleeping around with pogues now?" Tracy shouted at Valerie. "I'm not sleeping around with him! I love him." Valerie told her mother. Tracy sighed, loudly. "You can't go. There's a huge storm." Tracy yelled.

"John B needs us!" Valerie said to her. JJ sat in the back, his head down. His father wasn't this worried about him. His father couldn't care less what he did. "I'm going with Kiara and JJ." Valerie said. Valerie got in the back of the car, locking it. Tracy banged on the window. JJ pulled off his hat and rubbed his eyes. "Kiara, open this door!" Anna shouted from outside. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Kiara yelled to her mother. "Kiara, this is not safe, stop!" Anna told the girl. Before she could get an answer, Kiara drove away leaving the two mom's to watch their kids leave them.