𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 - J.M

21, Mrs. Limbrey

Mr. Sunn's lesson was currently in progress. Everyone was focused on the test, except maybe JJ, who was trying to get something from me. But in vain, because I couldn't do much. Our class was interrupted by a man entering the classroom without knocking.

"Mr. Sunn, can I ask Pope for a moment?" He spoke, which caught the attention of the four of us. We were more interested in what the man wanted from our friend than the test.

"They're writing a test." The teacher replied, approaching the man.

"I'm from the Vanderhorst Foundation." I frowned at the guy's answer, it was the first time I heard about such a foundation.

"Mr. Heyward, to you." Mr. Sunn turned to Pope, and all eyes were on the teacher and the man from the foundation.

JJ and I exchanged surprised glances, trying to overhear Pope's conversation, but we were sitting too far away and the teacher told us to go back to writing the test.

The boy returned to the classroom with an envelope and looked surprised. "Okay Pope, what happened?" Kie asked. And the dark-skinned man showed us what he had in his hand. There was a seal with a wheat mark on the envelope. The same sign was in Denmark's letter.

"Is this wheat?" I asked to make sure. The boy quickly confirmed.

"What the fu.." JJ spoke too loudly, catching Mr. Sunn's attention. "fudge.." He tried to say something.

After finishing the lesson and taking the test, we ran out of the classroom and quickly rushed to the library. We found a free computer and Kie sat down at it.

"It was the scholarship guy." He started looking at each of us individually. "Read this." Pope handed the letter to JJ, who quickly opened it.

"Out loud." I added, standing next to the blonde and looking over his shoulder at the letter.

The boy looked at me with disappointment in his eyes. "I can't read cursive." I sighed heavily and snatched the letter from his hands.

"Dear Mr. Heyward, I am writing to you because I have physical evidence proving John b Routledge's innocence." I paused for a moment to look at my friends who were as surprised as I was. "I am asking you to meet with me today in my office in Charleston at 27 King street at 8 p.m. Please come alone. Yours faithfully, C. Limbrey."

"Charleston?" Asked the outraged blonde.

"It's an eight-hour drive and a ferry crossing. How are we supposed to do this?" Pope added.

"We'd have to move now." I said, looking at JJ, indicating that there was no way I was going with them. "I can cover for you while you go to Charleston." Everyone agreed to my proposal.

"What does "physical evidence" even mean?" The blonde asked, imitating the quotation marks with his fingers.

"One that will cleanse John b." Kiara replied to JJ's question.

"Shit! We are going to Charleston." JJ said happily. Instead, while the blond was rejoicing over the boy's probable acquittal, I approached Pope.

"Pope." I started. "Keep an eye on JJ, I don't want him to do anything stupid." In response, I got a nod and a slight smile from the boy. "and take care of yourself."

The dark-skinned man suddenly left me and went to the computer where he entered the sender's name. "Limbrey".

"What it is?" I asked, approaching the rest.

"Whoever it is may be related to the Royal Merchant's captain." This information barely reached me, so I looked at JJ, who assured me that what was happening now was really happening.

We all went to my and Kie's house to convince our parents to let my sister and friends go to Charleston. We were doing poorly so far and it was shaping up to be a family quarrel. Kiara was the most argumentative here, even though we both wanted to clear John b's name.

"How do you want to clear his name? He's gone!" Our father, who, despite being once a roach himself, hated our friends, spoke up. I was surprised when my mother took our side and silenced my father.

"I understand that what you're coming through is really hard." I was wrong, she didn't side with us at all.

"Really?" Kie asked ironically, looking at me.

"We're just worried that you're spending too much time with these boys." And that topic again.

"Mom, these aren't just any boys we found on the street." I decided to speak up on this matter.

"I know that." I could barely keep myself from laughing at my mother's words.

"Well, I guess not, you keep trying to convince us that this friendship will destroy us." I looked at my mother, who was already boiling from the inside. "You know what, it's not just friendship." I glanced at Kie, making sure I was ready to start this topic. "Me and JJ are together, we love each other."

"You must be joking now." She laughed right in my face.

"With that thief? He is just like his father, he will end up like him!" shouted the father. I knew JJ heard all this.

"Stop comparing him to that psycho!" I ran out of the house, nervous, and towards the car. I knew that Kie and her parents were running after me.

"You don't even know what you're talking about Kate!" My father was still shouting after me, but I ignored him and that's how I reached the car where JJ was already standing. "Look what you're doing with your life, look at it!" I shrugged, looking at the blonde standing behind me.

"Nice to see you, Mr. and Mrs. Carrera." JJ said, greeting my parents as if they weren't insulting him at all.

"We promise to take them back at a reasonable time." Pope spoke this time, trying to reassure his parents.

"What are you doing?" Kie asked rhetorically.

"You can go, but if you don't come back in the evening, you may not come back at all." Our mother was already furious.

"She's bluffing." JJ whispered to me, not taking his eyes off his parents. He sincerely feels sorry for such future in-laws. "Have a nice day!" He added, sitting with me in the back seats.

However, I decided to go with them, I preferred not to have contact with my parents after this quarrel. Anyway, I didn't like that JJ and Pope had to be there. They knew well how our parents reacted to them, but it still wasn't right. Plus I didn't trust Kie enough to leave her alone with JJ and Pop. God knows what will come to her mind. She lied to me once and I still don't know what she meant.

Pope was taking us somewhere, I didn't even know where except that we had to swim to get to Charleston. The whole way, wherever we were going, I held JJ's hand, resting my head on his shoulder. The boy himself placed his head on mine and we sat there until we reached some raft that was heading to Charleston.