P4L, carpe diem (JJ Maybank)

036

We drove to the docks, trying to figure out the time the ferry leaves next, Pope volunteered to go investigate, though he was still a bit high.

I could see him begin walking back and holding up a paper. "Okay," he said, multiple times as he walked back.

"Act normal, dude," I said.

"Okay, so um... bad news. Ferry's closed and there is this." He handed me the paper, and I looked at it.

It was a full-blown wanted poster of my brother; with everything:

WANTED
JOHN B. ROUTLEDGE
$25,000 REWARD
Wanted For: Murder
Jurisdiction: State
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height: 6'1

So on, so forth. His weight, fugitive ID, hair, eyes, last known address.

Then something else caught my eye. A big photo of me.

KNOWN FAMILY OF ACCUSED:

DYLAN B. ROUTLEDGE
Relationship: Twin Sister
Female
17 years old
Brown Hair
White
Brown-Hazel-Gray Eyes
5'10
134 lbs
Guardian: N/A
Last Known Guardian: Ward Cameron

Huh, guess Ward opted out. Great. Now I don't have to worry about going back home to Figure Eight.

I sighed. "Great. A wanted poster on my brother's wanted poster. And I have three eye colors. And no guardian."

"Ward must've gave you up," Pope added.

"Thanks for the words of encouragement, Pope."

"No problem."

"Well, John B, this is a good framer of you," JJ said. I put out a scoff, handing the paper to John B, before reading it all the way. "So the entire island is looking for you right now."

"Congrats, John B. You're famous."

"Guys, we got to get to the HMS. We need small, no running light—"

"Nope," I denied. "It's at the Chateau, Kie."

"The cops probably got the entire place staked out. Let me think. Oh, yeah. No. They definitely have that place locked down," JJ said, rubbing his eyebrow.

"Yeah, copy that," she scoffed.

"Let me think. Just give me a second," Pope demanded, then not even a second later, he turned around.

"JJ."

"What?"

"Does your dad still have that boat? The cigarette boat, the Phantom?" He asked. "The one he used to race."

"Maybe," JJ muttered.

"You could get right up the coast, no problem." He turned back around.

We all began talking over each other; Kie talking about the surf, JJ wondering where the keys are for the Phantom, and myself, questioning if we could pull it off.

"Guys, guys, guys!" My brother murmured. "Your car's on here," he explained, looking at the poster.

Pope was getting antsy, at the 'traffic', beginning to honk the horn.

"That won't help Pope!" I said, trying to stop him from honking.

"That's him!" I heard a boy say from outside the car. I looked, and he pointed right at Kie's car. "Shit, snitch," I muttered.

"I fucking hate snitches," my boyfriend muttered.

"We get 25k if we find him!" The boy celebrated.

A man walked up the car, looking at my brother and me, banging on the window. "That's them! The twins!"

"Pope, turn the fricking car on!" I shouted, as he struggled to do so. The man fought with the kid outside, saying they found us first.

"Turn the car on!" JJ shouted at him.

Pope pulled forward, hitting the truck in front of us. My head hit the seat in front of me and I growled in pain.

"Pope! Back the fuck up!" I shouted at him, as JJ pulled me back beside him. Pope kept on trying to go forward, like an idiot. He pushed the truck forward, and then just turned and swerved away.

Pope pulled over the greenery. "What're you doing?!" Kie shouted at him, as we drove away from the ferryline.

"We'll bump out," JJ said. The tire's scraped against the road.

"Pope, watch out for the mailbox! Watch out! Watch out!" Kie shouted, as Pope rammed into a mailbox, damaging the front of the car. Meanwhile, Pope just laughed. "Oh my God!" He giggled.

"What the fuck?!" I shouted at him, debating on whether we should throw him in the back and let Kie drive.

"I'm livin' my best life right now," he said.

"I should be the last one to tell you this, but you are not okay to drive, dude," JJ reminded, "stop."

Just then, Pope pushed the brake, halting to a stop. He turned around and looked at my brother.

"John B, get out," he said.

I nodded. "He's right, Bird. We'll draw the cops, you run. I'm not as wanted as you are. Go!"

"I'll get the right and I'll meet you in the dump tomorrow, okay? Three o'clock," JJ said.

My brother leaned up and pressed a kiss on my cheek. "Be safe, Dyl."

"I will. Go!" I commanded, as he opened the door and ran out, into the woods.

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