As Heather, Pope, JJ, and Kiara restocked the shelves at Heyward's Grocery, the mood had lightened since the chaos of the last few days. They worked in sync, chatting while they unpacked boxes and refilled the store's inventory.
"So, Topper and Rafe attacked you guys?" Kiara asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
Pope and JJ both nodded, but Heather could see the irritation flicker across Pope's face. It wasn't a subject he liked to dwell on, not after the mess it caused.
Kiara's eyes fell on Heather's leg, noticing the bandage covering a scrape. "Heather, that's a gnarly scrape," Kiara commented with a mix of concern
and admiration.
Heather shrugged, taking the compliment with a smirk. "Thanks."
"How'd you get it?" Kiara asked, pausing as she shoved a box of cereal onto the shelf.
Heather straightened up, recalling the moment with a hint of pride. "Well... while JJ and Rafe were busy fighting, I made a beeline for Topper to get him off of Pope. And it worked... for a couple of seconds, anyway, before Topper pretty much threw me off him like I was nothing."
Kiara's brows shot up, nodding as if she could picture it all in her head. "Good job!" she said with genuine approval.
Heather couldn't help but smile to herself. For once, she felt like she contributed, like she had actually done something useful.
But JJ, never one to let things slide, turned to Heather with a mischievous grin. "So, did you and Rafe tend to each other's wounds after the fight?" he asked, his tone teasing.
Pope groaned in annoyance, rolling his eyes. "Really, JJ?"
JJ ignored him, leaning in with that trademark smirk of his. "Ooh, or did you guys have some insane angry hookup afterward?"
Heather shot him a look before grabbing a bagged loaf of bread and launching it at his head. It hit him square on, making him laugh out loud.
"I'll take that as a yes," JJ taunted, rubbing the back of his head.
Heather crossed her arms, giving him a glare that could burn a hole through him. "That does not mean yes."
"Then what does it mean?" Kiara chimed in, a curious smile tugging at her lips.
Heather went quiet for a moment, not wanting to fuel the fire any further. "It means I'm done with this conversation," she said firmly, tossing a box onto the shelf and walking away from the group.
JJ couldn't resist one last jab. "Oh no, mama's mad!" he called out, chuckling to himself.
Heather ignored him, focusing on her task as the bell over the door chimed, signaling someone had entered the store. Pope, distracted with inventory, didn't even look up. "Hey, we're doing inventory right now. We're not open," he called out.
Kiara, however, froze, her eyes locked on the figure standing by the door.
"Pope..." she said, her voice trailing off.
Pope finally glanced up, his face falling as he saw Deputy Shoupe standing there, hand resting on the butt of his holstered gun. The air in the store grew tense.
"I'm here to arrest Pope Heyward for vandalism," Shoupe said, his voice firm.
Everyone looked around, shocked and confused, except for JJ and Heather, who exchanged knowing glances. They both knew exactly what this was about.
"What'd he do?" Mr. Heyward asked, stepping forward from behind the counter.
"He vandalized a citizen's parked boat," Shoupe explained, his tone impatient.
Pope, clearly bewildered, looked around at the group. "What the hell is he talking about?" he asked, his voice rising in frustration.
JJ remained silent, his face hardening, while Heather felt a pit form in her stomach. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. They all followed Shoupe as he led Pope outside, toward his patrol car, the tension escalating with every step.
Everyone began shouting at once, trying to argue with the officer, but nothing worked. The situation was spiraling out of control until JJ's voice cut through the noise.
"It wasn't him!" JJ shouted, stepping forward. His sudden outburst made everyone go silent.
Shoupe stopped, turning to JJ with a skeptical look. "What?"
JJ took a deep breath, his chest heaving. "I did it," he confessed, his voice steady. "I'm the one who vandalized the boat."
Everyone went dead silent, staring at JJ in disbelief. Heather's heart sank as she watched him.
"What are you doing?" Pope asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
JJ glanced at his friend, eyes full of determination. "I'm owning up to it. For once in my life, I'm owning up to something I did."
Pope's face twisted in frustration. "JJ, this is—"
"I did it," JJ interrupted, his voice unwavering. "They attacked Pope, and I was just so sick of their shit. Pope tried to stop me, but I went through with it anyway."
Heather's stomach twisted as she watched Shoupe unhand Pope and cuff JJ instead. "Well, shit," the deputy muttered before leading JJ toward the back of the patrol car.
"JJ..." Heather said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She watched helplessly as he was shoved into the backseat. This wasn't supposed to happen.
Pope, overcome with frustration, screamed, "Fuck!" before turning away, pacing in circles as the anger boiled inside him.
Heather and Kiara exchanged a look, both of them standing frozen as the patrol car pulled away. JJ, who always acted carefree and reckless, had just taken the fall for something he hadn't even fully done. And now he was gone.
"This is great," Heather muttered sarcastically, watching the taillights disappear down the road.
Kiara gave her a sharp look. "Seriously? What the hell, Heather?"
Heather let out a frustrated sigh. "What can we do? Life's a bitch, Kiara. We just have to hope he can figure it out."
The two of them stood there, the weight of what had just happened pressing down on them like a suffocating cloud. JJ was gone, and there was no telling how they'd get him back.
YOU ARE READING
The Lines We've Crossed
Fanfiction"You're not so little anymore," Rafe told Heather as he stood beside her in the kitchen. "Is that why you keep looking at me like that?" Heather asked her brother's best friend, who only ever viewed her as his best friend's younger sister and nothi...
