OBX - IT'S YOU AND ME, NO ONE AROUND (JJ MAYBANK) (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 4

   This same day, I come back home. I open the door and head to the kitchen; my dad is sitting at the table with a glass of whiskey in his hand. I get closer, but his silence remains.
"Hi, I was at Sarah's yesterday. Sorry for not telling you," I lie.
"Since when do you lie to me, Tessa?" he asks suddenly.
"What?"
"Since when are you lying to me?"
"I don't."
"I talked to Ward. He told me about the accident with the Routledge child, and he said that those pogues were around you a lot," he explains slowly, tracing circles on the top of his glass with his finger.
"I-"
"Pack your stuff."
"What?"
"Pack your stuff!" he yells, smashing his glass on the floor.
The glass pieces scatter everywhere while I stay frozen, looking at a side of my dad that I don't know. He stands up and gets close to me before taking my arms and pinning me against the fridge. My eyes widen; my head knocks against the furniture, and a tinnitus prevents me from hearing his whispered mutters. Tears roll down on my cheeks while my dad is breathless in front of me.
"Now," he says, pointing to the stairs.
I let out a sigh, and he takes my left arm before pushing me to the floor. My head hits it, and I hear nothing now, only a whistle. I bring my hand to my cheek, and it's covered in blood. I don't know how, but I stand up and run to my room before locking the door. I place a chest of drawers in front of it. I quickly call Sarah.
"Hello?"
"Sarah. Sarah, Sarah, listen to me, my dad knows," I say.
"What do you mean?"
"He knows everything- that I hang out with the pogues and that I talk to them. Sarah, to leave the Outer Banks, we need to go over Bridge 31. I think he will do that. If I can't get out of here, go to Bridge 31. The bridge 31, Sarah," I explain.
"I don't understand anything, Tess."
"Go to Bridge 31," I respond before hearing kicks on my door.
I hang up and hide my phone in my vest before closing it; I need to keep it. I open my window at the same time my dad opens my door. I almost jump out of the house but he grabs me and pulls me to him. He takes me to his car and pushes me inside. He closes the doors and the windows. My leg is stuck between to seats, and I hit every window. The car leaves the garden, and my dad accelerates, ignoring the speed limits, as if he wants to take me away as fast as he can. I look everywhere and touch the ground; I find a rock. I don't know why this thing is here, but it will probably save my life. We head toward Bridge 31, and I look around. The Twinkie of John B is in the middle of the road; my dad is forced to stop. He gets out of the car. I can't hear anything from inside, so I take to rock and hit the window with it. The window shatters, and I bring my leg to me with a scream, I wonder if I dislocated something, but that's probably my imagination. I place my hands on the broken window; the shards of cut my hands, and I scream, but I get out of the car. I start to run, but my dad catches me and puts a knife under my throat. John B and Sarah look terrified, and I am even more so. Tears mix with my blood, and I see the other pogues approach. Pope sees me and looks very worried; Kiara glances at JJ, who grits his teeth. JJ takes out his gun and points it at my dad.
"JJ, don't do that!" I scream without thinking.
"Let her go!" the blond yells.
My dad brings his knife closer, and it starts to touch my skin. JJ fires twice into the ground before aiming the gun at my dad again.
"Let her go!" he repeats.
"It's my daughter! I do whatever I want!"
I look at my dad slowly; I don't recognize him. I don't know this man. JJ runs to us and pins my father to the ground while he pushes me against the car. I fall to the floor and stay frozen. When my eyes open, I see the knife and crawl toward it, pushing it under the car. My father is still on the ground, and JJ rushes to me. I don't even look at him; I sit against the car and breathe heavily.
"Hospital?"
It's the only word I understand from JJ's mouth; I shake my head to reply "no". I hate hospitals; I think they are the place I hate the most, and I would prefer to die than go into one. JJ takes my arms and stands me up before carrying me. My arms go around his neck as he brings me to the Twinkie. John B drives to the Château; during the trip, Pope inspects my head and makes me do all the tests to check if I have a concussion. Thankfully, I pass all the tests.