𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ Maybank

Chapter 103: Riot

The courtroom was blurring into ranting bodies and muddled screams. In some distant part of his brain, JJ could hear Grace shouting at his dad. If he stared long enough to let his eyes focus, he could see her trying to push past her stepdad to get towards Luke.

Kie's dad was pulling his daughter away from the cop while John B tried to push his way towards the chaos to try to break it up. It was no use, though; the Pogues were a big mass of bodies, flowing like water rather than moving as separate entities.

Despite the screaming and shoving, JJ felt like the room was silent. He zoned out of all the chaos, his jaw clenching.

Taking in a deep breath, he sprung from his seat and headed down the aisle. He walked slowly in contrast to the frantic movement occurring all around. If you hadn't seen the anger and determination written on his brow, he could be mistaken for being calm.

JJ felt like the entire world was against him. In most ways, he had always thought that. But this was the boiling point. His own "dad"—even that was being called into question—was betraying him. His first home was being taken away. The home that Grace had practically gifted him was being ripped away. The Pogues were always running uphill; the moment they made any progress, they stumbled down to square one.

He was done with it.

All of it.

He wasn't going to stand for it anymore.

He wanted to raise hell just like the entire island expected him to.

He wanted to live up to the Pogue name.

He wasn't a Kook. He couldn't be. He would show everyone how much he wasn't.

When he reached the end of the aisle, walking past all of the flailing arms and pointed fingers, his gaze locked on Luke.

He didn't stop. He kept walking, but he maintained eye contact.

It wasn't an angry glare; it wasn't even disappointment; no, it was contempt.

It was like he was looking down on a piece of gum stuck to his shoe. Luke was nothing more than a piece of selfish trash, and JJ wasn't even surprised by it anymore.

With precision, as if he'd planned it, JJ grabbed a wooden chair at the back of the courtroom.

Without any hesitation, he flung the chair into the window. Yellow stained glass spewed outwards, shattering into a million pieces.

Almost immediately, a cop was on him, grabbing him from behind.

JJ flung his elbows out, jabbing at him angrily.

At this point, the entire room was watching. Some Kooks had their phones out while the Pogues cheered and egged him on.

Another cop came marching at him.

JJ used the cop latched to his back as leverage and flung both legs out, kicking him directly in the ribs and sending him flying back.

With the one on his back momentarily distracted, JJ grabbed onto his arms and threw his own weight forward. 

The cop went flying over his shoulder, landing with a thud onto his back.

JJ was immediately on him.

He threw punch after punch into the cop's face, ignoring the feeling of his knuckles tearing and the other cop hammering at him with his baton.

After throwing a particularly rough hit, JJ pulled himself off of the cop, stepping back and catching his footing.

He took a second, surveying the chaos.