Home|Outer Banks (JJ)

SIXTEEN.

Azlia

We've been waiting in a storage house for John B to get back, but he's still not here yet.

We hear a plane engine and look up to see Wards plane flying by.

"There goes the gold." JJ says. "Shit!" He yells kicking a chair.

"Fuck!" Pope screams. He grabs a bat and starts smashing and hitting everything.

"Pope!" Ki yells.

He continues destroying everything and I look at JJ with a concerned look.

He throws a garbage can before sitting down on a little bench.

"I was wondering when this was gonna happen." JJ says as we walk over to him. Ki and I give him a confused look.

He hands Pope his juul. I look at Ki and she rolls her eyes.

"Here you go, cheif. A little weed never hurt no one." He says.

"JJ, you know he doesn't smoke." She says.

Pope grabs the juul from JJ's hand and eyes it. "Well, maybe not until today." JJ says sitting down next to Pope.

"Pope." Ki sighs. "Yeah, what is that gonna help ?"

"I lost my scholarship." Pope says, his voice cracking. "Walked our in the middle of the interview. It's gone, it's not gonna happen."

I let out a sigh and tilt my head back.

"You did that for us?" Ki ask.

"Not for us, for nothing." Pope gets up.

Just at that, John B turned the corner and we all ran to him.

"Is this yours?" JJ ask looking down at his bloody hands.

"John B, who's blood is that?" I ask.

"You okay, man?" Pope ask.

We hear sudden sirens and hide behind the closet thing we could find.

It was dark when the five of us all pulled up to the police station. John B explained everything to us and now, he was in trouble.

"John B, what are we doing at the police station?" JJ ask.

"Someone's gotta tell them what happened." He says.

All of a sudden Pope starts coughing on his hot he took from a cigarette.

"Easy there chief, damn." JJ laughs.

He turns around to John B and puts his hand on his shoulder.

"Alright, I'm gonna be real with you right now. You might end up in the lions den, but you don't go there on purpose. It's fundamental. Just like my old man always told me, you should never trust cops, no matter what the circumstances is." JJ says.

"Wow, JJ that was actually really motivational." I say a little shocked.

"Yeah, and you old mans an abusive liar." Ki adds.

"I agree with JJ." Pope says and we all turn our attention to him.

"Fuck the police." He says.

"You going to the dark side now?" Ki ask.

"Ki, when's the last time the police actually helped us, besides Peterkin?" I ask her.

"Peterkin looked out for me. She tried to, at least." John B says sadly.

"They need to know." He says opening the car door.

"Hey," I grab him by his jacket collar. "Don't run." I demand seriously.