Faded Heart

XXXV. Wanted Dead Or Alive

As the police station came into view, my shoulders began to tense up...

"John B, what are we doing at the police station, man?" JJ asks, shifting nervously in his seat at the sight of being back here once again. The last time my boyfriend was here, he was getting picked up by his dad and it didn't end well. I figured there was some lingering emotions about being back here.

I put my hand on top of his, out of view from the rest of the group. The two of us share a knowing look that this was a bad idea. I didn't get to talk much with him since this morning, but every so often we'd have a silent conversation.

"Somebody's gotta tell them what happened." John B replies, turning around to face the group.

"Nobody else will..." Ashtyn grumbles from his seat next to Pope. The brunette leans her head against the seat, banging it a few times in frustration.

The smell of weed fills the air when Pope begins to cough. The younger boy smokes yet another joint. Ashtyn quickly perks up and snatches the joint out of his hand to take a hit as well.

"Ooh. Easy there chief." JJ says, a watchful eye on Pope as he continues to cough for the next few seconds. Almost identical to when Sarah smoked the Cripple on the boat. "Damn."

"Should we really be using drugs when we're near so many cops?" Kiara questions the curly, dark haired girl turning around to watch her friends pass around the joint. Her voice is soft with disappointment when he eyes land on Pope, "My dad will kill us if we go to jail for that."

"All right. I'm just gonna be real with you right now." JJ turns his attention to John B, the blonde ignoring Kiara's comment. "You might end up in the lion's den, but you don't go there on purpose. It's fundamental. Just like my old man always told me, you should never trust the cops. No matter what the circumstance is."

"Your old man's an abusive liar." I groan, rolling my eyes at his comment. I hated Luke Maybank and the mention of him stirred a lot of anger in me. JJ shouldn't be taking advice from someone like his father. That isn't the type of person who should be handing out advice. Any advice he had to offer was bullshit as far as I was concerned.

"I agree with JJ. Fuck the police." Pope responds, his voice not his own once again. This new rebel version of Pope was starting to frustrate me. Where was the good, clean cut Pope when we needed him?

"Fuck the police!" Ashtyn shouts in agreement.

Kiara shakes her head in disappointment and she raises her eyebrows in question, "You two goin' to the dark side?"

"Being here gives me the chills." Luke begins, the group now turning our attention to the older boy, whose eyes are dead locked on the entrance to the police station. "I've spent too many long nights behind bars because Claudia wouldn't bail me out."

"When's the last time the police ever helped us, huh?" Pope sighs.

John B doesn't listen to the group, "Peterkin looked out for me, all right? Tried to at least. They need to know."

"She's been helping me too guys." I mention, thinking back to the conversation I had with her at the Chateau. She was beginning to build a case against my parents. One that could have gotten them out of my life forever. But now that she was gone, it was over...

John B was right though. The cops should really know what happened with Peterkin. She deserves justice for what happened to her.

That brunette hops out of the van right as Ashtyn takes another hit of the weed. She blows out the smoke just as John B opens the door to the police station. All of our eyes were now glued to the door, waiting to see what would come of this.