The ride to the Chateau was almost completely silent, June feeling like her chest was caving in as she wondered why Shoupe wouldn't listen to her. It made no damn sense.
"How'd you get out?" Pope broke the silence, the tension and heat in the car almost unbearable to the boy. "What happened?"
June sucked in a deep breath before, closing her eyes, opting for the truth.
"After I left last night I went to the police station. I-I was gonna turn myself in. I got there and Shoupe, he wouldn't arrest me. So I asked him why and he said that..." June took a deep breath, her heart pounding as she started again. "...Rafe recanted his statement. He said that I didn't do anything I was just there. Like Sarah. He- Rafe cleared my name."
They all sat in silence for a moment, half of them wondering why the hell Rafe would clear when name, and the other half knowing why Rafe would clear her name. JJ let out that humorless laugh that June had expected, his fingers running over his face as he spoke.
"That's- that's just perfect for you." JJ said, feeling more anger bubble in his chest.
"I tried to tell Shoupe. I told him over and over again that Rafe did it, Rafe killed Peterkin but he wouldn't listen to me. He never listens. I was there. I watched it happen, and he still doesn't listen." June said, running a hand over her face as she felt tears prick at her eyes.
"Why would Rafe recant his statement? That makes no sense." Pope asked from the seat beside her, his eyes wide as he looked at her in confusion.
"I don't know." June said, swallowing the lump in her throat as JJ cleared his throat. They pulled up to the Chateau only moments later, June being one of the first ones out, she ran to the porch, the rain soaking her as she ran, everyone following her.
They got onto the porch, all of them soaked as June pushed her head into her hands, wondering how all of this was happening so fast. Kie sat down beside her, her anger not being too volcanic to provide some support to the girl who looked beyond stressed and beyond hurt. She had just lost JJ too. She wrapped her arm around June shoulders, rubbing her hand on the side of her arm before looking up at the boys coming onto the porch.
"I'm gonna testify. Under oath. I was there. I just need to get ahold of my sister." Sarah said, June looking up at her as she spoke.
"It doesn't matter if you were there or not. They won't listen." June groaned, remembering the times when she had told Shoupe specifically what had happened, and he didn't care.
"Sister?"
"Kie do you have your phone? Wheezie is the only other person who knows Rafe wasn't home that day." JJ looked at the blonde in disbelief, his eyes widening as he listened to her plan.
"Wheezie?"
"I don't know what else to do. I got us into this mess I'm gonna do my best to get us out." Sarah said, walking away with the phone. JJ chuckled dryly, June's lip curling up in disgust as she looked at him.
"Wheezie? Yeah, that will work. Well she's right about one thing. We gotta do something. Our boy is a PO-dub right now, okay? He's held captive by the enemy right now, maybe even scheduled for execution. Are we just gonna sit here?" June groaned loudly at JJs words, dropping her head into her hands again as she felt a headache coming on. "Oh I'm sorry princess, is this conversation getting a little to real for you?" JJ said, looking to the brunette. She ignored the erupting in her stomach from the nickname, her face turning red as she addressed him.
