𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝚬 𝐒𝚬𝐂𝐑𝚬𝐓, ʲᵒʰⁿ ᵇ ʳᵒᵘᵗˡᵉᵈᵍᵉ

xxiv. how do we come back from this?

"john b, are you okay?" kie rasped. the kids all ducked down as the cops raced by.

🃏

"john b, what're we doing at the police station?" jj asked as kie pulled in just as it was getting dark.

"somebody's gotta tell them what happened," he whispered.

pope went into a coughing fit from his blunt.

"easy there, chief," jj clapped him on the back. "all right. i'm just gonna be real with you right now. 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 ever trust cops, no matter what the circumstance is."

"your dad seems like a sound advice giver," briar snapped. "but, john b, maybe this isn't a good idea?"

"she's right," kie said to jj. "your old man's an abusive liar."

"i agree with jj," pope hummed. "fuck the police."

"you going to the dark side now?" kie snapped.

"when's the last time the police helped us?" pope asked.

"well," briar sighed. "i mean holly and i's boat battery died in the marsh last fall and shoupe. . ."

"shut it, valentine!" pope yelled. "you're exactly who they wanna help!"

"peterkin looked out for me, all right?" john b finally interjected. "tried to, at least. they need to know."

"you want me to come?" briar asked as john b opened the car door.

"nah, beautiful," he shook his head. "stay here, safe, okay?"

briar nodded and kissed him on the cheek. briar leaned her head against the head rest of where she rode shotgun in kie's car.

"kie!" john b ran out. "start the car! start the car, kie!"

"what?" kie gasped as john b threw himself in the car. "john b? what did you do?"

"the cops!" the routledge boy screamed.

"shit!" jj yelled.

"go!" john b urged. "kie, drive! go!"

"i'm going! i'm sorry!" kie slammed her foot on the gas.

"what did you do?" briar yelled as kie sped out of the parking lot. the valentine girl had a hand on her bump and a hand on the handle above her in the car.

"go, kie! go!" john b kept yelling.

"stop the car!" a deputy chased after them. "right now!"

"what did you do?" kie cried.

"open it," pope said to john b. john b slammed the car door open and a deputy fell to the ground.

"what is happening?" briar yelled as kie swerved sharply.

🃏

briar was asleep, leaned back in the passenger seat of kiara carrera's 4runner. a siren blew by and she woke up slowly.

kie snapped off the radio angrily just as briar sat up.

"let's game this out," jj instructed. "maybe you guys can help, being the smart ones and all, but. . . who are the cops going to believe? ward cameron or us? so the accuser is a big shot developer, kind of lord of the island, got the governor on speed dial kind of person, and the accused. . . is john b, who is. . . pretty much a homeless 16-year-old teen dad at the moment."

"thanks," john b sighed.

"shit," pope groaned.

"how do we come back for this?" briar whispered, shaking her head.

"okay, man," jj began. "yucatán, all right? i'm saying that the only option. what other option do you have?"

"enough with the mexico bullshit," john b snapped. "sarah will bail me out. i'm not leaving briar and pear."

"she did witness the whole thing," kie agreed.

"thank you," john b threw his hands up.

"and she's gonna snitch on her brother?" pope scoffed.

"yes!" briar snapped. "rafe's batshit crazy, always has been. he doesn't love sarah. she has more to lose by keeping him here."

"not happening, bro," jj ignored briar. "okay? we've gotta get you off the island."

"the ferry," pope interrupted. "it's the only way."

"exit stage left while you still can," jj insisted. "before the entire island is on lockdown."

"guys, just get down," kie said as another cop car zoomed by.

"sarah's not a pogue, john b," pope continued.

"yeah," jj agreed. "you can't stay here, man."

"you have to," briar's voice broke. "you have to."

SADIE SPEAKS!
word count: 1068
sadness is forthcoming...