𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬: 𝐀𝐬𝐩𝐲𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧 ~ 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

𝐊𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

Before JJ could reply, a cop looked down at us from atop the overpass. "Hey! Hey, you kids, don't move!" The man shouted.

Our eyes were drawn upwards as the man screamed at us. We scrambled toward the truck and leaped inside with the others. Sarah and Topper remained in the front while the rest of us were crowded in the back.

"Shit, they definitely called it in," Topper said, panicked. There weren't cops following us but they most definitely would be if we didn't get the hell out of there.

"Turn here!" JJ instructed, reaching for the steering wheel.

"Don't touch the driver, man!" Top huffed, shrugging him away. He reached up front yet again. "Topper, just turn around-"

My sister slapped his hand. "Stop. He said don't touch the driver!"

"It's a liability!" Topper said.

"Then go faster!" Cleo shouted.

"If I go faster that's gonna draw attention!" He argued.

"Yeah, I feel like that ship has sailed at this point!" JJ countered.

"You guys are a nightmare," Topper huffed. "Do you argue about absolutely everything?!"

"Yes! Now put the pedal to the metal, boy!" Cleo yelled. She was not playing around, holy shit.

"Maybe put it a little bit, you're going sixty-five!" JJ said.

"You gotta fucking go, dude!" I added.

"Alright, screw it!" He huffed. "Here we go!"

He floored the gas pedal and we went speeding down the road. "There you go!" JJ encouraged. "That's what I'm talking about!"

Moments after we sped up, the truck hit a bump and the crate went flying out of the bed.

"Shit! Stop!" I shouted.

Pope looked around frantically. "Stop! Stop! We lost the cross!" Topper slammed on breaks and we skid to a halt.

JJ rolled his eyes. "Great, Topper,"

"You guys told me to go faster!" He argued.

We scrambled out of the car and ran to the crate. Pope moved the lid aside and then froze. Jogging up beside him, it became clear why he reacted that way. The cross wasn't in the crate, it was just a few tires filled with cement.

Kie furrowed her brows. "What the hell?"

Pope dropped to his knees, his eyes filling with tears. "It's fake. It's all freaking fake,"

"Of course, we did," JJ sighed. "Of course, we stole a fake,"

"Pope, I'm so sorry..." I whispered, trying to prevent tears of my own from falling.

Police sirens echoed in the distance. I closed my eyes in annoyance, letting out a deep sigh.

"Y'all hear that?!" Topper questioned. "I can't be here. My grandfather's a judge!"

"Dog, would you relax?" JJ huffed. "They're not gonna think some dude in flip-flops is part of a robbery, okay?!"

"Oh yeah, with the crate sitting right next to my truck. I'm sure we'll be fine," He remarked.

JJ looked like he was about three seconds from punching him, and frankly, I was thinking the same thing.

Kie placed a hand on Pope's shoulder. "Pope, we gotta go,"

He didn't reply. He simply sat stone-faced staring at the crate.

"Hey," I whispered, approaching him. "We gotta go,"