One of Two // JJ Maybank

homecoming: three

i scoffed and shook my head. "of course we're not okay." i replied as dad's smile slowly came off his face. "you saw what rafe did."

dad shook his head. "he didn't mean too." he whispered. "it was an accident." the sad look on his face came back as i scrunched my face up. "i didn't think i was ever gonna see you guys again and here you are, in your backyard, your home."

sarah rolled her eyes and looked at dad dead in the eyes. "we're not coming home." she said. he started to step closer. "we said stay back!" she shouted.

dad stepped back more, trying not to step forward to us as i bit my lip. "i just-i can't stand to see my girls hurt." he said softly, holding onto his chest. "i just wanna protect you guys but i can't do that when you're with them and they've got you in those situations." me and sarah raised our eyebrows. "you guys just can't even know what its like. i thought-i thought my babies were dead."

i mentally gagged as me and sarah rolled our eyes with his little spiel about how worried he was, when we both know he was lying. "do you remember the night of the storm?" i asked, starting to seem intimidating. dad nodded. "on the radio, you promised us that if we came back, you would tell the truth. you remember?"

dad's eyes filled with tears again as he stayed silent. "we're gonna testify against you." sarah blurted out as i picked my head up. "that you lied."

dad sighed, rubbing his eyes. "and that rafe lied." i added. "and that rose lied." he muttered something under his breath as i continued. "just convince rafe to turn himself in."

dad looked up then looked down at us. "i'm not gonna do that." he replied.

my heart dropped as my mouth parted slightly. sarah spoke on the verge of tears. "but why?" she asked as her voice cracked. "john b didn't shoot sheriff peterkin."

dad shook his head. "no, he didn't shoot peterkin." he said. "but he's the reason she's dead." i scoffed as he continued. "i offered to help him in the tiniest bit of what was already rightfully mine and he said no. you know why he said no? because he's greedy just like his father. he's so crazy for all that goddamn gold that he wouldn't share any of it with the one person that could help him." i shook my head in disbelief, looking down. "so crazy for the gold that he pulled his van in front of our airplane almost killing you two and i on that tarmac."

sarah shuddered as i squeezed her hand. "that's why we were even there." dad continued. "that's why peterkin was there. that's why it all happened. him."

i shook my head. "no." was all i said as a tear fell down my cheek. "it was rafe, and he's gonna get caught and he's gonna drag you all down with him, dad! you know how rafe is! do you not see that?"

"honey." dad looked to me and sighed. "no he's not, because i'm not gonna let it happen. you two still don't understand. girls, this family, all of this... i didn't have it growing up." i scoffed and mumbled under my breath. "and if you think there is anything that i wouldn't do to keep us all together, girls, you haven't been paying attention."

sarah squeezed my hand tightly and stood closer to me. "if you don't tell the truth, you'll never see us ever again." she said bluntly. i nodded in agreement, tilting my head at dad, trying to keep the sun out of my already sun burned face.

"you don't mean that." dad whispered. "you two are my favorite, you know that. rafe knows it." he stopped and placed his hands on his hips. "but no. i'm not gonna choose between my daughters and my son." i knew it. he was never going to choose us. welp, there goes that plan down the drain. "but i will tell you in the end everything will be okay. we'll be back as a family, and everything will be back to normal like nothing happened."

sarah stepped very close to dad as i stayed back, wondering what she was doing. she stood there for a moment and shook her head. "what happened to you?" she whispered.

she stepped back towards me and grabbed my hand, walking us back towards the boat. tears fell down my face as we went back to the pogues. i sobbed quietly, wondering what happened to the dad that loved his daughters and would do anything for them. everything was falling apart once again and i couldn't take it anymore.

"spencer! sarah!" i heard kie shout as sarah dropped the anchor from the boat and we climbed out. i wiped my face, my eyes were probably irritated. i crossed my arms and walked silently towards the pogues.

john b came running up to us. "how'd it go?" he asked. i shook my head and motioned to sarah.

i sat down on the sand and pulled my legs to my chest. jj sat next to me and wrapped an arm around me. "you guys were right." i whispered, looking up. "i didn't work."

jj nodded as he stood up, guessing sarah told john b the same as kie looked disappointed. "welp, that just about settles it." he said, helping me up. "y'all need to load up the paddy wagon and get the hell out of dodge, right now."

i flipped my head towards jj with a heart broken look. pope nodded. "yeah, you'll need supplies, and you'll have to split as soon as possible." he replied.

i looked to kie who was staring out at the water, worriedly. "guys, i think it's too late." she shouted.

we heard sirens as i turned to where kie was looking and saw three police boats, coming towards us. "they followed you here?" john b asked quickly as i gasped. "must've been your dad."

"stay put with your hands up!" an officer yelled through a megaphone.

"go!" john b yelled.

jj grabbed my hand and started sprinting more inland. i looked behind us to see a bunch of officers with guns. i jumped over a few tree branches and followed closely behind the pogues.

we jumped into a small river and started to walk across quickly, since you can't run in water. we reached land across the way and hid behind a huge tree. i caught my breath and sighed, looking around. i noticed cop cars, coming down the small pathway. "we're surrounded. they trapped us." jj said, not letting go of my hand. i looked up to him as his jaw clenched and reached down in his bag.

he pulled out the gun and put in a new magazine. officers were shouting at us and i started to breathe heavily. tears were falling down my face as sarah grabbed onto my hand, squeezing it and not letting go. every little detail felt like it was in slow motion.

i closed my eyes, telling myself nothing was happening and it was all fake. i watched as john b grabbed jj and took the gun out of his hands, letting it drop to the ground. jj looked at john b with helpless expression. i moved my foot to cover up the gun quickly with dirt as i looked to john b who had his hands up.

"i'm surrendering!" john b shouted.

shoupe looked towards us. "you guys stay right where you are, don't move!" he shouted as i put my hands up, looking at john b with tears.

"i wanna testify!" john b yelled as he stepped closer to the officers.

shoupe scoffed with his gun pointed. "it's about time!" he replied. "get down and don't move a muscle."

another officer to came to us and pointed a gun as we stayed as still as possible. i watched as john b got on his knees and an officer wrapped his arms around him, throwing him to the ground. i gasped as i stayed put. "stop!" i screamed at the officer.

more tears streamed down my face as the officer kicked john b in the stomach, making him cough. i heard jj shout. "sheriff what is that?" he yelled loudly, trying to to throw hands at anyone. kie, pope, and sarah were yelling. "you're gonna let that happen?"

the officer tried to calm down jj as i was too tired. i couldn't scream or yell anymore, i had no energy. i watched as shoupe tried getting the officer off, but he puched john b right in the face.

knocking the brunette out cold.