ᴀᴜɢᴜsᴛ | ᴊᴊ ᴍᴀʏʙᴀɴᴋ

Tʜᴇ Bᴇʟʟ Tᴏᴡᴇʀ

"John B, are you okay ?" Kie asks. They hear sirens approaching and rush to hide.

"Shit." Pope says as they hide behind a stack of boards. Estrella looks to Pope who breathes hard with wide eyes.

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It was dark out now and they were all piled in Kiara's car seeing as the Twinkie was left on the Tarmac. Estrella was crammed in the very back with JJ which was probably the last place she wanted to be.

John B sat in the row in front with Pope and Kie obviously drove. John B asked her to bring him somewhere, so she did. The last place anyone expected was to end up at the police station.

"John B, what are we doing at the police station ?" JJ asks

"Somebody's gotta tell them what happened." John B says

As they stop, Pope starts coughing uncontrollably.

"Ooh..." JJ says as Pope continues coughing, "Easy there, chief. Damn."

He keeps coughing as Estrella pats him on the shoulder.

"All right. I'm just gonna be real with you right now." JJ says sitting up, "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 old man's an abusive liar." Kie says turning to them. Estrella holds her tongue as she sighs deeply.

"I agree with JJ." Pope nods, "Fuck the police."

"You goin' to the dark side now ?"

"When's the last time the police helped us ?"

"Peterkin looked out for me, all right ?" John B speaks up, "Tried to, at least. They need to know."

With that, John B gets out and enters the police station. Estrella sighs as she runs her hands through her hair. Pope continued smoking as they waited for John B. The wait was very short lived.

"Kie ! Start the car !" They hear John B yell. He runs over to the back door. "Start the car, Kie !"

"What ?" She says, "John B ? What did you do ?"

"The cops !" He yells

"Shit !" JJ says

"Go !"

"Kie, drive ! Go !"

"Kiara, fucking go." Estrella yells as the cops start banging on the car.

"I'm going ! I'm sorry !" She says as she starts driving off. The officer hangs onto the door closest to John B.

"Go, Kie ! Go !"

"Stop the car !" The officer yells, "Right now !"

"What did you do ?" Kie yells

"Open it." Pope says to John B. He opens the door and hits the officer with it. She falls back and lets go of the door. He slams the door shut as Kie speeds off.

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Kie got away from the officers. They hid in some random abandoned driveway surrounded by trees facing the road incase they had to run off again. They stayed there for hours. The sun coming up as they sat in silence.

Pope ended up sitting in the front seat. John B and JJ laid the seats down and leaned against them facing the trunk door. Estrella sat with her back against the trunk door. Her legs in between John B and JJ. Again, probably the last place she wanted to be.

Good news for residents of Outer Banks. Dominion Power says their underwater transmission line, which will restore power to 90% of the area should be functional within 24 hours.

JJ sits up as a cop car passes with their sirens blaring. He lays back down as they continue on.

And still, no arrest in the shooting death of Sheriff Susan Peterkin. The state police have issued a statement regarding a local person of interest, a juvenile from-

Kie leans forward and turns it off.

"Let's game this out. Maybe you guys can help, being the smart ones and all, but," JJ sighs, "who are the cops going to believe ? Ward Cameron or us ?"

"So the accuser is a bigshot 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 boy at the moment."

"Thanks." John B says sarcastically

"Shit." Pope says

"Okay, man. Yucatan, all right ? I'm saying that's the only option. What other option do you have ?"

"Enough with the Mexico bullshit, alright ? Sarah will bail me out."

"She did witness the whole thing." Kie says

"Thank you."

"And she's gonna snitch on her brother ?" Estrella says with furrowed brows

"Not happening, bro. Okay ?" JJ shakes his head as he sits up, "We've gotta get you off the island."

"The ferry. It's the only way." Pope says

"Yeah, exit stage left while you still can. Before the entire island is on lockdown."

"Guys, just get down." Kie says. As JJ ducks down, another cop car passes.

"Sarah's not a Pogue, John B." Pope says

"Yeah. You can't stay here, man." JJ says

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