latibule [jj maybank]

0.17

chapter 17 

the next morning after the fight kiara, jj and india met up with pope at heyward's store. they talked about the events of last night, laughing at how pope had started the fight. 

"don't let it get in your head. there were three of them and two of us" jj pitches in, looking at pope. "that's some typical kook shit right there" he continues, shaking his head with disgust. 

india nods in agreement, helping jj put some items in bags before handing them to costumers "hell yea" she replies, turning to jj. 

after last night jj had stayed over at her house. he'd told her that while it hadn't been him that sunk the boat, he had been there with pope when it had happened. 

"what was your thought process, using your head?" jj asks pope, turning to him. 

pope shrugs "i don't know man, i just kind of acted out of instinct" he replies as he puts in a total in the cash register. 

"yes" kiara says while he continues to talk a wide smile on her face. the group sports big smiles on their faces as they continue talking about the subject. 

"hey pope" heyward calls out as he enters the store. "someone here to see you" he motions behind him as a police officer enters the shop. 

the group goes quiet as the officer comes closer, and india finds herself grabbing jj's arm tightly. she only hoped that they weren't here to take them. 

"i have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property" the officer nears pope, and jj looks at the boy, sharing a worried glance. 

the guard indicates to pope, telling him to put his hands up. 

"put your hands where i can see 'em" he instructs as he grabs pope and starts to handcuff him. 

instantly the group breaks out in yells, all of them trying to help pope. 

"be careful!" india yells out at the officer as she sees him push him around. 

jj's jaw tightens, and he lets go of india's hand as he tries to think of something. 

"everything you say could and will be used against you in the court of law" the officer states, ignoring the yells of the group behind him as he starts dragging pope out of the shop. 

india and kiara follow the officer, both of them yelling at him. 

india tries to get to pope, but heyward holds her back, knowing that it could go very wrong for her. 

she stares at pope's face, trying not to cry as she sees the shock in his expression. 

"it wasn't him!" a voice yells out loudly from behind india. 

the entire group of people stops what they're doing, turning to the voice. 

india turns around slowly, pleading to herself that the voice talking isn't jj's. 

her heart stops. 

jj stands there, looking directly at the officer. he tries his best not to make eye contact with india because he knows that the moment he does he'll back down on whatever he's about to say. 

"jj, no" india whispers, looking at him. 

"it was me." jj continues, ignoring india and walking closer to the officer. "he tried to talk me out of it" he says, pointing to pope "but i was mad because he'd just been beaten up and they had made a comment about my girlfriend" he explains.