"Don't you dare fucking talk to me like that." I snapped at the seething boy in front of me.
"Like what, princess? Like you're full of shit? Someone had to say it!" He yelled back.
"No, don't talk to me like you're better than me! You and I are the...
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★★★
The next morning, we were in Heyward's shop hanging out. I still didn't know how John B. was doing, and it worried me, but everyone else seemed to be fine, so I relaxed.
"What? No way, Marvel's way better than DC," I said to Kie as she shook her head. "DC's iconic! Batman, Superman, Wonder-woman..." She argued.
"Ok, but come on, the Avengers!" I said, as JJ attempted for the eighth time to braid my hair. "I don't think it's working. There's too many steps," He said.
Kie walked over, attempting to teach him again how the three pieces of hair eventually made a braid. "Come on, JJ, I've explained this to you," Kie groaned. "What, it's hard!" He whined defensively, dropping my hair. My hands went to my hair, braiding it effortlessly, and he scoffed, "Yeah, ok, you've had practice. Whatever."
Heyward came back in from outside and folded his arms. "Pope, there's someone here for you," He announced and we all turned in his direction. Deputy Shoupe walked in, his badge gleaming, and for a second, my instinct to run took over me.
I had only had experiences running and hiding from Shoupe and other cops. I loitered and sometimes was on private property, but I was never caught. If Helen taught me anything, it was how to run fast.
I stayed in place though. I remembered he wasn't here for me, and I focused my attention on Pope once again. "Come on son," He said, handcuffing Pope. We were all on high alert now.
"Wait, what? You're arresting him?" Kie asked, stunned, and Heyward leaned over the counter, "You're arresting my boy?"
We all followed him outside as he told Pope his rights and Kie tried arguing with Shoupe to get him out of this. My mind reeled as he explained he was being arrested for the wakesetter sinking, but just before Pope was loaded in the police car, something unexpected happened.
"IT WASN'T HIM!" JJ shouted from behind us, and I whipped around. "It was me. He tried to talk me out of it, but I was mad because he'd just been beaten up. I was so sick of those assholes from Figure 8 that I lost my shit," He said, and I looked at him frantically.
"JJ what are you doing?" I asked, my eyes getting watery. I didn't mean to cry, but I recognized his attempt at altruism. "No, I talked him into it, it was my idea," I said.
It wasn't a lie, I wasn't playing hero, I did say 'They hit us, we hit them.' Verbatim. It was as much my fault as anyone else's.
"Kessinger. Getting yourself wrapped up in this shit again?" Shoupe asked, and I looked at the ground. "I don't need a lecture, Shoupe," I said, embarrassed.
