PRINCESS | JJ MAYBANK

SEVENTEEN

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JAIL
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Atlanta walked into the station with a little brown bag, her dad had forgotten his lunch yet again. Every morning Atlanta would make him lunch, and near enough every morning he would forget it. Atlanta wasn't sure if he did it on purpose or if he was genuinely just that forgetful.

Atlanta walked past the holding cells and didn't think anything of it, until she saw the familiar blonde haired boy and after seeing him, she felt her heart drop.

"JJ?" Atlanta paused and turned to face him. JJ smiled at looked at her. "What did you do?"

"Not me princess." He paused, he made his way over to the bars and leant on them. "Pope."

"You took the fall?" Atlanta questioned, pursing her lips slightly as she grabbed his hand. "Why?"

His thumb ran along her knuckles soothingly, causing a smile to form on her face. She loved the way he made her feel.

"He has more to loose that I do." JJ shrugged honestly.

Atlanta knew that he was referring to his father who beat him. To him even time in jail would be better than that.

"It wasn't even Pope." Atlanta muttered, looking up at JJ through her long lashes. "It was me."

She hated that he had technically taken the fall for her. The only reason she hadn't told him before now was because he was so proud of Pope. She didn't want to take that away from him.

"What?" JJ questioned in confusion.

JJ didn't even think that she was being serious when she said it was her. He thought that she was only trying to stop Rafe, Topper and Kelce from beating him and Pope up.

"You looked so proud of him, I couldn't-I didn't want you to think he couldn't do it. I just did it before he had the chance to, do prevent something like-" The brunette paused. "This happening."

JJ let out a small chuckle. "Too late for that, princess."

"I'm gonna fix it." Atlanta said as she dug Into the little brown bag. "Here, dad doesn't need any more donuts anyways." She chuckled handing JJ the jam donut. "I think he leaves them on purpose you know? Cause of the donut and all."

Atlanta remembered the first time she packed him lunch with a donut, he came home all embarrassed because his coworkers laughed at him for being so stereotypical.

"I'm going to fix this, stay put."

"Very funny, Attie." JJ said as he put on a fake laugh.

Atlanta winked at the boy before walking into the Sheriff's office, which was where her father was. She couldn't let JJ go down for this.

"Daddy?" Atlanta looked between Peterkin and Shoupe. "It wasn't JJ who sank Topper's boat." She paused watching her fathers face scrunch up in confusion. "It was me."

Shoupe had never looked so disappointed in Atlanta, but Peterkin was trying her hardest not to laugh. The wasn't the first time the girl had rebelled but it was definitely the worse.

"Did he put you up to this?" Shoupe questioned angrily. "That Pogue?"

"No daddy. I pulled the plug from T's boat, making it sink." Atlanta looked down at the floor. She knew that if she didn't look guilty, her father wouldn't believe a word that she was saying.

"You weren't on the security camera." Shoupe looked at his daughter angrily.

"That's only one frame." Peterkin interrupted. "The others were down because of the storm."

"My daughter did not do this." Shoupe said adamantly. "She is being forced by that dirt-"

"Victor!" Peterkin shouted, making Atlanta jump, it was very rare that she heard Susan shout. "Out of my office, I want a word with your daughter." Atlanta gulped as her father left. "Take a seat, Attie."

Atlanta took a seat across from Peterkin and fiddled with her hands anxiously. She didn't want Peterkin to be disappointed in her, after all she was like a mother to Atlanta.

"Tell me the truth, was it you?" Atlanta merely nodded. "Why?" Peterkin questioned.

"Topper, he was being a jerk. Rafe beat Pope up, with a golf club and he pushed me- which isn't important -but T wouldn't let me help Pope. So I got my own back on him." Atlanta paused. "I didn't think it would go this far."

"You could've told me, I would have made all of this go away." Peterkin announce and motioned to the pictures of Pope diving off the wakesetter on her desk.

"I didn't want you to be mad at me." Atlanta admitted sheepishly.

She sought Peterkin approval a lot. The woman meant the world to her, she stepped up to be a mother figure when she had no one else.

"Your dad will hate me if I charge you. He'd never forgive me or you." Peterkin explained.

"You can't charge JJ, he didn't do anything wrong, he's protecting me." Atlanta looked up at Susan, with tears in her eyes. "His dad will-"

"Beat him. I know." Peterkin cut Atlanta off.

Atlanta had no idea that Peterkin knew about what Luke did to JJ. It made her wonder why nobody ever did anything to help him. He deserved to get out of that house.

"It's not fair. He didn't do this." The brunette ran her hand over her face.

"I'll lower the price of restitution, but I'm afraid that is all I can do." Peterkin announces. "I'm sorry Atlanta."

"I think I love him Sue." Atlanta admitted and a light blush rose to her cheeks.

Peterkin's eyes widened, this is why she only had dogs and not kids, At least then they couldn't catch feelings. Although she did love both the Shoupe siblings with all her heart. After their mother died she became the mother figure in their lives.

"Well." Peterkin cleared her throat. "You have to be careful with JJ. He's being in this office more times in the last two weeks than I would like to admit."

"He-"

"I know. You're a sucker for the bad boys. I was too at your age." Peterkin admitted. "I don't care who you love Atlanta, as long as they deserve that love. And as long as they love you back, you can love whoever you want." Atlanta smiled at the woman.

"Can you not call his father?" Atlanta pleaded.

"It's the law. He's 16, he-"

"Can I speak to him, explain it to him? Please." Peterkin nodded and Atlanta walked out the office and ran to the holding cell.

JJ knew from the solemn look on her face that she didn't get the Sheriff or her dad to let him go. He understood that they couldn't just let him walk free. Someone needed to go down for this and it sure as hell wasn't going to be the kook princess.

"Hey princess." Atlanta attempted to smile. "It's okay, I know you tried."

"I told them it was me. I promise JJ." Atlanta grabbed his hands.

"I believe you." JJ said placing a light kiss on her knuckles. "I know you just tried to help."

"They're calling your dad." Atlanta muttered anxiously. "I asked them not to but-"

"That's to be expected, baby." He whispered, tucking a small piece of hair behind her ear. "Hey it's okay, don't get upset." He said wiping away a stray tear. "It's nothing I haven't been through before." He laughed to ease Atlanta's pain, but nothing worked.

She hated the idea of his dad beating him for something she did. This was her fault. He shouldn't have to pay.

"I'm sorry JJ." She whispered. "I'm so fucking sorry."