𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 ᯓ outer banks

chapter twenty-two

"You're gonna take care of it."

"I tell you. We'll just sit here... in the hot-ass car. While it's lightning." Pope sighed as John B slammed the door shut and headed off.

Brooklyn looked over at Kiara who wasn't exactly pleased with anything that was going on. "Kiara, holding onto your grudge is like drinking poison and thinking Sarah will die."

"Exactly."

"Look, Kie, I'm so sorry. I care about you and I love you." Kiara looked over at the brunette who was sat next to JJ. "I did this for John B because I thought he liked her- maybe I'm wrong but I never had a problem with Sarah, she didn't hurt me. I know she hurt you but-."

Kiara cut her off by closing her arms around the girl's body, giving her a tight hug. Brooklyn reacted quickly to the hug, repaying the favour and giving her a small squeeze as Kiara then began to slowly pull away from her arms. The two stayed silent for a moment, looking at one another.

"I'm sorry. It's just- it's Sarah, Brooke. I don't want her to get into your head and take you away... from me." Kiara shrugged, pulling her eyes off hers.

"What?" Brooklyn laughed. "Sarah will never take me away from you. You're my best friend. No one else. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Okay, you two are worse than Brooke and JJ." Pope gagged, turning his eyes away. "Just don't start makin' out and it'll be fine."

"You told Pope?" Brooklyn's eyes shot over to JJ.

"What? You told Kie, obviously." He exclaimed. "You said don't tell your brother, you didn't say anything about Pope." To be honest she'd rather have Pope know instead of John B.

"Ugh, whatever." She moved away from Kie and pecked JJ's lips.

"That's gross. Just because I know doesn't mean I want to see it." Pope groaned, shielding his face.

"Ew, seriously, guys. Come on."

JJ was rambling on, telling Pope about what went down in the locker room with Rafe and the other four assholes. "Wait, do you guys hear that. Sh." Brooklyn shut the two up when she heard yelling.

"Please, somebody help!" Somebody yelled, she assumed Sarah.

"Oh, wait, no, I hear that."

"Shit."

Brooklyn was the first to run out. She didn't care about the weather, she didn't care that she was barefoot and running across the mud. She raced over to Sarah who was on the floor with John B in her arms. Brooklyn looked up to see that the barrier had snapped off, he must've fallen.

"What the hell happened, Sarah?" Brooklyn asked, falling down besides her.

"I don't know what to do. He needs help. Topper shoved him." Brooklyn placed a hand on John B's pulse, her hands shaking from the cold as she felt a small beat in his neck.

"Where the hell is he?" JJ snapped, looking around to see where Topper was.

"Please, please, please get help. I don't care who. Just call someone." Sarah cried, holding onto John B and bringing him in closer.

"Go. Go!" Brooklyn yelled at Pope. "Pope, hurry!"

"John B, stay with me." The girl pressed a kiss to his lips. "Please don't leave me." She sobbed. Kiara looked at Brooklyn who pulled her eyes away, her hand holding John B's.

"Pope, come on!" JJ yelled.

Brooklyn lifted her brother off the ground ever so slightly and pushed the hair from his face. "John B, it's me, it's your sister, it's Brooklyn. It's okay." She pressed her lips together, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead in all hope he was okay.

—

John B had always been there for his sister. Since the day she could walk, he had never let go of her hand incase she would fall. He picked her up off the floor when she hurt herself, he carried her to safety when she broke her ankle after falling down the stairs at the lighthouse at a young age. John B did everything for Brooklyn and that's why she felt guilty that she couldn't be there to help him when Topper pushed him off the Nest.

She sat tapping her feet against the floor of the waiting room. JJ's hand was resting on hers, trying to stop her from digging her nails into her palms like she usually did when she was stressed.

"John Booker Routledge." Brooklyn shot up from her seat so quickly that the blood rushed to her head and she felt dizzy.

"I'm his sister, is he okay?" She asked.

"You can see him now." The doctor smiled before bringing to girl to her brother's room.

She rushed into the room and instantly wrapped her arms around the boy, not even taking it to mind that he had just woken up and was in pain. She let out a huge sigh of relief as she pulled away to see him smiling up at her.

"Hey, loser." He chuckled.

Brooklyn looked over at Sarah who was smiling warmly, her hand in John B's. "He has a concussion and a broken wrist."

"You did a pretty good job after falling from that height." She sniffled, walking around to Sarah's side.

She looked down at the cast that covered half his arm. "I need to get outta here. DCS is gonna find us-." He tried to use as much strength as he could to lift himself up.

"Hang on there, kid. Hang on." Ward Cameron walked into the room. "Sarah told me everything. About your little adventure, about you and your sister running from DCS, and how you were protecting her in the tower." John B and Sarah glanced at one another, smiles on their faces. "John, I believe I owe you an apology. You were honest with me about a small indiscretion, and I went ahead and fired you anyway. And I shouldn't have. Unfortunately, from time to time, I have a bit of a... short fuse. Ask her."

Sarah nodded. "It's true."

"Anyway, I'd like to make up for it, if you'll let me. I spoke with Sheriff Peterkin, and... I've offered to be yours and Brooklyn's legal guardian, if you'll have me." Brooklyn and John B shared a look, completely taken back by the act of kindness.

"What?" John B lightly chuckled.

"It'd mean a roof over your head and no more runnin' from the DCS." Ward told them.

"Oh, my God. Th- thank you." Brooklyn smiled.

"Sure, yeah. Uh... sounds good." John B looked up at Ward who chuckled.

"Okay, then, it's settled." He placed a hand on John B's shoulder. "Welcome to the family, you two."