On Top//Topper Thornton

twenty

"Easy there, chief," JJ tells him. Pope keeps coughing. "Damn."

"All right. I'm just gonna be real with you right now. 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," JJ states.

"Your old man's an abusive liar," Kie says.

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

"You goin' to the dark side now?" Kie questions.

"When's the last time the police helped us?" Pope asks.

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

No one argues with him as he gets out of the car. We wait outside in the car. When he comes back out he's going to need us.

Suddenly John B comes running out of the police station. "Ash! Start the car!" He runs around to the other side of the car. "Start the car, Ashlynn!"

"What? John B? What did you do?" I ask.

"The cops!" John B shouts.

"Shit!" JJ yells.

I can see a cop running towards the car as I fumble with the keys.

"Ash, drive! Go!" John B yells.

"I'm going! I'm sorry!" I start the car.

"Go, Ash Go!" John B shouts.

I drive off as the cops chase the car. "Stop the car! Right now!"

"What did you do?" Kiara asks.

"Pull over!" the cop yells before she is knocked from the car door.

We spend the rest of the night parked off the road under an old awning. None of us can really go back home at this point. We also don't want to leave John B on his own. Whatever happens we're in this together.

The radio is on, "Good news for residents of Outer Banks. Dominion Power says their underwater transmission line, which will restore power to 90% of the area..."

I sit up when I hear sirens.

"...should be functional within 24 hours."

I hear another police car go by with sirens on as well.

"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..."

I switch off the radio not needing to hear them talk about John B like he's a murderer.

"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 big shot 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 remarks.

Pope rubs his head. "Shit."

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

"Enough with the Mexico bullshit. Sarah's gonna bail me out," John B assures.

"She did witness the whole thing," Kie offers.

"Thank you," John B says.

"And she's gonna snitch on her dad? Not happening, bro. Okay? We've gotta get you off the island," JJ explains.