The light blaring onto the patio of the house and subsequently into my eyes woke me up for the third time that day. I squinted, looking around confused until I put it together in my head.
"You don't know what? That you're gonna break up with her?"
"Yeah"
His voice swarmed my head, playing over and over. I sat up in the chair and looked down at my arm, John B's bandana still tied around it. I let out a sigh as I tipped my head back, and when I rubbed my face with my hands I could feel the dried tears.
I felt so stupid for falling for him so fast, and even more stupid for letting myself kiss him at the church. Putting aside the horrible fact that he technically wasn't, isn't, single, I was so incredibly stupid for believing him when he said he wanted to be with me.
I couldn't deny that part of what made me fall for John B was the rush and excitement, but the night we thought we had lost it all, I was still just as into him as I was when we were searching for gold.
"hey. It's already the afternoon, do you want something to eat?" Sam's voice came from the doorway and I watched as he sadly smiled at me, offering me a coffee from the wreck. "Thank you and no, I'm fine." My voice was quiet. Sam sat next to me on another one of the chairs we had.
"you wanna talk about it?" He asked and when I turned to him, I bit my check. "not really but can you just stay here with me?" I asked,
"mhm," He hummed in agreement, taking a sip of his coffee.
The two of us sat in silence for some time, just watching the waves from the water and drinking our coffee. I watched Sam reach over to the box on the patio and I turned my head, trying to see what he was grabbing.
When he pulled out the blanket I couldn't help but smile, thanking him as I took the blanket from his hands. It was a chilly morning and I welcomed the warmth the blanket provided me.
The view from the patio of John B's dock wasn't very clear but I did notice Pope running towards it. I furrowed my brows and watched as he did.
"What?" Sam asked curiously, following my eyes to John B's deck. "oh" He let out, sitting back and taking another drink from his cup. I sat back too, deciding that it was all just a bit too much for me right then.
I still kept my gaze on the house, watching John B's van pull from his house and race away from Sam's. I couldn't lie and say it didn't hurt. I took heavy breaths as I got more and more upset. John B's words played on repeat no matter how much I tried to stop them.
I stood from my spot and rushed into the house, Sam followed after me and watched as I ripped off my wrist splint, throwing it. "Hey, you're not supposed to take that off!" He yelled at me, picking up the object from the floor and then following my repeated steps out of the door and to the patio.
"fuck!" I yelled out in pain and Sam's eyes widened before running towards me and the tree I had just punched. I was sure that the punch would hurt on its own but I had used my bad hand and was currently holding it to my chest as I cried out.
"shit Laney" The boy sighed, rushing over to me and leading me to the truck. "what are you doing?" I asked as he got into the driver's side.
"going to the hospital you idiot," He said as he opened the door for me to get in. I let out a frustrated sigh but got into the truck anyways, knowing Sam wouldn't give up.
I was practically fuming in the spot next to Sam, and even though I punched the tree I still couldn't get over how upset and angry I was. I wasn't even sure why.
"C'mon you, idiot," Sam told me as he parked, the boy turning his attention onto me. "Okay" I let out, climbing out of the truck and following him into the hospital.
Sam went up to talk to the lady at the desk as I took a seat, my eyes glancing around the emergency room. Sam was dramatic, and this wasn't an emergency.
It wasn't long before Sam came back and told me to follow him. I of course listened to him and he and a nurse led me to an empty exam room.
"Elaine, how are you doing today?" One of the nurses asked as I came into the room, my chart in her hands. "I'm fine, just need my arm checked out," I said, my tone leaving no question in my feelings about being at the hospital.
Once I had my arm scanned and the doctor came to tell me what was wrong it was nearly dark out, the sun was beginning to set and most of the afternoon had been spent in a hospital room.
This time I had a new splint, due to the worsened wrist fracture and a strict warning not to try to take it off or punch any more trees, a comment that made me roll my eyes. It was what happened after we left the room that made the trip memorable.
We didn't make it to the doors before jumping back to avoid the running staff. "they got you!" I heard someone yell and when I looked down the hall I saw Ward Cameron and officer Shoupe. I tapped on my brother's arm but his attention was focused on the woman on the gurney.
When I followed his vision I gasped. What the hell happened? Once the hall was cleared I walked toward Officer Shoupe. "what's going on?" I asked and Ward chuckled sickly. "ask your buddy the next time you see him.
"What?" I asked, looking at Ward and then down to his blood-soaked hands and clothing. "John B shot her" Ward let out and my face paled. "If you see him, send him to me. Got it?" Shoupe ordered and I nodded.
I walked from the doors to the truck, my mind feeling too full. I looked numbly ahead as I sat in the seat, Sam driving me back to the house no matter how much I pleaded to go find the pogues.
"Just go to sleep" He instructed me as he shut the bedroom door. I tossed and turned for a few hours, not being able to actually fall asleep. I kept dreaming of John B and the sheriff.
It was morning when I finally gave up on trying to sleep. I couldn't help but think of what my brother had told me the night before, "listen, go to bed. Don't even think about sneaking out? okay? I want you here tomorrow, got it?"
He didn't think I was really gonna listen, did he?
I sat up in bed, grabbing a flannel from my closet. After a few minutes had passed, my bedroom window was sliding open and I was jumping out onto the soft grass that hadn't been cut in a few days. I had no clue where I was heading and I couldn't help but notice the police cars sitting outside of the Chateau.
"fuck" I mumbled to myself, knowing that one of them would probably follow me if they saw me leave. My plan was to round the house and open the patio door just enough to grab the keys off of the kitchen counter, where Sam always left them. I knew my plan wouldn't work though because of the waiting cops.
I ducked down as I passed Sam's window, deciding to still round the house. I couldn't risk the cops following me in case I really did find the pogues. My mind was reeling, did John B really shoot the sheriff?
My eyes landed on the longboard that I had left on the deck a few nights ago. I smiled to myself before tucking it under my arm and heading through the bushes so I wouldn't be seen.
I still had no idea where I was going but I just let myself ride around. Even if I didn't find the boy and our friends, I would be able to clear my head.
I had been riding around for at least two hours and I had already passed all the places I thought they would be. Although I knew they probably weren't going to be in plain sight anyways.
Maybe looking for them was no use. I tried to put myself in John B's position, even if he did shoot the sheriff, where would he go? Probably to the ferry so he could get the hell off of the island.
The ferry!
My feet pushed off the ground with force and I headed toward the dock. I was almost there when a truck pulled up next to me. "shit" I let out, looking innocently up at my brother who sat in the driver's seat with an angry expression crossed on his face.
"Seriously?" He asked as the window rolled down. I let out a frustrated sigh before rolling my eyes. "get in the truck Laney" He told me and even though I listened, I didn't look happy about it.
"What were you planning to do? Hide a fugitive? What were you thinking?" He asked as I reluctantly got into the passenger seat. "that I have to talk to him." I argued with him and he sighed.
"I know Laney but what if he really did it, huh? What then?" I couldn't deny Sam had a point but I refused to believe Ward Cameron before I talked to my friends.
"Please Sam, I gotta know" I pleaded and he rolled his eyes but pulled from the side of the road and continued to the dock. He parked and he looked over to me. "So what, we wait until they maybe show up?" He asked, annoyed with me.
"I guess," I said, realizing I really didn't have a plan here.
I let my eyes fall to the display screen in his truck, eleven twenty-five flashing on the screen in the corner. I turned to my brother. He could not have looked less impressed with my actions than he did now but his brows raised as he watched a police officer staple a paper on one of the boards.
I got out of the truck as the officer left, walking over and taking the paper down. I was staring at a picture of John B and in big letters "25k reward". I let out a breath, my eyes falling on the sign that informed residents that the ferry was closed. "shit" I let out and when a hand was placed on my shoulder I jumped.
"Sorry" Pope was quick to apologize when I turned around, he looked at the paper in my hands before signaling with his head to Kiara's vehicle. I looked up and towards Sam's truck, the boy nodded his head and was soon pulling from the parking spot.
"C'mon," He said and I followed him to the car, quickly getting in and sitting next to JJ. "All right, okay" Pope stammered as he got into the car.
"Can you act normal Pope?" Kiara asked before leaning back to look at me. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked and I just pointed at the paper in Pope's hands that he was handing to Kiara.
"Bad news, Ferry's closed and then there's this" Kiara's face dropped as she passed it to JJ. My eyes found John B's, the look the two of us shared made me shiver.
"What is this? What is that?" John B asked, the boy laying down in the backseat.
"Well, John B, Uh this is a good framer of you" JJ let out as he showed John B the wanted poster. "So the whole islands looking for John B right now." Pope looked exhausted.
"Congratulations, John B. You're famous," JJ told the boy, before meeting my confused gaze. "Can someone tell me what the hell happened yesterday?" My question made Kiara remember I hadn't been with them and I was practically in the dark about everything, except for the sheriff being shot, and even that I didn't know the full truth.
"I was going to my scholarship meeting, my dad brought up Ward and how they had to help him because the plane's load was too heavy. When I put it together I ran from my meeting and went to the Chateau." Pope started, looking back at me and I met him with sympathetic eyes, knowing he probably lost the scholarship.
"We drove to the airstrip and Ward was shoving Sarah into the plane, John B drove through the fence and drove in front of the plane to stop them from leaving" Kiara continued, and then John B picked his head up.
"While I was arguing with Ward, Peterkin drove up to arrest him and she had her gun pulled, ready to arrest him and then Rafe fucking Cameron shot her. Sarah made sure I got out but she was bleeding so much." John B's face was drained of color.
"So it wasn't you?" My voice was shaky as I looked at him and I wanted to scream at myself for ever thinking he could have done it. "I was at the hospital, and I saw Peterkin get brought in, Ward told me you did it," I told the boy.
"What were you doing at the hospital?" Kiara asked, worry flashing in her eyes. "my wrist, I hurt it again" I told them, not wanting to admit I punched a tree because of my feelings for John B.
"What are we going to do?" Kiara asked, switching topics from my wrist to more pressing matters. "we need to get to the HMS pogue" She said, her words fast.
"it's at the chateau Kie" John B's voice was monotone. "yeah and I wonder if the cops got the entire place staked out" JJ's comment made me scoff. "yep, crawling with em I saw it this morning when I was leaving" I confirmed.
"Why is nobody moving forward?" Pope asked and I turned my head, breaking my eye contact with John B. "what?" I asked, JJ laughing at the boy.
"How much weed did you give him, JJ?" Kiara asked, looking at the blonde boy in the backseat. "Guys" John B said "the car's on the poster" He told us and I felt my stomach drop.
Pope was blaring on the horn and was catching people's attention from around us. A kid was pointing toward the car and when we looked around, everyone seemed to recognize the vehicle.
"shit" I let out, and I jumped slightly as a man started hitting the window. Starring in at John B as he informed people around him that he did in fact find the person on the wanted poster. "Pope go!" I yelled.
The next few seconds were a blur of adrenaline as Pope moved forward and hit the car In front of us before continuing to drive and push it out of the way. When space opened up he pulled out and started to drive over the curbs, clearly too high to be behind the wheel.
"Pope watch out!" Kiara screamed at him as he veered off the road and hit a mailbox, the boy yelling about living his best life. "I should be the last to say this, but you are not okay to drive. Stop!" JJ told him and Pope slammed on the brakes immediately, sending each of us forward in our seats.
Because of how I was sitting, on the floor in front of JJ, had JJ not been holding onto me, my head would have hit the seat hard. "Pope!" I let out, feeling JJ's grip on me get tighter.
"John B get out," Pope told him, and JJ agreed. "well draw the cops, you run," JJ said and I nodded. "i'll get the rig, and i'll meet you in the dump tomorrow, okay?" He told John B and when he moved to get out of the vehicle so did I.
I acted on my feelings and grabbed the boy pulling his face close to his and kissing his lips. "go" I whispered as we pulled apart and he ran.
Even though I didn't know it would be the last time I saw him, I watched him run.