season two ; episode three { Prayers }
chapter fifty-one
"MR. SUNN, CAN I BORROW POPE FOR A MINUTE?" Someone asked when entering the classroom.
"We're in the middle of a test."
Pope looked up as well as other students in the classroom. "I'm from the Vanderhorst Foundation."
"Mr. Heyward, it's for you." Pope rose from his chair and left the classroom, leaving his friends confused as to who that was and what he wanted.
Minutes later, Pope headed back in faster than he left and this time he was holding something. An envelope of some sort. He sat himself down and turned on his chair to face his friends.
He held up an envelope with the wheat symbol stuck on the back of it. "Is that the wheat symbol?"
"Yeah."
"What the f— fu... fu... fudge?" JJ yelled a little too loudly which brought a laugh out of Brooklyn.
Brooklyn glanced back down at her test sheet and pushed her hair out of her face. She hated tests, she hadn't done a test in years and after not studying or looking over any notes she had made, she had absolutely no clue on what the test was or what subject she was even sat in right now.
She and JJ threw pieces of paper at each other for a while to pass the time and tried to help each other with the questions but both of them couldn't even be bothered to finish it or... start it for that matter.
Brooklyn prayed for the bell to ring so she could escape and when it did, she and her friends raced to the library to look at the computers.
"Is this a game of tag?" JJ asked as they entered.
"I don't know."
"Am I gonna have to beat you with your protractor? What's going on?" JJ hissed, not meaning to be too loud but the librarian shushed him.
"Seriously, Pope, you are driving me insane."
They stopped in front of the computers and Pope turned to face his friends. "Okay, so that guy was from the scholarship committee. Take a look at this." Pope handed the letter over to JJ who was quick to snatch it from his hands.
"Out loud."
JJ stared at the letter for a few seconds, not saying a word. "I can't read cursive."
Brooklyn took the letter from the boy. "Dear Mr. Heyward, I am reaching out because I have material evidence that can exonerate John B. Routledge." Brooklyn tried to wipe the sudden smile off her face as she continued to read, "It is of vital importance that you come and meet with me in person at my offices at 27 King Street, Charleston at eight p.m. sharp tonight. Please come alone." Her face scrunched up when she read the name, "Regards, C. Limbrey."
"Charleston?"
"It's like an eight-hour drive plus the ferry." Pope told the group. "How will we get there tonight?"
"We'd have to leave right now."
"I have a free period." Kiara said.
"Material evidence? What does that even mean, material evidence?" JJ whispered.
"It means he can clear John B."
"Oh, shit, then we're going to Charleston." The librarian turned her attention back over to JJ.
"I gotta tell my mom." Kiara sighed. "Look, if we get it this time, we are not giving it to Shoupe."
"Yeah. No duh."
Pope began to type in the name Limbrey to see what would come up. He looked back down at the letter and then back up at the screen to double check he had read it right. "I'm not sure, but I think whoever this Limbrey person is, they might be related to the captain of the Royal Merchant."
They all read off the screen. This is crazy.
"Well... you guys better talk to your parents." Brooklyn looked from Pope to Kiara. "Imagine having parents to talk to..."
"We can just go wherever." JJ wrapped an arm around Brooklyn's shoulders. "Let's go."
—
When they arrived at Kiara's, the three of them sat outside while Kiara... argued with her parents.
Obviously it wasn't going well.
"They're taking it really well." Brooklyn mumbled.
She was squished in between the two boys after Pope stole his father's car to get them to Charleston. "How'd you get this rig? I know your old man didn't let you have it."
"I undid the intake valves on the carburettor. Made it start pinging." Pope admitted.
"And now you're just gonna take it to your cousin Jeff's house. Just gonna get it fixed." The two boys looked at each other.
"Crash overnight." The three said.
"I think I'm rubbing off on you, Pope. Lying to your old man, stealing his truck. Kinda sounds familiar." Brooklyn looked in between them, seeing both of them give each other glances. "All right, that's a sore subject. My bad."
"I'd say we have about eighteen hours before he absolutely loses his shit." Brooklyn and JJ nodded. "So as long as we get back before then, I think we're good."
Kiara was now coming down the steps with her mother following behind her. They were arguing about something. "I'm not going to boarding school." Is what Kiara said. "They're not my people."
"Look at your life right now! Look at your life!"
JJ had stepped out of the van so Kiara could climb in next to Brooklyn. "It's good to see y'all, Mr. and Mrs. Carrera."
Pope stuck his head out the window to wave to them. "Hi, uh, ma'am, sir. I... I promise to have her back at a reasonable hour and safe."
"What are you doing?"
"Kiara, listen to me. You wanna go, then you can go. But if you don't come back at a proper time, then don't come back at all!" Brooklyn looked over at Kiara, seeing her face expression completely change.
"Y'all have a good day." JJ waved before climbing into the car next to Kiara.
"This shit would be so much easier without parents." Kiara looked between her friends.
"I don't have any." Brooklyn shrugged. "My dad would've killed me by now though."
Pope started up the engine and they began to drive off from Kiara's, not even looking back at her parents.