Maelynn raced through the crowd of people to get to her father. He was whispering something in one of the officers' ear about Sarah - she could see him mouthing her name. She pushed and shoved and wormed her way through until she was beside them.
'Rafe killed Peterkin,' she panted. Her heart was pounding from both the run and the severity of the confession. 'Not John B.'
'I give you her twin, Maelynn,' Ward gestured grandly to his other daughter. 'Bipolar as well, I'm afraid. Though not attached to the same one as Sarah.'
'Huh?'
Ward gave his daughter a chilling smile. 'No, from what I've seen and heard, she's got the Maybank boy wrapped around her little finger.'
The officer turned to her. 'You don't want to be mixing up with them.'
'Screw you.'
'Ah, ah, ah,' he shook his head. 'You've got quite a mouth, haven't you? I'll need you to come with me. I've got some questions to ask you.'
'I don't want to answer your stupid questions when we both know full well that the outcome is already decided.'
'Let's try anyway. Ward?'
Her father grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to his truck. 'Let's go.'
They sat in silence for almost half the drive. Maelynn toyed with her hair, then JJ's sweats, then her own fingers, until she finally burst out, 'Why are you doing this?'
Ward looked over at her in surprise. 'Doing what?'
'Punishing me.'
'Well, you have been lying about where you were and sleeping with a boy. And not to mention the fact that you broke a promise and snuck out all in one go. Can you really blame me, Maelynn?'
'Yes. Yes, I most certainly can.'
'Explain.'
She turned so she could see his face. 'Maybe if things weren't so dire, I wouldn't feel the need to stay with him and protect him every waking hour of the day. Maybe if I didn't think I'd be a disappointment no matter what I do, I'd tell you when I found a boy I love. Maybe if you all weren't such prejudiced assholes, I'd tell you I was dating a pogue. I'd introduce you to the best person in my life. I'd show you all that I'm not worthless, that someone finally found something in me they could love.'
'You're not unlovable, Maelynn. It hurts me that you'd think you are.'
'Really?' she demanded. 'Really? Because the only person in the house who's made me feel loved no matter what is Wheezie. With everyone else, I'm too sensitive, I'm too stubborn, I'm not subborn enough, I'm childish, I'm not as good as Sarah, I should be more like Sarah, it's all my fault, I can't please anyone, and I'll never be anything.'
'Why would you ever think that?'
'Because every single one of you has said at least one of those things to me!' she yelled. 'Did you even think of how damaging that would be to a little girl? I just wanted you all to love me.'
'We did- we do,' he insisted. 'And it's not our fault you took those things to heart. You should have a thicker skin.'
'You're doing it right now!'
He slammed his hand down on the steering wheel. 'Stop yelling at me, or so help me, Maelynn Jane! I will lock you in your room for the rest of your life if this keeps up!'
'You stole my fucking door! Rafe broke my bathroom door! You don't believe in barring up windows!'
'That may change now,' he stated calmly. 'And I'll have a chat with your brother about the door. But after these questions, you're coming home, and you're staying there until I say so.'
'I would rather die than live in a house with Rafe in it.'
'Too bad you don't get the option.'
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As Agent Bratcher finished up questioning, Maelynn racked her brain for a way to get out of going home. Nothing could point in the direction of Ward being a bad father (that could be proved, at least) so she'd have to make a low blow...
'My brother is abusive,' she said nonchalantly as Bratcher took her back out. He stopped dead in the middle of the hall.
'What did you say?'
'Rafe. He's abusive.'
'And you have proof of this?'
She brought her arm from her side and pointed at the large, bruised hand mark left there. 'That was him. He's also broken down a door I locked for privacy, pulled my hair, slapped me, and verbally abused me.'
'Go back into the room. I'll be with you in a minute.'
She did as he said, smiling as soon as he was out of view. Now Rafe was going to get his comeuppance. You're gonna get what's coming to you...
Agent Bratcher came in a few moments later, a new file in hand. 'Alright. Bruise on your arm, got it. Anywhere else?'
'I can't see my scalp, but the area is sore from where he yanked on it. I took a picture of my cheek all red after he slapped me. My door would still be destroyed at home. I have messages from him calling me a whore.'
'I'll send someone to your house, but that's all I can do. The messages could be faked, and the picture could be from something else.'
Her face and stomach fell. 'Oh. Alright.'
He put a hand on her shoulder. 'We'll get this whole mess sorted out, and you'll be a happy family again in no time. You'll see.'
She nodded. However, she knew that was the last thing they'd ever be again. Happy family my ass.
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pretty boy jj <3
howd the mission go
???????
mae?
maelynn
princess
love
baby
ur kinda freakin me out
pls answer
MAE
maelynn <3
im ok j
it didnt go well
im trapped at home
pretty boy jj <3
is rafe there 2
maelynn <3
im not sure
dad gave me my door back so im hiding
i also cant get out
pretty boy jj <3
im coming to steal u
get ready 2 b juliet
maelynn <3
huh
pretty boy jj <3
balcony scene???
maelynn <3
oh hah
kk
c u soon j
pretty boy jj <3
u betcha
<3
maelynn <3
<3
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Fuck the calm, all she got was the storm.
It had been a few hours since JJ had stolen her away from her beautiful prison, and they had gone to many different locations since. They ended up with John B near the dock.
He said his goodbyes to everyone with a sad smile. Maelynn held onto JJ's arm tightly and stifled her tears. She believed in him wholeheartedly, but she couldn't help the fear of trouble she felt for him.
'Hey, Maelynn?'
She smiled. 'Yeah?'
'Thanks for being patient.'
'My pleasure, John B.'
He reached forward for her. She fell into his arms and squeezed tightly, letting out a small sigh. She was still terrified as ever. He could feel it, too, and gave her a tight squeeze for a couple of seconds before letting go. 'Take care of Sarah for me.'
'You bet.'
They all smiled one more time. As John B drove off, Kiara turned to Pope and kissed him. JJ and Maelynn started to stare, then realized how weird it was and looked away. Kiara and Pope. Neither could've really seen that coming.
'You know about that?' she nodded at the kissing pair. JJ shook his head and chuckled.
'Pogue-on-pogue macking at it's finest.'
She smacked his chest with the back of her hand. He just gave her a smile and pulled her in close to his chest. 'I love you, Mae.'
'Love you more, J.'
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The storm rolled in fast. It was, at one moment, a beautiful, hopeful, sunny day, and the next a dark, gloomy evening with no positivity. Mother nature had finally frowned down upon this reckless plan they had concocted.
'Where's Sarah?' Maelynn demanded as the pogues approached the tent the police force had set up. Her father and Shoupe stood next to each other, both looking equally concerned and angry. 'Dad?'
'In the boat with John B.'
Maelynn laughed. 'You're shitting me,' Her face fell when neither of them cracked a smile. 'What?'
'We're trying to get them back. Maybe if you try-'
'Nope,' she held her hand up. 'If she's with John B over us, she'll stick to it. She's very stubborn.'
Ward frowned at her and gripped her upper arm. 'You're trying. You don't get a choice.'
'Let go of me!' she yelled, trying to pry him away. He held fast until JJ 'accidentally' shoulder-checked him. 'Ugh.'
'Watch where you're going, Maybank,' Ward hissed as JJ passed him. The boy simply shrugged and looked at Maelynn with a glint in his eye. 'Now-'
She bolted for her friends, hiding in JJ's open arms. She pressed her face into his jacket and took a deep breath. His arms were wrapped around her tight. Somehow, she managed to be aware of every point of contact between them. It would've been overwhelming if it was anyone else.
'It's gonna be fine, princess,' JJ whispered into her hair as he rubbed her back. She nodded but kept her face turned away from everyone else. Her hands slowly wound under his jacket and up the back of his shirt, pressing against the warm skin there. He rocked them from side to side as she listened to the beating of his heart. 'You're okay. I'm right here.'
She looked up after a while. Everyone in the tent was being berated by the wind, including JJ. He looked down briefly when she moved, but quickly tilted his head back to watch the water. At every new gust his arms would tighten around Maelynn.
Everyone could hear the despair in her fathers' voice as he begged and pleaded with Sarah and John B over the radio. Maelynn was almost desperate enough to go over by the time Shoupe turned to everyone with a forlorn expression.
'We lost them.'
Maelynn's throat closed up as she turned. We lost them. Welostthemwelostthemwelostthem. Sarah and John B would either be stranded or dead by the next morning.
'You drove them right out into the storm!' JJ yelled. His arms were more loose around her as the tears began to fall. She sobbed loudly, clutching her chest. Her legs gave out under her. She was on the ground - she was on the ground, and Sarah was gone.
Memories of the two of them flashed through her head as her heart tore open. Their first day of school, lying for her, talking about her first kiss, when their mother died, babysitting Wheezie as a toddler, playing hide-and-seek with Rafe, getting bedtime stories from their father, being the flower girls' when Rose and Ward got married, coming up with their codes, laughing in school, having their first drinks together.
Sarah. Her girl. Her twin. Her other half.
She screamed from the bottom of her soul.
JJ left the hug from the Heywards' and came over to Maelynn, kneeling beside her and pulling her onto himself. 'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, baby.'
'She's gone,' she whispered into his chest, her fingers clutching at his jacket desperately. 'She's gone forever, JJ. I'm never going to see her again.'
'Oh, baby. It's okay. It's gonna be okay.'
She shook her head vehemently. 'No, no, no, no!'
'Let go of her!' Ward thundered suddenly. She held on to JJ as tight as she could and stood them both up.
'This is because of you!' she spat. 'If they weren't so scared of getting arrested for something you did, they'd still be here! If you weren't so selfish, they'd still be here!'
'You don't know what you're talking about, Maelynn Jane Cameron,' Ward replied in a warning tone. She pointed an accusing finger straight at his chest.
'I know more than you think.'
He advanced on her, but JJ quickly pulled her behind himself and back away. 'You can't do anything, Ward. You're in handcuffs.'
'He is...'
Ward scowled at the two of them. 'You better watch yourself, boy.'
Shoupe came up behind him and began to guide him away. Another officer took his place. 'Are you going to get home alright?'
'I think I have another place to stay tonight,' she replied. The officer nodded and patted her shoulder. More tears fell as her friends' families came over and hugged the life out of her.
At the end of the night, she and JJ tucked under every blanket they could find and held each other as they cried. And boy, did they cry. They woke up the next morning unable to breath and puffed so bad they could hardly see.
'J?'
'Yeah?'
'I can't lose you.'
He pulled her back in and buried his face in her hair. 'I can't lose you, either.'
'I love you forever.'
'I love you more.'
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2157 words.
written august 22/21.