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Cops were on my tail, yelling at me over the intercom. I was able to find a sharp last-minute turn that I snuck into. Losing the cops for only a minute. I found a grassy ditch and stopped the car in there and sprinted. Ran as fast as I could to the one person I hope to forgive me.
I haven't seen any cops around but I knew I can't stay at the chateau, Shoupe will definitely know to look there. But I have nowhere else to turn to. I ran up to the humble abode and ran right inside like I had lived there myself.
Out of breath, panting like a dog I wasn't even able to get words out since Pope beat me to it.
"Y/n?" The rest of the boys snapped their heads around and JJ stood up so quickly, you'd think he just got scared shitless.
"y/n, i-i am sorry baby. I really am," JJ spoke out softly to me, walking ever so cautiously to me.
"I know," I huffed out, "rafe set you up, I'm sorry I should have listened."
"No, you can't say you're sorry when you did nothing wrong." J walks over to me to embrace me. I wrap my arms under his armpits and grab his shoulder, and lay my head in his chest. He puts his chin on top of my head and brushes my hair, repeatedly saying he's sorry.
"I don't want to ruin the moment but the cops are on my tail," I said pulling away from the boy.
"What!?" Pope said frantically
"Yea. I may or may not have stolen a cop car.." I dragged my words out.
"What the f-"
"hell yeah! that's some pouge shit!" John B cut Pope off coming over to high-five me.
"y/n! You're gonna go to jail!" JJ was very concerned, I could tell. His face scrunched up, and his eyes became soft, as his muscles tense up.
"Shoupe tried to send me to a fucking mental hospital because Rafe drugged me. Now he thinks I'm an addict because everyone always believes the kooks."
"baby what happened?" He became less tense and walked up to me slowly again.
"He drugged me ok? and honestly I don't feel the greatest. All this running is messing my system up," I huffed out noticing I was starting to get light-headed.
"JJ we can't keep her here, Shoupe will come here immediately." John B explained.
Pope added, "They're probably on their way right now."
"Ok, ok! where can you go?" J's face became extremely panicked. "I would say mine but luke could be there, and you need to rest."
"my place," Pope called out, "She can go to my place, and one of us can stay with her."
"yes! we're doing that c'mon!"
We all ran towards John B's van and he started driving. Pope sat in the passenger's seat and JJ sat with me in the back. I laid on his lap with my head resting on his thighs. I looked right at his luscious locks of naturally highlighted blonde, while his ocean of eyes was staring right at me.
"hi."
"hi, princess." He tucks back a piece of my hair and circles his thumb around my cheek. "how are you feeling?"
"dizzy," I hummed
"Close your eyes y/n. rest baby, I got you now. you're not going anywhere."
"hmm ok." I start to move my head to get more comfortable, but I can feel a bulge rising under me. "J control your friend," I giggled.
He wraps his arms around my body and leans down to my ear and says," then stay still my love."
I blush really hard and started to close my eyes grinning in my sleep.
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I moved my body to regain comfort but I feel a blanket draped over me. I shot my body up in fear not knowing where I was. I saw Pope off to the side and immediately calmed down, knowing I was safe.
"Sorry if I freaked you out," Pope apologizes and hands me a glass of water and ibuprofen. "John B and JJ didn't trust me lying to the cops so I'm staying with you. JJ is coming later."
I took the glass and medicine and took it for my headache that was throbbing. "where's kie and Sarah?"
"that's a long story."
"well, I'm here to stay aren't I?"
He smiled at my response and continued to tell me what I've missed. So apparently they trapped Kie and Sarah on a boat together stranded with jellyfishes surrounding them, and they're picking them up tomorrow morning. Hoping everything will be resolved in their past friendship.
"you think the cops have died down looking for me?" I blurt out. I was sitting up on Pope's bed while he was sitting at his desk. My leg was bouncing up and down rapidly from my anxiousness.
"depends if they found Cameron first." He was now focused on something on his computer, which looked like finalizing his essay for his scholarship.
"You know damn well they'd let him off the hook. It makes me so fucking furious!" I shouted, my face heating up as I abruptly jump up from the bed.
"Hey," JJ hushes as he walks in "Pope what did you do?"
"I didn't do shit!" The boy defends himself.
"you okay baby, feeling better, need anything," I can tell he was very concerned about me, for some reason it gave me a fuzzy feeling inside. This boy does the bare minimum and he still makes me feel like I'm on cloud 9.
"I'm okay," I mumbled still feeling upset knowing Rafe would get away from this, and I definitely have a price to pay.
JJ comes up to me and pushes my hair behind my ears and cuffs my face. "alright while you guys have stare sex I'm going to the living room." Pope groaned as he shuts the door behind him.
"wanna sit?" the blonde offers. I accept and sit down onto Pope's fairly comfy bed. I folded my hands into my lap and look down to stare at them. "hey, eyes up here," He directs my face to look right into his stare, "do I make you nervous y/n?"
yes
"no," I gulped.
"I think someone is lying," He dragged out the 'g' sound at the end.
"I'm not lying," I tried to sound as confident as I could, but I can't lie. JJ Maybank made me feel things I didn't know I could feel.
"I don't like liars y/n," He got closer to my face lowering his voice into more of a seductive tone, "You what I do to liars?"
I shook my head in my response of 'no'. Just like that, he smashed his lips onto mine, eager to taste me again. I leaned into him closer and wrapped my hands into his hair. He had his hands on my lower back and waist inching down. The kiss wasn't rough or soft, more apologetic.
I'm sorry for making you cry
I'm sorry I ran away
I'm sorry I didn't come after you
I'm sorry I put you into these messes
He was now cupping my ass and pushing me down onto the bed so I'm laying down. He started to caresses my cheek, pulling away slowly to look down at me. He kisses my jawline, still eyes on me, then to kiss my neck, eye's on me, he made his way towards my exposed collar bone from my tank top.
I twist my fingers into his blonde locks of hair making him come back to my lips.
"you missed me huh?" He smiled into my lips. I pulled away for a moment at his comment, making me smile. I laid my forehead onto his shoulder and laughed, "there you are. i missed that laugh."
I smiled even more," I haven't been gone that long." I look up at him making my face go soft. I can get lost in his eyes, just watching them scan over me.
"I know but not knowing you were mad or where you were at, killed me. it tore me apart y/n, I could barely think."
"I should have been more corruptive I'm sorry," I started but I was cut off.
"No y/n don't apologize, you had every right to be suspicious. I just regret not going after you."
"I told you to go away I was mean about it."
"As you should of be queen," He acts like a girl hyping up her bestie in a comment section. He snaps his fingers while flicking his wrist while doing so.
"Well, I missed your humor I guess," I jokingly rolled my eyes.
"You know what else I missed?"
"what?"
"those pretty lips of yours," he gently pushes his lips back onto mine and cups one of his hands onto my cheek.
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That morning I woke up with a killer headache, while I could feel my body throb at movement. I wanted to go retrieve the girls back with the boys, but JJ insisted I not. I lied in that bed feeling helpless, and that's the worst feeling in the world. I reflected on my life during those hours.
do i regret anything?
no
does this feel wrong
no
What if I stayed in that bubble with my parents and Rafe. I would have never found happiness.
The boys made sure not to take long, they later found my knees to my chest as I sat down leaning against the bottom of the bed on the floor. lost in my thoughts.
Kie walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me I remember her saying, "Hi pretty girl." But I was still very much lost in my thoughts. The girls and I hung out in Pope's house while the boys went to get supplies for finding the gold that night. The whole group convinced me not to go just in case any medical thing happens. oh, I forgot to mention Pope's dad has been really kind to me. Helping me out, and giving me medication and space when I need it.
Before the group went off without me J made sure that I was comfortable and feeling well. I know we're not technically official but dang, I want that man to be mine officially.
I was informed when JJ and Pope got back that they found the gold. I remember jumping up and down and running into the two friends' arms. I hadn't felt this good in the past couple of days. I knew I didn't really deserve it but I was thinking about JJ. He could finally leave Luke. He can be free, and I hope it's with me.
Last night J and I slept in Pope's bed again since the cops were still on my raider. But J and I made a promise to Pope that we wouldn't do anything nasty. It was hard for JJ to fulfill that promise. I just am able to float into my thoughts from last night.
the way his touch would burn my skin.
how soft his lips were against mine.
his whispers of words in between breaths.
after make out sesh we laid into each other's arms. I laid on my side chest burred into his side, looking up at him. His arm wrapped around my waist while the other stroked my hair. We talked about pointless things in the world.
I did learn that he wants to take a surfing trip and surf all around the world. Something about his eyes that lit up and his voice became clear as he talked about his dream. Deep down I wanted to be that person he shared those adventures with. To learn and love about the world outside of the obx. Once we get this gold, I'll be sure to make his dream come true.
"Y/n?" Sarah shook me out of my thoughts. We were at a pawn shop hoping to trade the gold in for cash. JJ and Kie were arguing about something while Pope looked so nervous, you'd think he's gonna puke. "you okay? you know you can just wait if you don't feel good."
I hated that. Being babied is the worst thing that someone could go through. It makes me feel small like I'm not capable of handling things. To be honest I could be in a better spot mentally, but can't we all? "No I'm good, thanks," I smiled at the girl.
I get out of the van and shut the door behind me and walk over to JJ and stand by him. "Okay so JJ is doing the talking agreed?" Kiara said to the group as we walked towards the door.
"wait. I want to do it too," I sounded like a little kid that didn't get to go on the swirly slide in 1st grade, "I feel bad I haven't done much, let me do this."
"Y/n you think you can be as good as JJ?" John B said. I felt offended. If anything mr. jombee I'm better.
"Oh c'mon. I saved your ass's that day Shoupe came out the marsh when John B was swimming towards that boat," I reminded the group. "I'm a great liar."
"good enough for me, can we get this over with," Pope said frantically. We all walked in as JJ and I was side by side as the rest of the group walks towards the back of the store.
"Afternoon, ma'am," I announced politely towards the cashier.
"Afternoon," She responded.
"I see you buy gold," JJ pointed out.
"That's what the sign says, doesn't it?" The lady snarked back.
"Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it, because we're about to blow your mind," JJ suggested and pointed at me. He reaches into his pocket to grab the bag that has the messed-up melted gold.
"I ain't got much mind left to blow, so have at it."
"How about them gold apples?" He responds to the lady. what?
"That ain't real," She chuckles.
"That ain't real?" I asked her making sure I heard what she said.
"It can't be," She huffed
"Feel how heavy it is," I suggested.
"Mm-hm. Mm-hm! Let's get some light on that. Spray-painted tungsten." She looked at us dead in the eyes as she inspected the gold. She thought we were messing with her.
"Spray-painted tungsten? Really? Okay," JJ sounded offended.
"Why don't you see how, uh, soft it is?" I offered.
"You mind?" She asked us if she could chip the gold.
"No, go for it," we looked as she tested it and what did you know, didn't scratch, "Wow. Would you look at that?"
"Hold your horses. We ain't got to the acid test yet."
"Ooh! The acid test," I said puffing my lips together looking at J and smirking.
"My favorite, baby." He chuckles at me.
"Well, it ain't plated, and it ain't painted."
"Ma'am, I'm telling ya, this is as real as the day is long," JJ tries to tell her.
"It looks like somebody tried to melt it down."
JJ looks at me for a quick second about to say something but I beat him to it, "My mom. She had all this jewelry laying around the house, and she thought it was best to... to melt it down," I got this lady's attention now, "To 'consolidate' it," I but the air quotes around the word consolidate.
"Seven pounds?" The pawnbroker asked in disbelief. "That's a lot of earrings."
"Okay, to be honest, ma'am," I cleared my throat before speaking,"...it's really hard to see my mom fall apart with Alzheimer's."
"Mm-hm. Alzheimer's?" she questions me.
"runs in the family," I shake my head at her.
"Give me a minute."
"Take your time, ma'am," JJ waves at her, "okay y/n I see you. I get the hype now I guess."
"I guess I'm just goateed," I joked.
"princess don't ever say that again please." We chuckled a bit and looked back at the group and gave them a thumbs up.
"I talked to my boss," The pawn worker announces. "And, uh, this is what I can do."
"Fifty thousand? You think I walked in here not knowin' the spot price for my beautiful girlfriend's mother's necklaces, that she can't seem to remember anymore? Ma'am, I know for a fact this is worth 140, at least," JJ argues. girlfriend? I smile to myself.
"Well, sweetie, you in a pawnshop. This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you?"
"Ninety, or I walk," JJ tried to negotiate.
"Seventy. Half price... and, um..." She lowers her voice, "I don't ask questions about where you got this."
"I'm gonna need that in large denominations, please."
"Well, here's the snag. I don't have that much denominated, not here anyway. I can write you a cashier's check."
"Cash... No, ma'am. I want the cold hard. That's what that sign says," I argued, "don't I deserve that? Cash for gold. And that's what I expect."
"Well, I have to send you to the warehouse. I have the money there. Is that all right?" She leans down to tell us.
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"Where's this warehouse?" John B asks JJ and I.
"So they keep money out here?" Sarah questions.
"That's what she said," JJ stops for a second and chuckles to himself," That's what she said."
"Stop," Pope puts an end to that boy's silliness.
"I've never even heard of Resurrection Drive." Kie states
"'Cause you're rich," JJ replies.
"You've never heard of it either," I told him off.
"Thank you."
"There's nothing but weeds back here," I observe.
"All right, just 'cause it's just weeds, doesn't mean it's, like-" And just like that we were cut off by
siren whoops
"Cops? Out here?" Kie questioned.
I became panicked, "Guys were they following us? oh my god."
"hey calm down it will be okay," JJ comforted me.
"Stash that," I pointed at the gold to JJ.
"I hate cops. Did you bring the gun?" Pope asked JJ.
"No. Okay? Everybody told me to leave it back at the place."
"Thank God." The group sounded relieved.
"Okay... Please, everything else in your bag."
"I am! I am, all right? Oh, oh..."
"How much weed do you have on you, bro?"
"He's walking up," Pope tells everyone.
"Everyone chill out," I say.
"Nothing better to do," John B starts but then turns his head over to revile a gun at his head.
"Sir," gun clocks, "Why don't I go ahead and see the hands in the air?"
you've got to be shitting me. I look over at J and with a worried look on my face, but he instantly calms me down.
"All y 'all's hands up in the air now!" He shouts at us. He swings John B's door open and yells, "You, out of the car! Let's go! Let them out!" He is now over by the passenger side and our sliding door, "What are you waitin' on? What are you waitin' on? Let them out!"
Kie is out first shaking with Sarah behind her.
"Go on! Go on! Let's get out of the car! Let's go!"
"There you go, pretty girl," The skeleton masked man looks at me and waves the gun in my face. Then it's me. Barry. I stand there frozen looking at him with rage filling inside of me. "Here we go! Get out of the car, let's go! Hurry up!"
"We're broke," JJ states
Barry points his gun at his face ready to shoot, making it personal, "Shut the hell up!"
"All right! Just relax!" JJ defends
"Shut the hell up! Shut up!" Barry waves the gun at JJ's face even more and makes him move closer to us.
"JJ don't fight it," I pleaded. That's the last thing I needed, to watch JJ die in front of my eyes.
"Shut up bitch or I'll blow your damn head off!" damn Barry I was trying to help but okay I see how we're playing.
"Lay down in the ditch! Lay down in the ditch!" He instructs the group, "On your goddamn hands and knees! Down! Put your face on the ground! Stay here just like that! Put your head down! Don't let me see you look up! All right?"
Were all now in a row JJ and I, then Kie and Pope, and finally John B and Sarah.
"It's a setup, guys," Pope whispers to us.
"That old bat shanked us," JJ mumbles to the ground, "Fuck! Goddamn it!" He starts punching the ground.
I move closer to him, "Hey, hey, hey. it's okay," I put one of my hands onto his and look over at him.
"John B... No..." I hear Sarah whisper yelling.
"John B!"
"Don't be a hero, man," JJ calls out.
John B was able to sneak past Barry towards the cop car just in time for when he came out with the gold. "All right, y'all stay like that. Unless you want your brains blown out all over this road, don't move your goddamn heads, okay?"
We see him walking over towards the car, we see him get in and start the engine. c'mon John B where are you? We wait till some sort of signal all looking at each other frantically. Thats when we hear grunting.
"Guys, I got the gun!" John B shouted. We all bolted up and Sarah was the next closest so she was able to grab the gold.
"You son of a bitch!" Barry groans as John B reveals who it is.
"of course it's fucking Barry, you shit head." JJ groans out.
"I haven't forgotten what you did to me Maybank!" Barry challenges.
"aww, what are you gonna do about it?" JJ taunts.
Barry was able to punch him in the face but JJ retaliated and shoved him down to the ground.
"I should have killed your whore in the first place, then we wouldn't have problems," Barry points at me. That rage that was filling inside of me over the past few days reached its limits. To the point I was so angry I started crying. I snatched the gun out of John B's hand and faced the but to Barry and collided it into his face.
"Fuck you! Your piece of Shit!" I was repeating over and over as I kept smashing the gun into his body, "You should have killed me so I don't have to kill you!" At this point, Barry was wheezing and coughing up blood as JJ tried to pull me back.
"Y/N!" I heard the group shouting over and over.
"That's enough!"
"Calm down!"
"Come on baby, let's go," JJ was finally able to get the gun out of my hand and handed it to Sarah. My breathing was heavy and rough. I was hyperventilating, and I could tell that hurt JJ. Something sparked in his eyes as he handed me to Kie.
"Come on, let's get outta here!" begged the group.
"Let's pay another visit to his shack." JJ sped up to drive the van as John B gets in the passenger's side and everyone else in the back. I could hear Barry gasping words out and challenging stuff. I couldn't focus, Kie was still holding me and was stroking my hair and telling me it'll be okay.
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"Welcome to Crackhead Wasteland," Sarah stated
"I don't know about this, man," Pope told the boy who was parking the car out front.
"Dude, why are we at Barry's?" John B questioned his bestfriend.
"This'll only take a second," JJ said now walking towards the haunted trailer.
"Where are you going?" John B asked
"Yo soy justicia," JJ called back in Spanish.
"Did you glean anything from that?" Sarah asked the group as we now made our way standing outside of the van.
"You know somebody should probably.." I started
"Yeah, I got it," John B walks after his friend towards the house.
"You okay Y/n?" Pope asked me
"Yea," I sniffled, "I don't know what came over me, sorry."
"Don't apologize, babe," Kie said and gave me a hug," you had every right to beat that shithead up, after what he did."
"To be honest that was pretty hot what you did back there," Sarah said trying to cheer me up. I see where she's coming from I mean I have a severe hatred towards her brother, but by now she does too.
"yea me crying is soooo hot," I chuckled.
"you'd be surprised," Kie rubs my shoulder and lets me go out of her hold. As I was finally cheering up we heard shouting coming from the house to us.
"So that's what we're doing now? We're robbing drug dealers?" John B called out as he chased the boy down. "Barry is gonna find out. And he's gonna come after us, and more likely y/n. You really want to put her in that situation again?"
"How'd you like havin' a gun pulled on you?" JJ says back completely ignoring John B's statements.
"Relax J," Kie calls.
"He had it right here on you, bro. Look," JJ imitates the way Barry held the gun to JB.
"We've gotta go get the gold, okay? Just give me that shit. We're putting it back," Just as John B tries and snatch the money away put JJ shoves John B up against the van, "Do you feel like a tough guy? Huh? What are you gonna do when he comes for us?"
"We punch him in the throat," he said letting go of his friend and making his way back to the driver's seat.
"Yeah, good fuckin' idea, JJ."
"I'm not putting it back. You guys getting in or what?" JJ asked the group realizing no one was joining him, "What?"
"We're sick of your shit," Pope replies.
JJ storms out of the seat, back towards us, "Oh, my shit?"
"Yeah. Yeah. Your shit. Yes! Your pulling guns on people shit," Pope tells him, "You acting like a maniac."
"Okay, Pope, I took the fall for you, man!" JJ raises his voice at the mildly scared boy, "Know how much I owe because of you?"
"I'm gonna pay you back, and I didn't ask you to do that!" Pope raises his voice back.
"I just did! Pay it back. Right here, right now, by myself. You know what? That's exactly what I'm gonna do. Go off by myself." JJ starts to walk off and I feel the need to speak up.
"JJ... Hey, wait, man," Pope says.
"JJ calm down it's okay," I go over to him and grab his arm and make him look at me.
"No Y/n, you don't get to tell me to calm down okay? Because you can get mad and beat the living shit out of Barry and steal a cop car, and you can get away with it," JJ argues at me.
I let go of his arm and step back trying to understand what I just heard, "excuse me?"
"You heard me y/n, you always talk about kooks not getting punished and getting away with shit, but you're a hypocrite."
"Did you get a whiff of Barry's coke stash or something? If you don't remember I was fucking drugged and then almost got sent to a mental hospital because Shoupe didn't believe me. And oh? yea I stole a cop car but guess fucking what? I was literally chased by them," I deafened myself.
"yea and you came crawling for my help," he chuckled. he fucking laughed at that. what is his deal today?
"JJ why are you taking this in a different direction," I asked softly making my body go numb.
"not everything is about you y/n," He scoffs at me.
"I NEVER SAID IT WAS!"
"yea? well, when finally I have a problem you don't want to help huh?"
"your problem? JJ your just making stupid fucking decisions based on adrenaline right now. You don't get to tell me that your 'problem' is bigger than mine."
"you guys see this airhead I'm talking to?" He looks at his friends and points and me while rolling his eyes.
"JJ you don't mean that," Kie replies to the annoyed boy.
"maybe I do," He spoke very clear, pronouncing every word slowly while locking eyes on me.
"fuck you, JJ Maybank," I looked at him with such disbelief.
"you wish sweetheart," He teases.
"God, your acting like rafe!" Did I do something wrong? I'm I causing him to act out? what was his deal?
"mhm maybe you just have a type for shitheads then," He says with no emotion in his tone.
"JJ leave before you say something your gonna regret later," John B said sternly.
"fine with me." Just like that he walks away not looking back. Part of me wanted to go after him and say I'm sorry for coming at him like that, but the other wanted to beat that pretty face.
"Just let him go," Sarah tells me and wraps her arm around my shoulder. But I just stood there watching him walk away from me.
a/n
OMG YALL THANK YOU FOR 110K READS I LOVE YOU GUYS!
going back in my comments you guys are correcting my grammar and thank you I will revise everything once I finish this book which is in
4 MORE CHAPTERS LEFT!
also sorry this was a hella long chapter I'm trying to get this book done so enjoy long chapters lmao.
xoxo claire