𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝
"Where were you the night before last, Adelaide?" Peterkin asks me.
"At a party" I answer truthfully.
"A party at the boneyard, right?" She adds.
"Right" I nod.
"Did anything out of the usual happen?" She questions.
"No" I lie.
"No?" She hums, unconvinced "You see, that's odd due to the fact there has been statements made that suggests someone fired a gun"
"Really? I can't remember that happening. Maybe they're confused" I shrug nonchalantly, sitting back in the chair.
"Adelaide, I know" She sighs.
"You know what?" I continue to act dumb.
"I know that you were the one with the gun" She answers and my heart drops but I don't let it show.
"I don't know what you're talking about, ma'am" I tell the woman.
"Listen, girl. Don't play dumb with me when we both know exactly what happened" Peterkin snaps.
"Then you tell me what happened" I demand.
"You were angry, and frustrated, and desperate, so you picked up the gun and done a very stupid thing" She explains "I can't keep covering for you and your brother, Adelaide. This anger that you have festering inside you is going to get you in big trouble one day, and you're not a kid anymore. You're gonna end up in prison"
"I appreciate what you've done for JJ and I, I really do. But I can deal with my anger on my own" I state and the woman lets out a tired sigh.
"Have you ever thought about speaking to a professional about what you're going through?" The Sheriff asks.
"What are you talking about?" I frown.
"Where your multitude of bruises come from. Your mother leaving without a goodbye when you were a child. Raising your brother when your father wasn't up to it. Dropping out of high school to work extra jobs. Living with an addict as a father" Peterkin rants "Your near death experience after overdosing-"
"That was an accident" I snap unintentionally "I didn't mean for JJ to find me like that. It was just a stupid accident"
"It would be okay if you told me it wasn't" Peterkin assures me and I look down at my lap in shame "Adelaide, you've been through a lot of trauma in your life. Things that I can't even begin to imagine going through, especially as a teenager"
"I'm fine" I shrug.
"It's okay if you're not" She says.
"It's not okay" I retort.
"Why not?" She asks.
"Because I'm the big sister. I'm supposed to be a role model. I can't not be okay, I have to be okay. For JJ" I explain to her "Hell, even for John B, and Pope, and Kiara. I have to be the one that's okay"
"Why you?" Peterkin questions.
"Because I'm the oldest" I answer simply.
"That doesn't seem fair" She replies.
"Life isn't fair" I comment.
"Adelaide, do you understand that it's not your job to look out for these kids?" Peterkin queries after a couple minutes of silence.
"Ma'am-"
"Just because you feel responsible for your younger brother, does not mean that all his friends are your job to care for. You're allowed to relax, sweetie. They're not your children" She explains to me as if I myself am a child and I frown deeply.
"With all due respect, Sheriff, you're wrong. They might not be my kids, but they're family. Those little weasels are all I have. Forgive me for thinking 'my family, my responsibility'" I declare.
"I understand" She sighs "Just don't forget to look out for yourself too"
☼ ☼ ☼
"You mind if I just relax on this one?" JJ calls out from the backseat "It's been a long day, and a lot of weird stuff's gone down. I'm just gonna lay low"
"Tell me about it" I mumble from the passenger seat.
"Oh, did you want a hit of this?" The blonde asks Pope, holding out his joint.
"I keep the signal clear" Pope retorts.
"Addy" JJ speaks and I turn my head to see him offering me the joint.
"Thank you, squirt" I hum, taking it from him as he turns back to Pope.
"Dude, okay. Do you understand that your problem is that you don't get creative. If you got creative, then-" JJ is cut off.
"Look, I- I know I was wrong about the lighthouse, all right? And pretty much wrong about everything else going on. But I was right about one thing. Okay? My dad is trying to tell me something" John B rants.
I take a couple drags of the joint and pass it back to JJ who gratefully takes it from me.
"You okay, Addy?" I hear Pope ask me and I look at him in confusion.
"Why wouldn't I be?" I ask in reply.
Pope glances at Kiara then to John B and my curiosity heightens.
"What aren't you little dipshits tellin' me?" I demand.
"John B and Kie seen you in the station talking to Peterkin" JJ says nonchalantly.
"What did she want?" Kiara questions.
"She was asking about the party. Said she knows I was the one with the gun" I shrug.
"She knows?!" Pope shrieks.
"Are you in trouble?" Kiara wonders in concern.
"No. I denied everything, and she has no proof" I explain.
"Except a whole beach full of witnesses" John B buts in.
"No one's gonna tell. Apart from Topper, and maybe Sarah. She doesn't like me very much" I reply.
"I wouldn't be too fond of someone that threatened me with a gun to be honest" Kiara states.
"Pfft. She hated me way before you guys were even friends in 9th grade" I scoff.
"You never told me you knew Sarah" JJ frowns in confusion.
"I didn't. She caught 16 year old me sneaking out of her house and has been nothing but a bitch ever since" I explain.
There's quiet for a minute or so before I wince at the loud voice of my brother.
"Please tell me you did not fuck Rafe Cameron!" He yells and I turn to the Pogues.
"Why do you assume it was Rafe?" I question him.
"Because it's not a coincidence that you're the same age he is and you were sneaking out his house. The only other person in that house around your age is Sarah, she was obviously surprised you were there and she's not gay, therefore, it wasn't her" JJ rants wildly like it's a conspiricy.
"I don't know. Sarah seems kinda fruity to me" I comment and Pope nods in agreement, making me smirk widely "And my gaydar is on point"
"Hardly" JJ scoffs.
"Is this you finally coming out the closet, J?" I ask him and he glares at me.
"I'm not gay, and stop changing the subject!" He scolds me.
"Okay, okay" I groan "I fucked Rafe Cameron. You happy?"
"NO!" The Pogues shout in unison.
"You've got to admit that he's hot" I declare.
"He's a douche" Kiara says in disgust.
"A hot douche" I argue with an amused grin.
"You have lost your damn mind" Pope mumbles in awe.
"Come on, Popesicle. Just agree with me" I encourage him.
"You! Have! Lost! Your! Mind!" The Heyward boy claps at me and I laugh, shaking my head.
Soon enough we reach a graveyard and I look at Kiara in confusion, to which she shrugs. We all take a flashlight from the van and I stay close to Pope who refuses to leave my side.
"Hey, come on" John B urges us to follow him.
"I'm coming. This place is scary" Kiara whines "John B, what are we doing here?"
"Shut up" John B tells her.
"Okay, so you know how you're trying to remember a song and you can't remember who sings it?" He asks.
"Yeah" Kiara replies.
"So, Redfield. This whole time, I thought it was a place, right? But it's not a place. It's a person" He explains, shining his light onto a large mausoleum with the name Redfield on it.
"Voi-effing-là" JJ jokes.
"See, my great-great-grandmother Olivia Redfield. That was her maiden name" John B says.
"Pretty name" I mumble.
"Help me with the door. Come on" He adds and Pope steps forward.
"One, two, three" Both boys push on the door as hard as they can, struggling with the sealed entrance.
"Are you pushing?" Pope grunts.
"Yeah, I'm pushing" John B grumbles and I share an amused look with Kiara.
"Come on" Pope groans.
"Hold on. I got it" JJ chimes in, trying to help open the door and I roll my eyes.
"You're doing great, sweetie!" I holler at them and Kiara snorts in amusement.
"Shut up, Addy!" JJ retorts.
"This door is like 700 pounds. It's not gonna budge" Pope says matter of factly.
"We didn't come this far, to get this far, all right?" JJ snaps.
I hear a loud hiss and I perk up as everyone jumps backwards.
"A snake!" JJ hollers.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Pope repeats in fear, jumping behind me.
"I got you, buddy. Don't worry" I laugh, patting the Heyward boy's shoulder.
"That's a moccasin, all right! Ye olde Dr. Cottonmouth! Death in tall grass!" JJ starts before barking loudly at the snake as it slithers away.
"You scared it, asshole!" I scold the blonde, slapping his arm.
"JJ, shut up! Shut up!" Kiara snaps at him.
"You're gonna wake the dead, man" Pope complains.
"They're afraid of dogs. Everyone knows that, man" JJ shrugs.
"Wait, hold on" He says grabbing John B's shoulder.
"What?!" John B and Kiara snap in frustration.
"If there's one, there's probably dozens" JJ states.
"Can you just stop? You're scaring me, bro!" Kiara whines and I look around my feet for anymore slithering reptiles.
JJ starts barking again and I slap him upside the head, causing him to glare at me.
"Stop barking at the snakes" John B demands and I push JJ into Pope.
My brother stumbles into the other boy who catches him, the both of them awkwardly smiling at one another before shooting me a glare.
"Whoops?" I grin smugly.
"Look, John-" Pope starts.
"I was making sure it's clear" JJ interrupts, still talking about the snakes.
"Shut up" Pope snaps at JJ before turning back to John B "John, look. We're not gonna get in there, all right? It's not budging. We should probably just go"
"Addy or I can get through" Kiara announces and I look at her in confusion.
"What?" John B asks.
I see her flashlight is pointed at a hole in the mausoleum and I step forward to take a closer look. Kiara looks at me expectantly and I roll my eyes.
"You want me to go?" I ask in disbelief and she nods "Why me?"
"You're the big sister" She answers simply and I roll my eyes.
"No, no, no, no. You think you're gonna fit through the hole? That hole?" John B asks in disbelief.
"What are you trying to say, Booker?" I retort.
"I'm not trying to say anything" He defends himself.
"Look, this is about your dad. Honestly, I really don't believe in it but you deserve to know the truth. And like Kie said, I'm the big sister, so I'll do it" I tell him and he smiles gratefully.
"I'll get those" JJ says, pulling a load of vines out the way.
"Can you help me with that?" Kiara asks the others and they do just that.
They heave all the vines and branches out the way of the hole, giving me access to the crypt.
"You got it?" I ask.
"Yeah, we got it" JJ assures me.
"Give her a boost" John B tells JJ as he, Kiara and Pope hold back the vines.
"I'm gonna boost you, all right? I've seen it in the movies several times. Ready?" JJ rambles and I roll my eyes.
"You are such a fucking dork" I scoff, lifting my foot into his hands.
"Remind me what exactly I'm looking for?" I ask John B.
"You'll know when you see it" He replies vaguely.
"Not the most detailed description in the world, but that'll do" I say sarcastically before in a quieter voice saying "That'll do, donkey. That'll do"
I put my hands on JJ's shoulders and he chuckles quietly at the movie reference that only he heard.
"On three. One, two" Before he can get to three, I launch myself upwards.
"Okay, never mind. Just forget about three" He mumbles.
I haul myself up into the dark space and pop my head back out.
"Flashlight?" I question, holding out my hand.
"Yeah, here" Pope says, handing me it.
"Thank you, kind sir" I chirp.
I switch the flashlight on and look around the dusty old space.
"You alive? You got, like, a heartbeat and everything?" I hear John B asks me.
"I think so" I reply.
"That's good. That's good" John B says.
"Can I get a little more light in here?" I ask curiously "It's dark as fuck"
"Yeah, yeah, here. Yeah, I gotcha" The Routledge boy tells me, holding the lantern inside the space.
"Did you find something?" I hear JJ ask but my mind is concentrated elsewhere by an envelope sticking out of a whole in the wall.
"Is there gold?" Pope asks.
"What the fuck?" I mutter in confusion.
I reach out and grab the Fedex package, shining my flashlight on it. The words 'For BIRD' are scribbled in the front and I realise the funny 'R' that John B talked about earlier. I head back over to the opening and pass the envelope to John B.
"That's not gold" Pope sighs.
"Really? I was sure it's gold plated" I retort sarcastically and he rolls his eyes.
The Heyward boy helps me out the hole and I thank him, patting his chest.
"Holy shit. This is from my dad" John B tells us and we all share a happy smile.
I hear the flick of JJ's lighter and I turn to see a cloud of smoke leave his lips making me roll my eyes.
"Smokaholic" I whisper under my breath.
"Code red. Code red. Square groupers! Square groupers!" JJ starts to panic.
"Go!" Kiara shrieks, pushing me.
"It's the guys who robbed your house" JJ declares as we hide at the side of the mausoleum.
"Light" Kiara snaps and I turn my flashlight off.
"His light, Pope" I snap, pointing to the blonde boy next to him in frustration.
"Seriously, JJ?" Pope huffs, reaching over and turning the headlight off as he puts out his blunt on the wall.
"John B, your light!" I hear Kiara scold the brunette.
"Do you think it's them?" She asks me and I shrug.
"Homie's got a gun" JJ announces.
"Screw this" I hiss, grabbing Pope and JJ to tug them forward as I run.
The others follow right behind us and we reach the gate. I launch myself over the wall and land on my feet at the other side. Everyone else does the same except Pope who I see climbing the gate.
"Hurry up!" JJ hollers loudly.
"Guys! Guys!" Pope shouts and I realise he's stuck on the fence which makes my eyes widen.
"Shit" Kiara mutters.
"Pope, come on!" JJ yells.
"Guys, I'm stuck!" The boy on the fence retorts and I let out a small giggle, making the boy glare at me.
Kiara, John B and I rush forward to help Pope. We try to lift him up but his shorts are too caught onto the spiked metal to even budge him.
"You're gonna rip me" Pope whines in annoyance.
"Pope, don't move, okay?" I hear JJ shout and I turn to see him pointing the gun at Pope but John B pushes the gun down, scolding the blonde.
"Wait, wait! No. You're gonna rip me" Pope stresses.
"You're fine. Come on" Kiara retorts.
"No, Kie. I think he's right" I argue.
Kiara's reply is cut short by a loud rip and Pope falls towards us. I grab the boy's arm, a laugh escaping my lips as he tries to cover himself over his tight white underwear.
"Nice! Come on, dude!" JJ grins, making me smirk widely as I laugh.
"Look, it's a little Tootsie Roll!" He adds as the others run to the van and my laughter gets louder.
"Get in!" JJ says, pushing Pope into the van before climbing in and I clamber in behind the pair.
"Stupid" Kiara giggles, hopping in behind us and John B immediately steps on the gas.