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chapter thirty nine
I'M GOING TO CHARLESTON
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Before school the next morning, Wheezie rushed into Athena's room, the biggest smile on her face. Athena was confused, she hadn't seen Wheezie this happy since before Sarah 'died' and what was throwing her off more was the fact that her dad and brother had gone to the Bahamas late the night before.
"Athena!" Wheezie exclaimed happily, closing the door behind her.
"Wheezie!" Athena replied in the same tone of voice, a confused smile settling on her face.
"I have something to tell you but promise me you won't freak out." Wheezie's face suddenly turned serious.
"I promise."
"No you have to pinky swear." Wheezie held up her pinky, Athena quickly locking hers with it.
"Pinky swear." Athena nodded. "No what is it?"
"Sarah's alive." Wheezie whispered giddily, looking around as if someone was lurking in the room. Athena simply smiled, glad that her sister finally knew. When Athena said nothing, Wheezie turned to her, confused. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"You told me not to freak out."
"Yeah but that didn't mean don't react either, it's like..." Wheezie trailed off before gasping. "You knew!"
"Yeah." Athena admitted sheepishly.
"When?"
"They sent us a selfie on the first day back at school, proved it was them too." Athena explained.
"And you didn't tell me!"
"I wasn't allowed too, it could have put them in danger." Athena told her. "I've gotta get to school, we'll talk later."
Athena hugged her sister, who hugged her waist tightly muttering a quiet 'I love you' to her. The blonde smiled saying it back before the two pulled apart and made their way downstairs, Athena getting in her jeep and driving to the school.
Athena sat on one of the tables outside, she had two free periods in a row and decided she would use at least one of them to study. The Cameron girl huffed, pushing her hair out of her face as she scrunched up her nose, the maths question she was doing stumping her. Her phone ringing caught her attention, her finally lifting her head from the textbook to look who was phoning her, smiling when she read the contact name.
"Pope! I'm so glad you called." Athena spoke as she answered. "I have a free period right and I'm trying to study but I suck at maths and I need your help so badly and -"
"Pope got a letter and now he gone silent and won't tell us what it said but it had the wheat symbol on it - like the one on the gold." Kiara cut her off. Athena furrowed her eyebrows.
"Okay... and why do you have Pope's phone?" Athena questioned.
"Oh he threw it at me and went phone Athena, that was the last thing he said before he went radio silent. You have to be quiet for a minute, we're going into the library." Kie explained, Athena nodding her head despite the girl not being able to see her.
"Is this a game of tag?" JJ asked in disbelief.
"I don't know." Kie replied to him as the two obviously followed Pope.
"Am I gonna have to beat you with your protector? What's going on?" JJ asked Pope.
"Seriously, Pope, you are driving me insane." Kie said at the boys lack of explanation.
"Okay, so that guy was from the scholarship committee. Take a look at this." Pope finally spoke, the group stopping. Athena assumed he gave the letter to one of the two, "Read it."
"Out loud." Kie encouraged.
"I can't read cursive." JJ said in embarrassment.
"It's alright JJ, it's hard to read." Athena reassured him over the phone.
"Thanks Attie." JJ mumbled.
"Dear Mr.Hayward, I am reaching out because I have material evidence that can exonerate John B. Routledge. It is of viral importance that you come and meet with me in person at my office at 27 King Street, Charleston at 8:00 p.m. sharp tonight. Please come alone. Regards, C. Limbrey." Kie read the letter.
"Charleston?" JJ questioned.
"It's like a eight hour drive." Athena stated perplexed.
"Plus the ferry." Pope added. "How are we gonna get there tonight?"
"We'd have to leave right now." JJ said back.
"I have a free period." Kie spoke up.
"So do I." Athena agreed.
"Material evidence. What does that even mean?" JJ read from the paper in a low voice.
"Guys. It means he can clear John B." Kie answered quickly.
"Oh, shit. Then we're going to Charleston." JJ spoke loudly, getting shhed quickly.
"I gotta tell my mom." Kie huffed, "Look, if we get it this time, we are not giving it to Shoupe."
"No duh." JJ said back.
"Uh guys?" Athena started.
"Athena?" Kie asked.
"My dad and Rafe are in the Bahamas." Athena told them, her hearing Kie gasp quietly.
"Shit." JJ cursed, when the three heard Pope sigh.
"What is it Pope?" Athena asked.
"I'm not sure, but I think whoever this Limbrey person is, they might be related to the captain of the Royal Merchant." Pope said, Athena thinking he was showing them something, an article or Wikipedia.
"Thena we'll pick you up." Kie told her.
"Awesome see you then." Athena hung up, clearing away her stuff before pulling up another contact and letting it ring. "Wheezie?"
"Hey Thena, what's up?" Wheezie answered the call.
"I'm going to Charleston tonight and I don't know when I'll be back but it's to clear JB's name so he and S can come home safely." Athena explained quietly, making sure no one was around.
"Okay, can I stay in your room tonight?" Wheezie asked. Athena's room was the cosiest in the house, the blonde making it very homely for their sleepovers when they were younger. Wheezie spent most of her childhood in Athena's bedroom with her and Sarah so it was the room that made Wheezie feel safest and most comfortable.
"Go right ahead. And don't tell Rose where I am, I make something up if she asks." Athena stated.
"My lips are sealed." Wheezie replied.
"Okay, I'll talk to you later."
"Bye Thena."
"Bye Wheeze." The two both hung up, Athena waiting around for the group to pick her up.
Athena sat in between JJ and Pope as they watched Kie argue with her parents, Pope explained to JJ how he stole his dad's truck they were currently in.
"I'd say we have about eighteen hours before he absolutely loses his shit." Pope informed them.
"We could've taken my jeep Pope, my family wouldn't have questioned it." Athena told him.
"No offense Athena but your jeep is tiny, we would have squeezed in." Pope retorted.
"Okay, one offense taken and two you aren't the one you has to sit on JJ's lap for the entire journey." Athena sent him a look.
"You love sitting on my lap." JJ smirked, poking Athena in her side.
"They're not my people." Kie shouted at her parents, referring to the boarding school her parents had brought up as she rounded to the passenger side of the truck. JJ opened the door, him and Athena jumping out.
"Look at your life right now! Look at your life!"
"It's good to see y'all, Mr. and Mrs. Carrera." JJ greeted the adults.
"Hi, uh, ma'am, sir. I I promise to have her back at a reasonable hour and safe." Pope stuttered, leaning out the truck window to speak to the two.
"What are you doing?" Kie shot the boy a look.
"Kiara, listen to me. You wanna go, then you can go. But if you don't come back at the proper time, then don't come back at all!" Anna, Kiara's mum, shouted at the girl.
"She's bluffin'." JJ commented quietly, Kie scoffed, getting in the car. "Y'all have a good day."
Athena sent him a look, pushing him towards the truck before she turned to the adults. "It was nice seeing you, Mike, Anna."
"Athena." Mike called back to her. "Make sure she stays safe."
"Always do." Athena smiled before climbing into the truck and getting comfortable on JJ's lap.
"This shit would be so much easier without parents." Kie scoffed once more.
"I'm not sure." Athena mumbled quietly, Pope starting the engine and driving off.
"My parents are so paranoid of me being a Pogue, like it's the worst thing that could ever happen." Kie said as the four sat in the back of Hayward's truck, the ferry taking them to Charleston, "What do Rose and Wheezie think?"
"I don't give a shit what Rose thinks but I think she actually doesn't mind pogues and only pretends to hate them because my dad does, which is so idiotic on his part because he used to be a pogue." Athena explained. "And Wheezie thinks being a pogue is awesome, I'm pretty sure she actually wants to be one."
"Wheezie would make an amazing pogue." Kie nodded.
"Right." Athena agreed. "Anyway, I would say if it got worse you could come stay with me but I don't think that would be any better. If they try and take you away though, they would have to tie me up to keep me from saving you."
"Hey, I heard they got good weed at boarding school, though." JJ pointed out as he took his own inhale of the small joint.
"I'm not going to boarding school." Kie said back in disbelief, "They're gonna have to go through Thena, who's did karate for like ages, kidnap me, tie me up, and throw me in a van."
"Your mom would probably do it." Athena said honestly, shrugging as Kie laughed.
"Well, I say... we just crumble some herbs right now." JJ said, climbing off the hood of the truck and handing Kie the joint as she took a hit of it.
"Hey, Kie, have you tried to hit John B back on the number yet?" Pope spoke in questioning.
"Like, twenty million times." Kie hummed.
"That's quite a few times." JJ giggled with his back up against the truck.
"Some random lady at a hotel keeps answering." Kie shook her head as her ponytail flew behind her.
"It's probably her phone, John B definitely stole it or something." Athena confirmed.
"Well, until we hear from them again, we gotta try and clear his name." Pope spoke up with his backwards hat. "Right now this letters our best shot." Pope ignored her, holding up the golden envelope.
"Right, stay on task." JJ nodded as he sniffled, "Thats why I love ya, Pope."
Kie stood and held the join out to Pope with a questionable look, "What Pope are you gonna be today?"
Pope looked conflicted a moment, "I'm good. I'm gonna try and focus."
"Good Pope." Kie confirmed. "Boring Pope."
"I'll take that." JJ made grabby hands to the joint as Athena got up. Athena jumped out of the back of the truck leaning next to Pope.
"Not getting high doesn't make you boring, it makes you sensible." Athena reassured him.
"Pretty sure in their dictionaries they're synonyms." Pope sighed.
"Not in my dictionary." Athena smiled. "And it doesn't matter anyway, I don't smoke either and if that makes me boring too then we can be boring together."
Pope smiled gratefully, putting an arm over the blonde's shoulder as she leant on him. "Thanks Thena."
"No problem Pope."
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𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗟 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗦
this was actually such a boring chapter sorry yall !!
next chapters pretty boring too but it gets interesting after that
had my first gcse today — pretty sure i did okay but can't do anything about it now