𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝
"John Booker Routledge, pursuant to the North Carolina statute section 14, you are charged with murder in the first degree with aggravated circumstances. If convicted, the maximum sentence would be the death penalty" The judge Ruth Johnson speaks clearly to the courtroom full of people and my heart sinks as I look at the Routledge boy in an orange jumpsuit.
"Your Honour, he's 17!" JJ jumps up.
"Stop" Pope warns the boy as we all get up.
"Quiet!" Judge Johnson orders.
"He's 17! Are you kidding me?" JJ hollers in anger.
"Take a breath" I try to calm my brother down.
"Bailiff!" Judge yells.
"Hey, John B, we're gonna figure it out" JJ assures the boy as he's dragged away in cuffs.
"John B! John B! No!" Sarah cries, trying to chase after the boy.
"Sarah!" Kiara gasps as an officer grabs the blonde, pushing her back "Stop! Don't touch her!"
"Come on, princess. Let's get out of here" I coax the blonde girl as Kiara ushers her out
The pogues and I all exit the courthouse, scowling as we listen to all the Kooks mouthing off next to us.
"Justice is served" A woman chirps.
"He had it coming" A man agrees.
"Is this a joke? Like, are we in hell or...?" Kiara drawls off.
"If I hear another smug comment, I'm breaking bones" I warn them, glare set on two men staring at us.
"I should have never come home" Sarah says hopelessly.
"They're gonna kill him, guys. I know it" JJ tells us.
"Shut up, JJ" I snap.
"Sorry for what you and your family have gone through" I hear Hugh Jeffrey apologise to Ward and I look at the Kooks in disbelief "Thank God the system works"
"Can you please shut up?!" Kiara shouts in annoyance and they all turn to look at us.
"Of course you think the system worked because it was made to protect you and people like you" She adds, a disgusted look on her face.
"He'll have his day in court. A jury will decide" Hugh replies.
"He shouldn't even be in court! You should, cause you're a murderer" Kiara points at Ward accusingly "You have a lot of nerve showing up to court"
"I know you're upset. I understand you're upset, okay?" Ward tries to calm the girl down.
"Upset?!" Kiara shrieks.
"I know he's got you fooled. He's got you all fooled" Ward lies through his teeth.
"No, I'm not just upset!" Kiara screams, throwing herself forwards at the man in a fit of rage.
The Carrera girl is immediately grabbed by multiple officers but JJ, Sarah and I push her behind us in concern.
"Get your dirty hands off her!" I sneer at Deputy Thomas who I know beat up John B.
"Show some respect!" Ward yells at Kiara.
"Muzzle your goddamn dog!" JJ snaps at Shoupe, pointing to Thomas who tries to grab Kiara again.
"Get off her!" Pope demands.
"Why don't you take the Kooks down for a change, Shoupe?" JJ challenges the man.
"You wanna get arrested? Get out! You need to go" Shoupe warns us.
"This is bullshit" Kiara scoffs.
"Yeah, it is fucking bullshit" I raise my voice and Ward's eyes meet mine, a dangerous glint in his.
The looks at me with an almost threatening raise of his brows and I almost open my mouth to cause another argument when I feel a hand on my shoulder.
"Come on. Look, it's not worth it" Sarah tells me.
I nod, wrapping an arm around the crying blonde and she leans into me, tears still rolling down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Mr Cameron, you shouldn't be going through this" Deputy Plumb says to Ward.
"Thank you" Ward nods.
"Have a good night" She smiles at the man.
"Get out of here" Shoupe snaps at us.
"It's not a coincidence that your daughter's sitting with us!" Kiara hollers and Ward looks at us in anger as he walks away with Rose on his arm.
"Keep going. Nothing to see" Plumb ushers everyone away.
"Party's over" Shoupe declares.
"Show's over, folks. Keep it moving. Let's go" Plumb adds.
"Fucking Kooks, man" I grumble in annoyance.
☼ ☼ ☼
"I'm gonna testify under oath. I was there. I just need to get a hold of my sister" Sarah declares as we sit on the patio, under the shelter from the pouring rain.
"Sister?" JJ questions.
"Kie, do you have your phone?" Sarah asks and the dark haired girl hands her phone over "Wheezie is the only other person that knows Rafe wasn't home that day"
"Wheezie?" JJ asks in disbelief.
"Isn't that what she just said?" I retort.
"I don't know what else to do" Sarah stresses "I got us into this mess. I'm gonna do my best to get us out"
"Wheezie? Yeah, that will work" JJ scoffs before gradually getting riled up as he rants "Well, she's right about one thing. We gotta do something. Our boy is a PO-dub right now, okay? He's held captive by the enemy right now, maybe even scheduled for execution. Are we just gonna sit here?!"
"What's the plan? We kidnap Shoupe?" Kiara mocks the blonde.
"Maybe, like, that's not the worst idea actually" JJ retorts.
"Oh, it's not?" Kiara asks sarcastically.
"No!" JJ snaps.
"You are such a moron, JJ" I groan in disbelief.
"That is actually the worst idea I've ever heard" Pope agrees with Kiara and I.
"It's pretty bad" Sarah nods.
"You know? Please, just stay out of this!" JJ shouts at the other blonde.
"Okay, Pope, look, we've been going everything your way, and how has that been working out?" JJ asks the boy rhetorically.
"Okay, okay, so what's your plan?" Pope scoffs in annoyance "You gonna storm a jail, guns a blazing?"
"Look, Pope, all I'm trying to get you to understand is they got our boy. Are we just gonna sit here and do nothing? No! We're gonna go get his ass. We're gonna do something about it!" JJ states.
"JJ, we're not storming a jail. It's not happening" Pope tells the blonde sternly.
"No, fine, man. Sit in your comfy chair. Do nothing" JJ says sarcastically "I'm gonna see what I can do. Make something happen, even if I have to do it by myself"
"Okay" Kiara shrugs.
"Umm, no. It's not okay!" I argue.
"You don't get a say in this" JJ declares.
"Since when don't I get a say in this?" I ask him in confusion.
"Since we went through shit yesterday and you were nowhere to be seen! John B got arrested and almost beat to death. Where the fuck were you, Addy?!" JJ yells at me in anger.
I look away from the pogues and my brother scoffs loudly.
"You were with Rafe. The guy who is literally at fault for all of this mess!" JJ states in disbelief "While we were running for our lives from a fucking swat team, you were with the real murderer! You chose him over us!"
"What was so important that you couldn't be there for us, huh? For John B, who has always been there for you when you need him" JJ interrogates me.
"Will you just look at me when I'm talking to you!?" He shrieks.
"I overdosed!" I scream, looking him in the eyes "I wasn't there for you because I was on the floor without a heartbeat, okay?"
His ocean blue eyes well up with tears as they bore into my sage green pair that are already producing tears that roll down my cheeks.
"Ads, I'm sorry" Kiara speaks up, grabbing my arm.
"Nah, don't be. It's my own fault" I assure the girl.
"You gotta go" JJ finally speaks up and I look at him to see his eyes on the ground.
"JJ" Pope snaps.
"I can't even fucking look at her" JJ spits out, storming into the chateau.
"JJ!" Kiara yells in anger, chasing after him.
Pope looks between me and the door with a conflicted look, my heart sinking as I try to stop myself from crying just long enough to paste on a weak unconvincing smile.
"Go after him" I tell the Heyward boy "Your boyfriend needs you"
"But so does my best friend" Pope counters sadly.
"No, she doesn't. She doesn't need anyone" I try to assure him.
"Yes, she does. She just thinks that she doesn't because she's stubborn" Pope argues with me.
"She just knows that she doesn't deserve you" I reply, walking away and making the decision for him.
"Addy!" Pope hollers from the patio but I ignore him.