"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 will be the death penalty." The judge reads, making tears spring to all of our eyes.
"Your honor, he's 17." JJ yells, standing up.
"Stop." Kie says.
"He's a kid!" I yell, standing up. "Are you kidding me?!"
"John B." Sarah says, standing up to run to him only to be stopped by an officer. Kie and I run up to them and pull Sarah back.
"Get your hands off of her." I spit, grabbing her arm and walking back. "Come on. Let's get out of this shit hole." I say, following after JJ and Pope.
We exit the court room still in shock over what happened. The death penalty? He's only 17 years old. Surely there's laws about that.
"Thank god the system works." Someone says.
"Justice is served."
"He had it coming."
"Is this a joke, are we in hell, or...?" Kie says, walking down the stairs.
"I should have never come home." Sarah says, wiping her face.
"They're gonna kill him guys. I know it." JJ says.
"So sorry for what you and your family have gone through. Thank god the system works." Someone says to my father and Rose. Did I mention they were here at court today?
"Can you please shut up? Of course you think the system worked because it was made to protect you and people like you." Kie yells, to my father. Honestly I'm glad she said it cause if she didn't I would have.
"He'll have his day in court, a jury will decide." A man says, making me snap.
"He shouldn't even be in court!" I yell, stepping forward. "You should dad, because you're a murderer!" I yell, pointing to him. I was done feeling sorry for him. "You have a lot of nerve showing up here!" I say.
"I know you're upset, sweetie, I understand that. But you and Sarah need to come home." He says, softly, looking around at the staring eyes.
"Rafe killed Peterkin!" I yell, loud enough so everyone can hear. I feel a rough hand grab my hand and look down to see my father had grabbed me. The pogues come rushing over as well as the police, but before they can do anything, I pull my arm out of his grip and step back before I punch him in the face. Kie steps forward to slap my dad but Shoupe grabs her arm, pulling her back. JJ and Pope leap forward, pushing the cops away from her, whilst I grab Kie.
"Muzzle your goddamn dog!" JJ yells. "Take the Kooks down for a change!"
"Do you wanna get arrested?" Shoupe asks. "Go home."
"This is bull shit." I say, walking off with the pogues on my trail.
"It's not a coincidence that your daughters are sitting with us!" Kie yells, before getting in the car.
✵
I'm gonna testify under oath. I was there." Sarah says.
"I was too Sarah but that got us nowhere!" I say for the fifth time.
"I just need to get ahold of Wheezie." Sarah says, ignoring me.
"Wheezie?" JJ asks in disbelief.
"Kie do you have your phone?" Sarah asks, taking it from her. "She is the only other person that knows Rafe wasn't home that day."
"Are you serious?" JJ says, in a mocking tone.
"I don't know what else to do. I got us in to this mess, I'm gonna get us out." Sarah says, walking in to the Chateau.
"Wheezie, yeah that will work. Well she's right about one thing. We gotta do something." JJ says, looking at us.
"What's your plan genius?" I ask, frowning at his abilities to make plans.
"John B is scheduled for execution!" JJ yells at me.
"So what, we kidnap Shoupe?!" I yell, standing up.
"Maybe! That's not the worst idea!" JJ yells.
"What?!" I yell. "Are you out of your mind?!" I shout.
"That is the worst idea you've ever had." Pope says, siding with me.
"It's pretty bad." Sarah adds from inside.
"You know what, just please stay out of this." He says, glaring at my sister.
"Ok, look, Pope, we've been doing everything your way, and how has that been working out?" JJ says.
"Ok, so what's your plan." Pope snaps. "You gonna storm into jail, guns-a-blazing?"
"Look, Pope, all I'm trying to get you to understand is that 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. We're not storming a jail. It's not happening." Pope says.
"No, fine man. You sit in your comfy chair. Do nothing. I'm gonna go and do something. Even if I have to do it myself." He says, walking out and in to the rain.
"Should we be worried?" Pope asks.
"Yes, for sure." Kie says, looking at me expectantly.
"Fine." I say, rolling my eyes and walking after JJ. "JJ!" I yell, running up to him. "Hey, can we just talk for a minute?" I ask, softly.
"What, Jade? I need to go. No one is doing anything in there and I am not going to just sit there." He snaps.
"What about Sarah?" I ask. "She's getting a literal witness, JJ!" I yell.
"A 13 year old? That is not going to help!" He yells.
"Doesn't mean you have to be an ass!" I yell. "She's still my sister! Sarah and Wheezie are! And Rafe is still my brother and Ward is still my dad!" I say.
"You have made that abundantly clear!" He yells.
"What the hell does that mean?!" I yell.
"It means that I don't know if you're even on our side!" He yells.
"What?! I have given up on everything! I can barely see Wheezie now, without the fear of being murdered! I left my own father! I have dropped everything! My whole family!" I yell. "Do you even understand what I'm going through?!" I ask.
"It's not like any of us enjoy going through this!" He yells.
"I thought my sister died, JJ! I watched my brother shoot someone! I watched my father let Peterkin die! I watched him kill someone as well! My brother shot me! And now one of my best friends was arrested for murder!" I scream, shoving him back. "But, oops, you got me! I'm with really my dad!"
"I lost my best friend too! It's not always about you!" He yells, getting in my face.
"Fuck you! Fuck you, JJ!" I yell, tears streaming down my face. Thankfully they're blending in with the rain.
"You already did." He smirks.
I look at him up and down and frowning at him before walking off, leaving us on the worst terms I could probably think of, beside broken up.
I walk away from the Chateau and begin walking around town sobbing.
"Jade?" A girl I do not recognize yells. I turn around looking at her in confusion.
"Me?" I ask.
"Yes! You know JJ, right?" She asks.
"Uh, you could say that." I say, wiping my face and running to the roof she's covering from the rain in.
"Can you deliver a message to him for me?" She ask.
"Uh yeah, sure." I say.
"Ok, Um- this is awkward. Can you tell him that I'm up for it again whenever he wants again." My heart fucking drops. What?
"I... I'm sorry, when was the last time, you two did... it?" I ask, hoping that it was before we started dating.
"Uh, I think it was 2 or 3 weeks ago." She says, looking at me confused.
I look down, a week after Sarah and JB 'died' and he cheated on me? Awesome.
"I will get that message to him, from..." I say, waiting for her name.
"Harper."
"Harper." I repeat, smiling.
✵
I run back in to the rain. I continue running until I physically can't and sit down in the middle of an empty shed just crying. He cheated on me. He cheated on me. What did I do wrong? I hear a can drop and look outside of the shed to see someone approaching me. Who is that? It's the middle of the night.
"Uh... Just the person I was looking for." The voice taunts. It clicks in my brain almost instantly.
"Barry." I whisper, standing up in fear.
"Rafe, told me to ask you what you're gonna say in court." Barry says, walking close to me after he turned on the sink tap.
"I'll practice. You're the jury, ok? 'Rafe, my brother, killed Peterkin. He used my fathers gun and shot her in the shoulder after she tried to arrest my father.' Is that good?" I ask, sarcastically.
He scoffs looking down. "He also told me that if you said something like that to... How do I put this... kill you." he says, grabbing my arm.
"What? No." I say, struggling against his arm.
"I was in the army, Jade. Did you know that?" Barry asks me, stopping the tap of the sink he started when he got here. He wraps his arms around my shoulders, locking me in front of it. "I have seen and done shit not even you could imagine doing. And I am not afraid of doing it again!" He yells, pushing me back and into the water. My head submerges and I begin screaming and trying to pull myself up to the surface. He pulls me up and looks me in the eyes and laughs.
"Please. Please, Barry. I'll do anything." I beg, coughing up water.
"Rafe told me to do something, so I'm gonna do it!" He yells, shoving me back underwater. My screams get muffled from the water only coming out as high-pitched muffled groans. I place my hands on wrists, clawing at them and trying to get away from his grip but I feel myself becoming weaker as the second's pass.
I lift my hands out of water, resting them on the desk and feel a heavy object. I grab it and swing it in front of me, knocking Barry away from me in the process. A pair of arms pull me up and out of the water and let me breathe in a fresh breath of air. I cling on to whoever's arms are holding me probably scratching their arms but continue holding on to them while coughing. Eventually the person who grabbed me, gently lets me go and goes towards Barry who is currently laying on the ground holding his head in pain.
"Don't touch her!" The voice-who's I haven't heard in a long time- snaps. I look at the tool I had that knocked Barry away from me and notice it was a wrench. I look at Barry who's holding his head in pain. I take in a deep breath and grab the wrench again. I stand over him and bring down the weapon on his stomach.
"Asshole." I breath, throwing it away.
I cough out water as I bend over on my hands and knees on the ground. "Jade?" Brodie asks, puffing.
"Get back." I say, standing up and stumbling back.
"Woah, hey, I'm not gonna hurt you." He says, raising his hands up in the air. "What the hell happened?" He asks, looking at my state. I guess he didn't expect to see me being held down in a sink of water.
"It was just... it doesn't matter." I lie.
"Are you sure?" He asks, frowning.
"Y- Can I tell you something? I'm gonna sound fricking insane but I just need you to believe me." I say, practically begging him.
"I... Yeah. Of course."
"It was Rafe. Well, technically it was his drug dealer but Rafe told him to do it." I say, my hands on my knees.
"Wh- What?" He asks, as if I was stupid.
"I know it sounds crazy; I understand."
"Of course, it sounds crazy." He snaps, rubbing his head before sighing. "I'm sorry. Is there anyone I can call?" He asks, grabbing my hand.
"Yeah, actually can-" I pause when I realize I have no one to call. "No, I don't." I say, looking at him.
"You look freezing." He says, looking at my shivering state. "I have a blanket in my car if you want it." He says, pointing to a red BMW in the distance.
"Uh, yes, please." I say, politely.
"Ok. Follow me." He says, smiling sweetly. I slowly walk next to him, shivering. "What happened to your stomach?" He asks, looking at the huge plaster on it form my gunshot wound.
"Oh, I uh," I pause, squinting my eyes together. Why lie? I ask myself. "I got shot." I say, dead serious. He looks at me like I'm crazy and bursts out laughing. I do the same almost instantly. It is funny. I mean my brother shooting me. What are the chances...
"Do you want me to take you somewhere?" He asks, getting to his car and pulling out a wool blanket.
"I don't really have anywhere." I say, cowardly.
"Oh. Um, do you- do you wanna stay at mine tonight?" He asks, scratching the back of his neck. I look at him half expecting him to say it's a joke but he doesn't.
"I, uh, yes please. I don't wanna intrude or anything." I say.
"No, you won't! My parents don't care." He says, smiling and guiding me to the passenger seat. Now before you say how stupid this is, I've known him since 6th grade. This is the boyfriend Sarah stole from me. Yeah. It's him. But that's in the past.
"Ok." I say, smiling and curling up into a ball on the seat. "I'm sorry for getting your seats wet." I say, looking down.
"It's ok. I needed to clean them anyway." He says, starting the car and driving away from the forest. I couldn't stand to see JJ right now and I couldn't go back to where Rafe is, meaning staying at Brodie's was the only safe option. I pull the blanket closer to me and cling on to it, feeling my eyes get tired. I guess not getting over 5 hours hours of sleep at all this past summer is finally taking effect on me.
"Thank you." I whisper, before letting sleep overtake me.
✵
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