THE BELL TOWER;
part one
RENNA RAN. SHE NEEDED TO - had to - find John B, and Atticus, and Kiara, and JJ, and Pope. She needed to make sure they were safe. She found them camped out beside a shack, their van parked beneath an overhang next to the ageing building covered by tree leaves and bushes.
"John B!" The frantic girl shouted as she ran towards the car, everyone inside immediately sitting up. They'd initially mistaken their friend's voice as someone else's, but were relieved once their eyes landed on the running girl.
"Oh, thank god," Atticus mumbled as he jumped out of the car, everyone else letting out thankful breaths as they stayed seated in the vehicle.
"Where is he? Is he okay? Are you okay?" She asked in a single breath, studying Atticus' face worriedly.
"We're fine, darling. Everyone's fine." He pulled her into his embrace, her clinging onto him as she softened in his hold. However, the sound of sirens interrupted them.
Atticus pushed the girl to the side, holding her against the wall as the cops drove by on the road beside them. Secretly, neither of the two teens were focused on that, they were too busy focusing on each other's eyes. They were close . . . so close.
"Hey, Ren!" JJ called out as he hung out of the back of the vehicle. "Come check it out. Pope's smoking weed!" He laughed before John B smacked him upside the head.
"I'm sorry?" She asked as she looked up at Atticus before turning back to the vehicle, manoeuvring away from the wall and his close body as she peered inside. Atticus sighed. He was so close. "Hey, Kie." Renna waved as she peered through the open, passenger window. "Jesus, Pope. You look like shit."
"Thanks, Renna, sweetheart," Pope sarcastically mumbled as he patted her cheek, so she blew a soft kiss back at him.
"JB, you okay back there?" He only hummed. By that time, Atticus had joined her, leaning over her shoulder with a grin. "Have you guys gone to the police yet?"
"How many times do I have to tell you guys! We can't trust no police!" JJ shouted from the back of the van with annoyance.
"We already did, but Ward bet us on it. They're looking for John now," Kiara informed the confused girl.
"Wait, why you, though?" Renna caught eyes with John B behind the two front seats. "I mean, we were there too."
"He doesn't have anything against you guys," John B muttered as he looked between the two standing outside.
"He doesn't have anything against you," Atticus corrected as he locked eyes with the girl beside him. "The police are after JB, Rafe and Ward are out there lookin' for me, but you're off the hook. You're safe, Ren."
"But- but I don't understand?"
"Guys, just get in the back, we're going to the ferry," Kiara mumbled. They shared a look before climbing into the boot of the car. When they got there, Atticus was asleep on Renna's shoulder softly breathing out, whilst Pope went to check whether the ferry was open or not. He came back with a poster.
"Pope, can you act normal?" Kiara hissed.
"Yeah, I can hear you freaking out from back here," Renna mumbled before sparing a glance at the boy resting against her arm.
"Okay, so, bad news. The ferry's closed, and there's this." He handed the framed picture of John B into the car.
"What is that? What is this? What is this?" The boy in question asked as Kiara looked at the picture, jaw falling to the floor.
"Can I see it, please?" Renna asked quietly from the back.
"Well, John B, uh . . . there you go, Ren. It's a good framer of you," JJ muttered as Renna scanned the paper. At the racket, Atticus stirred beside the girl with a groan before opening his eyes, looking down at the sheet in Renna's grip.
"What's goin' on?" The oblivious boy asked.
"Let me see it!" John B interrupted as he leant behind him and snatched the paper out of the girl's hands.
"Okay, so the whole island's looking for John B right now," Pope said as he took his seat in the car.
"Pope, you're making it sound a lot worse," Renna said with a frown as she watched John B look over the picture and reward for himself.
"But it's a lot of money, Renna. So many people could use it," Kiara reasoned as she glanced back at the blonde.
"Congratulations, John B. You're now famous," JJ said.
"Good job, bud." Atticus reached over the seat and slapped him on the shoulder, later falling back into his seat and resting his head in the same warm spot on Renna's shoulder.
"Okay, you guys, we gotta get to the H.M.S. We need small, no running lights-" Kiara began.
"It's at the Château, Kie," John B mumbled bluntly.
"And I wonder if the cops got the entire place staked out? Let me think. Oh, yeah. No. They definitely have that place locked down," JJ sarcastically mumbled, as he stared out the window.
"I might have something at my house, we could take-"
"Your dad, Ren. Think about your dad," John B whispered kindly as he dropped the paper into his lap. She immediately shrunk back into her seat, Atticus sending her a thankful smile as he shifted closer to her body.
"JJ! Does your dad still have that boat? The cigarette boat, The Phantom? The one he used to race," Pope brainstormed excitedly.
"Maybe?" JJ mumbled. It was clear in his tone to everyone but the high boy in the driver's seat that he wanted nothing to do with his father.
"You could get right up the coast, no problem," the boy droned on with a proud grin.
"It's not gonna be easy, Pope! I don't know where the keys are," JJ reasoned with annoyance and aggravation. The blond was beginning to regret giving his friend the last of his drugs, he needed some himself.
"Well, find them," Pope said as he started the car.
"Okay, I'm thinking!" JJ shouted as his hands gripped tightly onto the tufts of his fair hair.
"I think we just need to ca-"
"Why is nobody moving forward?" Pope shouted, leaning forward in his seat as Kiara stared at him from the passenger seat.
"Can you relax?" Kiara asked in exasperation.
"Pope, chill out," Atticus mumbled as he closed his eyes, burying his face even deeper into Renna's shoulder.
"JJ, how much weed did you give him?" Kiara asked.
"I still can't believe you gave him weed," Renna exasperated, running a stressed hand down her face.
"Guys, your car's on the poster!" John B whisper-shouted as he looked back down at the paper. Pope ignored him and beeped the horn, only causing even more people to look at their sleek car.
"Can we move it, please?" The boy shouted to no one.
"Pope! That's not gonna help! Don't honk the horn!" Kiara shouted as she tried to calm the boy down, but nothing was going to calm him down.
"We got a snitch. Pope, turn the car on!" JJ said as he watched the little kid and his mother creep closer to the car.
"Guys, just hurry up and move it!" The pair in the back shouted as people began to bang on their windows. As soon as he turned the car on, he drove into the back of another one, denting the back of the opposing vehicle.
"Dude, back up!" Kiara shouted urgently. Finally, he turned out of the line and drove off, hitting things like the fences and poles along the way. Pope laughed and smiled as the others screamed, clinging onto each other for their own safety. Once they'd driven further down the road, they kicked John B out before swapping drivers and heading towards the Cameron mansion.
The trio - JJ, Atticus and Renna - were all standing outside the fence line when they saw the flame. Pope had lit the barbeque in spite of Kiara, not that they knew that. All they knew was that if they didn't put it out, they were as good as dead.
"Shit, he's an idiot," Renna whispered before jumping the fence, Atticus following along after her. JJ, however, worriedly remained where he was positioned by Kiara's car in case he had to peel, not that he wanted to do anything of the sort. Sometimes, people don't have a choice.
"Pope, get over-" But he'd already ran off. Ward opened the back door as Renna and Atticus pulled to a stop in the middle of the lawn. He saw them, locking eyes with the duo, before beginning to shout. They watched him push Rose back into the house, who began to shout out Sarah's name, before walking towards the pair.
"Don't move, okay? I don't want no harm," the man said as he held out his arms, slowly stepping towards the pair. His eyes were sparking with worry and nerves whilst the two teens glared at the wicked, sick father - he was more scared of them.
"Oh really? Then why'd you throw John B right under the bus?" Renna asked with raised brows. "Whilst Rafe's out there walking free, probably planning to shoot another co-"
"Okay, you shut your mouth about my son! He ain't done nothing wrong," Ward argued, eyebrows furrowing down.
"Don't be an idiot, Ward," Renna clicked, tilting her head to the side.
"I'll call your father!" He pulled his phone out his back pocket, waving it in the air. "He's only just across the road."
"Why'd you do it?" Atticus interrupted, stepping forward to take the man's eyes away from his friend.
"Do what?" Ward asked with confusion, a light scoff audible in his tone.
"Why'd you kill Booker's father?" Atticus elaborated.
"He knew too much," Ward smirked. "It's all a part of the game."
"But you were working together! You were friends," Renna reasoned as she took a step forward too, standing right beside Atticus as their shoulders knocked against each other.
"Like I said," he locked eyes with Renna. "It's all a part of the game."