𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍 ➪ 𝗋𝖺𝖿𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗆𝖾𝗋𝗈𝗇

𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗋

𝖤𝖯𝖨𝖲𝖮𝖣𝖤 𝖥𝖮𝖴𝖱, 𝗌𝗉𝗒 𝗀𝖺𝗆𝖾𝗌
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LOLO SCRATCHED THE back of her neck awkwardly as she sat on the dining table across from cheryl, the social worker, waiting for john b to return home.

'it's kind of a bad time for a check-in..' she tried to fake a smile, really wanting the woman to leave.

'it's not a check-in. we're here to take you and your brother.' cheryl smiled back just as john b entered the room. 'today?' he said with a bored tone, not even surprised she was here.

'it's just for a few weeks until your hearing.'

lolo scoffed, 'no, no. we are not going into foster care. we're safe and happy here.'

'yeah, we're not gonna go be apart of your little system.' john b said, waving his hands around.

the sibling's faces dropped when they heard a radio beep, a police officer now standing beside them with a stern face. 'this is deputy thomas. he works with juveniles for the sheriff's department.'

lolo watched unimpressed as john b tried to run away, immediately being stopped by the officer.

the routledge girl sighed as she packed her bag, sliding in her gold necklace that her dad gave her at a young age.

'you see this, cheryl?' john b pleaded from across the room, holding a picture of his father up to her face. 'do you know who this is? yeah, it's our dad. you know what he wanted? he wanted us to stay here, at home. and you're taking us away from home. do you understand that?'

'its the law john b.' cheryl said.

john b sighed, looking over to his sister for help, but she just shook her head no.

lolo had other plans.

꧁꧂

the ride in the police car was silent. all you could hear was the faint radio chatter and the occasional sighs coming from the two teenagers.

lolo looked over to her brother who was playing with a picture of their dad in his fingers. she glanced over to the slightly open window, and then back to him.

'john b,' she whispered, him looking over to her with a sad face, 'yeah?'

he quickly got the hint when she pointed to the picture, and then to the window. john b nodded briefly before waiting a few seconds and 'accidentally' dropping the picture out of the window. 'no, stop! stop! stop, please stop!' he pleaded, 'my picture! it's the last picture of our dad, please!'

lolo let out a loud dramatic gasp, 'you dropped it?'

'not gonna happen, kid.' the police officer said grumpily.

the brunette girl leaned forward and forced herself to tear up, 'and how would you like it if your father died at sea and you lost your only memory of him?' john b nodded, 'come on, cheryl just stop the car.'

'tom.' cheryl sighed.

'please, it's all we have left!' lolo begged. 'pull over.' she said. 'you want me to pull over?' the cop raised an eyebrow. 'just pull over.'

'thank you,' the routledge's said in unison.

they watched as the man aimlessly walked around the road, 'looking' for the picture. 'cheryl can we help him look please?' john b said. 'god this idiot,' lolo grimaced, 'look at him, he's barely even looking.'

'it's gonna get trashed, cheryl please!'

'we're begging you.'

lolo hid a smirk as the car door unlocked. cheryl sighed, 'make it quick.'

'yes ma'am. thank you, cheryl.'

the siblings got out of the car and smiled, linking arms and running away, 'later thomas! ha-ha!'

they ran, eventually finding two bikes next to them. 'is that a dementor?' lolo squinted, pointing behind the boy who owned the bikes. when he looked away, the two grabbed a bike each and quickly hopped on, john b yelling, 'we'll give them back, promise!'

'you better! come on dude..'

'ah shit,' lolo groaned as she watched john b go over a ramp, sending him over a fence. she quickly followed, screeching as she landed.

suddenly, the two were led on the floor moaning in pain. they had biked into a chain which sent them flying off of their bikes to the ground.

'dude! did you guys just yeet over that chain?' a blonde girl ran over to them, also known as sarah cameron. 'holy shit, your shirt,' she looked down to john b.

lolo let out a loud groan as she sat up, lifting her bloody elbow up to make sure it wasn't really bad. 'woah,' her eyes widened as she saw the cut on john b's side. 'thats not ideal,' he winced. the blonde girl now lifted his shirt a little to review the gash, 'yeah, that's not good at all.'

'he needs to go to the hospital, right?' lolo said, looking between sarah and john b. 'yeah, definitely,' the blonde replied, 'okay, well you have to try get up.'

'god,' he groaned as he stood up with the help of sarah and lolo.

'you okay?' john b asked as the three got into sarah's car. 'yeah, just a little scratch on my elbow.' lolo said.

'hey, do you see a car, like, like a cop SUV? blue and white? he stuttered, looking over to sarah. 'yes, there is a blue and white cop SUV,' she said.

'great!' lolo scoffed sarcastically, 'is there a guy with no neck in it?'

'yes. and theres a woman with him.'

'are you guys like fugitives?' sarah questioned as they drove.

'close enough,' lolo shrugged.
'hey you know what? don't take me to the hospital. just take a left please. gotta do something.' john b said, opening the car door once they stopped to run out and grab the picture he lost from before. 'hit it, sancho. come on, come on.'

'okay, okay!' sarah squeaked.

꧁꧂

lolo gulped as the three entered sarah's house, fearing she may encounter rafe cameron. god, just thinking about him made her angry.

they jumped as the sound of ward cameron's voice was heard once they entered, sarah quickly pushing the routledge's into a room.

'hey!' sarah greeted sweetly.

'what are you doing?'

'what do you mean?'

'shut the door. come on, sweetie,' he sighed, before leaving the house. sarah grabbed their wrists once her dad was gone, pulling then up the stairs and to a small living room.'lift up your shirt.' she said to john b whilst opening the first aid kit.

'is that rubbing alcohol?' lolo asked confusedly. 'yes,' sarah blinked as if it was obvious, 'it's the only way to be safe. close your eyes, john b.'

lolo snorted as her brother let out a girlish scream at the alcohol on his wound, sarah slapping her hand over his mouth. 'shhh! are you kidding me? my god.. never heard anyone whine like that before.'

john b slapped sarah's hand sassily as she rubbed more on, 'stop.'

'excuse you,' she snapped.

'sorry, sorry.'

lolo crossed her legs and placed her hands behind her head with a knowing smirk on her face as she watched the two interact.

the brunette girls face dropped though, when sarah looked over to her and smiled with the cotton ball in her hand, 'your turn!'

꧁꧂

'aren't you guys glad we made you come?' kie smiled as she linked arms with lolo, finding a spot to sit to watch the obx summer movie series. sarah and john b had gone to chapel's hill, lolo couldn't go with them though as she promised kie she'd go watch some movies with her, as she does every year.

'estatic,' pope said unenthusiastically.

'my couch was pretty comfy, i'll be honest.' jj smiled.

'don't be mean guys.' lolo scolded the two boys, 'i'm gonna get a drink, be right back.'

'can i get a pepsi and a sprite, please.' lolo said as she read the drinks menu.

'hey, routledge?' lolo immediately rolled her eyes at the voice. rafe cameron.

'for fucks sake, leave me alone for ONE day.' she muttered under her breath before turning to him.
'what's up? how are you?' he said, looking down at the girl who narrowed her eyes, 'why would you care?'

'i don't,' he scoffed, 'but tell your boy that we know what he did.'

lolo looked around confusedly and shrugged, 'who?'

'you know who.'

the brunette stayed silent, glaring at the taller boy in-front of her who had a serious look on his face.

'bye.' she forced a smile, grabbing the two cans of soda and storming back towards her friends.

'just saw rafe.' she whispered to jj and pope, 'he said, tell your boy that we know what he did.'

'where is he?' jj said.

'behind us, don't make it obvious you're looking.'

the two boys snapped their head behind them immediately, staring at a smug looking topper and rafe who was casually sipping his beer.

'great, the whole death squad.' pope's voice cracked, him letting out a yell when lolo poked his side, 'i told you not to stare!'

'just warning you bro,' jj started, 'if they corner me, i'm coming out swinging, okay? slice and dicing. i'm on edge right now. if that doesn't work, i got this right here.' he lifted up his bag which had the gun inside.

'we need to stay together.' lolo said, glancing at each of them. 'can't get us in a group.' pope agreed. 'like a school of fish,' jj added.

'i'm sorry, jj, please tell me you did not bring a gun here. jj, there are kids.' kie scolded, jj denying the accusation, 'no, everything's fine okay?'

'wow thank you, that's really convincing! i love that, jj!' kie smiled sarcastically. 'founding principle, you guys. no secrets amongst pogues. what is going on?'

lolo gulped, 'it may go down tonight. that's all i'm saying.'

'what are you saying, lo?' kie squinted, 'what did y'all do?'

'deny, deny, deny.' jj whispered to pope who had a panicked look on his face.

it had been three hours now, and it was dark out. lolo was practically hanging off of the edge of her seat as she watched the movie, her eyes wide.

kie was cuddled into lolo's arm, and jj and pope were whispering to eachother about god knows what.

'hey, where you going?' lolo whispered as she realised pope and jj had gotten up and started walking away.

'we gotta wring it out,' jj said with a shrug. kie grimaced, 'you guys gonna hold it for eachother?'

lolo carried on watching the movie for another hot minute, until she noticed rafe, topper and kelce walking over to where the pogues had gone.

'be right back kie,' she smiled before jogging over to behind the movie screen. 'not so burley without a gun now, are you?' rafe said, walking closer to jj and pope.

'take one more step, ill rip that prepubescent face off.' jj threatened.

'what is going on?!' lolo said as she walked over to jj's side.

rafe glanced at lolo before looking to topper who had now been head butted by pope.

'whoo!'

'atta boy!' jj smiled grabbing kelce, 'with your fist like this, okay?'

lolo watched as the boys began to fight, tugging at popes shirt, 'be careful.'

kelce now had a hold of jj, rafe punching him in the stomach repeatedly. lolo grimaced and gripped rafe's arm, trying to pull him away from jj, but she got roughly pushed to the ground instead.

'HEY,' kie yelled, hitting rafe's back with jj's bag. 'you okay?' she sighed to lolo, helping her up.

'kie, the bag. lighter.' she whispered, shaking the girls shoulder.

the screen behind them was then set on fire, making the fight stop, leaving a gasping jj and pope on the floor in pain.

rafe looked back once at lolo as he ran away, her face full with fear.

he flashed a look of guilt for a split second, but quickly turned back and ran home with topper and kelce.

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1994 words

idk how i feel about this chapter