CRUEL SUMMER
016 | feeling sorry for yourself
" MOM PLEASE!" Renee pushed her hands together, almost pleading. It had been almost forty eight hours since John B was arrested and it had only been ten minutes since Renee had arrived back at Thornbury house after disappearing for Charleston. Asking her mom for her help after leaving John B's hearing, where she more or less screamed at Ward Cameron who called her brainwashed and had asked her to come to 'some sense'.
Caroline shook her head, a permanent state of disbelief contorted on her face as she looked at her daughter. " you are seriously unbelievable Renee!" she scolded her daughter.
" Ok, mom I'm sorry I didn't call or didn't text." she grovelled " I'm sorry really but I need your help right now."
A scoff let the woman's mouth as she stood up from her position at the kitchen, " and do you know what I needed Renee?" she rose her voice " I needed my daughter to answer one of my millions of calls, just one." Her finger pointed at her daughter who could notice the slight tremble of her lip, the same sad pout she had.
" I needed my daughter to let me know she was ok, that she was alive on the trip that she lied to me about!" Renee crossing her arms as she exhaled, feeling the guilt of her lies catching up to her,
" I only lied because you wouldn't of let me go, you don't like John B or any of my others friends so much so you'll send me out of the county to keep us away from one another!"
" because he's a murderer!" Renee hadn't heard her mom scream like that in a while, never-mind at her who felt her eyes widen. "You're so out of control Renee, I thought therapy would help but it's them, it's your friends it's J-"
" don't you say that!" Renee called back, her tone harsh " do not bring JJ into this, this idea you have of him is not who he is! if you tried to get to know him for like one minute." Renee declared as Caroline rolled her eyes.
" why do you think I've let him stay here, let him sleep in your room in your bed?" Renee stood silent as her mom exhaled " I've been trying to hard to adjust our lives so he's in it and you're happy, but you're just-" the older women pushed her hands through her hair.
" I can't do it anymore Renee." She exhaled, Renee furrowing her eyebrows " you're dad-" she started and Renee could feel her eyes water.
" he'd be so disappointed, If he walked through that door right now I don't think he'd even recognise you and if he did, I know he wouldn't like what he would see."
Renee's heart ached, the lemon of her moms words sending blistering pain into the wounds of Renee's were her dads death had left. The seventeen years olds face contouring with gritted teeth and silent tears falling down her face,
" fuck you mom, you don't wanna take care of me anymore?" she seethed " I'll leave then, it's not like I like being here at all."
Renee couldn't show her aching heart as she turned around, trying to contain her sobs as she walked up the staircase to her bedroom. Wiping her eyes once the door closed, letting out a small wail as she began to pack up clothes, her wash bag filled with random shit that she could see herself needing through her blurry eyes.
She wiped her eyes, turning to notice Benji sat in the doorway. His tongue still poking out, excited to the see his owner. She had a small smile on her face "hiya boy." she bent down on one knee as she welcomed the dog into her arms, stroking his fur as his tail wagged.
" Benj, look." she whispered, grabbing the four legged creatures attention " I've gotta go away for a little bit, but Lennon's gonna take care of you ok?"
The dog didn't understand why Renee's eyes were watering as she spoke, instead she pressed a kiss into the side of his face. Before standing up and grabbing her multiple bags, walking back down stairs where Lennon now stood.
" oh hey Ren," he said, munching on a grape that he had picked out of the fridge, noticing her teary eyes and connecting it with why their mom was drinking wine at one in the afternoon, " what have I walked into here? where are you going?"
Renee shrugged " somewhere that isn't here, isn't that right Ma?" she let her gaze linger to Caroline who ignored her daughter but took another gulp of her wine.
Renee let out a small laugh, " I'll see you later ok?" she looked back to Lennon who was still confused on what was going on. Walking towards the bowl of keys, noticing her house keys and car keys missing.
" where are my keys?" she asked, looking at her mom who shrugged " I pay for that car Renee-"
Lennon looked at his mom with squinted eyes "mom, it's raining-" Caroline snapped her head to her elder son who was looking at her in the same way her youngest daughter was.
" Once Renee comes to her senses and stops running around calling herself a pogue , she is more than welcome to use her car and the other kook stuff I pay for." Caroline's eyes straightened on her daughter who nodded.
Lennon followed his sister who began to walk towards the door, dropping his glass " Ren, I'll drop you off."
The girls head turning " I'm fine Lennon!" she snapped, although she was anything but fine it was clear that she was doing this by herself.
So without a second thought, she left the house. Walking to the left side of the island without even turning her head back once. She was a pogue now if people had questioned it before , she officially had been banished from figure eight with nothing else to lose.
RENEE SAT CROSS LEGGED ON THE SOFA OF THE CHATEAU PORCH, having changed from her soaked clothing to a white cami and green cargos with a grey zip up hoodie of John B's over her arms.
She had walked into a deliberation of how exactly they were going to help John B, it was heated when she had gotten there so she didn't bore anyone with her whole 'being kicked out' story and instead said she was crashing here for a few days instead.
" I'm gonna testify under oath, I was there." Sarah announced, Renee looking up to her " I just need to get a hold of my sister."
" sister?" JJ said, causing Renee's face to turn to him as she looked up, " Ren, do you have your phone?" the other blonde hummed as Renee turned back and picked it up off of the couch cushion next to her before passing it over to Sarah.
" Wheezie is the only other person that knows Rafe wasn't at home that day." She stated,
" Wheezie?" JJ asked again, clearly not believing this idea was going to work.
" I got us into this mess, I'm gonna do my best to get us out." Sarah said, walking in towards the main part of the house. Renee exhaling and resting her head in her hands.
" Wheezie? Yeah that will work." JJ spoke with sarcasm " Well, she's right about one thing we gotta do something."
Renee was faxing in and out of listening to what was going on compared to her own rampaging thoughts that were now physically hurting her head. " our boy is po-sun right now ok?" He asked, his question generalised to the three other teenagers sat by him.
" he's held captive by the enemy right now, maybe even scheduled for execution and we're just gonna sit here?" he snapped, Kiara equally as stressed standing up.
" what's the plan? We start by kidnapping Shoupe?" She rose her voice, staring down JJ who shrugged his shoulders " maybe, like that's not the worst idea actually."
Renee scoffed " oh it's not?" she questioned, JJ turning to look at her " no!"
Pope joining in " that is actually the worst idea I've ever heard." He told them, even Sarah speaking in from the dining table " it's pretty bad."
JJ turning his head and looming at Sarah " you know? Please, just stay out of this." Renee ignoring her boyfriends attitude whilst he turned to look at Pope.
"Ok Pope look, we've been doing everything your way and how has that been working out?" He questioned, only annoying Pope more.
" Ok, Ok so what's your plan?" He asked, rising from his seat " You gonna storm a jail, guns a-blazing?"
JJ, obviously threatened by Popes higher ground " Look Pope all I'm trying to get you to understand is they got our boy and are we just gonna sit here and do nothing." He stood up, looking at all three of his friends " No! We're gonna go get his ass, we're gonna do something about it!"
" This isn't a fucking Guy Richie film JJ!" Renee stated, causing JJ's attention to be directed on the girl who was not the only one sat down " we can't storm a jail, I know it may be too boring for you but the only thing we can do is stay here, stay put and find John B a good lawyer for his defence!"
" and how's that going Ren!" he snapped, annoyance in his voice " you're moms a lawyer, and instead of being there kissing her ass convincing her to help you're sat here moping about for whatever reason feeling sorry for yourself!"
Renee couldn't speak, her eyes already beginning to water. As much as she tried to remind herself that JJ didn't know what events had unfolded before she came here, he was still currently being an asshole.
She rose, scoffing " and what exactly are you doing?" she snapped " pretending you're god damn Brad Pitt in Oceans Eight, ready to storm a jail with a gun that you don't have, with a strategy which you also don't have? which would only make things worse for John B even if you were successful which I severely doubt."
JJ stepped closer, " you're acting like a bitch right now Ren." he told her. The blonde scoffing — pushing him back slightly " fuck you JJ, have fun getting yourself put in the cell opposite JB's."
Turning to look at Sarah, " can I have my phone please?" despite her kind words, her tone remained cold — Sarah muttered a small 'yeah' before passing it through the open window between the porch and the kitchen.
She didn't acknowledge JJ again before she exited the house, pulling her hood up as she walked away.
AUTHORS NOTE
you guys aren't gonna like me in 1-2 chapters time xoxo