I made my way to school and I parked next to Kie's car, I sighed then walked up to Kie, Pope and JJ "Morning." Kie smiled and everyone stopped and looked at the four of us, we walked towards the school. I saw a memorial for John B, they made a surfboard with his pictures on it and I saw a picture of him with me and my mom.
My breathing became rapid, I was hyperventilating, "I can't do this." I muttered as I looked at everyone staring and I overheard people talking about my father and my grandfather, saying John B probably murdered them then tried to kidnap me and Sarah or saying I was in on it. "Liv..." "I have to get out of here... I'll call you later." I told Kie and looked at JJ who didn't even say a word to me, I shook my head then looked at Pope and gave him a small side smile.
I walked back to my car and drove away from the school, my hands gripped the steering wheel hard as I thought back to that night, I lost it and started sobbing, my phone buzzed and I wiped my cheek with my hand then picked up my phone to see an unknown number. I threw my phone onto the passenger seat then looked up to see someone crossing the road and I abruptly pressed on the brake almost hit the person by a few inches. My eyes widened and I got out "Oh my god! I am so sorry! I didn't see you, are you okay?" I asked and I saw that it was Rafe "I'm good." He said holding his chest and I sighed in relief "Rafe, I- I almost killed you... I'm so sorry!" I told him and he sighed. "It's all good, I mean I almost killed you... uh I should be the one apologizing to you." He said and I laughed with tears still in my eyes.
"Okay, what's- Uh what's so funny?" Rafe asked and I cleared my throat "I almost hit you with my car." I laughed and he frowned "You- you tried to kill me and just now I almost killed you with my car!" I told him and he looked at me with his guilty face "Liv... Wait, don't you have school?" He asked me and I rolled my eyes. "I took a free day..." I muttered then scoffed "No I left... I didn't even step inside." I sarcastically said and I remembered everyone staring at me then my face dropped. "I think I'm gonna be sick." I muttered then ran off the side of the road and threw up, I leaned over then suddenly I felt my hair be pulled back and hands rubbing my shoulders "Hey, it's okay. Ssshh." Rafe let out soothing words and I took a deep breath. I stood up and sighed in relief "I saw everyone look at me and overheard them talking about how my cousin probably killed my father and grandfather like he killed Sheriff Peterkin but... oh how wrong are they! Huh, Rafe?" I told him and Rafe looked at the ground "If only they knew, right? But they never will, won't they." "Olivia, I- I never meant for this to happen, I- I was trying to save my dad. All I ever wanted was to help my dad." Rafe told me and I frowned "Save your dad, right, right, right. Your dad blackmailed my dad, threatened me, killed my uncle, my dad, and my grandfather!! I shouldn't even be talking to you right now!" I yelled and he took a step back. "There's a line when you have to do what is right, and turning yourself in is the right thing." I told him and suddenly he pulled me into a deep kiss. I was caught off guard and I pulled away then slapped him and got into my car, I drove to the chateau not knowing what the hell just happened.
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JJ
I sat in class taking notes... well doodling on my notes because who needs em', Am I right? "The slave becomes the new ruler. Now, Diocletian splits the sprawling Roman Empire..." I couldn't help but think about Liv, I should of said something to make her stay right? Or did she need to be alone right now, I mean she did sneak pills behind my back and she knows how I feel about that. It's like she's becoming more like Rafe and I'm afraid that she'll go back to him but how could she, after what he did and what his family has done.
I heard a phone ding as I was gazing out the window, I turned back to my doodling. "...into four separate kingdoms." My phone buzzed and i frowned then Pope's phone buzzed and dinged "Whose phone was that? Nobody?" Mr. Sunn muttered and there was a silence "You will be tested.... Now, to recap, who was Diocletian? An ex-slave who became
the ruler of the Roman Empire. His reign began..." Mr. Sunn kept explaining whatever he was explaining.
Kiara looked at Pope and I looked down at my phone to see it was an unknown number "Did you get it?" "Yeah." Kiara and Pope muttered and I moved by them as we opened the message and we all saw a picture of John B and Sarah alive and my eyes widened.
"Oh my God." I quickly got up and ran out the door without questioning soon I heard Kie and Pope following "We can go to the courtyard." Kie said and i tripped over a mop bucket "God! Whoo!" I got up and Kie made sure I was okay. "Shit." "Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Mr. Sunn yelled at us but we kept on running and went to the courtyard.
"I mean, is that even possible? I mean, Shoupe said that they didn't make it. He said that." "Okay, but I... I think we're overreacting, 'cause we can't rule out the possibility that this could all be some kind of weird, cruel hoax." Pope said and I felt my heart race, I held my chest it was like a hit to it. "I'm just gonna ask." "What if it's actually him, though?" I questioned and Pope shrugged "Then I don't know, okay? I don't know." He said and the phone dinged "He responded?" "He's typing... He's typing." Kiara muttered then the phone dinged and they texted with 'is JJ there?' and I texted back 'I'm here Bree' then they texted 'Did you pimp my short board?' Making me smile then I chuckled "It's him." I muttered tearing up then looked at Pope "It's him." "It's definitely him." Pope said pulling me into a hug and I hugged Kiara, I was so glad he was alive and so was Sarah... "Yeah!" I cheered and thought of Liv, Liv is going to be so damn happy. Oh shit Liv, we need to message her.
The phone dinged and we saw the text " 'Laying super low in Nassau.' How the hell did they get to the Bahamas?" Kiara questioned and I shrugged "You can't kill a Pogue, dude." "Especially John B." Me and Pope said and Kiara wiped her tears away.
The phone dinged again and I read his text 'Can you clear my name? Wanna come home and see my cousins'" "Hell, yeah, we'll clear your name, boy." I muttered and he texted "Be in touch. P4L. Tell Liv." Kiara read and I nodded. "P4L, man. That's what I'm talking about! P4L, baby!" I cheered jumping on the table and Kiara sighed "Holy shit, dude... we gotta tell Liv!" She said and i nodded "Yeah, she definitely needs to know." "JJ, call her!" Pope Kiara said and I sighed "I don't even know if she'll pick up... we kinda had a argument." I told them and they frowned. "Argument? About what?" Kiara asked and I sighed "I found pills in her bag, she told me she changed her mind and was going to get rid of them but I didn't believe her." I told them and Pope frowned. "Look I'll call her but you need to apologize... you know how Liv is, she's our best friend." Pope told me and I nodded.
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Liv
I got a call from Pope and he sounded urgent "Liv, meet us at the Cameron Construction site by the surf shop... Ward is going to meet the pilot who took the gold to the Bahamas." "The Bahamas? Wait, Pope..." I muttered confused and he just hung up. I frowned then ran to my car, it started raining as I drove to the surf shop, I walked down the street to find Pope, Kie, and JJ but they weren't here so I texted Pope. I heard commotion from the construction and i frowned, I looked up to see someone was up there and I put it together that it was Ward. I hid behind a car and I heard a gunshot "Oh my god." I muttered under my breathe, I saw something drop off the top and i frowned. It looked like the gun, minutes later Ward came down running towards where I was so I ducked down and he started looking by the drain my guess he was looking for the gun. I tried to sneak around the fence but suddenly I stopped when I heard yelling "Murderer!" I heard and it sounded like Kiara, I ducked back down and suddenly Ward turned around going towards the drug store pharmacy, this was my chance to run so I ran to my car. I saw Ward come back out from the alley and he saw me drive by and my eyes widened "Shit!" I hide my face but I'm pretty sure Ward knew what my car looked like.
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I met with Kiara, Pope and JJ "What the hell was that Kie!" I yelled and I sighed in relief then pulled her into a hug "I'm just glad we're all okay." I said and looked up at JJ. "Are you okay?" He asked me and I nodded "Yeah, I'm good. I don't think Ward saw me." I told him and he nodded then we got into Kiara's car "Could someone fill me in on what the frick just happened?" He yelled and Pope groaned.
"Holy crap. I can't believe it. Wait, wait. What were they fighting over?" JJ asked and I noticed he was holding his chest and i frowned, it was like how I looked when I had a panic attack. "Uh... it was... it was a gun, the one Rafe used. He must have kept it." Pope said and I frowned "What?!?" "Of course! Of course! The murder weapon!" JJ yelled, Kiara took out her phone and i frowned "Pick up! Pick up!" "Who are you calling?" I asked and she frowned "Who do you think?" "The cops?" JJ questioned and she turned to him "Who else am I supposed to call?" "Why would you call the police? That's Ward!" The boys yelled and I heard the deputy on the other end "Sheriff's Office." "Shut up! Hello? Hi, somebody's been shot at the... at the Grand Street construction site! You guys need to hurry because he's dying. I don't know if he's already dead or not! You need to hurry!" Kiara yelled and I looked at my car then sighed "We gotta go." "We're sitting ducks." Me and JJ yelled and Pope nodded "We can't stay here." "What do you want me to do?" Kiara asked and I sighed "Just drive!" I yelled and she nodded.
We met up with Shoupe and showed him where Gavin was but his body was gone "Look, it was right here, and this is
where that maniac claimed his next victim." "Uh-huh. His next victim?" Shoupe said taking notes and we nodded "Yeah." Kiara muttered and he sighed "Right. How long ago did you say it happened?" JJ checked the floor for blood but it was cleaned up. "Forty-five minutes ago, Shoupe." "Okay. And so, Ward Cameron just popped one off and shot him." Shoupe said and I nodded "Yes." I told him and he frowned "Execution style? And then cleaned it all up in minutes?" He said and we all agreed "Yeah." "Obviously." "We filmed the entire thing." Pope told him and he looked at him.
"You filmed it?" "Yes, but we can't show it to you because I stepped on JJ's hand, and then he kicked Pope, and then Pope dropped the camera, and it broke." Kiara said and i frowned. "This is a telephoto, and we needed to get a long-distance image, and... and... and I fell, and it broke, so the video is basically unusable." Pope said and I sighed "But... but we were there, and well I was on the ground so o couldn't see anything but I heard them arguing and they saw it." I said and Shoupe scoffed "So the dog ate your homework?" "No, Shoupe. I know it sounds..." Kiara started as Shoupe put away his notepad "Look, I don't know what you kids expect me to do with this. You drag me out here in the middle of the night for a whole lot of nothing." Shoupe said and I shook my head "C'mon Shoupe." "No, it's not nothing." Me and Kiara said and I sighed. "Except for some crazy stories about how Ward Cameron's out on a random killing spree." Shoupe said and Kiara shook her head "We're not making this up, Shoupe!" "It's not a random killing spree! Gavin was his pilot! Okay, he was paying him hush money because he was on the tarmac that day." Pope told him and he looked between us. "Gavin was blackmailing Ward because he had the gun that Rafe used to kill Peterkin." Kiara said and my stomach turned. "He called him here and tried to pay him off. But it wasn't enough, and then so he shot him. With the murder weapon." JJ said and Shoupe frowned "How do you know that?" Shoupe asked and Kiara shrugged "Pope did this thing with his phone. He, like, put it in his car and..." "I heard their whole conversation." Pope told him and I looked at him like he was crazy, that's illegal. "You wiretapped him?" "Is that bad?" Kiara questioned and Shoupe sighed "Stop. Just stop. I've had enough." He said and I shook my head "What? Are you gonna look the other way again?" "You ever heard about the boy who cried wolf?" Shoupe told JJ and he went down the stairs "Why would we make this up?" "How many times- Why can't you believe us for once?" Kiara and JJ yelled following him and I looked at Pope and sighed.
"Waste of my goddamn time." "Why would we lie? I know it sounds crazy. I know that!" Kiara yelled and Shoupe looked at the EMT's "All right, there's nothing up there. False alarm. Let's all go home." "No, no, please don't go home. No. Why would we make this up? Can you just do your job for like minutes?" Kiara pleaded and Shoupe turned to us. "Hey. I... I know..." "Just listen. It makes sense!" Kiara said but Shoupe interrupted her "I know you're upset. And I know you think
your friend was innocent." "He is!" She yelled but he looked at her "But you weren't there. The only actual witnesses
who are above ground say the exact opposite. All right? And both of them have
a hell of a lot more credibility than any of you right now." Shoupe said and i frowned "What about me? I was there." I told him and Shoupe sighed "Majority of witnesses say you weren't." He said then looked to Kiara "I saw your little art project on Ward's wall. Do not do that again." Shoupe told Kiara and I rolled my eyes "All right? Gonna make things a lot harder for the both of us." He said getting into his car and started it up. "Go home." "At least... at least look for him! Someone died tonight!" Kiara yelled and he sighed "Get on home to your parents now." He told us and I scoffed "What parents?!" I yelled and he drove off.
"I told you this would happen. Like, you're the one that had to drop the camera." "It was your fault!" Kiara and JJ bickered like children and I rolled my eyes then looked at Pope "Now what?" I asked and Pope turned to Kiara and JJ "Shut up! Hey! Hey!" He yelled and they stopped then Pope looked at the drain "It's not over yet." He told me and I nodded knowing what he was thinking.