WHEN HOPE woke up that morning, her mind wander about the stunt JJ pulled last night by showed up at her house at one fucking am just to apologize to her.
And he didn't even do anything to her, not physically at least, not even directly. But still, She's not mad at him, if it's that what been bothering the boy. She's just, shocked and well---scared for a little.
When he shot the air last night, she feels it's too overwhelmed for her and that is why she's running from the beach. Can't blame her for feeling that way, he has a gun with him and pointed at her brother with the safety off.
Anything could happen, he could blow Topper's head and even JJ can get hurt if Topper decides to pull any dangerous moves at him.
But she can't help to feel something when JJ willingly to drive all the way from the Cut to her house to make sure she's okay and even apologize for it. He looks really regret with what he did, she can see it right through him.
Why it's bothers him so much until he needs to show up and apologize to her like that? Is he really guilty for his action? Or he just want to play her around so she's not going to press any charges on him for the assault he did to Topper?
"Good morning, princess" Her father's voice snapped her out from her trance, she looks up from her bowl of cereal to the man.
"Morning, daddy" she said, pulling a smile.
"Got any plans today?" he asked, walking towards the fridge and pull it open searching for something.
"I don't think so. I prolly just go bother Sarah" she said, continues to eat her breakfast again.
"You spend awfully a lot times there. You sure your name still last with Thornton and not Cameron?" he teased making her to snort, almost choke on her cereal
"Why would you say that?"
"Just asking, kid" he shrugged, pull out an orange juice from the fridge before he pour it into a glass for him.
"Calm down, you're not gonna lose your daughter to your friend, okay? Though Ward is definitely the father I always wanted" she jokes, teasing her father and she heard a loud gasp coming from him.
"I am offend" he said, putting a hand on his chest.
Hope let out a small chuckle at the dramatic expression from the man, shaking her head a little. Her father also let out a laugh, sipping on his juice
"You know I heard there was a fight yesterday at the beach near the Cut and a gun was involved" Her father suddenly said and Hope choke out on her cereal once again. She looks up to him, eyes widened.
"Really?" she asks, faking her innocence.
"Yeah, someone was held at a gunpoint too"
Hope gulped, what would her father will do if he knows that she was there when it happened and Topper was the person at the gunpoint? He's totally going feral and she's not allow to leave the house anymore.
"That's crazy" Hope commented.
"Yeah. That's why I don't want you to be friends with them, those crazy Pogues kids. I don't even want you to be at the Cut" her father said, she almost wants to protest against him "Freaking crazy. Who the hell they think they are? Owning a gun? Jesus" he continues shaking his head in disbelief.
Hope just nods her head. It's a good thing that Topper still keep this to himself and not telling their parents about this.
And she feels like she wants this stay that way, because if her father knows who was holding the gun he would drag JJ to the jail. He has a history with JJ's father after all.
"Stay safe, okay princess? Don't go out all alone by yourself, I think it's better for you to just stay with Sarah or your brother all the time" he continues and this time he looks genuinely worry about her.
"Okay, dad. It's not like I have any friends other than them" she said, almost sounds like a teasing but it's actually saddened her a little.
Because they are indeed the friends she had, and Topper isn't her friend to begin with. He's her brother so that made Sarah is her only one. Maybe Kelce, but he's Topper's friend. Wheezie is still a child, though she can be fun to hang with
"That's good to hear"
Hope smiles, hiding the truth. She just hope her dad won't find out about this, it would be a real disaster if he did. And as much as she's still cautious with JJ, she doesn't want him to get into anymore trouble that involved her father.
"I want to drop by at the country club, you want to join me?" he asked after emptied his glass.
"No I'm good, I already have a plan with Sarah" she refused politely
Actually, they don't have any. But she has something on her mind and kinda needs the help from Sarah.
"Okay" He said, dropping the empty glass into the sink before he walks to her and places a kiss on her head "Take care of yourselves, buddy" he reminds her and she nods. The man left the kitchen soon after, leaving her all alone again.
Hope continues to dig her bowl, attempt to finish the cereal as soon as she can so she can get going to do her work. But she needs to get to Sarah first.
She gets up from the stool and bringing her empty bowl when she's done with it, dropping it into the sink to wash it along with the empty glass her father left.
Though she knows her maid would do it for them, she won't mind to do it for herself.
"I thought I heard dad's voice here? Where is he?" Topper's voice suddenly filling the air, he strode into the kitchen.
"He already left to the country club" she briefly told him
Topper just nods, watching the girl by the sink washing her things. He has couple of questions in his mind.
"Hey--uh, are you, are you okay?" Topper asks, just to make sure. Hope glances at him through her shoulder.
"Why? It's not like someone is trying to drown me" she sarcastically said, walk away from the sink and dry her hands on a towel.
Topper scoffed at the attack coming from his sister.
"Are you seriously mad at me now? Are you fucking kidding me?" he snapped "That Pogue put a gun on my head and you're mad at me? be real, Hope"
"Lower your fucking tone, Topper. Someone might hear you and he could get in a trouble" Hope quickly turns to him, giving him a glare. That only making Topper to grow more outrageous at how she's trying to side with them.
"Are you seriously taking his side now?" he asked "What are you? One of the dirty Pogues now?"
"You were the one who tried to drown that poor boy from the first place" she argued, pointing her index finger at him "I told you to ignore it and walk away but you didn't listen to me"
"JJ was bothering you, I'm trying to keep him away"
"I'm pretty sure you did a very great job" she states it sarcastically "You could just say no and walk away. But of course, you need to brawl with them, right? What are you? The Rock?"
"I can't believe you; I really can't believe you right now" Topper shook his head "You actually chose those damn Pogues over your own brother? I could get my brain blew, Hope. He put a freaking gun on me"
"I told you to lower your fucking voice, what is wrong with you?" Hope marching at him, put up her finger.
She looks around the kitchen, in case anyone just walks in and accidently heard the arguments between them.
"What is wrong with me? what is wrong with you?" Topper nudges her shoulder a little and she gaps at the action "You are not going to be mad at me for what I did. I was trying to protect myself"
"To a fight that you started?"
"I didn't start the fight"
"Oh really? Because I'm pretty sure everything was fine until you yelled 'dirty pogues' at them" Hope pointed out, crossing her arms "Don't make yourself a victim, Topper. Sure, he puts a gun on you but that is because you were trying to drown his friend. Don't tell me you're not going to do the same thing if you're on his position"
"What? Pulling a gun on people?" Topper squeals, giving the girl a look "That's crazy, I would never do that shit. I don't even have one with me"
"But would you do the same thing if you have one?" she asked him, raising her brows.
Topper falters a little, not seeing that coming from his sister. He opens his mouth, trying to deny it and to prove his sister that she's wrong about him.
"I mean--if I was provoked enough, maybe, I don't know" he shrugged, looking unsure. And that is enough to tell Hope the exact answer.
"That's it, Topper. You always go around and telling how the Pogues behaving but you still pulled the same shit like them" Hope states "Okay, sure they love to start a fight and did some bad things. But why are you playing into their games if you are so sure that Kooks are thousand times better than them that were breed to mown our lawns?"
"Are you trying to say that I need to just sit down and watch them beat my ass?" he asked her again.
"Stop twisting my words, that's not exactly what I'm trying to say" Hope said "There's a line between trying to protect yourself and trying to kill someone. And whatever I saw yesterday, it wasn't just you trying to protect yourselves"
Topper remains silence, sucking his inner cheek. As much as he's trying to defence himself, he can't help to feel that Hope is right.
Maybe he was taking thing a little too much, but he's not gonna let a certain Pogue beating his ass and he just willingly to back up just because he's trying to be a better man.
"Hell, we don't even know if he's still alive after the shit you pulled" Hope continues.
"He'll be fine. Those Pogues are like cockroach, they can live a week without a head" Topper states it annoyingly, crossing his arms.
He looks like a 7 years old kid throwing tantrums at his parents because they refused to buy him toys.
Hope shook her head; she thinks she has enough with his bullshits. She gives him one last look before she walks passed the boy without saying anything more.
She knows, no matter what she's saying at him, it won't change anything. Because he's going to twist it, to make him looks better, to make him to feel better.
"Where the hell are you going?" Topper asks
"Fixing your fucking problem" and the she left the kitchen. She's totally going to fix his problem.