"𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡"
𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨...
♪ 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙: 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 - 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙗𝙤𝙬 𝙠𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 ♪
APPARENTLY, BLUE WAS VERY GOOD AT PRETENDING SHE WAS ASLEEP.
She had woken up the moment JJ left the bed, but she continued to lay still with her eyes closed. Why? She didn't quite know. Maybe she was nervous, not sure what to say or do after the events that occurred the night before. It wasn't like she regretted anything - regretting JJ Maybank was wholly impossible for her to ever comprehend - she was just somehow a little shy despite how close they had been hours earlier.
So, she laid there, trying to bask in the simple, warm moments that were sure to end or be interrupted at some point. Blue knew that once her and JJ left her bedroom that things would start to get complicated. They would have to figure things out, wonder and stress about the Pogues and John B, all of the things that could and would disrupt the peace they had forged last night. When she thought about all of that, she wished she had the power to stop time and keep them in this morning light forever.
Blue heard him shuffling around the room, and as she discreetly moved from laying on her side to her stomach in order to hear him better, she heard the clink of his belt and the sound of his boots stepping along the wooden floor. Her heart sunk in her chest - he was leaving?
Why was he leaving?
Her mind instantly became consumed by unwanted possibilities, wondering if he regretted it, if he thought they had made a mistake. Was he trying to escape before he had to face her? Was he going to leave her there, alone, confused, and heartbroken? Was he running away from what she had hoped for and desired for half of her life?
But then she felt his fingers gently running along her face, his touch affectionate and soft, leaving a scarlet blush in its wake. He pressed a kiss onto her shoulder, and it took everything in her not to smile or open her eyes. She hadn't known the touch of his lips until merely ten hours earlier, but she was sure she was already addicted to it, positive she would die if she never got to feel it at least once more.
"Good morning." He whispered, so quiet, obviously trying not to wake her. Blue held in a giggle as he continued to talk, his words unknowingly becoming ingrained into her mind as soon as they hit the air. "Last night was the best night of my life. I hate that I have to go right now, but I'll see you soon. Make sure you read the note." He left her a note? "Don't keep me waiting too long, baby."
Baby.
Baby, baby, baby...
The term of endearment struck her, simultaneously shocked and giddy hearing it for the first time without 'Blue' following it. No one had ever really called her that in a romantic way before, not Kalen or the one boyfriend she had during her freshman year. She wondered if that was what it was going to be like now - them calling each other sugary nicknames, complimented by heart eyes and intertwined hands. Well, she supposed those things weren't fully new to them, but it would be different now. She just wondered how - what was going to happen next?
What were they going to do?
Just as thoughts of her brother finding out and Pope and Kiara going ballistic returned to her mind, she felt JJ softly running his hand through her hair, and then heard his footsteps recede and the door open and shut seconds after. She waited until she heard the distinct roar of the Twinkie's engine erupt and then fade away before she turned her face into her pillow and squealed loudly into the soft material.
Blue could barely believe last night was real. But when she lifted her head from the cushion, she saw the indent on the other side of her bed, and then turned to see a note on her bedside table, and knew it wasn't all a dream. She hurriedly sat up, reaching for the small piece of paper and letting her gaze find JJ's unmistakable scratchy handwriting immediately.
Bluey, please don't kill me. I couldn't be late for my shift at Heyward's, I was afraid he would brutally strangle me if I didn't show up. I wish I could've stayed with you all morning. You looked so beautiful sleeping (sorry if that's creepy). I would've woken you up, but I knew you would've clawed my eyes out if I did, so I let you be.
Anyways, please meet me at Heyward's ASAP!!!
The note was signed at the bottom with a heart and JJ's name, making Blue smile and look at her bracelet that had the exact same signature. The words on the paper were sweet and humorous and ridiculous, just like her beloved blond boy. Her fingertips lightly ran over the penciled script before she opened her nightstand drawer and placed the note inside. As much as she would have loved to wake up with him and stayed together for a while longer, she understood why he had to leave and held no anger towards him for it. Heyward was sweet to her, but with the boys, his rage could be quite fear-inducing. She didn't blame JJ for trying to avoid it at all costs.
Blue finally got up, beelining to her closet and staring at her clothes with her hands on her hips. She knew it was a bit stupid, but she had the urge to make sure she looked good, to present herself in the best way that she could. Even though JJ had seen her covered in mud and sick as a dog and every unwanted state in between, she still felt the need to doll herself up a bit before seeing him. She was sure it was partly because their dynamic was different now. There were new elements there, ones that heightened Blue's senses and emotions entirely. It was almost like now that there was desire and attraction no longer hidden between them, she felt the need to prove she was worthy of receiving it.
And she was also sure it was partly because of her insecurities. Those stubborn bitches.
She huffed, gathering a few shirts that still hung on hangers and threw them onto her bed. She then went to her dresser and rummaged through her shorts, picking the best ones and tossing them onto the growing pile of clothes on her comforter. After trying everything on, she settled on something cute and casual, yet still flattering, and figured she had done a good enough job.
Once she was done getting dressed and had run a brush through her hair, she started to clean up the room, making her bed and putting all of the clothes away. As she was walking around, she noticed something shiny on the floor catch her eye, and she bent down to see what it was.
Blue immaturely laughed as she picked it up, a shy blush coating her entire face as she looked at the condom wrapper that rested in her hand. She knew she had to dispose of it, but she was worried John B or one of their friends would possibly see it in one of the trash cans and ask questions. Maybe that was a dumb concern to have, but it was entirely plausible. It wasn't like any of them were in relationships or were going to parties and hooking up with people, given that they had been too busy with the treasure hunt, so it would raise some brows for sure.
The girl sighed, not knowing what to do, and beginning to feel the need to rush as she knew JJ was waiting for her. In a haste decision, she threw the wrapper into her nightstand drawer next to JJ's note, deciding to deal with it later.
Blue ran out of her room, stopping in the kitchen to grab a granola bar that hopefully wasn't expired. As she took her first bite, she felt something soft drag against her leg, and looked down to see her cat, Rain, staring up at her.
"Oh, hi, baby." Blue grinned, reaching down to pick up her kitten and holding her to her chest. "I've barely seen you lately." "She spoke as she pet Rain, her fingers delicately running through her gray fur. "I'm such a bad cat mom."
With a quick kiss to the cat's head, she shoved the rest of the granola bar in her mouth and put the animal down, refilling her food and water before speeding out the door and into the morning sunlight. She didn't waste any more time. Blue started her walk to Heyward's, nervous and excited all at once, timidly anticipating whatever was to come.
𑁍 𑁍 𑁍
"DON'T LET THEM GET IN YOUR HEAD, BROTHER."
As Blue approached Heyward's store, walking into the small shop and weaving through various customers, she felt slight goosebumps cover her arms at the sound of JJ's voice. The place was a bit crowded so she couldn't see him yet, but knowing that she was about to in the next few seconds made her anxiety and eagerness increase tenfold.
"Three of them and two of us." JJ's voice continued to ring out. "That's some typical Kook shit right there."
"Hell, yeah." Kiara's voice came next.
Blue could see the counter now. Kie was at the register while JJ was on the other side of the counter, and Pope was walking around, talking to his friend while simultaneously stocking and helping patrons. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw her angel, standing there with slight wounds on his face and a bit of a smirk on his split lip, and all she could think about was all that had happened the night before.
"What was the thought process," JJ continued, speaking to Pope as he pretended to organize stuff on the counter. "Using your head?"
"I don't know, man." Pope answered, "I just kind of acted off instinct, alright? I was a cornered animal."
"Those are some good instincts." Blue chimed in as she stepped forward. All three pairs of eyes turned to her, one of them immediately softening as they made contact, and she had to look away to keep her cool. "Sure you don't have any brain damage?" She asked the Heyward boy.
He saluted her. "So far, so good."
Blue smiled at him and then made her way to the counter. As she stepped towards JJ, their eyes never left one another, and she found herself wishing they were alone. But no, standing in a crowded fish shop with their friends was the best they could do, unfortunately.
The air between them was different. Not weird - just different. They couldn't look away from one another but also couldn't seem to speak a single word. The atmosphere was charged yet somehow quiet, like any little noise or movement would disrupt the whole thing or give them away. Everything felt so delicate yet so strong at the same time. Blue wasn't quite sure if it was all going to break or grow from the weight of all of the residing tension.
"Hey." JJ said, voice faint and sweet, the corner of his lip slightly turning upwards as he stared down at her.
"Hey." Blue breathed out, smiling as she stood next to him.
Though their spoken words were few and a bit meaningless, their eyes held so many others that expressed everything they had wanted to say. And when he sneakily placed his hand on the small of her waist out of view for their friends to see, her grin grew a bit wider, feeling reassured and comforted by such little things.
"Hey, killer." Kie spoke up, making Blue tear her gaze away from the blond boy and place it on the Carerra girl instead. "Did you pull a gun on anyone else last night or was that just a one-time thing?"
Before she could respond, JJ jumped in, a sarcastic expression covering his features as he spoke. "Hey, here's a great idea: don't say that shit out loud." Kiara rolled her eyes at him in response.
"That was pretty wild." Pope chimed in, going behind the counter so he was next to Kiara at the register. His face was adorned with a few new marks, and while the sight of it made Blue feel a bit sad, she was consoled by the fact that he seemed to be okay with everything. "I didn't know you had that in you, Bluey."
The girl shrugged. She knew it was crazy, and that a sweet little thing like her wasn't really expected to act in such a manner, but she didn't really care. When it came to her friends, and especially when it came to JJ, she wasn't going to hold back. "They were hurting you guys. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I had to."
"Uh, no you won't." JJ cocked his head at her. "I'm keeping that thing locked up. No one uses it but Papa J from now on."
As Blue scoffed, Kiara held her hands up in a nonchalant motion. "Fine by me."
The Routledge girl raised her arm onto the counter, resting her chin in her hand. JJ began to draw invisible circles on her back and it took everything in her not to snuggle into his side or reach up and kiss him. She wondered if that was going to be their new normal - sneaky, secret touches that were never meant to be seen. How long would that go on for? Would it be until they made the decision to be open and honest with their friends, or would it be until they got caught?
"Oh, Blue, I have to ask you something." Kiara suddenly rushed over to the counter, fully facing Blue and giving her all of her attention instead of the needy customers that surrounded the register. "Can you do me a big favor?" The girl asked, giving her friend big puppy dog eyes and an award-winning smile.
Blue didn't think anything of it at first. "Sure, anything." She agreed without hesitation, feeling confident that whatever her friend wanted to ask wouldn't be much of a burden.
"Okay, so, my parents finally got invitations to Midsummers and they're practically forcing me to go." Kie growled at the mere mention of the prestigious Kook event. "But I told them I would go on only one condition..." She trailed off, her pleading gaze somehow intensifying even more.
Blue raised a brow, confused and curious. "And that is...?"
"That you come with me."
The girl's jaw dropped. Blue? At Midsummers? She couldn't even picture it. She was sure the security guards (yes, they had security at the glorified adult prom) would take one look at her and kick her out before even stepping foot in the country club. Pogues only went to Midsummers if they were working the event, not attending it. She was sure she would stick out like a sore thumb.
And that was not the only reason why it was so unfathomable for her to go. Blue was in a precarious situation - multiple precarious situations, actually - that made the idea completely idiotic and irrational. "Um, I'm kinda supposed to be hiding from the police, DCS, and Rafe Cameron at the moment. I don't think it's the smarted idea for me to be on Figure Eight at all, let alone go to fucking Midsummers."
JJ's face hardened, losing its adoring expression as he looked at Kie. "There's no way she's going, dude."
"Pleeeeaaasseeeee!" Kiara whined, folding herself over the counter so her and Blue were face to face, not giving the Routledge girl any chance to escape her begging friend. "I will literally do anything! I can't go alone, it'll be torture!"
"Wait, isn't Midsummers tonight?" Blue asked, looking to Pope for an answer since him and Heyward would be catering the event for the third year in a row.
He nodded. "Yep. You didn't give her a lot of time to prepare, Kie."
Kiara glared at him before turning back to Blue, who was looking at her with wide eyes and a bit of a snarl. "Blue, I already have a dress for you and everything. All you have to do is show up and sneakily drink with me for like two hours. That's it." She pleaded, grabbing Blue's hands in a desperate act.
Blue groaned out loud, still barely able to comprehend the idea at all. She felt like she was recovering from intense whiplash - as well as a swift slap to the face - all at once. "I don't even know how this would work, Kiara."
It wasn't that Blue didn't want to do a favor for her best friend. If everything was as it usually was, she would have instantly said yes despite her hatred for the annual event. But there was so much going on and Blue knew she needed to be smart about every move she made. For once, she found herself leaning more into her selfishness than her need to please people.
Kiara grasped Blue's hands even tighter. "I will hide with you all night; I promise nothing will happen." Her best friend implored further. "I can't go alone with my parents. They'll drive me insane and expect be to be a perfect little Kook. I need you there to keep me sane."
Ugh, the parent card always worked. Blue knew how things between Kiara and her parents were drastically dwindling by the day, how their relationship was hanging onto a precarious thread ever since Kie left the Kook Academy to go back to Pogue life full time. She knew how much pressure her mom and dad put on her, how they had more arguments than conversations these days, and how despite Kie standing her ground on who she was, she still desperately wanted to keep a good relationship with her family.
And if Blue was somehow able to help keep that peace, how could she say no?
"Fine," The young girl huffed, shoulders sagging as she pictured herself wearing a flower crown and an expensive dress. "I'll do this for you, but I'll warn you, I'm going to hold this over your head for the rest of your life."
Kiara nodded. "Deal." The two shook hands to seal the agreement.
Blue looked over to JJ, seeing his enraged stare pointed at the girls' conjoined hands. "What?!" He exclaimed, looking over to Blue fire in his eyes. "You can't go! That's like willingly going to Alcatraz! People don't do that!"
The girl rolled her eyes at her angel, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, J. I'm sure it'll be fine. Me and Kie will just spend the night with Mama L in the kitchen, stealing champagne and fries in the back corner. Rafe and his goons won't even know I'm there."
The blond shook his head, clearly not budging from his disagreement. "You're not seriously going, are you?" He asked.
"Unfortunately, yes, I am."
JJ heavily sighed. He dropped his forehead down to rest on Blue's shoulder, his hand still on the small of her back as he continued with his dramatics. "This is the stupidest shit I've ever heard in my life."
Blue pouted her lips as she ran a hand through his fluffy hair. "You'll live."
JJ suddenly stood up, a slightly conniving smirk appearing on his face as he looked at the girl next to him. "I'm so gonna find a way to sneak in there."
"Oh my god." Blue rolled her eyes, "Of course you are."
As the four Pogues began to laugh amongst themselves, finding humor in the ridiculous fact that all of them were planning to go to Midsummers in one way or another, their moment was quickly interrupted by an unmistakable voice.
"Hey, Pope!"
Heyward came in, stepping towards the counter, immediately capturing everyone's attention. As Blue looked at him, she could tell something was off. He was staring at his son with an expecting gaze, questions swimming in his eyes, but they were all being held back. It was so uncharacteristic that she started to wonder if Heyward began to take up day-drinking.
"Someone's here to see you."
All of a sudden, someone came up from behind Heyward, making their presence known. Shoupe strolled in and Blue could feel the coldest of shivers travel down her spine.
This can't be good.
"Evening, Officer." Pope said, eyes wide and voice timid. Everyone looked at the deputy with frowns and speculating stares, forebodingly anticipating whatever was to come from his unwanted presence.
"I have an arrest warrant for felony of destruction of property." Shoupe said the words casually, acting as if it was just another day on the job, paying no mind to the fact that he was speaking to a 16-year-old honor student with an anxious tremble in his hands.
"What?!" Heyward shouted at the accusation.
Blue gasped, her body wracked with guilt and fear as she watched Pope instantly look to JJ. The Heyward boy's gaze was pleading, wondering what he should do, terrified of what was taking place. It was almost like Blue could feel his dread, could sense the rapid pace of his heartbeat and the hitch in his breath, experience it as though it was her own.
She should have stopped them from sinking the boat. She should have tried harder. She should have used all of her strength to hold Pope down, force him to not jump into that water and swim towards the thing that would wreck his entire future. She knew he would take the brunt of it if they were ever found out - she just naïvely hoped that would never happen.
Hope wasn't nearly enough, apparently.
As regret began to sink to the bottom of Blue's stomach, JJ mouthed something to Pope. "Deny, deny, deny." Blue wasn't sure if that advice would be very helpful now.
"Keep your hands on the counter where I can see 'em." Shoupe ordered, getting his handcuffs off of his belt as he stepped towards the register. Kiara threw her hands up in an innocent gesture. "Young lady, out of my way." She stepped back with a glare, but without hesitation.
"Woah, Shoupe, what'd he do?" Heyward questioned, voice hard and pained as he spoke. "Huh?"
The policeman continued to cuff Pope as he spoke to the boy's father. "Look at the warrant."
Blue could almost feel tears prick her eyes as she watched the scene go down. "You can't take him!" She cried, but all she was met with was JJ's hand tangling with her own.
"I'm sorry, you're arresting him?!" Kiara spoke up, anger and confusion present in her tone, clearly having no clue why her friend was in trouble with the law. Blue found herself wishing she had been honest with her friend the night before. She found herself wishing she had done a lot of things differently.
Would've, could've, should've.
"You're just arresting my boy?" Heyward's loud voice trampled over everyone else's.
"Be careful!" Kie shouted as she watched the officer tug on Pope's hands, binding his wrists with tainted metal.
"Shoupe, are you listening?!" Heyward continued.
He wasn't. The deputy was reading Pope his Miranda Rights as he locked the cuffs in place. Blue could see Pope's expression from where she stood with JJ, and it was enough to shatter her heart into a million pieces. He looked petrified - like his whole life just crumbled before his very eyes all because of his own actions and a ridiculous feud between a divided island. His mouth was agape from shock and his eyes were wide with horror. It was like he was in a different world, stuck inside his self-ridiculing mind, and Blue desperately wanted to reach him and pull him out but she knew she couldn't.
"How much did they pay you, man?!" JJ shouted, indignation covering his words, his chest puffing up and his jaw clenching as he watched his friend receive the consequences of his plea for vengeance.
Everything was pure chaos as they followed Shoupe and Pope out of the store. Customers stared in shock and confusion, watching it all go down as if it were the next blockbuster to hit their screens. The Pogues were screaming, accusing the officer of unjust arrest despite two of them knowing it wasn't true. Heyward was still demanding answers despite Shoupe's silent demeanor. Blue's ears were practically ringing from all of the noise, her anxiety doing nothing but adding into her panicked state of mind, making her feel like she was walking on a live wire and that she about to get shocked at any moment.
Outside, JJ tried to shove Shoupe, and Blue had to hold him back. She couldn't have two of her friends go to jail on the same day - one was bad enough. Kiara was yelling, fearless with her attitude, slinging insults and jabs at the officer without a care in the world. None of the raging words ceased as Shoupe led Pope to his parked police car, his disastrous and unfavorable fate about to be sealed before their very eyes.
JJ and Blue walked side by side, their hands still intertwined. As Blue continued to shout obscenities at the deputy, JJ stopped in his tracks, forcing her to do the same. She looked up at him, confused, quickly taking note of his alarmed yet thoughtful expression. His blue eyes shifted to the ground, lips parted, clearly getting lost in his mind. Blue knew that look - she dreaded that look.
"JJ, don't." She pleaded, watching as he silently formed a plan. He was on the edge, ready to dive in or fight, and she didn't know which was going to happen. Whichever it would be was sure to be cataclysmic in nature. That was the only way the boy knew how to deal with anything.
JJ squeezed her hand once, leaning down to kiss her forehead in quick fashion. Her heart sank even further down in her chest as she realized her begging wasn't going to stop him this time. "I'm sorry." He whispered before letting go of her and taking a few steps forward.
"Jayj!" She shouted, but it was no use.
Just as Shoupe reached for the car door, three little words stopped everything.
"It wasn't him!"
Pope, finally reeled back from his initial shocked state, was quickly thrust into another one as he turned to look at JJ along with everyone else. All eyes were on him, anticipating more. Blue felt sick to her stomach.
"It was me." He said, pointing to himself as he spoke.
"No." Blue whispered, shaking her head as she watched her lovable idiot dig himself into a hole he couldn't get out of.
JJ began walking up to Shoupe in a confident manner. "He tried to talk me out of it, but I was mad because he'd just been beaten up." He explained, rewriting the narrative and making Pope the hero. "I was so sick of those assholes from Figure Eight that I lost my shit."
Blue stepped forward, standing next to Kiara, who was watching the whole thing with the most confused face the Routledge girl had ever seen. She would have a lot of explaining to do once this was all over.
As the blond boy looked to Pope, a smile appeared on his marked face. "I can't let you take the blame for somethin' I did. You've got too much to lose."
Blue had always admired JJ's selflessness. It was a characteristic most people didn't expect from the Maybank boy, but it was the most prominent one, carrying on into his words and his schemes and his actions. It was in the way he dropped everything to walk them home from work, how he always offered a hit of his blunt or a sip of his beer, how he always stayed behind to make sure everyone was safe before he followed them. And it was one of the many reasons why she fell in love with him. Growing up in Kildare, selfishness was prominent, running ramped in every Kook's sleight of hand and every Pogue's desire for more than just scraps and pennies. Although JJ desired the same riches as everyone else, he always put himself last, making sure his friends got what they wanted and needed before he even considered taking something for himself.
But now, his selflessness was choking her. Although she desperately wanted Pope to be let go, she couldn't handle JJ going to jail, either. She knew what it would do to him. She knew how he would think that he was going to a place that had been waiting for him, how he was just fulfilling his destiny. She knew that he was going through with this plan because the cops would have no trouble believing it.
And she knew that Luke Maybank would never let JJ go unpunished for it.
"JJ, what are you doing?" Pope asked, clearly unnerved by the whole ordeal, and definitely taken aback by his friend's intervention.
"I'm tellin' the truth."
Blue shook her head as her hands grasped Kiara's arm. She didn't know how to do this - watch the boy she loved take the fall and reap all the consequences, knowing it didn't have to be that way. She had half a nerve to step up and say she did it instead, but she knew her false confession wouldn't be believed, and that JJ would somehow make sure that nothing would happen to her.
All she could do was watch - and she hated every second of it.
"For once in my goddamn life, I'm gonna tell the truth." The blond boy continued, his slight smile never fading as his eyes switched from Pope's to Shoupe's in a repeated pattern. "I took his old man's boat, too."
"What the hell?" Heyward scowled.
"JJ, come on-" Pope tried to stop him, but he was interrupted before he could continue.
"Just shut up, Pope!" The Maybank boy yelled, cutting his friend off before he could disrupt the lie, not letting anyone get in the way of his unhinged yet valiant plan. "Just shut up." He shook his head. His jaw clenched once again before he turned to face Shoupe. "He's a good kid. You know where I'm from."
Shoupe didn't hesitate to agree. "Yeah."
"What the fuck did you just say-?!" Blue shouted, attempting to bound towards the police officer, but Kiara held her back with a fierce grip. The dig at JJ's homelife set Blue on fire, making her rationality fly out the window.
JJ took one look at Blue, let his eyes run over her face and take in her pleading and angry gaze before turning back to the cop. "This was all me."
Pope's jaw dropped, a disbelieving sigh escaping his parted lips. He looked at JJ like he was a puzzle he couldn't solve, wondering why he would take the blame for something he did. But Blue didn't have to question it. That was just who JJ was, who had always been, who he will always be. And while she admired it, it frustrated her to no end that there was nothing she could do to stop him.
Shoupe turned to the Heyward boy for confirmation. "That's the whole truth?" He asked.
A beat of silence passed through them once the question hit the air. Pope stared at the deputy; hesitation written on all of his features. Blue couldn't even comprehend the position that Pope was in - either tell the truth and go to jail, or let your friend take your place. It was a lose-lose situation of the worst kind, no solution or grace with either option. She couldn't blame him for not knowing what to say.
"Whole truth, swear to God." JJ chimed in on his behalf.
"I know what you think, damn it, I'm asking Pope here!" Shoupe reprimanded.
Blue watched as the two teen boys held eye contact, one with an encouraging smile and the other with pure apprehension in his eyes. She felt like she was balancing on the edge of a cliff, two different hands on her back, waiting for one of them to push.
Pope gulped, looking down at the ground and nodding his head before speaking up. "Yeah, that about covers it."
If Kiara hadn't been holding onto her, Blue was sure she would have fallen to the ground.
Shoupe took the handcuffs off of Pope, latching them onto JJ's wrists instead. Blue had never felt more useless as she watched her angel get shoved into the back of a cop car. As soon as she couldn't see him anymore, it was like she was thrown into flight or fight mode, her common-sense no longer part of her being. Before she could even think, she was running up to Shoupe, grasping his arm and making him face her.
"Let me go with him." She demanded.
The deputy huffed, his hand coming to his forehead like he was getting a migraine from the entire situation. "That's not how this works, Blue. Just back on up, now."
The girl wouldn't take no for an answer, though. She was determined not to let JJ go through this alone. "At least just let me ride in the back with him to the station, that's all I want."
"Blue-" Kiara stepped forward, trying to pull her away, but the Routledge girl tore herself from her friend's grasp before it became tight enough to contain her.
Without even glancing at Kie, Blue continued, her fierce gaze piercing the officer and never leaving his face. "Let me go with him." She ordered once more.
"He's in the car because he committed a crime, Blue." Shoupe said with authority lacing through his tone. "As far as I'm concerned, you haven't done a damn thing, so I'm not putting you in there, okay?"
Hm. That gave Blue an idea.
Without even the slightest hint of delay, she raised her foot, slamming it down onto Shoupe's with as much force as she could muster. Everyone behind them gasped loudly as the officer cursed and raised his most-likely bruised foot into the air, slightly wailing pain from the harsh impact. Blue didn't even bat an eye at his antics.
"I just assaulted a police officer. Pretty sure that's a crime." She raised her hands up with her wrists together, chin high and a slight smirk on her face as she spoke again. "Let me in the car." Despite being in the backseat, JJ's laughter rang out in the air, clearly finding her scheme amusing.
Shoupe's eyes hardened as a heavy sigh left his mouth, his foot rejoining the ground as he replied to the rebellious girl. "I know about you ditchin' DCS, River." That made her smirk drop immediately. "If I take you in, I can guarantee you that you won't be on this island in the mornin'. I'm tryin' to give you an out here." The Routledge girl gulped, feeling like she was in a similar situation to Pope's - hold onto your own innocence or give it up for someone you loved. It truly wasn't a fair game to play. "Now, what's it gonna be? 'Cause I don't wanna have to turn you in."
Blue was surprised by that. She would have thought that he would have jumped at the chance to get any of the Pogues in trouble, especially if it meant that they would be leaving Kildare and effectively no longer being a nuisance to him. But she could see the sincerity in the deputy's eyes, and she could tell that he really didn't want to have her sent away. Why? She wasn't sure. But now wasn't the time for those kinds of questions.
She took a step towards the vehicle, placing herself so she was in JJ's line of vision. They locked eyes, and although there was a slight smile still resting on his lips, he gave a slight shake of his head that gave her all the reassurance that she needed.
Still frustrated and filled with contempt, she stepped back, dramatically motioning for Shoupe to go. The cop nodded at her once before getting into the driver's seat. Blue stood by her friends and Heyward as they watched the car pull away from the store, taking their self-sacrificing, stubborn friend away.
Pope, who was now becoming outwardly angry, raised his hands onto his head and began to pace on the gravel. Blue could see the veins on his hands and arms start to become more visible. The sight of her well-rounded friend being so worked up would have shocked her if the turn of events hadn't entailed it.
"Pope..." Heyward walked towards his son.
"Shit!" He yelled, tearing his cap off of his head and throwing it onto the ground.
"Pope?" His father continued, but the boy walked off, clearly wanting to be anywhere else. "Pope!" He leaned down, picking his hat up and dusting it off.
Blue ran her hands down her face, feeling so many emotions attempting to pull her down all at once. She didn't know what to do, what to say, how to feel. Everything was so complicated and tangled together that nothing made sense in that moment. She just wished she could go back to that morning light, where JJ was whispering sweet nothings to her and kissing her skin, leaving her notes and waiting for her to show up.
But no. Just as she predicted, it was all fated to be soured and interrupted. She could only hope that that fate would change soon.
Though hope clearly didn't seem to be enough anymore.
𝗼𝗺𝗴 𝗵𝗶
𝗔𝗛 𝗴𝘂𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶 𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 ☺️😏
𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗢 𝗠𝗜𝗗𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗨 𝗙𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗧!?!??!?!!
𝗼𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿?? 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲'𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗰𝘀 👀
𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿? 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀?
𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗱𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗶'𝗺 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗯𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆
𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘂 𝗴𝘂𝘆𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 💋
𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝗳 𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗴𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗸𝘁𝗼𝗸 𝗷𝗷𝗷𝘀𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 😘
𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲
𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱
𝗮𝗺 𝗶 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴!?!?!?
𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝘆𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘂