𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 51.

"𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍 𝐁, 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐑𝐄 we doing at the police station." Jj asked, with a certain seriousness.

I was sitting in the front seat of Kiara's car, staring out my side window into the darkness.  I could barely move an inch, and hadn't moved an inch since I strapped in my seatbelt, back at the dump. It was almost as if my limbs weren't really working, my brain was sending the signals, but I just couldn't find the energy to move— partly, from all the running, but majorly from the emotional blackout in my head.

When I had sat myself in the passenger seat, it was sealed, glued. Kiara tried to talk to me, Jj tried to get me to say something at the least, and even Pope, but their words had simply gone through one ear and came out the other, absolutely meaningless. When we had stopped at the Chateau, I didn't bother to leave the car, and waited until they came back after a while. John B had told them what had happened on the runway. I couldn't cry anymore, either. Not that I was tired of it, but because I had let far too many tears fall, and there was none left to brew. I had watched the Sheriff die. I had no clue if Sarah was even alive anymore. And the gold was off to the Bahamas.

"Someone," John B let out an unsteady breath of air. "Somebody's gotta tell them what happened," he said, with a weak voice.

Kiara pulled the key out of ignition, the car's engine ceasing and causing the vehicle to go quiet. Before looking back at the boys, her eyes lingered on me for a moment, but I stared out my window, the same as before. She let out a small inaudible sigh, her chest rising and falling only slightly.

Out of the blue, Pope let out a series of coarse and loud coughs. He had been smoking blunts from Jj all afternoon. I didn't turn my head to look at him, but I could imagine Pope holding half of one between his fingers, inhaling far too much for his own good, resulting in multiple coughs.

"Ooh," Jj hummed, with a slight shock, "Easy there, chief," he said. "Damn."

Pope continued to cough, the volume getting lower. The car was quiet, other than his noise.

I heard John B let out a huff of air.

"All right." Jj started, after a long moment, specifically talking to John B. "I'm just gonna be real with you right now." He spoke seriously. I had never heard Jj sound so stern, and with a good meaning. "You might end up in the lion's den, but you don't go there on purpose."

I wanted to agree, and tell John that Ward Cameron had every authority wrapped around his finger. That he told the cops John B had stabbed his arm with a spear, that he could've done the same thing with the situation of Peterkin. But when I tried to speak, the words just wouldn't come out.

"It's fundamental." Jj stated. "Just like my old man always told me— you should never, ever, trust cops, no matter what the circumstance is,"

"Your old man is an abusive liar." Kie butted in, serious.

"I agree with Jj," Pope said through small huffs, catching his breath from coughing so harshly. "Fuck the police."

Kiara rolled her eyes, and then squinted them, "You goin' to the dark side now—"

"When's the last time the police ever helped us," Pope cut her off, leaning forward off his chair, speaking factually.

"Peterkin looked out for me, all right?" John B spoke out over everyone.

I felt my stomach twist.

"Or... tried to, at least," he breathed, shakily. "They need to know."

The vehicle filled with a silence after his words. I bit down onto my bottom lip. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see Kiara barely send a nod to John B, her head only moving slightly. Everyone was shifting their eyes to one another, except for me. And only after a long minute, I had realized that they were looking at me. Still, I didn't turn around.

"You stayin' here, Charlie," John B asked, his voice quiet.

Jj cleared his throat uncomfortably when I didn't reply, to fill the quietness. I inhaled sharply— but quietly— when John B's hand placed itself on my shoulder, squeezing lightly.

And then, with a final glance to everyone, he was sliding his hand off my shoulder and pushing open the door, stepping out into the darkness. Jj let out a long sigh when the door closed shut.

"God damnit," Jj cussed under his breath, "This is not how you do things, he's gonna— he's gonna get himself in trouble,"

"Fuck," Pope paused, rose the blunt to his lips, "The," he inhaled, "Police." A puff of smoke clouded in front of his face.

The car remained silent the whole time after that, only sounds of Jj cussing under his breath a few times, and Kiara tapping her fingers on the steering wheel impatiently.

A few long minutes has passed by.

"Kie!" We heard a loud shout after those few minutes, "Star the car!" It was dangerously urgent, fear in the voice.

That's when I finally turned my head around to see John B tripping on his feet, running towards the car, as the police station's door banged shut aggressively.

He nearly fell to the ground as he hit his hands on the car door he had jumped out of, shouting repeatedly.

"What?" Kie's eyes were wide with fear, "John B!"

Then, I saw two police officers stumble out of the station, their hands on their guns.

"John B, what did you do!" Jj screamed.

While Pope scrambled to open the door, I grabbed the key from the cup holders, wasting no time in shoving it in the ignition. The car started, just as John B threw himself into the seat, and as the officers made it to his side, banging on the windows. My chest was heaving in and out heavily, mind racing from all the yelling going on in the vehicle.

But before I could process it, John B was roughly opening his door, causing the officer to trip and fall, and we were driving away from the station, swerving out into the streets in the darkness.

___

"Someone has to go check up on her."

The leaves on the trees swayed in the wind, creating a peaceful sound over the sirens blaring in the distance. They wavered and swung through through the soft breeze, echoing the waves of the water, the waves that smoothed into the marsh behind us. The sun shimmered down from the spaces between the clouds, momentarily appearing to soon disappear, and cascaded a certain gloominess over everything, matching just about everyone's feelings and, in visibility, everyone's emotions.

We had spent the night in Kiara's car, underneath a random carport shed to hide from the cops.

It was only a matter of time before a body appeared next to me, sitting on the rim of Kie's open trunk. It was Jj.

Since the moment we had appeared after the runway, I hadn't really said anything. Reasoning for that being, words just didn't seem as important. No one really attempted at first, because after hearing about the Sheriff, my silence was understandable. But now they were seeing it as an issue.

Jj let out a huff of air, simply sitting next to me as the wind brushed past us.

I knew that it would be ineffectual if John B sat himself on the trunk instead, because he already knew what was going on in my head— he'd seen the same things as I did. Somehow we didn't even need to talk to one another at all, for we were both thinking the same things. There was no use to converse about it between us.

"We're gonna go to town hall in a few minutes," Jj said after a long while of silence, placing both hands on the spaces beside his legs, leaning.

I looked down at my hands, already knowing. The Pogues were only few feet away, sitting in the car behind me.

"You know, see what's up," he said.

Staring down at my fingers, I listened to Kie and Pope talking in the front seats, their voices quiet.

"You wanna come back in," he suggested kindly, referring to the car, "I'll sit in the trunk again, you can sit with JB," he glanced back into the vehicle, slightly looking over the backseats as we sat in the open trunk. "Yeah?"

I folded my fingers together, hard.

When I didn't reply for a moment, Jj let out another short sigh, and leaned to the side. Our shoulders slightly bumped together as he reached into his back pocket, and then returned to sitting normally, this time with the vape between his two fingers. He pointed it towards me, lowly.

I looked down at it, and then shook my head slowly. He shrugged and brought the vape up to his lips, before exhaling a puff of smoke.

"I watched her die," my voice came out not much higher than a faint whisper. "Jj."

Suddenly everyone went quiet for a quick second. Kie and Pope stopped talking when I spoke, but only for a moment, before hesitantly returning to conversation, so that I wouldn't be put into spotlight. I heard the backseat shuffle a bit, meaning John B had taken notice.

"I know," Jj composed himself as much as he could, trying to wipe the shocked look off his face. "John B told us everything."

"No, I watched her die," I repeated, staring down at the pavement. "And I couldn't do anything about it." My voice cracked.

Jj's face fell, "But that's not your fault, Charlie—"

"And now she's dead," I looked over at him, making eye contact. "And I don't—" I paused, lowering my voice as small tears poked at my eyes. I lowered my voice to a whisper. "I don't know, where Sarah is."

He looked at me, sadly. "No one does." he frowned.

"He shouldn't have gone to the cops last night." I swallowed the air in my throat, looking away. "John B shouldn't have gone in that station."

"What," Jj slightly turned his body towards me, "What do you mean?"

"Ward, he," I shook my head, "He's dangerous,"

"Yeah, we know tha—"

"He told me— he told the cops, everyone, that John B stabbed his arm with that spear," I said, a bit louder than anticipated.

"What?" Kie's attention was pulled to us.

John B sat up in the back seat.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything last night," a small tear trickled down my cheek, "I'm so sorry,"

I didn't have to say anything for Jj to wrap an arm around my shoulders, hugging me tightly for a moment.

"So, Ward's got everyone on this island wrapped around his finger," Pope groaned. "Great."

"What else is new, Pope," John B commented. "That's been known."

"Yeah but now you're roped into it, JB," Kie butted in. "Oh my god," she breathed out stressfully. "Do you know what this means?"

John B then let out a frustrated groan, rubbing both hands over his face.

I sniffled as I pulled away, slowly stepping onto the ground. Jj slid himself into the trunk completely, shutting the door overhead as I slid myself into the backseat. I wiped the tears off my cheeks.

"All right so let's game this out, then," Jj suggested, leaning against one of the walls in the back.

I leant my head into John B's chest, not even having to say a word. He rubbed a hand along the side of my arm.

"And maybe you guys could help, being the smart ones and all..." Jj referred to Kiara and Pope. "Look— who are the cops going to believe." He said, and we all instantly thought the same thing.

Pope and Kie exchanged a glance, before Pope placed his head in his hands.

"The accuser is a big shot developer, y'know, kinda lord of the island, got the governor on speed dial type shit, kind of person," Jj explained, from the trunk. "And the accused, well,"

"Is John B." I sniffed.

"Who is... basically a homeless sixteen year-old boy, at the moment." Jj finished.

"Thanks," John B mumbled.

"Do you think they're looking for me, too," I shifted my eyes up to John B.

He slightly shook his head.

Kiara slid the key into ignition, causing the engine to start up. Soon, we were driving away from the wooden carport-shed, and onto the street.

"Look— man, Yucatan, all right?" Jj perked up after a moment, siting up and leaning his arms over the top rim of the back seats, looking at us, "I'm sayin', that's the only option, what other option do you have!"

"Enough with the Mexico bullshit, Jj," John B sighed. "Sarah's gonna bail us out, she's Charlie's best frien—"

"We don't even know if she's alive," I whispered to John B only, trying to hold the tears back.

"She did witness the whole thing," Kiara added, turning us onto another street.

"And she's gonna snitch on her own brother." Pope looked at us, dumbly.

"We have to get out off the island, bro," Jj persisted. "It's not happenin'."

I stayed quiet.

"The Ferry, that's the only way," Pope sat up straighter.

Kie turned us into town, causing John B and I to lower ourselves in our seats, hiding.

"Before they get the whole damn island on lockdown." Jj cussed.

No one said anything after that, as Kiara parked the car behind a black SUV, the docks and ticket booths in sight.

Suddenly, I got a flashback, from when I had ran on those docks with John B and Sarah, for our trip to Chapel Hill. I felt my stomach drop when I thought about her, and that day we spent. One of the best days of my life. Now I had no clue if she was even alive.

"I'll go," Pope announced, gripping a hand around the door handle. "See if there's any tickets left first."

"Okay." Kie nodded, pulling her lips into a tight line.

It wasn't unusual to see everyone so low and gloomy, considering the circumstances, it simply set an odd feeling into my stomach— along with every other feeling. Usually, someone would be cracking a joke, Pope would get angry, I would laugh, and everyone would smile.

So as I sat with John B's arm around me, I thought of everything— every moment, every smile, every laugh, and every adventure I'd spent with the Pogues, and Sarah. I felt as though my heart couldn't take it anymore.

Two weeks ago, I had been searching for gold with the Pogues.

Two weeks ago, I was having my first ever sleepover with a girl best friend.

Two weeks ago, I had watched one of my parents' films for the first time.

Two weeks ago, I got a boyfriend.

Two weeks ago, we found the gold in an axe murderer's basement.

Two weeks ago, I realized how much I really did love my grandparents.

And now, I was hiding in the backseat of Kiara's vehicle, with John B holding me close to him, as Pope ventured to get tickets for a Ferry ride John would take to escape the island. I bit down on my bottom lip, hard.

"I'm tired of driving." Kie grunted as she unclipped her seatbelt, climbing over into the passenger seat.

"Okay," We heard Pope say, as he walked back to the car, "Okay, all right, no." He rambled.

I slightly tilted my neck up to see him stepping over to the driver's side, holding a paper in his hands.

"Pope, can you, like, act normal," Kie sighed.

"So, um... okay, so," he was trying to stay calm, "Um, the Ferry's closed, and there's this."

He handed the paper to Kiara through the window, and I watched as her eyes went wide, her jaw falling open in shock.

"What is it," I sat up.

"What's this, what's this," John B's face flashed with a worried look as Kie passed me the document.

I felt my heart fall out of my chest immediately, after reading the words 'wanted' in bold letters on top of a picture of John B. "Oh my god," I breathed out, unsteadily.

"Well, John B," Jj was looking at the paper over my shoulder. "This is a good framer of you."

I showed him the piece of parchment, my eyes wide. "This is exactly what I thought was gonna fuckin' happen." I cursed.

John B closed his eyes in a hard blink, realizing what it meant.

"Okay, so," Pope slid himself in front of the wheel, "The whole island's lookin' for John B right now."

"That's a lot of money," Kie gasped.

"Congratulations, John B. You're now famous," Jj commented.

"My grandparents are going to murder me," I rubbed both hands over my forehead.

Kiara's face flashed with an idea, "Guys we gotta get to the HMS, we need small, no running lights—"

"It's at the Chateau, Kie." John B told, keeping his voice calm.

"Your house is probably swarmed with cops," I felt like punching something.

"Yeah— and I wonder if the cops got the entire place staked out, lemme think," Jj rambled sarcastically, "Oh yeah, they definitely have the place locked down."

"Wait— Jj," Pope suddenly turned around, pinning eyes on him. "Does your dad still have that boat— that, that cigarette boat, the Phantom?"

"Maybe." Jj sighed, not liking the idea.

"You could get right up the coast no problem," Pope said, turning back around. He started the car.

"We just need the boat, then." John B said.

"I don't know where the keys are," Jj groaned.

"Why, is, nobody, moving, forward," Pope chanted, looking foolishly at the vehicles in front of us, the vehicles that were parked and unoccupied.

"Jj— how much weed did you give him," Kiara yelled.

"The car's on here, guys," John B tried to speak up, "The car's on the poster,"

"What?" I narrowed my eyebrows.

"Can we move please!" Pope honked the horn repeatedly.

The loud honk caused us attention, and when I looked up out the window, there was a boy pointing to us.

My eyes were widening. "Guys, guys, guys,"

"Come on!" Pope shouted.

Kie slapped his arm. "Don't honk the fuckin' horn,"

"Guys!" I yelled, "There's somebody coming up to the car, there's people coming up to the car!"

"Pope." Kiara realized, talking seriously now. "Drive."

"We've got a snitch," Jj groaned. "Pope— go!"

The young boy shouted loudly, pointing at our vehicle, telling his mom. And it was only a matter of time before there was a knock on the back window, a man staring down at John B through the glass.

"Pope— drive the car!" I screamed.

"Just fuckin' press on the gas!" Jj banged his hands repeatedly on the back of my seat.

And that's exactly what Pope did. He slammed his foot on the pedal, and instantly, we shot forward and rammed right into the back of the black SUV. I nearly fell face-first into the cup holders, Jj's head hit against the back of my headrest, and John B fell forward into Kiara's chair.

There were multiple shouts, Kiara screaming at him to back up, everyone yelling for him to drive. My heart was beating out of my chest as our car swerved out of the parking space, crashing through branches as Pope steered it on the grass. A woman was shouting at us, and I looked behind to see her, an officer, holding her radio up to her lips, speaking into it as we sped away.

Finally, we made it onto a road, but the car was still speeding, and still swerving over the lines. I sat up straight, staring forward with eyes wider than a deer's caught in headlights, at the mailbox we were aiming right for.

"Pope! Pope! Pope!" Kiara screamed, trying to reach for the wheel.

I let out a yelp, "Holy shit!"

We hit the mailbox and the road sign, causing it to fly up over the car.

"Oh— I'm living my best life now!" Pope beamed.

Kie ran a hand through her hair, "What the fuck!"

"You're not okay to drive, man!" Jj shouted from the back, "Dude, you're high as hell! Fuck, we'd be safer if Charlie was driving— stop!"

Suddenly, he pulled the breaks.

"John B, get out." Pope seethed.

My chest was heaving in and out unsteadily, and John B wrapped a hand around my wrist, as he kicked open his door. Jj was giving him instructions, shouting them seriously, about how to escape the next day. He mumbled a series of "yeah's" in response.

And then, we were shutting the car door, and running hand in hand off the street, along the marsh.

✰༄✰

😳

𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 !!