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''I just kind of acted off instinct, all right? I was a cornered animal. They kept pushing, and it just... happened.''

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POPE SLUMPED AGAINST a shelf, holding a bag of ice to his bruised knuckles. I sat beside him, inspecting the silly pink Peppa Pig band-aid he'd insisted on giving me for the small scrape on my hand. Normally, I'd tear it off right away, but seeing the look of genuine concern in Pope's eyes had made me decide to wear it proudly, even if it was ridiculous.

''Don't let it get in your head, brother,'' JJ spoke up. ''Three of them and two of us. That's some typical Kook shit right there.''

Kiara mumbled her agreement from where she leaned against the counter, arms folded tightly. ''Hell, yeah,'' The Kooks never fought fair; they always came out on top, no matter what.

JJ turned back to Pope. ''What was your thought process, using your head like that?'' he questioned, eyebrow raised. ''You just... headbutt him?''

Pope shook his head, grimacing slightly as he adjusted the ice pack. ''I don't know, man,'' he admitted, sighing. ''I just kind of acted off instinct, all right? I was a cornered animal. They kept pushing, and it just... happened.''

I nudged Pope gently. ''Cornered animal or not, you took Topper by surprise. That's something,'' I remarked with a small grin, hoping to lift his spirits even a little.

Before anyone could respond, Heyward called out from behind the counter. ''Hey, Pope, someone here to see you.''

We all turned towards the door, and my heart sank when I spotted an officer stepping into the store.

The officer stepped forward, his gaze landing squarely on Pope. ''I have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property,'' he announced. Pope's eyes widened, and he glanced at JJ in shock.

JJ gave Pope a pointed look, mouthing silently: ''Deny, deny, deny.''

The officer reached for Pope, holding out his handcuffs. ''Hands where I can see 'em.''

Heyward moved forward. ''Whoa, Shoupe,'' he interjected, eyeing the officer with disbelief. ''What'd he do? This is my son you're talking about.''

Shoupe ignored him, pulling a folded paper from his pocket and holding it out for Heyward to see. ''Take a look at the warrant,'' he replied. He clicked the cuffs around Pope's wrists with a harsh finality that made my stomach twist.

Heyward's face fell. ''You're just gonna arrest my boy?'' he protested.

Shoupe kept his focus on Pope, ''Everything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney...''

My heart pounded. The unfairness of it all—it was always the Pogues who ended up paying for the Kooks' mess. I stepped forward, trying to keep my voice steady. ''Officer, this isn't right,'' I managed, looking Shoupe in the eye. ''Pope didn't do anything that wasn't provoked. This is all because of the Kooks—Rafe, Topper. They're the ones who started it.''

''How much did they pay you, man?'' JJ shouted after Shoupe. The officer barely flinched, ignoring me and JJ as he focused on securing Pope, looking through us like we were invisible. I watched JJ step forward, his fists clenched.

''It wasn't him!'' he yelled. I reached for his arm, trying to hold him back.

''JJ, don't,'' I murmured, gripping his shoulder tightly, trying to anchor him down. But I knew better than anyone that once JJ got an idea in his head, there was no stopping him.

JJ took a shaky breath and looked straight at Shoupe. ''It was me,'' he declared, pointing at himself. ''He and Mavis tried to talk me out of it, but I was mad because he'd just been beaten up. I was so sick of those assholes from Figure Eight that I lost my shit.'' He moved forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Pope.

''JJ, what are you doing?'' Pope asked.

''I'm telling the truth,'' JJ replied. ''For once in my goddamn life, I'm gonna tell the truth. I took his old man's boat, too.'' 

Behind him, Heyward's face registered pure shock and confusion. ''What the hell?'' he muttered.

Pope tried to interrupt. ''JJ, come on—''

JJ cut him off. ''Just shut up, Pope! Just shut up,'' he growled, refusing to let anyone interfere with his plan. His gaze met Shoupe's.

''He's a good kid,'' JJ insisted, his voice softer now. ''You know where I'm from.''

Shoupe hesitated, glancing at JJ with an unreadable expression. ''Yeah,'' he replied slowly, giving a faint nod.

''This was all me,'' JJ continued.

Shoupe's gaze flickered over to Pope. ''That's the whole truth?'' he questioned.

JJ didn't flinch. ''Whole truth, swear to God,'' he declared.

Shoupe's eyes narrowed as he turned to Pope. ''I know what you think,'' he muttered, ''but damn it, I'm asking Pope here.''

Pope swallowed hard, casting one last, desperate look at JJ. He nodded slowly. ''Yeah,'' he said. ''That about covers it.''

Without another word, Shoupe took the handcuffs off Pope and clamped them onto JJ's wrists. My heart sank as I watched them lock around his wrists.

Heyward stepped forward. ''Have some respect, officer!'' he shouted, his eyes blazing with anger as Shoupe pushed JJ into the back of the police car.

I watched helplessly as the car doors slammed shut. The officer climbed into the car, barely glancing back as he started the engine and drove away, taking JJ with him. The taillights faded into the distance, leaving us standing there.

Pope reached out, placing a steady hand on my shoulder. All I could do was nod weakly, I wanted to say but couldn't find the words for.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

THE DRIVE OVER to John B's place was tense; my fingers gripped the steering wheel, and my mind raced through every word JJ had managed to say over the text. I was relieved he was out and at John B's place, but also worried about what had happened. When I finally pulled up to the chateau, I spotted JJ and John B perched on the rocks. JJ looked rough and I noticed new bruises and cuts lined his face.

I joined them, sitting close, offering silent support as John B prodded for details of what happened while he was gone. At first, JJ was tight-lipped, but eventually, he relented.

''First, I almost get strangled to death by Kooks, and now I'm on the hook for 30 grand,'' he grumbled, flicking a small rock toward the ground with a sigh. ''We should just dip.''

John B tilted his head. ''Okay, where do you want to go? Huh?''

''Yucatan,'' JJ replied.

John B chuckled, shaking his head. ''Yucatan?''

''No, I'm dead serious right now. Surf all day, and then we can just live off lobsters we catch with our bare hands.'' He raised his chin, his gaze drifting toward the ocean like he was already picturing himself out there.

John B leaned forward. ''You just wanna leave 'cause you got your ass beat?''

JJ's face dropped. ''You didn't see the photos.''

John B wasn't letting up. ''Think about it,'' he urged, jumping off the rock and pacing a few steps. ''They're willing to kill for the gold, JJ. It's gotta be out there.''

JJ's face twisted as he threw his cap off in frustration. ''Have you lost your mind?'' he yelled. ''One hundred years, man! One hundred years, people have been trying to find this Royal Merchant, and no one's succeeded. And you think you're gonna be the one to actually find it? When will you get it in your thick skull?''

John B, too stubborn to back down, squared up to him. JJ's words seemed to hit a nerve, especially as he raised his voice again, spitting out, ''If you keep going down this road, you're gonna end up just like your dad!''

It was a low blow, and I could see it land hard on John B. My stomach twisted as the tension spiked. I stood, ready to intervene, but I held back, knowing JJ's frustration was real, and John B needed to confront his own obsession head-on. I caught JJ's eye, silently pleading for him to ease up, but he looked away.

''I can't give up, JJ!'' John B shouted back, shoving JJ hard enough to make him stagger. ''I can't!'' His voice cracked and in that moment, I knew nothing anyone said would stop him.

He spun on his heel and stalked back toward the chateau. I took a deep breath and followed after him, leaving JJ to simmer in his frustration.

John B ran a hand through his hair, his face still tight with emotion. He slumped down onto the couch, eyes staring blankly ahead. I sat beside him, taking his hand gently. ''Do you think I'm crazy, Mave?'' he asked, his voice softer.

I squeezed his hand. ''I think you're determined,'' I replied, ''and I believe in you. I've got your back, always. JJ was harsh, but he's worried about you, John B.'' I looked into his eyes. ''But I also know that you're not your dad, okay? You're different. You can handle this.''

A faint smile tugged at his lips, and he wrapped me in a hug. ''Thanks, Mave,'' he whispered, holding on tightly, as if my support was a lifeline. The hug was brief but I hoped it was enough to remind him he wasn't alone in this.

When we walked back outside, JJ was still sitting on the rocks, staring out over the water with his back tense, arms wrapped around his knees. He glanced up as we approached, his face unreadable.

''Hey,'' John B started, his tone softer now, less defensive. ''Look, I know you're just trying to help.''

JJ shrugged, his eyes darting between us. ''Just don't want you to get hurt, man. Either of you,'' he said, glancing at me. ''We're all we've got, right?''

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