Carson Keller used to think her biggest problem was their rivalry against the Kooks, but that was until buried secrets rose to the surface. Now her biggest problems included a dangerous treasure hunt and a hot-headed teenage boy.
✰ season 1-3 ✰
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THE POGUES WERE LEFT in a state of anxiety and frustration as they sat in court waiting to hear what kind of punishment John B would face for a crime that he did not commit. They had tried so hard to help him run, but it seemed it was only a matter of time.
"John Booker Routledge, pursuant to the North Carolina statute section 14, you are charged with murder in the first degree with aggravated circumstances," the judge stated. "If convicted, the maximum sentence would be the death penalty."
Carson's heart dropped at the words. They had tried so hard to clear John B's name and nothing that they did seemed to work, so the thought of him being convicted and facing the death penalty was terrifying. She couldn't even imagine how John B was feeling.
"This can't be happening," Carson mumbled into her hands that she buried her face into.
"Your Honor, he's 17!" JJ screamed. Carson didn't have it in her to try to stop him so she was glad that Pope and Kiara did instead. "Hey, John B, we're gonna figure it out."
"John B!" Sarah cried out as she tried to run after him. Kiara and Carson rushed forward when one of the officers grabbed her to stop her and pull her back.
"Stop! Don't touch her," Kiara demanded.
"Sarah, hey, let's go," Carson said quietly. She tried to ignore everyone's comments around her as they exited the courthouse but it was impossible considering everyone seemed to be so convinced that John B was the killer.
"Is this a joke? Like, are we in hell or?" Kiara commented.
"I should have never come home," Sarah said.
"They're gonna kill him, guys. I know it," JJ said.
"Don't say that," Carson said, still a bit in denial of the whole situation. "We'll figure a way to get him out of this."
"Like what?" Pope asked. "We've already tried and look where it got us."
"I don't know, okay?" she said in frustration. "I don't know but we'll think of something."
"Sorry for what you and your family have gone through. Thank God the system works," a man said towards Ward. The sight of Ward triggered this sort of rage in Carson that she was trying hard to bury within herself. Her attempt to get him to change his mind and turn Rafe in had been a failure, which hit personally in more than one way. The fact that he was just walking around like he had no part in this and to even gain sympathy from others when John B could face the death penalty, Carson felt her hatred towards him grow.
"Can you please shut up?" Kiara snapped, clearly having decided she couldn't stand to listen to the bullshit either. "Of course you think the system worked because it was made to protect you and people like you."
"Maybe if a Kook was up there, you know, someone like Rafe for example, things would be going differently," Carson said.
"He'll have his day in court. A jury will decide."
