THE PRINCE'S QUEEN | J.MAYBANK

[24]

I hadn't heard of the Pogues' progress of freeing John B's name since yesterday, but I considered no news good news. And it wasn't as if I was the first person they would tell of their successes. I was out shopping with Topper as a way to distract me from not only worrying about the Pogues and Sarah but also to forget Rafe and Ward for just a second and to discuss my mother and her unreasonable expectations for me. 

"I never asked why you ran out of class yesterday," he asked, and I looked away from examining the mannequins showing off a boutique's best options. I had kept debating if I should tell him that Sarah and John B were alive. But I didn't know where they were or if they were ever coming back, and I didn't want to bring Topper the pain of hope I was gaining.

"I got a text from Sierra," I answered shortly, trying to push the conversation aside as we turned to a different street.

"What'd it say?"

I opened my mouth to speak when we heard a scream come from down the street. "I don't have time! Guys!" The moment I realized that it was Kiara yelling so desperately, my interest skyrocketed.

She sounded far away yet close enough to hear her. "Shit! Oh no!" She shouted, and with Topper trying to pull me along to try and get help instead of finding her, I ran out of his grasp and down the street.

"Kiara!" I announced.

"Eleanor!" Kie said, smacking her hand against the drain in the middle of the street. "Elle, help me! Help, please!"

"What the fuck are you doing in there?" I asked, kneeling down and noticing the drain to be filling rapidly with water.

"Just help me! Try lifting it!" I grabbed the drain the tightest I could and pulled with every bit of strength I could muster. 

"Top! Top come help!" I screamed to Topper, who I noticed was still standing there in shock. But once his name was called, he ran over and started yanking at the drain as well.

"Kiara!" Pope yelled, and we looked up from pulling at the thick metal to see Pope and JJ sprinting up the street. For a moment, they looked confused, but they couldn't afford questions.

"Please! Pope! Guys!" Kiara begged as the two made it over to us.

"Pull it! Hurry!" I ordered, and they grabbed at the only available spaces and tugged at the drain. The water was getting to her chin by now, and everyone above was grunting and trying to calm Kiara down.

"Pope! Pope! Please!" The water then overflowed, and my grip almost broke until all the pressure was gone and the drain finally lifted up. Kiara came sprouting out, gasping for air as she coughed and sputtered. The two boys fell on the ground while Topper and I stood, suddenly becoming awkward.

"Kie, you good?" JJ asked after noticing how Pope's affectionate way of asking of her wellbeing didn't do very well.

"Never better," Kiara joked, and JJ chuckled. She then reached into her shorts and said, "this wasn't what we were looking for, right?" She pulled out a gun, and the three had broad smiles on their faces, all laughing.

I looked over to Topper, who seemed quite frightened at the sight of a gun, then back at the Pogues who were all obsessing over the pistol. "We're gonna get this son of a bitch, man," JJ exclaimed, and Topper tensed from beside me.

"Leave," I whispered to Topper, who looked down at me.

"No, I'm not leaving you with people who have a gun," he argued, just as quiet.

"I said leave," my voice was more of a hiss now, and Topper glanced between the Pogues and me once more before slowly walking away back to where we parked his car. That's when their attention finally fell onto me.