Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
꧁ － － － － － － ✧ － － － － － － ꧂
𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐲 — 𝑤𝑎𝑟 𝑖𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟
JOHN B WAS brought into the courtroom wearing an orange jumpsuit. The room was packed full of people eager to see John B be convicted, Ward and Rose Cameron among them. It took everything in Leilani to not pound Ward's face in. If Bryce and Caitlin weren't there, she knew she would've. JJ noticed how tense Leilani was, and he repeatedly rubbed her hand, hoping to calm her down. John B and his public defender stood up as the judge summoned them.
"John Booker Routledge, pursuant to the North Carolina statute section 14, you are charged with murder in the first degree with aggravated circumstances. If convicted, the maximum sentence would be the death penalty." the judge struck her gavel, and the courtroom buzzed with noise.
Leilani gasped at hearing the judge's words. The death penalty for a murder he didn't commit. JJ stood up. "Your honor, he's 17. He's 17! Are you kidding me?" he said loudly, Pope stepping in front of Leilani to get to the blonde.
"Stop. You're good." Pope said delicately, Leilani and the girls standing up.
"JB, we're going to figure it out." Leilani promised John B as he was led away by the bailiff.
Sarah was crying, trying to get to John B while Kie was with her, bringing her back over to the friend group. With heavy hearts, the Pogues left the courtroom with everybody else, Leilani walking with Bryce and Caitlin. Murmurs of justice, and that finally John B was caught flew through the air from the Kooks who went to watch the case. Leilani was only growing angrier by the second. "Is this a joke? Like, are we in hell, or...?" Kie said, walking down the steps of the courthouse.
"I should have never come home." Sarah said with red eyes.
"They're gonna kill him, guys. I know it." JJ said, Leilani hitting his chest so he didn't freak out Caitlin and Bryce.
And then Ward and Rose walked by, talking with a Kook. "So sorry for what you and your family have gone through. Thank God the system worked."
Leilani snapped. She stepped away from JJ, her siblings and her friends. "Sir, respectfully, shut your fucking mouth. Of course you Kooks think the goddamn system works, because it was made to protect you and everybody like you." Leilani wasn't one to bring up Kooks vs. Pogues very often, but it applied to today's situation.
"He'll have his day in court. A jury will decide." the man said, and Kie joined her best friend.
"He shouldn't even be in court!" Kiara pointed at Ward next. "Your should, 'cause you're a murderer. You have a lot of nerve showing up to court." Ward turned around with a sigh.
