Beautiful summer

twenty

"you're afraid to let yourself be happy because you know that it never lasts" ~j.b.

The news of JJ being arrested for sinking Toppers boat caused Skylar to instantly pull herself up from the hospital bed, wincing slightly at the pain but pushing through it throwing her own clothes from yesterday onto herself.

"Ma'am you aren't authorised to leave" one of the nurses put their hands out in front of them trying to put Skylar back to bed rest but of course the Conley girl refused to listen. "Look I'll leave you a $50 tip if you just let me out of this room" she bargained with the woman stood in front of her who's face instantly fell having been put in a compromising position.

"I'm sorry ma'am I'll get in a lot of trouble if I let you leave" she apologised taking a step towards the girl which was an instant mistake. Skylar squeezed her eyes shut for a second before turning round pushing the nurse onto the bed tying one of her hands to the side of the bed with her cover.

"I'll put in a good word for you" she called as she ran out the room down the hospital almost crashing into doctors, nurses and members of the public who were around taken slightly aback at the sight of the teenage girl.

********

"You're like a little rock in my shoe. I shake my foot, I think I've gotten it out, then dang, there it is again." Peterkin sighed walking into the room with JJ's files in her hands throwing them down on the desk in front of her. "Maybe watch where you're steppin'." JJ responded his arms rested behind his head as he rocked back and forth on his chair.

"That little rock on the back of my heel makes me want to crush it."

"Unlawful discharge of a firearm. Trespass on protected habitat. Felony destruction of property. All in the last two weeks. You're on a roll, chief." Peterkin listed the crimes the boy had managed to commit only a few weeks in to the summer.

"If you think I'm gonna rat anybody out, you got the wrong idea." JJ scoffed quickly getting to the point only having one idea of cops and never changing it. "I know your little teen brain doesn't like to think ahead, but I want you to come with me to uncharted territory. The future. How you gonna feel six months from now, sittin' in juvenile prison in Wadesboro?" She questioned knowing fine well if JJ didn't sort his act out that's where he'd end up.

She knew he was a good person deep down and only ever thought he was doing the right thing but sometimes the right thing got him in worlds of trouble.

"You know these two?" She placed two images of the men who were after John b out in front of the Maybank boy his face trying to remain the same refusing to give anything away just yet. "My question was, do you know these two?" She repeated walking round to his side pushing them closer towards him.

"They...they broke into John B's house, and... then chased us through the marsh. Other than that, I have no idea." JJ admitted chewing on his lip nervously as he watched Peterkin remove the pictures replacing them with different ones, "Here's a more recent photo. Somebody gaffed them, then used them for chum. Whatcha think, bull shark?"

JJs face turned up in disgust as he tried to avoid his eyes from looking at the images but somehow they kept getting drawn to them. "Here's the bad news, chief. Whoever killed these two men is still out there, and I got reason to believe their next target is a friend of yours...John B."

"You kids don't think you're the only ones after the Royal Merchant now, do you?" JJ snapped his head up to look at the woman sat in front of him in shock, "and, yeah. I know about that, too."

"Okay, Sheriff Peterkin, I can promise you he's not on it anymore." The Maybank boy tried to assure her having not really seen or spoken to the Routledge boy recently he just had to hope that was true. "So you say. I'm just tryin' to keep him safe. I want you to tell your friend John B to come in and talk to me, and let's see if we can keep you out of Wadesboro." She opened the door to the interview storming out, the door slamming behind her.

************

Skylar burst into the Kildcare jail centre rushing over to the front desk to see Plum just putting some forms away. "Can I help you" she asked looking up at the young Conley girl who looked very much out of breath and tired. "JJ Maybank. Is he here" she panted taking a bottle of water from the desk and chugging it down.

The name of the Maybank boy being mentioned startled Peterkin. She walked up to the desk tapping the girl on the shoulder, shocked to see it was Skylar Conley asking for him. Usually it was Kiara Carrera or someone reporting him for shoplifting.

"Sheriff Peterkin" Skylar let out a sigh of relief hoping that the sight of the woman meant JJ wouldn't have been released into the care of his father. "Miss Conley, JJ was released into the care of Luke Maybank 10 minutes ago" she smiled softly placing a hand on her shoulder to guide her out of the jail centre.

"You let him go with him. Have you seen what the man does to him. What sort of station is this if you're letting kids go off into the care of abusers" she started to shout down alerting other officers around while Peterkin tried to get her outside so they could have a bit of a calmer conversation.

"Actually Sheriff if you don't mind I have a few questions to ask Miss Conley about the use of a firearm at last nights movie" Shoupe sounded from behind the woman causing her to take her hands off the girl moving to the side for Shoupe.

"Firearm, what" she laughed unsure what to think. Was it JJ's gun he was talking about? Shoupe looked down at the floor almost as if he was afraid to tell her, "Miss Conley, your father Andrew Conley was accused of holding and threatening a firearm to a group of minors last night at 10pm. Do you have any recollection of this"

Skylar's face fell in horror. She'd been knocked out from crashing into a tree and had no idea what was going on. "Do you know where we might find Andrew" he questioned trying to get any information from the girl who was frozen in horror.

"I have to go. Midsummers. JJ. Sarah. Beckett" she stuttered out taking a step back before sprinting off from the station.

"We need cops targeting Midsummers tonight, keep an eye out for Andrew Conley, do not approach him without protection as he may be armed" Shoupe shouted round putting a picture up of the man onto the wall for everyone to see.