BABYDOLL // JJ Outer Banks

twenty-three

"don't let it get in your head. three of them and two of us," jj said as he and hannah threw a lemon back in forth in heyward's shop.

"that's some typical kook shit, right there," hannah stated.

kie nodded in agreement. "hell yeah."

"what was your thought process, using your head?"

pope shrugged. "i don't know, man. i just kind of acted off instinct. i was a cornered animal."

"hey, pope!" heyward called. "someone here to see you," he jutted his thumb towards officer shoupe.

pope's eyes widened. "evening, officer."

"i have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property. hands where i can see them."

"woah, shoupe, what'd he do?" heyward couldn't make sense of the notion that his son was a criminal.

"take a look at the warrant."

"i'm sorry, you're arresting him?" kie gaped.

"you're just arresting my boy?" heyward asked. "shoupe, are you listening?"

"what kind of bullshi-"

shoupe ignored the group's protests. "anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law. you have the right to an attourney."

"how much did they pay you, man?" jj shouted as officer shoupe pushed pope towards the cop car.

"it wasn't him," hannah screamed.

jj felt his heart drop. he knew what she was doing. she was going to take the fall for pope.

"it was-"

"it was me!" jj shouted. "he 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," jj sauntered up to stand beside hannah and stare at pope. "i can't let you take the blame for something i did. you've got too much to lose."

hannah's head whipped around to face the boy. "jj," she hissed, "what are you doing?"

"i'm telling the truth," jj chuckled humorlessly, "for once in my goddamn life, i'm gonna tell the truth."

hannah tried to speak, but her mouth and mind refused to cooperate. tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at the blonde.

"i took his old man's boat, too."

"what the hell?" heyward questioned angrily.

"jj, come on," pope tried to stop him, but jj wasn't having it.

"just shut up, pope!" he yelled. "just shut up."

"jj," hannah went to grab the boy's arm, but kie held her back. "let me go! jj!" hannah screamed, tears streaming down her face. "jj, no!"

"he's a good kid," jj sent hannah a sad smile, "you know where i'm from."

shoupe turned to pope. "that's the whole truth?"

"whole truth, swear to god," jj replied.

"i know what you think, damn it. i'm asking pope."

hannah sent pope a pleading look, but he refused to meet her eyes. "yeah," pope said, "that about covers it."

just as jj was loaded into the car, hannah managed to wriggle out of kie's arms. "jj!" hannah banged her fists against the window, pressing her forehead to the cool surface as she cried. looking up, hannah barely managed to make out jj resting the palm of his hand against the glass and mouthing something she couldn't quite make out as the truck drove away.