─☼☼☼─

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙇𝙊𝙏𝙏𝙀 𝙎𝙋𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝘼 good portion of an hour indulging Willa by listening to her recount of the current situation with John B. The bubbly blonde believed that she had it all figured out, that she knew exactly why John B had done it and what had unfolded that day on the airstrip.

Widening her eyes in false surprise and gasping in all the right places, Charlotte made it seem that she was none too the wiser on the latest town gossip. 

By the time Willa had finally finished her speil, Charlotte had received about twenty texts from Kiara telling her to meet them at The Wreck. 

When she managed to bid adieu to her friend, Charlotte had met up with the younger kids who had filled her in on the current happenings; they hadn't gotten Sarah out, which led Charlotte to believe someone else must have helped her escape Tannyhill (best guess was Wheezie), they had also informed her that tomorrow afternoon they would be stealing a boat and meeting John B so he and Sarah could get the hell off of this island. 

She had told them all about the manhunt at Kelce's place, and how John B had managed to get away. She let them know that she spoke to him, that he was okay. 

But even with the reassurance that he had made it to temporary safety, hopefully with Sarah, Charlotte could not shake the darkness looming over her. 

The worries plagued her thoughts as the remaining four of them found refuge in the Carrera's restaurant for the night. By early morning, she felt like she had gotten less than a couple hours of sleep. 

"You look like shit." JJ commented as he passed her a fresh cup of coffee. 

Glaring at him, Charlotte accepted the mug and greedily brought it to her lips. "I couldn't sleep." She explained as he settled into the booth across from her. "My mind wouldn't stop."

JJ dipped his head slightly, lifting it only to glance outside where sirens could still be hear blaring. There had been little reprieve, even overnight. "He's pinched for sure." His voice dripped with defeat. 

Pope sat up from where he had been sleeping, rubbing his eyes. "Nah." He argued. "They wouldn't still be patrolling if they had gotten him."

"You know," Kiara started, voice thick with sleep. "We were in that car. They're probably looking for us, too."

Charlotte glanced around at the three of them, for once grateful that she hadn't been with them. They needed at least one person that the cops weren't after...yet. 

Pope all but ignored the fact that the words had come from Kiara, and instead only focused on JJ and Charlotte. "Well, if we're going to be outlaws, we might as well help John B."

"So we find him before they do." Charlotte deduced. "That's the only way we can help right now."

Pope gave a small nod as he took the keys for JJ's bike. "I'm going to go get gas for the boat."

"Hey," Kiara called softly as he made for the door. "You be careful, alright?"

A look of distaste covered Pope's face as he glanced at her for a moment before once again addressing the other two. "Meet me at the dock at three. Don't be late."

The door slammed behind him, a look of hurt soon covering Kiara's face. Silently, she stood and follow after him, her voice carrying into the restaurant as she called after him.

"What did I miss?" Charlotte asked JJ, utterly confused as to what the hostility between the two was about. Pope and Kie had always gotten along, hell Pope got along with everyone. 

JJ shook his head as he glanced out the window. "I apparently missed it too. Lookin' like some trouble in paradise."

Charlotte wasn't blind, she had known that Pope had had a crush on her little sister. I mean, who wouldn't?

By JJ's words and the current situation, Charlotte made the best guess that it had something to do with that. 

"You know, the no Pogue-on-Pogue macking rule makes a lot more sense now." Charlotte muttered as she stood to peer out the window. Kiara was trying to yell something to Pope over the sound of his incessant revving of the engine. "This is so not what we need right now."

"Couldn't agree with you more, Charley." JJ hummed from next to her. "Drama, drama, drama."

The two of them watched as Pope sped off, leaving Kiara in a huff as she turned back toward the restaurant. 

But as the sound of the bike slowly faded, the sound of something overhead grew louder. 

Sharing a quick look, JJ and Charlotte stepped onto the porch, craning their necks to look up at the hazy sky. 

Just as they glanced up, a helicopter whirled over head, causing each of them to falter. 

Charlotte felt as if he heart was clawing up her throat. That could not be a good sign. 

Looking over at the two girls, JJ's face had paled. "Well, that's not good."

"Come on." Charlotte beckoned, grabbing onto each of them before pulling them back into the shelter of The Wreck. "We better hurry."

─☼☼☼─

"He said what?" Charlotte gaped as Kiara handed her another box of food. So, as it turns out, Charlotte was right about her assumption as to the current situation with her sister and Pope. It had everything to do with feelings. 

"He told me he loved me." Kiara repeated, shaking her head as she piled as much as possible into the remaining boxes. "I mean he was high out of his mind, but still."

JJ returned from his delivery trip out to the car. "You sure he wasn't just being weird Pope."

Charlotte shot him a look. "That's not really something that needs an interpretation."

Kiara sighed, taking a break from her love life drama. "Is that going to be enough food for them?"

"I mean, for a couple of weeks, and that's all they need." JJ confirmed. 

"I think I really hurt his feelings." Kiara admitted, watching as Charlotte took as many boxes as she could manage. "Char, you're going to drop that."

Charlotte grunted as she shook her head. "Nah. I'm good."

"Here." JJ muttered, taking one of the boxes off of her load before addressing Kiara's earlier statement. "Don't beat yourself up too much. He's completely changed his feels. The past 24 hours have been like Jekyll and Hyde."

"I hate to admit it, but I miss the old Pope." Kiara revealed as the three of them made their way outside. "The new Pope is kind of an ass."

Quirking her brows, Charlotte unlocked the car. "You guys are the ones who always made fun of him for the way he was."

Kiara scoffed at her sister. "Thanks, Charlotte. Very helpful contribution from you."

Placing the box of food in the backseat, Charlotte raised her hands in surrender. "I'm just─"

She cut herself off as her eyes caught on the figure making their way toward the trio.

"Shit." She muttered under her breath, quickly taking the food from JJ before shoving it into the back. 

"Where the hell have you two been?" Anna Carrera demanded, marching over to her daughters like a woman on a mission. 

Charlotte completely gapped the fact that her parents had returned from their conference the day before. All of them had turned off their phones after they arrived at The Wreck last night, hoping to avoid being found. She could only imagine how many times their parents had tried to contact her and Kie after coming home to an empty house. 

Anna took in the startled expressions of both of her daughters. "Neither of you can answer your damn phones?"

"They died." Charlotte lied, guilt already working its way through her body. Her parents were supposed to be able to trust her, and she wasn't really making that easy. 

Kiara tried to find the right excuse. "We're fine." She assured, her voice conveying her nerves. "We slept here."

A humourless laugh fell from their mother's lips. "Well, we were up half the night, scared to death, lookin' for you two. Were you even gonna tell us? A simple note or text would have sufficed. Imagine our worry when we get back to find both of our daughters missing."

"Mom, we're sorry." Charlotte sighed. "But we're fine, alright?"

"Charlotte, you're supposed to be an adult. Parading your seventeen year-old sister around doing hell knows what is not actin' like one at all. I trust you to keep me in the loop when the two of you decide to run off."

Charlotte couldn't really be offended over what her mother was saying─she was right. She was nineteen years old, and it should be up to her to make the right decisions and corral her little sister to do the same. 

"Mom, lay off." Kie ordered, defensive for her older sister. "I can make my own decisions."

Anna placed her hands on her hips, trying to look into the backseat where they had stashed the food. "Okay. What the hell are the three of you up to?"

JJ look reluctant as he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Miss. Anna, but we've gotta go."

Charlotte gave her mom a guilty expression. "Sorry, mom. We'll explain later."

Stepping in front of her path, Anna shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. Absolutely not. Have you heard what's going on out there?"

"Mom," Kie begged. "We have to go."

Anna tried to prevent Charlotte from getting into the driver's seat. "Have you seen the storm comin' in? This is not safe for you to be going out in."

Stomach clenching in guilt, Charlotte pulled herself behind the wheel. "I'm sorry, mom. But we have to do this. I'll take care of Kie, alright?"

"Charlotte, don't you dare do this." Anna snapped, her voice rising in urgency. 

"We're sorry." Kiara repeated from the passenger seat. "We have to."

Anna positioned herself in front of the door, preventing Charlotte from closing it. "These cops are armed. You two are going to get yourselves killed!"

Charlotte's heart was breaking, knowing the fear their mother must have been feeling. But they couldn't abandon John B...not now. 

"Mom, John B needs us!" Kiara argued as Charlotte started the engine. "We'll be careful."

Quickly, she reached across her sister and slammed the door, knocking Anna out of the way. "I'm sorry!"

Closing her eyes for a moment, Charlotte gripped onto the steering wheel, listening as her mother pleaded for them to open the door. "Charlotte, please! This is not safe."

"Charls, go." JJ said softly from the back, his own face tight in regret. None of them wanted to do this to Anna, but they had no choice. 

"I'm sorry." Charlotte mouthed to her mother one final time before pressing down on the gas, sending the car rushing out of the parking lot. 

She tried to stop herself from doing so, but slowly, she glanced at the rearview mirror, watching as the defeated stature of her mother faded from their view. 

"Fuck." Charlotte whispered, gripping even tighter onto the wheel. "That felt like shit."

"She'll get over it." Kiara assured, but her own face was full of guilt and sadness. "We have to do this."

"Doesn't make me feel any less shitty." Charlotte admitted as she pulled onto the road that led to JJ's. "She's going to be worry out of her fucking mind."

Kiara looked down at her hands for a moment. "We're old enough to handle ourself, Charley. She needs to know that."

Charlotte's eyes flickered toward the back seat where JJ had his attention focused out the window. Here Charlotte was freaking out because her mother actually cared enough to be worried about her. Meanwhile, JJ was probably scared out of his mind over the fact that they were headed back to his house. 

Getting the boat key from Luke Maybank was arguably one of the most dangerous aspects of their plan. After what he did to JJ the other day...Charlotte didn't even want to think of the worst case scenario. 

Silence fell across the car as they pulled down JJ's driveway, the anxiety reverberating off of each of them. If they failed with this part of the plan, it all fell apart. 

"Home sweet home." JJ muttered as Charlotte put the car in park. His voice was full of sarcasm, and hidden within that, fear.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Kie wondered, noting the look on JJ's face. "Cause I can." Her offer wasn't as authentic as it could of been, and Charlotte knew her well enough to pick up on that. Kiara was scared.

"Nah." JJ whispered. "This'll only take a minute."

Reaching over, Charlotte undid her seatbelt. "I'm coming with you." Her words did not come out as an offer, but rather a definitive statement. 

JJ instantly shook his head. "No, Charlotte. I don't want either of you stepping foot in this hell hole."

"Too bad." Charlotte argued, throwing open her door. "You're not facing him alone."

While it was evident he wanted to argue more, JJ knew better than to try to spark one with Charlotte. She was as stubborn as the day was long when it came to the people she cared about. 

"Fine." He agreed, his face set in seriousness. "But stay by me at all time, I'm serious. And if he tries anything...you let me handle it, okay?"

Nodding, Charlotte gave him a reassuring smile. "Got it."

"Be careful!" Kie called as the pair made their way toward the house. 

In all the years that Charlotte had known JJ Maybank, she had only been to his house a handful of times. He tried to protect his friends from that side of him, and it wasn't hard to tell why. 

As the entered through the back door, Charlotte remained close to JJ like he had told her. She followed behind him, her eyes scanning the house as they made their way through the kitchen. 

Dishes piled high in the sink, empty food containers scattered the counter...Luke must have been on another bender. 

JJ followed Charlotte's gaze, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I know─"

"Don't." Charlotte interrupted, giving a firm shake of her head. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

A shaky sigh fell from his lips as he nodded, giving her a forced smile before turning back toward the main part of the house. "Dad?"

His calls went unanswered, and as the two of them entered the living room, it was clear why. 

JJ's fathered was passed out on the sofa, gurgled snores falling from his lips as he laid surrounded by empty beer cans and pill bottles.

Charlotte hovered by the entrance to the living room as JJ stepped toward his father, a disgusted sigh falling from his lips. "Dad, I need the keys to the Phantom." His voice was loud enough, yet Luke did not stir. 

"Dad?" JJ repeated, taking a step closer. "Did you hear me?"

Silence. 

With a shaky hand, JJ reached out and picked up the nearest pill bottle, analyzing its label. He shook his head, pursing his lips as he set the bottle back down. 

Silently, Charlotte watched him, her eyes studying his features. With each passing second, her heart broke more and more for the younger boy. 

His eyes flickered toward hers for a moment, before they focused back on his father. He faltered briefly, before reaching forward and gently picking up the chain that hung from Luke's neck.

The keys.

JJ turned to look at Charlotte, his expression a blend of hope and fear. They had located what they needed, but it would not be easy to free them without waking his father. 

He released the key, nodding toward the kitchen table. "Pass me that pencil." He whispered to Charlotte. 

She did as he instructed, handing him the pencil and a pair of tweezers that she found laying around. "Be careful." She pleaded, already knowing that he was well aware that he had to be. 

Quietly, JJ knelt next to his father, repositioning the pencil and tweezers before slowly reaching out. 

Charlotte felt as if her heart was in her throat as she watched him reach out and then─

Fuck.

Luke's eyes opened slowly, instantly focusing on his son. "I didn't expect to see you. You're back."

JJ dropped his hands, pushing himself to his feet as Luke struggled to sit up. "Yeah, no, I just─I was just checkin' in." JJ stumbled over his words, his eyes darting to Charlotte. Silently, he nodded toward the door, trying to tell her to get the hell out of there. 

But it was too late. Luke finally sat up, bringing a bottle to his lips as his eyes focused on Charlotte. "This your girlfriend?"

Clenching her jaw, Charlotte regarded the older man, her hate for him burning a hole in her heart. 

"No." JJ shook his head, trying to keep his voice calm. "This is Charlotte...you know her."

Luke smiled softly. "Right." He recalled. "You were datin' that Cameron boy."

Charlotte remained silent but kept her gaze locked on JJ's father, waiting for him to try something. 

He didn't seem bothered by her stares. In fact, it was as if he had nothing to be ashamed of at all. "School's already out?" He wondered, clearly lacking any perception of the fact that it was still summer break. 

JJ's face fell. "What?"

Luke let out a small laugh. "Did you ditch? It's all right. You can tell me."

A small smile cracked across JJ's face. "Yeah." He lied, knowing that was the best option. "I hit the break, you know."

Luke looked genuinely happy as he dropped his head in laughter. "I hated school, too. My boy!" he grinned, looking over at Charlotte. "Like father, like son, hey?"

Still not wavering, Charlotte remained silent. 

Still not seeming bothered by her silence, Luke shakily pulled himself to his feet. "Hey, listen." He slurred, grabbing onto JJ. "I know I'm a bit hard on you sometimes. But, I─I see your mother in you, and it gets me a little tweaked, you know?"

JJ forced a laugh, but it was hesitant, fearful. 

"You're a good boy." Luke continued, giving JJ's shoulders a light shake. "And I love you, son."

"Come here." He slurred, pulling JJ toward him for an embrace. "I love you, son. I love you."

Charlotte watched as JJ slowly wrapped his arms around his father, his face crumbling in sadness. 

Feeling that he was safe in the moment, Charlotte stepped into the kitchen to give him some privacy. She didn't need to see all of that.

Less than a minute had passed by the time JJ reappeared in the kitchen, his eyes rimmed with red. 

"You okay?" Charlotte asked softly, her heat hurting for him. 

Silently, he held up the keys.

"No." She argued, shaking her head. "I didn't ask if you got the keys, I asked if you were okay."

JJ met her gaze, his lip quivering as he gave a small shrug. "I'm fine."

Letting out a sad sigh, Charlotte pulled him into a hug. He was silent as he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding onto her as tightly as possible as sobs wracked his body. 

For all the shit that he went through, JJ was truly one of the best people she knew. It broke her heart knowing the kind of internal pain he was forced to deal with. 

"We should get going." He finally said, releasing Charlotte from his grasp. "Pope will kill us if we're late."

Nodding, Charlotte pulled open the door. "Okay." She agreed with a sigh. "Let's go."

─☼☼☼─

-an-

charlotte and jj are my favourite besties.