WHEN KIE came back with her car it was dark and some how I'd drifted off to sleep. It must've been exhaustion from all the crying I had done because I didn't even remember dropping off until I woke up to JJ carrying me over to the car. We got into the back seat and I was sandwiched between him and John B as Pope got into the passenger seat.

As Kie drove it was silent between us, I didn't know where we were going but she seemed to know where she was heading. I had my head nestled into JJ's neck, his arm around my waist protectively when he tensed, "John B, what are we doing at the police station?"

I pulled my head out of JJ's neck and looked up to see the police building as Kie pulled to a stop, "Somebody's gotta tell them what happened." John B replied, turning his head to look at me.

Silently I nodded.

From the front seat Pope started coughing wildly and I saw the joint he was smoking on half gone.

"Ooo." JJ sympathised, "Easy there, chief."

I pressed my lips together. Pope had resorted to smoking weed, he was supposed to be the best of us and even now he was crumbling. It didn't give me much hope for the rest of us if he was breaking under it all.

He stopped coughing and JJ looked passed me to John B, "All right. I'm just gonna be real with you right now." He paused, "You might end up in the lion's den but you don't go there on purpose. It's fundamental, just like my old man always told me you should never ever trust cops. No matter what the circumstance is—"

"—Your old man's an abusive liar." Kie interrupted.

"Yep." I nodded while sighing.

"I agree with JJ." Pope nodded, "Fuck the police."

"You goin' to the dark side now?" Kie asked.

"When's the last time the police ever helped us?" Pope fired.

"Peterkin looked out for me, all right?" John B cut in, "Tried to, at least."

I nodded in agreement with John B, "Hell she saved my life."

"They need to know." John B replied, reaching for the door handle.

"Hey, you want me to come?" I asked my friend.

John B put his hand on my knee, "You stay here, I got this all right?"

"Okay." I nodded and John B climbed out, closing the door behind him.

He left us in silence, the only sound being Pope smoking the joint JJ had rolled for him. Had this been any other day in a normal situation I'd of asked Pope for a hit or even smoked one to myself but I couldn't even think about that right now.

I just laid into JJ's side as he traced his fingers across my arm gently, enjoying the silence while we had it.

It couldn't of been more than two minutes after John B left did I hear his panicked voice yelling out through the open windows, "Kie! Start the car!"

I sat up immediately, looking around for him, "What?" Kie asked, "John B?"

"Start the car Kie!" He yelled, climbing in and falling on to me.

"What did you do?" Pope asked.

"The cops!" John B yelled.

My heart started racing in my chest as I leaned over JJ to see the cops running out of the station, "Kie start the fucking car!"

"Shit!" JJ swore.

"Go!" John B yelled.

"Kie, drive! Go!" JJ yelled.

"I'm going! I'm sorry!" She replied in a panic and she stepped on the gas at the same time Deputy Plumb grabbed on to the open window next to John B, running with the car.

"Go, Kie! Go!" Pope yelled.

"Stop the car!" Plumb yelled, "Right now!"

"What did you do?!" Kie repeated, her voice twisting in fear.

"Open it!" Pope said.

I gripped to John B's shoulder as Plumb looked to me too, "Pull over!"

John B opened his door pushing it with a grunt and Plumb fell, tumbling to the floor. He closed the door again and Kie sped off leaving us sitting in shocked silence.

"John B.." I murmured, my heart beating in my chest. I think I knew but I didn't want to know.

"Peterkin's dead." John B muttered, "They.." He swallowed and he looked at me, "..They think we did it, Mally."

• • •

I couldn't help the fear that skyrocketed through my body after what John B told me. I couldn't help the panic attack that followed, I couldn't help the tears I spilled or the way my head spun so much — instilling me with confusion. I was a mess. I didn't know what to do.

"We need a plan." JJ muttered as we drove around aimlessly, "We need to get you guys off the island."

"Yeah I have a plan." I spoke up, my voice was starting to form into a hoarse croak. I wasn't sure if it was from Rafe strangling me or the amount of tears I'd shed.

"You have a plan?" John B asked me with an arched brow.

I nodded, sitting forwards in between the two front seats to Kie, "I need to go home." I said to her bluntly. We were already on the Cut, it would only take five minutes if that from here to get to my house.

"You can't go home right now, the cops will be there." Pope told me pointedly.

"I don't give a fuck Pope!" I snapped, my body starting to shake, "If I'm going on the run as a fugitive I'm at least seeing my dad before I go, all right?!"

Kie nodded, "Okay." She replied meekly, "We'll go."

"What—no!" JJ argued, "You cannot go home Mal."

"Either I go now or I'll wait until you're all asleep later and I'll go then." I said to JJ, "It doesn't matter because I'll go regardless, you can't stop me."

I think this was the second stage of grief, or maybe the third? I wasn't sure.

Anger.

I was angry I was even involved in this. I was angry Ward fucking Cameron had twisted this on John B and I. I was angry with Rafe. I was angry that I left instead of staying, then I might've been able to clear my name name. I was angry Rafe had shot Peterkin, angry she had died when she didn't deserve to.

When Kie pulled on to mine and John B's street JJ's leg started to shake, "I don't like this idea." He muttered, "The cops will be here."

I ignored him, "Pull up at the back a couple houses down." I said to Kie, "I left my bedroom window open this morning, I'll go in through there."

"Are you sure about this?" John B asked me with worried eyes.

I looked to him and licked my bottom lip apprehensively, "My dad deserves to know where his fugitive daughter is going." I responded.

I didn't know where I was going yet, where John B and I were going to flee too or even if we'd get that far but I just had to talk to my dad before anything happened.

Kie turned her car lights off the closer we got to my house and she parked a short distance away from it. I climbed over John B and out of the car silently, closing the door as quietly as I could and jogging over to my bedroom window. My light was off and I stood on the bottom of a turned over plant pot, pushing the window up as quietly as I possibly could.

Just last night JJ and I had climbed in here and spent the night together, look at where I was now — accused of being an accomplice to murder.

I pushed on the window ledge and pulled myself up, climbing into my room. My door was ajar but not that far although it allowed light to spill into my room. The first thing I did was grab a backpack, I took a couple changes of clothes and shoved them into the the bag and two of JJ's jumpers as quietly as I could.

I walked passed my mirror, my eyes flickering to my person as I passed but I stopped in my tracks. I turned fully to my mirror and even in the dark I could see the lesions on my throat. I had deep purple and blue bruises already in the shape of finger prints. I gulped, wincing in pain as I gently traced my fingers over the bruising.

I forced my eyes away from the mirror and tied my hair up before grabbing everything else I thought I would need and closing the bag, slinging it over my shoulders and opening my bedroom door slowly.

I stepped into the hallway and I heard muffled voices. I could make out my dad's voice but no other and I thought he might've been on the phone. I stuck to the wall as I walked slowly towards the kitchen, my fathers voice becoming clearer.

"She wouldn't do anything like that." He said in irritation and I realised he was sticking up for me, "I know my daughter."

I stepped out from behind the wall slowly but sticking close to it incase I needed to make a quick getaway. My palms were sweaty, heart thudding as I daringly spoke, "Dad?"

My voice was a mere whisper but as I stepped fully into the kitchen everyone inside heard it. My eyes widened a little when I saw Deputy Shoupe and Deputy Plumb stood there, my mom stood at the counter opposite my dad.

"Mally.." My dad breathed as he looked at me and I didn't miss the wide eyes of my parents.

My mom gasped, her hand coming up to her mouth, "What the hell happened to you?"

"I didn't do it." I confessed immediately, my eyes locked on Shoupe, "Shoupe, you have to believe me. John B and I—we didn't do it."

"I believe you." He nodded to me slowly but he was on edge and so was Plumb. He was lying right to my face and my heart was racing, my mind screaming for me to leg it, "All right? I believe you Mally, let's just sit down and we can talk about this."

My eyes flickered down and I saw his hand resting on his gun still tucked in his holder. I looked back up to Shoupe and shook my head, "If you believe me why is your hand on your gun?" I asked him quietly.

Shoupe slowly removed his hand from his gun and placed them on the kitchen side, "Why don't we talk about this all right?" He asked me slowly, "You tell me what you know and I'll tell you what I know."

"I already know what you know." I responded, "Ward told you John B and I did it."

"Mally.." My mom pleaded me and when I met her eyes they were tearful, "Just talk to him, he wants to help you."

"He wants to arrest me." I defended myself, "He's already told every officer on the island it was John B and I. He'll talk to me and still arrest me—"

"—I won't." Shoupe interrupted me cautiously while shaking his head, "I just wanna hear the truth. Why don't you tell me what happened to your throat?"

I swallowed, "Rafe Cameron strangled me." I said but Shoupe didn't even look convinced, Ward wouldn't of even told him that Rafe was on the airstrip because why would he? That would just present more questions, more room for an officer to explore if they were looking for a loophole. If John B and I killed the Sheriff why would Rafe need to be there if it was just Ward and Sarah going to the Bahamas?

"But Ward didn't tell you Rafe was there did he?" I asked and I felt my eyes stinging as I got tearful. This whole situation was stressing me out, it was making me anxious and I was still in some shock — if not a lot — after watching Peterkin get shot, "He wouldn't of told you that it was actually Rafe who shot Peterkin."

"Why would Rafe Cameron shoot Sheriff Peterkin?" Officer Plumb asked me. Her tone wasn't as nice as Shoupe's. Her superior was being cautious and she was being bitchy, in fact the level of hate she held in her eyes while looking at me fully convinced me she believed John B and I had killed Peterkin.

"Why do you think Peterkin was at the airstrip?" I asked, "To arrest John B after attacking Ward? She wouldn't of known John B was going to be there." I said while using air quotes over 'attacking' to let them know I didn't believe the lie, "No, she was there to arrest Ward."

"We—"

"—You don't know half the story, never mind the full one." I interrupted Shoupe.

"Then tell them, Mally." My dad said to me desperately, "Please."

"Ward Cameron murde—" I stopped when I saw Plumb moving out of the corner of my eye. She'd inched closer to me and I caught her pulling her gun out of it's stock. The officer aimed at me but before she pressed the trigger I turned around, making a beeline back for my bedroom. The shot echoed through the house, hitting the wall and my mom let out a startled yelp.

"Mally!" Shoupe and my dad yelled after me and as I ran down the hallway I heard footsteps chasing me, "Plumb what the hell where you thinkin'?!" Shoupe scolded.

I ran into my bedroom and threw the door shut in a bid to slow them down and vaulted out of my bedroom window. My feet landed harshly on the ground, pain shooting up my ankles and into my shins from the impact and I sprinted over to Kie's still parked car as I saw the windows down. There was no doubt my friends had heard the gun shot and they were all looking at me with wide eyes as I made a break for it.

John B pushed the door open for me as the car engine roared to life and I threw myself into the car, my heart beating wildly. I didn't even have the chance to close the damn door before Kie pressed her foot on the gas, racing away before Shoupe or Plumb could get a look at the car.

I breathed heavily, collapsing into the seat as my friends yelled at me asking what had happened and if I was okay. The noise was so loud and it mangled in my head to create a headache. I caught my breath, recovering from the shock of being shot at by a damn police officer before I looked to John B next to me.

"They're out for blood, JB." I muttered to him.

His eyes were wide, "Who shot at you?"

"Plumb." I responded, closing my eyes.

"If the cops were there why did you stay?" JJ asked me, his voice was raised, "You were gone for, like, ten minutes!"

"I was trying to clear our damn names." I snapped, "Shoupe was there, he was asking me what happened."

"Did you tell him?" Kie asked me quickly.

"Yeah." I responded, "Told him it was all Rafe and that Peterkin was at the airstrip to arrest Ward but before I could tell them why Plumb tried to shoot me. They believe Ward, we're fucked."

"Well.." JJ swallowed, trying to think of a answer or a plan but he didn't have one.

"We need to find somewhere to hide for tonight." Kie told us while driving, "We can figure out a plan tomorrow."

• • •

I didn't get one ounce of sleep. If it had been any other day I'd of blamed it on my insomnia but right now I was putting it all down to the fact I was a fugitive, that every ten or so minutes I heard police sirens, that I had witnessed Sheriff Peterkin's death. I'd never seen someone being shot before and every time I closed my eyes I heard the shot echo from Rafe's gun, I saw her face as she gasped for air on the floor. When I opened my eyes my hands were still covered in her blood.

I would never escape it.

John B was right behind me in the lack of sleep department, I think he'd gotten about two hours worth of sleep — if that. The two of us were exhausted but we couldn't succumb to the darkness for the life of us, no matter how much we wanted to.

Kiara was awake relatively early and she put the radio on lowly. Soon after that JJ and Pope woke up.

I was back to being stuck between JJ and John B in the back that had only two seats and I was contemplating climbing into the trunk but the only thing remotely comforting me right now was JJ's hand in mine.

I was yet to say a word since any of my friends had woken up, I was too busy trying to think of a plan. I was formulating, plotting our next move but I wasn't having an easy time in doing so.

JJ accepted that I didn't want to talk and he didn't push me, instead he just comforted me silently. He held my hand or he would pull me into his side for an embrace or he would rub my thigh gently — little things like that which I was very appreciative of in a time like this. He might've had his cap rested over his face and a joint hanging from his lips but I was still thankful.

"Good news for residents of the Outer Banks." A radio presenter spoke, "Dominion Power says their underwater transmission line which will restore power to ninety percent of the area should be functional within the next 24 hours."

How typical, I thought. We'd gone however many days without any electricity on the Cut and now the one day I wasn't at home to enjoy the luxury it would be restored.

I heard another siren blaring in the distance and I sank further into my seat, squeezed JJ's hand anxiously at the same time I closed my eyes.

I was thankful Kie had found a wooden shack next to someone's abandoned shed for us to hide in.

And then as the first siren drew further away from us a second got closer.

"And still, no arrest in the shooting death of Sheriff Susan Peterkin. The state police have issued a statement regarding local persons of interest, juveniles from—"

Kie switched the radio off before I heard my name being broadcasted all over the radio along with John B's. It made me think if that statement had been issued clearly Shoupe hadn't believed what I'd told him last night or said statement had been made before we crossed paths.

"Let's game this out." JJ said from besides me as I finally dared to open my eyes again, "Maybe you guys can help, being the smart ones and all but.." He sighed, "Who are the cops going to believe? Ward Cameron or us? So the accuser is a big shot developer, kind of Lord of the island, got the Governor on speed dial type of person and the accused.. is John B. Who is pretty much a homeless sixteen-year-old boy at the moment."

"Thanks." John B muttered.

"Shit." Pope swore, sobriety now becoming him after his stint of smoking enough weed until he passed out last night.

"Then we've got Mally." Kie mumbled, "An in the middle girl who's mom is the best attorney in the whole County and who's dad is the best fisher in the whole of the Cut. A girl who Sheriff Peterkin basically saved a few days ago and has no criminal convictions or felonys unless you wanna count trespassing." She said, "You think the police'll believe her? Because I do, hell I even think Shoupe was believing her last night from the sounds of it."

Pope turned in his seat to look to me, "You might be our only hope right now."

I looked through my lashes to meet Pope's eyes but I didn't reply. Plumb nearly shot me last night and I had a very big feeling if I walked over to any officer right now that they'd do the exact same.

"No. No way." JJ disagreed, "Yucatan, all right? I'm saying that's the only option. What other option do you have—?"

"—Enough with the Mexico bullshit, all right." John B said tiredly.

I shook my head in disagreement with JJ, "I'm not going to Yucatan." I voiced quietly. I hadn't spoken in a while, a good few hours, so I was shocked at the state my voice was in. I had to strain to even talk and it was so raspy it was barely even audiable. I leaned forwards in my seat, looking into the rear-view mirror to see the colour of the bruises on my throat. They'd deepened even further since last night, the colour was a dark blue and purple, the rest of the skin around the area was raw and rimmed red. You could very clearly make out Rafe's fingerprints now.

"Sarah is gonna bail us out." John B told JJ after my friends had silenced for some time. They were clearly just as shocked as I hearing my voice and I sat back in the seats we'd lowered.

"She did witness the whole thing." Kie said and I nodded in agreement.

"Thank you."

"And she's gonna snitch on her brother?" Pope asked.

"Anyone in the right mind would." I forced out, wincing in discomfort.

JJ took a hit of his joint and he blew the smoke out as he turned to John B and I, "Not happening, okay? We've gotta get you both off the island."

"The ferry." Pope agreed, "It's the only way."

I shook my head, "I'm not fucking leaving this island." I disagreed.

A couple of days ago I was scared that I was going to lose JJ to juvie or prison and I knew my heart wouldn't of been able to have handled that. That was why I was doing everything I could for him, to give him a fair trial and a damn solid shot of avoiding prison. Now, here I was. The roles had reversed, leaving the island meant I would be losing JJ and call me stupid, call me pathetic but I didn't want to lose him after we'd really, only just found each other.

"Why not?" He asked me, his eyes glued to mine. JJ was frustrated I didn't want to leave, he was trying to keep me from getting arrested and banged up for life. He was trying to protect me but I didn't want that protection if he didn't come with it, "You guys need to exit stage left while you still can, okay? Before the entire island is on lockdown."

"Guys, just get down." Kie warned us quietly as a third siren got closer.

I turned into JJ's chest to hide, inhaling the scent of his shirt that smelled of weed and that cheap aftershave he always wore.

"Sarah's not a Pogue, John B." Pope said as the cop car blitzed passed us, still unaware we were hiding here.

"Yeah." JJ agreed and I didn't pull away from him, instead I curled even tighter to him. He wrapped his arm around me and laid down against his back again, "You can't stay here, man." He said before pressing a kiss to my head, "Neither of you can."

I didn't want to leave without JJ, I didn't want to leave my parents or my friends but JJ was the only thing really keeping me from wanting to run. I couldn't ever expect him to come with me though, he had his own problems right now and that involved staying out of trouble and going to his court hearing in less than two weeks time.

I could never ask him to come with me because that would mean him sacrificing a clear shot at avoiding prison. If he came he'd end up just like John B and I, fugitives. The judge would issue a warrant for his arrest for failing to show up to court.

And as much as I loved JJ, I couldn't put him in anymore trouble. I just couldn't do it because it'd do way more harm than good.

• • •

The drive to the marina had been silent while we all thought to ourselves. I was trying to come up with a better plan that didn't involve John B and I hopping on a ferry and fleeing the island but my mangled brain couldn't string a sentence together at the moment, never mind conjure up an escape plan. I think, at this moment in time — as scared as I was of being shot dead by a cop the second they saw me — I'd rather talk to Shoupe tell him everything.

There was a part of me that was hoping he'd actually sit down and listen to me but like JJ said John B versus Ward Cameron was an automatic fail on our end. However like Kie said, John B and I versus Ward Cameron.. we might stand a chance, especially if Sarah was to take our side.

JJ gave me his hat to put on so I could at least try and hide my face while John B laid horizontally in his chair, out of the way of people. Kie said the car windows were somewhat tinted but if you got close enough you'd be able to see us.

I was sat forwards, my head in my hands as I tried to focus on anything else except the sweltering heat in this car and the pain in my head. I'd had my fair share of bad headaches in my life but I'd never had a headache this painful before. I was putting it on to a lack of sleep and the confusion I was subjected to delirium but I wasn't at all convinced.

And even though the last real conversation Kie and I had was a bad one she seemed to have put it behind her as she ran her thumb over my grazed knee comfortingly.

Pope had been sent on the mission of buying tickets for the ferry and he couldn't of been gone longer than a minute or two before I heard his voice approaching the car again through the open window next to Kie.

"Okay. All right, no."

"Pope can you act normal?" Kie asked him, she'd been on edge ever since last night and so had the rest of us.

Our friend walked round to the drivers side and stood there, "So, um.. okay, so, bad news." He stuttered out. I lifted my head up from my hands and looked at him, "The ferry's closed and there's this."

He got in the car, passing a piece of paper to Kie and I watched the interaction. Kie didn't have the paper long before she passed it back to JJ and I when I tried to look at it he held it away from me so I couldn't see.

"What is that?" I asked.

"What is it?" John B also asked.

"Shit." Kie muttered.

"Well, John B, uh.. this is a good framer of you—"

I snatched the paper out of JJ's hands and held it for John B and I to see. It was a wanted poster, like an actual wanted poster. It was exactly like the ones you saw in those old fashioned movies based in 1950's Texas or something and my eyes widened. There was a $25,000 reward out for John B.

"There was one for Mally, too." Pope said, turning back to me.

I dropped my head back into my hands silently, clearly Shoupe didn't believe a word I said to him last night.

"Okay, so the whole island's lookin' for you two right now." Pope said.

"That's a lot of money." Kie nodded.

"Congratulations, guys, you're famous." JJ said to us bluntly but his voice was anxious.

"If I turn myself in will I get the 25K?" I asked, my voice croaking. My friends looked to me with wide eyes and I shrugged, "Hypothetically?"

"I don't think that's how it works." Pope said to me.

I nodded and turned to JJ, "You should just turn us in and take the 25 thousand for restitution."

"No—" He stuttered with wide eyes, "No one is turning anyone in."

"You guys, we gotta get to the HMS." Kie said quickly, "We need small, no running lights—"

"—It's at the chateau, Kie." John B told her.

"And I wonder if the cops got the entire place staked out." JJ said sarcastically, "Let me think, oh no. Yeah, they definitely have that place locked down."

"John B and I live right next to each other." I muttered, "They'll be having a field day, we couldn't of made their lives easier if we tried."

"Yeah, copy that." Kie agreed.

"Let me think. Just give me a second." Pope said, "JJ?"

"What?" He replied.

Pope turned in the drivers seat to face him, "Does your dad still have that boat?" He asked, "The cigarette boat, the Phantom? The one he used to race?"

I slowly turned my head to see JJ stiffen slightly, his body language changed and if you weren't watching closely you wouldn't of noticed it, "Maybe." He responded vaguely, his jaw clenching.

"You could get right up the coast, no problem." Pope said to us.

Kie turned to us, "Okay, look—"

"—It won't be easy, Pope." JJ responded to him, casting a fleeting glance to me. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly, leaning my head on his shoulder.

Kie started gaming it out in her head,
"The surf's running from three to four—"

"I don't know where the keys are." JJ carried on, the both of them having two separate conversations.

"I don't feel comfortable with you going back there to get the keys." I said to JJ, meeting his eyes hesitantly.

"I don't feel comfortable with you going down for a crime you didn't commit." He retorted lowly so that our friends couldn't hear, "But here we are."

"JJ you need to find the keys." Pope replied.

He turned away from me to look to Pope before snapping, "I'm thinking."

"Why is nobody moving forward?" Pope asked, getting worked up and I realised Pope wasn't actually sober. He was still as high as a kite and it was turning him into a walking paranoid wreck.

"Can you relax?" Kie asked him again.

"What is going on?!" Pope asked high-pitched.

"Pope can you just calm down people are gonna start looking?" I said to my friend, inching further and further back into my seat.

"JJ, how much weed did you give him?" Kie asked.

"Note to self, don't give Pope drugs when we're wanted fugitives." I muttered to myself.

"Guys." John B snapped, holding his wanted poster, "Your cars on here, it's on the poster."

"Great so they know what fucking car we're in." I muttered.

"This is why we should've of gone to yours last night Mally." JJ grumbled.

"Oh, so this is my fault?" I croaked aggressively while turning to face him. Pope started tooting the horn several times, paranoia clearly was his best friend at the minute, "It wasn't, let's just say, when we dragged Plumb across the road outside the police station when they got the car details?"

"Can we move it please?" Pope questioned loudly out of his open window.

All it took was one little thing to set us all off, we'd always been like that and when we had a mass argument we got pretty loud.

"That is not going to help!" Kie snapped, arguing with Pope in the front.

JJ scoffed, continuing our spat in the back, "I told you it was a bad idea."

"And I told you there was no way in hell I was fleeing the island without at least seeing my dad one last time!"

"Come on!" Pope groaned, honking the horn again.

"Stop honking the horn." Kie snapped.

"It's that guy right there!"

As the four of us arguing stopped for air I heard the kid speak and slowly I turned my head to look out the window to see a boy pointing at us.

"Uh-oh." I muttered.

"Shit." Kie swore.

"We got a snitch." JJ said, "Pope, turn the car on."

"We get $25,000 if we find them!"

My heart started racing and I sat forwards, "Pope! Car. Now." I pressed desperately.

Then someone started banging on the window, "Hey, he's right there! They're both here, I've found 'em."

"Oh my god." I muttered, pulling the rim of the cap down over my face further as John B turned to me to hide away.

"Hey, we gotta go!" Kie yelled in a panic.

"Turn the car on!" JJ urged.

"Hey I found him first!" The kid argued.

"The hell you did, you little bastard." The man who was banging on our window argued, "Besides I found them both."

"Pope, turn the fricken' car on!"

"I'm trying!" He snapped.

The five of us were yelling at each other again, this time all of us under stress as more and more people started turning to us. I tried to hide my face but I felt as if I was doing a shit job and John B was just burying his head into my leg to hide himself.

The car engine turned on and Pope drove the car straight into the car in front of us, crashing into their bumper. I flew forwards in between the two seats and swore as I whipped back, "God!" My head throbbed from the quick lash forwards and back.

"Pope, jeez!" JJ yelled.

"Dude, back up." Kie urged but Pope continued driving forwards and further into the car in front. I groaned as the engine roared, struggling to fulfil the demands Pope was pushing it to achieve.

"It's okay! Pope, just go!" JJ urged.

He did just that and he pulled on to the grass, swerving wildly and trying to get back on to the road. I wanted to physically shrink into a shell and become invisible as everyone — including fucking Officer Plumb — watched Pope and his erratic driving.

"What are you doing?!" Kie yelled.

"We'll bump out." JJ said quickly, looking out the window with wide eyes as he gripped to me and the head rest on Pope's seat.

We got on to the road but Pope didn't even know which fucking side to drive on and I turned back in my seat to see Plumb stood talking into her radio, she was definitely on to us now.

"Why did we let the intoxicated one drive?!" I snapped hoarsely, my heart beating wildly as I turned back to face the front.

"Pope!" Kie yelled as we veered over the opposite side of the road, "Watch out! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Pope, watch out! Watch out!"

I ducked somewhat into JJ as I saw us driving straight towards a mailbox and the car crashed into it, ripping it from the earth.

Pope laughed as the scrap metal flew to the ground, "Oh my god!" He cheered wildly.

"Pope!" John B said in disbelief.

"What the fuck!"

"I'm livin' my best life now!" Pope beamed.

"My moms gonna kill me." Kie muttered.

"I should be the last one to tell you this but you are not okay to drive, dude." JJ snapped, "Stop!"

"Seriously, Pope you're gonna kill us." I agreed.

I didn't expect Pope to literally just slam on in the middle of the road though and I flew forwards again as he did an emergency stop. The tires squealed to preform the quick stop.

"Oh, jeez." JJ muttered.

We stopped and Pope turned back, "Both of you get out."

My brows furrowed, "What?"

"No he's right." JJ said turning to the both of us, "We'll draw the cops, just run."

"Shit." John B muttered in a sudden rush, sitting up.

"I'll get the rig and I'll meet you in the dump tomorrow, okay?" JJ said to us both, "Three o'clock okay?"

John B grabbed my bag and opened the door while I sat still in my seat, "Yeah, okay." He nodded, rolling out the car.

"Three o'clock!" JJ reminded.

"Mally, c'mon." John B urged me from the side of the road, beckoning me out with his hand.

I turned to JJ with wide eyes and shook my head. I didn't want to part with him now and literally go on the run. I wanted him by my side to tell me everything was going to be all right and we'd sort out a plan but he wouldn't be and that scared me.

Silently I shook my head, "JJ, I—"

"—Look I don't want you to either." He said to me quickly, his eyes were widened slightly as we heard sirens in the distance, "But you have to, okay?"

I shook my head, "I don't want to."

JJ squeezed my hand quickly and kissed me intensely. He pressed his lips to mine with so much force as he cupped my cheeks, "I love you, now go." He told me quickly after he pulled away.

John B climbed back into the car and grabbed my wrist, tugging me out of the car while I looked to JJ with a shocked expression, "Mally we really need to go."

I got out the car and John B slammed the door before pulling me across the grass and towards the built up area of trees, "John B, you keep her safe!" JJ yelled as we started to run, "You here me?"

"Yeah, I got you man!" John B yelled back and I cast one quick glance back at JJ, seeing him leaning out of the window with parted lips as he watched us go. John B pulled me into the trees and he was gone, out of sight from me and I tried to savour how he looked.

Because it might just be the last time I ever see him..

• • •

A/N; I didn't realise it'd been 4 days since I last updated. I'll post the next chapter tomorrow though!