For someone like Elena, priorities were always messy. She would tend to be selfish and think of herself instead of those in need. Sometimes it could be the other way around and she would be placing herself at the end of the list of people she would look after.

As for right now, searching for a way to meet up with her friends was a priority, she knew she had to see them after the text Kiara had sent her, from what she understood John B was safe, he was okay and back home. Ward was okay too, he didn't even look in trouble or anything like the way people were gossiping about. Its been three days since Elena's father ordered and prohibited her to see her friends, but the sensation of wanting to see them grew stronger, it became like an itch she really needed to scratch but she knew that if she did, the itchiness would be more consuming.

"Mel, are you busy?" Elena knocked on her sister's door, she could hear the gentle music on the other side, hearing her come in, Elena got inside the room, clean, surprisingly clean.

"What's going? Elena headed towards her sister's bed, laying on it and finding her comfortable position. Melissa was too busy to notice her presence in her bed, she had been too focused on her nails while she painted them with a minty green color.

"I've got so many things going on in my head right now, and one of them is primarily that I want to sneak out and meet with the guys." Rolling over Elena sighed feeling the cold sheets on her back. "But there's also mom, I wanna stay here and go and see her more, you've seen how better she's getting, and from what I heard she's going to be discharged pretty damn soon."

"Elena, look." Melissa turned around her hands flapping around to air dry her nails. "We both know how much you need them, how much they mean to you. You need to tell dad how much they mean and tell him that you'll be with JJ, you know how safe Dad feels when he knows he's there with you." Elena bit the inside of her cheek, her mind thinking about what Melissa had just said.

"You know dad Issa," Elena sat down. "He won't just say yes until John B is proven innocent." And just like that, it seemed like a lightbulb was lightened up above her head. "Thank you for helping me, Issa." The brunette happily stood up from the bed and jumped towards her sister, pressing a kiss on her forehead, giggling her way out of the room.

"That was scary, don't do that again." Melissa shouted from her bedroom making Elena laugh at her comment.

The older sibling locked her door, she looked around, her eyes locking with her backpack next to her bed, picking it up she looked inside, making sure she had everything she needed inside, she made her way towards the bedroom window and carefully snuck out. She needed a ride, she wasn't planning on walking towards John B's place, she didn't even know if someone was there, so, she had to make some calls.

"Pretty please Kie, pick up." Elena looked back and kneeled under her window, she didn't want to be seen and thankfully the wooden box that rested beside the wall since they had moved was still there.

"Yeah?" A smile appeared on the brunette when she heard her friends' voice on the other side.

"Have you seen John B today?" There was a positive response by the other and saying she was with him. "Can someone pick me up? Like around the corner near the gas station please? We all need to talk."

"Yeah, I'll tell JJ to go and pick you up, be ready cause John B has some news about the gold." Elena scrunched her nose trying to figure out what could be the news about the gold, she just wished it weren't any bad news, not right now.

Her main focus was getting near the gas station around the corner just at the end of their street without getting caught by her father. To make this possible, Elena had to be extremely careful and quiet just until she was far enough from her home. Sneaking out wasn't that complicated for Elena, she had done it a few times herself and even help JJ out.

Elena rushed over hiding behind bushes and trees until she was far away enough to walk normally, her eyes glancing around, focusing in any noise coming near. The gas station has been abandoned since she has arrived here, something about an explosion that happened ten years before and no one has bought the land, this became the main Elena pick up area for JJ.

Hearing a motor made Elena's heart jump a few times, she recognized the motor anywhere, leaning forward she could see JJ Maybank driving his motorbike.

"Jump princess, we gotta go like, now." JJ handed the extra helmet to the brunette, she regretted wearing shorts right now, the leather seat was burning her skin. "Hold on tight, I might speed up a little more." Elena wrapped her arms around his body, pushing her body closer to his.

JJ sped up, making Elena grip tighter, she knew they would be getting there fast, she imagined it would be even quicker since Kie said there was an important matter with the gold happening right now. Shutting down the engine, Elena noticed how everyone was waiting for her in John B's van, they had been waiting, they didn't want to do this without the complete gang.

"John B." Elena shouted out with a smile, taking off the helmet and handing it to JJ, for her to run towards her friend and hug him tightly. "Oh thank god you're okay, you're alive." Elena's arms were wrapped around his neck and she tried being careful with him but she could hear the pained groan, apologizing she pulled back, smiling back at him.

"I've missed you too El, nice to have you on board with us." John B gave her one last hug, returning every focus back on the plan.

"What's happening?" Elena asked sitting comfortably inside the van just in the back just across from Pope and JJ.

"Ward took all the gold, like all of it, every single brick." The news that Kiara said made Elena wide eyed, was she hearing correctly. "Yeah, I know." It seemed like Kiara heard her thoughts.

Ward Cameron stole the gold, the only way for her to help her family, it was gone and now they were going to do every thing to stop him from escaping with it.

"Hey," Elena glanced up, seeing that it was Pope who had called her. "You okay? You drifted off into your thoughts." Pope's expression softened when the brunette nodded her head at him, but he asked one more time if she was indeed okay, but Elena had to say she was, she didn't want her friends to worry or anything like that.

Even though she tried to focus on the conversation the Pogues were having, her mind continued to come back to the question. Why would Ward Cameron steal the gold? He did not need it, that was obvious, he was filthy rich, he was a Kook, he didn't have family who was poor, they were all rich, then why, why would he steal it? Was he just jealous a group of teens found it before him? That's mature.

"No, man, Xcalak, Jewel of the Yucatán, lobsters so thick, mangoes, and no word for money." JJ pulled the barrel and putting the safety on.

"Yucatán? Really?" Elena chuckled when she heard the name of the Mexican State.

"Yeah, we need our favorite translator, vámonos a Yucatán!" JJ exclaimed happily tapping the roof from the vehicle. Everyone either laughed or shouted in happily unison.

Elena didn't understand the context behind Yucatán but she was on board already for it, she knew they wouldn't be able to survive there, Elena knew they might make fun of the tourists who are trying to hard to survive. She didn't know how long they were far from their destination, but she knew she was too far from from to back up and return.

"Penny for your thoughts princess?" Of course she had zoned off again, she hadn't even noticed the moment JJ took the seat next to her.

"Just that this sounds like a very complicated plan, you better not pull the gun on him JJ, he could be armed too and, I can imagine he won't hesitate on using it on any of us, probably, I hope so."

"Don't worry about the gun Elena, you won't be near it anyway, you'll be hiding, you'll be safe, I'll make sure that you are safe." JJ whispered it very close to her ear, pressing his lips on her shoulder, a small, and gentle kiss.

"May I ask something El?" JJ voice was heard again beside her, Elena looked down and smiled just a little bit in response. "Why did I pick you up at the gas station instead of your house?"

"Reason, long story short, dad was asleep and I didn't want to wake him up." Elena mumbled rapidly, ending her sentence with her best convincing smile, but, JJ knew her very well, he knew that mumbling for Elena was a sign of lying. JJ didn't ask any other question, he just hummed and looked back at the road.

"Here we are." John B stopped the moving vehicle and everyone rushed off, stopping when they noticed the fence and displays of no trespassing and private property.

"What's the plan? Broad strokes?" Kiara asked, with a be obstacle in their way, they have to make a quick change of plans.

Pope brought with him the binoculars and it was pretty useful right now to verify if Ward was the one was was making its way towards the plane and if what they were loading was the gold. John B grabbed the accessory from him and saw it, he saw Ward arriving, there he was and the Pogues had no plan.

"Isn't there another entrance? There has to be a way to get inside without having guards securing the place, right?" Elena leaned forward just a little bit more as she was at the far end.

Pope grabbed the binoculars again, looking around, telling them how many guards and people were in there, and how it would be impossible to enter without getting into trouble.

"Hand them over." John B grabbed them again, it had become like a tag game between Pope and John B when it came to the binoculars, it was a little funny for Elena.

"What?" Kiara looked up at the brunette when she saw the concerned expression he had and how slowly he was setting down the accessory.

"It's Sarah." John B answered at the second and louder what from the curly-haired girl.

"She's with him?" Pope threw another question, a question no one could give an answer, it was something they couldn't believe either, Sarah couldn't be with Ward, why would she be helping him, he is her father but, he's no good guy.

"We gotta do something guys, we can't let them leave with the gold, we shouldn't care if Sarah is with him, that gold is ours, we need it more than he does." Elena set her foot down, she was feeling desperate at how no one moved and just stared at either John B or at the other side of the fence watching Ward Cameron escaping.

"Wait a minute." John B mumbled as he watched behind the binoculars "He's hurting her." his tone even sounded a combination of pissed and concerned.

"What?" Kiara and JJ said what they were all thinking, did they hear John B correctly? They weren't imagining it when John B assured them that, Ward and Sarah were fighting, the one to act quickly was John B, running towards the van.

JJ was trying to comprehend why was happening, Elena and Pope saw how their friend made the run and heard the engine, he was indeed going to do something stupid. The sound of the engine was the moment everyone turned around and made a run towards him trying to stop him but John B drove away, the group shouted at him but they were ignored, they had to jump out of his way unless they wanted to get run over.

John B was following his feelings, he had to, so he broke into the fence with the van and drove through the runway. Everyone followed running towards the vehicle, calling out his name and asking him to come back but it was too damn late, he was gone.

"What are we going to do?" Elena gasped, trying to catch her breath she kneeled. She could feel the knot in her throat, she wanted to cry because she felt useless and desperate.

"Hey, hey." JJ rushed over to her and kneeled im front of her. "He's going to be okay, come on, he's John B he's too stubborn to die, come on." JJ helped her stand up, rushing next to Kie and Pope, looking at John B stopping the vehicle in the middle of the runway. Elena let out a gasp and hid her face in JJ's chest.

"Why did Ward stop, what's happening?" Pope asked, everyone looked at the scene, the airplane was just a few inches away from the van. They could see the three figures, Ward, John B, and Sarah.

"Are we going to do something? We have to do something." Kiara was the one to speak up now. No one knew what to say, that was until they heard the police sirens coming along.

"Guys, I can't get arrested." Pope quickly pointed out just like JJ with his probation issue.

"Look, we're no good if we're all in jail." And just like that everyone ran away. They needed to get away, be safe, they needed to hide.

Finding safety is an abandoned area, filled with wooden boxes, trash cans, metallic machinery, etc. But it was roofed area, no one could see them, they took a moment to breath in, process what just happened and hoping John B, and Sarah were safe.

The sound of a airplane engine flew right over them, that was the sound of Ward escaping freely, something must've happened to John B, probably he was captured letting Cameron escape with what he didn't need.

"You gotta be kidding me right now." Elena scoffed, passing her fingers through her hair pushing it back.

"There goes the gold." Pope added turning back and looking around for something. JJ kicked a chair in anger and he had every right to do so.

But what was more surprising was how Pope reacted. He grabbed stuff and threw it around, cursed with every fiber in his body, grabbing a baseball bat and breaking the shit out of glass, wood, and other things Elena couldn't point out what they were. No one stopped him for a moment, they gave him the space he needed to pour out all the anger he had built up, then Kiara called him name a few times trying to get his attention and bring him back to the reality.

Pope couldn't breath, he just let his body fall down, the three of them looked down at him worried about how he was doing.

"I was wondering when this was gonna happen." They could miss the small sarcastic comment from JJ that made Kiara and Elena look at him with a small serious dead look. And like a good, caring friend he is, JJ handed him a rolled up joint. "A little weed never hurt no one." Kiara reminded him that Pope didn't smoke but how he took it from his blonde friend showed he really needed it.

Brakes screeching near them made them jump in their spot, panic overcoming their bodies again, the terror of the police car being the one that stopped there, but, it wasn't them, it had been Elena's father who stopped.

"In the car, now, Elena." Ernesto Herrera screamed from the inside, the rolled down window made it visible for Elena to see her little sister in the shotgun seat tearing up.

"Dad, how did you?" She was confused on how he had gotten there, she didn't tell anyone not even Melissa.

"I said, get in the car, now!" he exclaimed louder, Elena felt even more fear than before.

The brunette looked back at her friends, they understood and told her to go, that they would be okay, they were going to be safe. She took a few glances back at the vehicle and her friends, she would follow the orders but she had to do something first. Without thinking much about it, she walked over to JJ, his face in her hands as she pulled him to her, kissing him, she didn't know if she would see him again after this even if he lived next door.

"Please, please be safe JJ, I don't want to lose you." She whispered when she pulled back, resting her forehead against his.

"I will be princess." JJ answered back and looked at her eyes, he could see how she was tearing up and it broke his heart. "Go before something bad happens, I'll be okay."

She didn't want to walk away, she knew her friends needed her, she needed them right now, but disobeying more from her family? She didn't want that anymore, so, she got into the car, secured herself, and started to prepare to hear what her father would say — in this case scream, at her.

"One thing I asked and order Elena, only one." He screamed out and sped away. "I don't want to find out that JJ broke into your room tonight."

"How do you know?"

"Melissa. thank god I have a daughter who actually does what she's told, a daughter who listens to me." Ernesto scoffed as he said that, as for Elena, she looked at her little sister, it was unbelievable for her what she just heard.

"I am so, so sorry Lena." Melissa looked back, the tears escaping her eyes rolling down her cheeks. Elena couldn't believe it, her little sister rat her out.

"Don't be sorry Melissa, you did a good thing, who know what your sister was doing and where would she would've been right now."

Elena Herrera felt doomed, she knew she was gonna end up in trouble but she didn't imagine this was going to happen, she didn't know how it even happen, she pulled her phone out of her jean and started searching around the settings. That is how her father found her, he had programmed an app for it, somehow he did it and he was always watching every step of her.

Elena Herrera wasn't free like she imagined. She wasn't going to be free after this anymore.

a/n
this is all over the place sorry!