ꨄ𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄
－𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯！✫⁂𖦹
𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿✲

───── ❝𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄❞ ─────
𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑎 𝑑𝑒𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑦 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔．．．

——————————————————

john b's court trial. was he guilty? no, but to them? maybe. was he innocent? absolutely, to them? absolutely not.

The next day julia, olivia and the rest of the Pogues find themselves in the court.

julia sat at the front, anticipating what was to come. was her brother to be sentenced? was she ever going to see him again?

"John Booker Routledge, pursuant to the North Carolina statute section 14, you are charged with murder in the first degree with aggravated circumstances. If convinced, the maximum sentence would he the death penalty."

Everyone gasps, jj stands up, "Your honour, he's 17." He points at John B.

olivia stands up, grabbing his arm, "Stop. Stop."

"Quiet." The Judge shouts."

"No. He's 17! Are you kidding me? Hey, John B, we're gonna figure this out." Olivia watched as Sarah makes her way over to John B and she decides to leave JJ to Pope.

"John B! John B!"

"Sarah, Sarah." She wraps her arms around her twin sister as a policeman goes to touch her. "Stop! Don't touch her! Let's go, Sarah. Let's get out of here." Olivia pulls her away.

"Is this a joke? Like, are we in hell or.." Kiara asks as they all walk down the stairs.

"I should've never come home." Sarah mumbles.

"They're gonna kill him, guys. I know it." JJ turns to everyone, Olivia runs his arms comfortingly.

Olivia hears a man behind her speak.

*"So sorry for what you and your family have gone through. Thank God the system works."*

Olivia steps forward, "Can you please shut up?" Everyone stops walking. "Of course you think the system worked because it was made to protect you and people like you." Olivia points mostly at her father.

"He'll have his day in court. A jury will decide." The man speaks up again.

"He shouldn't even be in court! You should, 'cause you're a murderer." Olivia points her finger at her dad, as he stops walking. Olivia could not care anymore. "You have a lot of nerve showing up to court."

"I know you're upset. I understand you're upset, okay?"

"Upset?" Olivia shakes her head, trying not to laugh at the absurd thing her father just said to her.

"I know he's got you fooled. He's got you all fooled."

"No, I'm not just upset!" Olivia goes to go at him before Shoupe, and other policemen grab her pulling her back.

"Show some respect!"

"Get off her!" JJ shouts. "Why don't you take the Kooks down for a change?"

Shoupe turns to JJ, "You wanna get arrested? Get out! You need to go."

"This is bullshit." Olivia mumbles as Sarah grabs her shoulder.

"Come on. Look, it's not worth it." She mumbles to her sister.

"Sorry, you shouldn't be going through this." Plumb apologies to Ward.

"Thank you." Ward mumbles.

"Have a good night."

"Get out of here." Shoupe tells them.

"It's not a coincidence that your daughters' are sitting with us?" Julia shouts to Ward.

Olivia looks back at her father, "I hate you." She doesn't yell, but she knows he heard her.

——————

it was pouring with rain and the group were gathered in the porch. julia stared into the rain before sarah spoke, "im gonna testify under oath. i was there. i just need to get a hold of my sister."

"another sister?" jj said, more to himself.

"anyone got their phone?" she looked around and kiara handed her hers. "wheezie is the only other person who know that rafe wasnt home that day, other than julia and olivia."

"wheezie?" jj said, once again more to himself

"i dont know what else to do. i got us into this mess. im gonna do my best to get us out." sarah walked off

jj scoffed "wheezie? yeah, that will work. well, shes right about one thing. we gotta do something. our boy is a PO-dub right now, okay? he's held captive by the enemy right now, maybe even scheduled for execution. are we just gonna sit here?"

"whats the plan? kidnap shoupe? cuz id totally be into that plan." julia nodded a few times

"maybe, like, thats not the worst idea actually. see, your smart." jj pointed at her

"oh, its not?" kiara yelled

"no!" jj and julia shouted at the same time

"that is actually the worst idea i've ever heard." pope admitted

"its pretty bad." sarah spoke up

"yeah..." olivia agreed quietly

"you know? please, just stay out of this. okay," he looked at sarah before turning to pope "pope, look, we've been doing everything your way, and how has that been working out?"

"okay, okay, so whats your plan? you gonna storm a jail, guns a-blazing?" pope stood up

"look, pope, all im trying to get you to understand is they got our boy. are we just go na sit here and do nothing? no! we're gonna go get his ass. we're gonna do something about it!"

"jj, we're not storming a jail. its not happening."

"no, fine, man. sit in your comfy chair and do nothing. im gonna see what i can do. make something happen even if i have to do it myself." he put on his hat and stormed out into the pouring rain.

once he was out the door, pope turned to everyone. "should we be worried?"

"yes, for sure." olivia nodded

"guys, he can take care of himself. jj *wont* get himself arrested." julia closed her eyes, wanting to sleep.

"look, im gonna hit my parents, and im gonna see if i can get money for a lawyer." kiara said

"john b has a public defender. he doesn't need that now." pope denied

"pope, you forget that people always need lawyers." julia sighed

"so when you get the opportunity, you take it." olivia added

"justice costs money." kiara shrugged

"you're right." pope nodded "so im gonna dig in hard into anything i can find about this key, because that tape limbrey has, thats exculpatory evidence. that can exonerate john b."

"yeah, we gotta try." kie agreed

——————

riri's thoughts:

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