{ "Yeah i'm fine. He only did it cause i spat in his face." }

"Hey Angel" Robert called from the kitchen, spotting his daughter walking through the door as he was washing the dishes "How was the movie?"

"What?" her head whipped up "It was fine, nothing happened." she laughed nervously and shrugged, taking her shoes off quickly "Nothing weird or whatever oh my god dad what is this, 21 questions?" she ran into her bedroom and shut the door before her father could even reply.

Robert's eyebrows furrowed, noticing immediately that something was wrong.

He put down the plate he was holding and picked up a towel and dried his hands "Star?" he called her name and walked over to her room, stopping outside the closed door "Angel?" he knocked quietly on the wooden door before slowly opening it.

Star heard her father walk into her bedroom but she didn't turn to look at him, her eyes only stayed put on the Micheal Jackson poster that hung on her wall with the others that scattered around her bedroom.

Star's bedroom was quite special to her, anyone who knew the girl knew that and knew why. Because in her bedroom she kept everything from or of someone or something that she loved and if it meant something to her.

Some people might even say that the girls room was overwhelming with how much stuff was in it, but she liked her room just the way it was.

Most things in her room were random and odd things that had some sort of meaning to the girl that scattered around her room. Whether that was on a shelf, in a box, on her desk, in a drawer or on her wall.

She had posters of all her favourite singers and celebrities, movies, bands and shows scattered around her wall along with pictures of all her friends and family she had printed from her phone or taken on her Polaroid.

On top of her chest of drawers she had many different trinkets and shells laying round, each one with a different story or meaning. Or ones she had just picked up off the ground.

And next to her vanity she had two Jewellery boxes, one with jewellery she wore daily and the other one filled with things that belonged to her Grandma. She also had a special box in her closet with the more valuable things that she didn't want lost.

She had quite a lot of teddies and childish funky pillows as some would say that took over her small double bed. She didn't care though, she loved all her funny pillows she had bought or been gifted over time.

She had a french fire pillow which was the first one her father bought her for her 10th birthday and then over time she became obsessed and bought more, starting a collection.

She had one of her childhood crush, Frat boy Niall, she had one that read out a little bit dramatic, that one was from John B of course. There was also a pickle Rick pillow and one of her favourite dilf, Jeffery Dean Morgan, she even had one of Kiara's face, that one was her favourite, and loads more that she loved.

One of her favourite things was actually on her door. A metal sign she had customised and bought that read No stupid people allowed. Except JJ, he's an exception, JJ didn't find it very funny the day he saw it on the girls door. She had bought it about a week before he had even seen it, she didn't tell him anything, only waited for the boy to spot it himself.

But one thing that always stuck out to her was a picture on her shelf of her and her cousin from then they were only 5, the last time they ever saw each other.

Raín was Robert's older sister's daughter who lived in Spain, that was how he had met Star's mother.

And when living in Spain Raín and Star had been the best of friends growing up, but once she moved to Outer Banks she hadn't seen her again until that week she had come for the Summer.

But ever since then she hadn't seen her in 11 years. Both girls had always contacted one another by letter, email or text from their parents phones, but once they got older they had drifted apart, no longer contacting each other at all. But Star would never forget her, even if she went the rest of her life without seeing her again.

"You wanna tell me what happened?" Robert sat down on the edge of his daughter's bed, watching her as she hugged a pillow.

Star huffed, debating whether or not to tell her father what happened, and what she would tell him.

Does she tell him about the fight? no he'd question everything. But she couldn't tell him about the kiss because she didn't know what to think about it, let alone her father.

"Can we talk about it another time?" she mumbled as her eyes staying on the poster, waiting for her father's response.

"Yeah." Rob spoke quietly while nodding his head "I'm here when you wanna talk about it." and with that he quietly shut his daughter's bedroom and went back to the dishes.

He didn't know what to think, had something bad happened? he didn't know, but the last thing he was going to do was push his daughter to tell him something she didn't want to, she would say when she was ready.

~

Star had debated whether or not to meet up with the Pogues that morning, terrified of seeing JJ, terrified of what he was thinking, terrified of what she was thinking. But she pushed through, only because Kiara had come by the girls house that morning and dragged her out of her house and over to Hayward's shop.

"Don't let it get in your head brother." JJ said as he stood next to Star who sat on top of the counter, her eyes refusing to look in his direction "There's 3 of them and 2 of us, that's some typical Kook shit right there." he told Pope.

"Hell yeah." Kiara agreed.

That day had been awkward for the two teens, neither of them spoke a single word to one another once Kiara had skipped through the door with Star at her side. The afternoon only went by with the two stealing glances at one another but avoiding eye contact, which was quite hard when they would both happen at each other at the same time and catching the other so they would quickly look away and pretending they hadn't looked at all, that happened many times.

"What was your thought process, using your head?" the blonde asked Pope as he threw around a lemon.

"I don't know man." Pope shook his head, not looking up from his work "I just kind of acted off instinct. I was a cornered animal."

"Yeah, well you gave 'em what they deserved." Star sat on the counter with a bag of chips in her hand. "Fucking bitches." she mumbled.

"Hey" Pope got her attention "Rafe didn't do anything bad did he?" he had noticed the girls bruised cheek bone and cut lip just like JJ's that morning and became concerned.

Star noticed the boy looking at her bust up face "Oh this?" she chuckled, pointing at the bruise  "Yeah i'm fine. He only did it cause i spat in his face."

"Nice." Kiara turned from the register and high-fived the girl.

"Hey Pope!" all heads shot up to see Mr Hayward walking through the door "Someone here to see you." 

Star's eyes widened once she spotted Officer Shoupe walk through the door.

Her first instinct was to jump off the counter, her shoulder bumping into JJ's chest.

Her head looked up at JJ with worry written all over her face. The boy only looked down at her with his eyes before quickly looking back up to the scene in front of them.

"Evening Officer." Pope gulped, he back up nervously.

"I have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property." The officer spoke clearly as he made his way closer to a scared Pope, his hand already reaching for handcuffs "Keep your hands where i can see them."

Kiara and Star looked at one another scared for their friend who was now being put in hand cuffs by the police officer, and Star being right beside JJ she gripped onto his hand without a second thought.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Mr Hayward tried to stop the officer, confused about why his son was being arrested "What'd he do?"

"Take a look at the warrant." Shoupe answered, grabbing Pope's arms and putting them behind his back to click the hand cuffs around his wrists tightly.

"Anything you say, can and will be held against you in the court of law." Shoupe spoke, ignoring the shouts from everyone around him "You have the right to an attorney."

"How much did they pay you man?" JJ asked, now following the officer who dragged Pope out of the shop, bringing Star with him whose hand stayed on his.

The officer, Hayward and the three teens made their way out of the shop, following Pope to the police car trying to stop what was going on.

"Shopue, he didn't do anything!" Star shouted, letting go of JJ's hand as her and Kiara followed Shoupe and Pope.

"Pope!" She tried to get to the boy.

"It wasn't him!"

Everyone went quiet at the voice.

"It was me."

Star's eyes winded at the sight of JJ. She stood frozen next to Kiara, all staring in shock as JJ walked closer to the cop car.

"He tried to talk me out of it." he pointed at Pope. "But i was mad because he'd just been beaten up." he told Shoupe "I was so sick of those assholes from Figure Eight that i lost my shit."

"JJ." Star spoke his name softly, thinking it would do anything to get him to stop.

The blonde did everything in his power to ignore the girl, he needed to protect Pope "I can't let you take the blame for somethin' i did." he looked at his friend in handcuffs who stood there shocked "You've got too much to lose."

"JJ what are you doing?" Pope stepped forward.

"I'm tellin' the truth." JJ spoke, turning to look at Shoupe "For once in my goddamn life, i'm gonna tell the truth." Shoupe looked between both boys suspiciously.

"I took his old man's boat too." JJ smirked at Shoupe.

"What the hell?" Hayward shook his head, looking up at the young blonde.

"JJ, come on..."

"Just shut up, Pope! Just shut up." he paused, swallowing a lump in his throat "he's a good kid." he turned to Shoupe, nodding his head at Pope "You know where i'm from."

"Yeah." Shoupe nodded his head.

Star shook her head, It didn't matter where JJ was from, he wasn't like his father, nothing like him.

"This was all me." JJ bit his lip.

JJ and Pope looked at each other for a couple moments, everyone silent. Star wanted to scream and tell Shoupe that he was lying, take the blame for both him and Pope but nothing left her mouth. She couldn't speak and she couldn't move.

"That the whole truth?" Shoupe asked Pope.

"Whole truth, swear to god." JJ answered for him.

"I know what you think dam it! I was asking Pope." Shoupe shouted at the blonde.

JJ subtly nodded his head at Pope, letting him know that it was okay and to blame him.

Pope looked down and spoke nervously "Yeah, that about covers it."

And with that Pope's handcuffs were taken off him as JJ turned back around, his eyes catching Star's who almost looked disappointed at the boy.

Star shook her head, her eyes sad as she watched Shoupe place the handcuffs that were once on Pope, straight onto JJ.

"Look after her for me." JJ turned to kiara, keeping his voice low so only she could hear "Don't let her do anything stupid okay?" Kiara nodded her head, sadness plastered her face.

"No!" Star chocked, her voice and legs now working as she tried to run after the boy who was being pushed into the police car.

JJ had to tear his eyes away from the girls as he couldn't stand to see the look on her face or watch her as she got smaller and smaller the further the car drove away.

Before she could get to him Kiara had grabbed her friends arms, holding her in place as she tried to break free "Jay!" she shouted as she watched the cop car drive away "JJ!"

The cop car now no longer in sight, she finally gave up.

She stood still, Kiara's arm around her, giving her comfort "Kie" she turned to her friend "We gotta do something."

Kiara shook her head in defeat "We can't." she watched as Pope crouched down and ripped his hat off, throwing it to the ground in rage.

John B was god knows where while JJ had just been arrested for something he didn't do. He was taking the blame for something he didn't do, he was taking the blame for Pope. He took the blame to protect a friend, protect someone he loved and cared about. That was something Star hated about JJ.

She hated how he always had to protect others and not himself, always putting others before himself. It was like he didn't care about himself or what happened to him. He only cared about the people he loved and cared about and would do anything for them, even if that put him in danger or trouble. JJ Maybank always had to be the hero.

Authors note

This chapter is so boring, deal with it.