JJ and I stopped talking much after that. Yeah he still stayed at the Chât but if we saw each other we kinda just stared and walked by.

I miss him. I miss what we used to have.

~~~

While in a class with the Pogues, the principle walked in. He asked Mr Sunn if he could borrow Pope. We all looked up as they left but didn't do anything obviously.

However when he came back in he seemed excited or stressed about something.

"What?" I asked, sitting directly behind him as he sat in his seat. He just held up a letter. "Is that the wheat symbol?" Kie asked, looking at the wax stamp.

"Yeah." Pope replied. "What the f-" JJ cut himself off as the teacher turned around. "Fu... fudge?" He ended.

"Is this a game of tag?" I wondered out loud as the class ended and Pope was walking so fast we could hardly keep up. "I don't know." Kie replied. JJ smiled but tried not to let me see it. Though I did and it made my stomach do flips.

"Am I going to have to beat you with your protractor? What's going on?" JJ asked as we followed Pope into the library.

"You're driving me insane." Kie added as he finally sat down.

"Okay so that was a guy from the scholarship committee," Pope started talking. He handed us the letter to read. JJ grabbed it and opened it. "Out loud." Kie commanded.

JJ stared at it for a second. "I can't read cursive." He whispered to me. That was the first word we actually said to each other in a while. I don't think he even thought about it, he just panicked and kinda said it to me.

That got me thinking though, that means he trusts me more than anyone else still.

I took it out of his hands like I was mad because he was taking too long but he knew I wasn't and it was just so the others didn't know.

"Dear Mr. Heyward, I am reaching out because I have material evidence that can exonerate John B Routledge." I paused, processing what I just read. My heart started racing.

"It is of vital importance that you come and meet with me in person at my offices at 27 King Street, Charleston at 8:00 p.m. sharp tonight. Please come alone. Regards, C. Limbrey." I finished.

I just held the letter while Pope paced and JJ started asking questions.

"It's like an 8 hour drive, plus the ferry. How will we get there tonight?" Pope wondered. I checked the time. 11. "We'd have to leave right now." I said.

"Material evidence? What does that even mean, material evidence?" JJ asked himself. "It means he can clear JB." I replied, still staring at the letter in shock.

"Oh shit, then we're going to Charleston." J said.

Kie sighed. "I gotta tell my mom." She said. "Look, if we get it, this time we are not giving it to Shoupe." I told them all, finally putting the letter down.

They all nodded their heads. Pope looked something up on the computer in front of Kie.

"What?" She asked him. "I'm not sure, but I think whoever this Limbrey person is, they might be related to the captain of the Royal Merchant." Pope replied.

~~~

So we left school. We went to Pope's house first and got his dads truck. Then we went to Kie's because she had parents she had to tell.

We all sat in Popes dads car and watched Kie get yelled at by her parents and then her yell back.

The car was a old truck with 2 front seats and 3 back. Kie and I were sitting in the back and JJ and Pope were at the front.

"They're taking it really well." J said. "Mm-hmm." Pope agreed.

"How'd you get this rig? I know your old man didn't let you have it." I asked Pope. "I undid the intake valves on the carburetor. Made it start pinging." Pope replied. JJ nodded. "Now you're just gonna take it to your cousin Jeff's house. Just gonna get it fixed." He said. "Crash overnight." We all three said at the same time.

"I think we're rubbing off on you Pope." I told Pope, referring to me and JJ. "Lying to your old man, stealing his truck." JJ added. "Kinda sounds familiar." I finished.

"All right, that's a sore subject. Our bad." JJ said after a second of Pope not answering.

"I'd say we have about 18 hours before he absolutely looses his shit. So as long as we get it back before then, I think we're good." Pope told us, making me laugh slightly.

Kie came out yelling, her mom and dad also still yelling at her.

"Look at your life right now! Look at your life!" Her dad yelled at her as she came up to the truck. "It's good to see y'all, Mr. and Mrs. Carrera." JJ shouted slightly, holding a hand up out the window.

I stuck my head out of Popes window, leaning over him. "Hi, uh ma'am, sir. I promise to have her back at a reasonable hour and safe." I told them.

Pope shoved me back in the back seat, making me laugh.

"You know what Kiara, if you want to go, then go. But if you don't come back at the proper time, then don't come back at all." Kie's mom yelled at her.

We all sat for a second. "She's bluffin'." I told Kie. Her mom loved her she wouldn't let her go.

Kie opened the door and pushed JJ in, making him move to the back with me and she sat in the front.

"Y'all have a good day!" JJ said to her parents before Kie closed the door.

"This shit would be so much easier without parents." Kie said. Ouch. She immediately realized what she said.

"Oh wait I didn't mean it like-" she turned around to me. "It's fine, Kie." I assured her, though it did kind of hurt. I turned to look out the window so she wouldn't say anything else.

The boys didn't say anything but I could feel them all looking at me. Pope started the car after a second and then pulled out.

It's funny how you think you're over something and then a small comment like that makes you want to break down and cry.

I miss my dad. I miss JJ. I miss JB most importantly.

I didn't look anywhere besides the window but JJ gently rubbed his finger against mine and then cautiously intertwined his fingers with mine. I didn't want to move. It felt right. So I didn't.