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Heyward is hosing down the dock outside of his store when the Kildare County Sheriff’s Department truck pulls up. He shakes his head wondering if they would try and ask him for free pastries again. It annoys him to no end but at least it helps to keep it friendly with the local officers. He notices that Shoupe sighs as he exits his car and that he’s looking away from him as he approaches.
“Um, hi Heyward. Is your boy around?” the deputy asks.
“Yeah, he’s inside…what’s this about?” What does Shoupe possibly need with Pope?
Shoupe continues to not meet his eyes. Not a good sign. “I’d rather discuss this with you and him together.”
Heyward turns and makes his way into the store, his heart in his throat. Something feels off, Shoupe is usually pretty open with him. His son is behind the counter with the Carerra girl. That little hooligan JJ Maybank has his ass up on the counter right next to the produce, tossing a perfectly good orange up and down like it’s a damn baseball.
“Hey, Pope, someone here to see you,” his dad drawls.
The three kids turn their attention to Heyward. Shoupe follows closely behind him, chatter from his dispatch radio marking his entrance.
Pope looks spooked. “Evening, officer…”
Maybank looks just as nervous as his son, jumping to his feet as soon as the deputy turns the corner towards them.
Shoupe reaches into his pocket and pulls out a paper. “I have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property.”
“What!?!” Heyward feels his heart drop. An arrest warrant out for his boy? Pope? His smart, hardworking, soon to be merit scholarship earning son?
The Carrera girl, well prepped by her father, puts both hands up to make sure the deputy can see them. Pope instinctually turns around and locks eyes with the Maybank kid. JJ shakes his head and mouths “deny deny deny”to his son.
Heyward swallows hard, what did that little bastard mix his son up with? He and his wife have tried their best with JJ ever since Pope dragged him and the Routledge kid home with him one day in 4th grade, feeding him whenever they could and modeling what a normal family should be but as the boys get older he can’t help but see that, despite their intervention, this kid might be starting to make choices that match his last name’s reputation.
Shoupe reaches for his handcuffs as he approaches Pope like he’s some type of cold, hard criminal and not the great kid everyone on the island knows he is and commands, “Keep your hands out on the counter where I can see ‘em.”
Kiara steps protectively in between her son and the deputy. Shoupe seems frustrated. “Young lady, out of my way…”
She angrily steps aside and shoots back, “I’m sorry…you’re ARRESTING him? What? Why?”
JJ just stands in the background, looking terrified, frozen in place. Are those tears in his eyes?
Somehow Heyward finds his voice. “Whoa…whoa…wait! Shoupe, what did he do?” He can feel his shock turning into anger. After everything he’s done for this damn island and he doesn’t even get a heads up about this? This man storms into his store in the middle of the evening rush to arrest his child?
“Take a look at the warrant, Heyward…” is the only reply he gets as Pope is handcuffed.
Now he’s seeing red. This is bullshit. “You’re just gonna come in here arresting my boy?”
Pope grimaces as the handcuffs click around his wrists. Kiara pleads, “Shoupe…be careful!”
Everyone who was in the shop stares at the spectacle in shocked silence. Kiara keeps fighting for Pope but to no avail. JJ looks like he’s lost, eyes vacant and taking the same two steps backwards and forwards but manages to croak out, “What’s the proof?” The deputy ignores all of their pleas.
Heyward approaches the scene and demands, “Shoupe! Are you even listening!?!”
Shoupe continues to ignore them all and starts reciting, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law…”
Pope looks like he’s going to be sick. Heyward’s chest is aching, wanting to save his son from this, knowing that this one moment will be the determining factor that rips his entire bright future away. Merit scholarships aren’t awarded to accused felons.
“How much they paying you, man?” he hears JJ hiss desperately, trying to stop what’s happening.
Shoupe finishes robotically reciting the Miranda rights and starts to drag his son outside towards the cruiser. Pope looks so young and terrified, it makes Heyward feel helpless. Thank God his mom isn’t here today, she probably would’ve died of a broken heart seeing this.
JJ is right on Shoupe’s heels yelling profanities, desperately fighting for his friend. At one point he actually attempts to push the deputy away from Pope. Heyward puts himself between the boy and the officer, trying to prevent another arrest. The boy looks wild and terrified, like a caged animal.
“JJ! I gotta take care of Pope! Stop it boy! We don’t need you gettin’ yourself arrested too!” Heyward yells as he holds the blonde back.
JJ recoils instinctively as soon as the older man has his hands on him, something that consistently breaks Heyward’s heart. Damn Luke. However, as soon as the kid hears about getting himself arrested it looks like something sparks in his eye and he simply freezes.
Heyward runs towards his son and the deputy continuing to plead for understanding. Pope is a good boy, this makes no sense! Has Shoupe forgotten all decency and empathy? He feels nauseous as his son is about to be pushed into the back of the truck.
“It wasn’t him!” he hears Maybank yell from behind them. “It was me!”
Heyward is pretty sure that the moment after the kid yells it the earth stops spinning. Pope looks almost as shocked as his dad. Shoupe pauses and stares back at JJ not looking 100% convinced.
JJ looks directly at his friend and calmly walks towards him and the deputy. He points to Pope. “He tried to talk me out of it, but I was mad because he had just been beaten up…”
Heyward sucks in a deep breath. He remembers that day vividly. Pope and JJ had gone to Figure 8 on his boat with some deliveries. When they returned his son had been visibly upset telling him that some of the goods had been lost and he was sorry. His wild friend had angrily chimed in that “fucking Kooks” were corrupt assholes and it wasn’t Pope’s fault. His son was also clearly trying to hide some new bruises that day. He was embarrassed and the older man had figured JJ had gotten him into another sticky situation so he didn’t pry. He had let it go. Now he wished he had asked more questions.
“I was so sick of those assholes from Figure Eight that I lost my shit,” the kid walks right up to Pope and looks him in the eye. “I can’t let you take the blame for something I did. You’ve got too much to lose.”
Pope is horrified. He asks, “JJ, what are you doing?”
“I’m telling the truth…for once in my goddamn life, I’m going to tell the truth,” the boy turns from his son to Shoupe. Heyward isn’t sold that this is the truth but is at a loss for words.
JJ smirks and says, “I took his old man’s boat too.”
Now Heyward knows this isn’t the truth. JJ and Pope were on that boat together and had permission to do so. Despite his shock he retorts, “What the hell?”
Pope interrupts, “JJ come on!”
His friend yells back, “Just shut up, Pope! Shut up!”The kid bites his lip and swallows. Heyward swears he’s working hard to hold back tears as he turns towards Shoupe and continues. “He’s a good kid. You know where I’m from.”
Shoupe simply answers, “Yeah.”
It’s not lost on Heyward that something isn’t right here. Sure, he calls the Maybank kid a hooligan and gets frustrated at him on a daily basis but to hear him outwardly put himself down tore at his heart. This wasn’t right but he also didn’t want his son to destroy everything he had ahead of him.
JJ nods to Pope as if convincing him to go along and calmly says, “This was all me.”
Pope continues to look completely shaken by his friend’s confession. Heyward swears he can see the silent communication between the two boys-JJ persuading his son to go along and allow him to take the fall for him.
Shoupe sighs and turns to Pope. “That’s the whole truth?”
Pope is silent, the gears in his mind clearly turning. Heyward can see that his son is torn between what is right and what would save his hard earned future.
“The whole truth, swear to God,” Maybank answers for him.
Shoupe is frustrated by this whole ordeal and growls, “I know what you think, damnit. I’m asking Pope here.”
Once again Pope is silent. He and JJ exchange a few more looks. After his friend gives him an encouraging nod, Pope is able to croak out, “Yeah, that about covers it.”
Heyward is rushed by a wave of conflicting emotions as Shoupe uncuffs his son and then promptly slaps them on the Maybank kid’s wrists. He sees the Carerra girl and JJ exchange a look of sorrow. Pope is frozen as his friend is put in the back of the truck.
“It’s ok, Pope. We all know what your future holds compared to mine. Love you, geek,” the kid sniffs as Shoupe closes the door, shaking his head.
As the truck drives away Pope loses his mind. He takes his cap off and throws it harshly on the ground, letting out an animalistic scream. His father yells, “Pope! Pope!” as he picks up the hat. The boy is inconsolable. Kiara, crying uncontrollably herself, follows him to the dockside of the store.
Heyward still hasn’t fully processed what just unfolded in front of him. He realizes he’s still holding the warrant so he opens it. Shit. The charges of felony destruction were filed by Cynthia Thornton for her son’s brand new boat.
**
Later that evening Heyward has the warrant sitting in front of him on the kitchen table. He and his wife are seated close together.
“Heyward, do we know what actually happened that day?” she asks quietly.
He rubs the bridge of his nose and sighs, “No, we don’t. The warrant says there’s pictures from a solar camera from the marina showing a blurry image of someone leaping from my boat to the Thornton kid’s boat. It had to be pulled up from the bottom of the creek the next day. They think whoever jumped on board pulled the bilge plug to sink it.”
“Good Lord, what does a teenager need with a brand new boat like that in the first place? I will never understand those folks over on Figure Eight. Must be nice to have enough power to run cameras on the north side of the island. Meanwhile we can’t even have food in the refrigerator,” his wife whispers.
“He’s going to be responsible for up to $30,000, Viola. Jesus take the wheel. Luke’s gonna kill that poor kid,” Heyward shakes his head.
Viola stands and rubs her husband’s shoulders. “We don’t have close to that in our savings. The Maybanks sure as heck don’t. What do you think happens if they can’t pay it?”
Heyward closes his eyes. “Juvie I suppose…”
His wife lets out a long sigh. “That poor child can’t catch a break, can he? I know I have a soft spot for him but if he did it to protect our Pope I don’t know how to look at myself in the mirror if he gets sent away. This is just what will send him down a path of no return. A sure fire way that he just becomes another victim of a corrupt prison system, especially with that horrible father of his. Can’t you try and talk to Sheriff Peterkin?”
“Honey, it’s not Peterkin’s decision. Cynthia Thornton is the one who is pressing charges, it’s her kid’s boat.”
His wife lets out a hiss. “Such a vile woman. If the way she treats her own baby is any indication of how she’s handling this, poor JJ is done for.”
They hear the screen door in the living room squeak open. Pope trudges into the kitchen, head down. He doesn’t bother to acknowledge either of his parents. Instead he heads straight for the snack cabinet, slamming the door open.
Viola and Heyward exchange a look. This is typical behavior when their son is hurting. He doesn’t do well managing his emotions. His wife calmly approaches him and gently places her hand on his shoulder. “You ok, baby?” she coos softly.
Pope recoils and stares at his feet. His chest is heaving. Heyward stands and joins his wife by their son’s side. “Pope, we need to talk about what happened in the store today, son.”
Pope’s head snaps up. He meets his father’s gaze, eyes filled with tears. “What’s there to talk about? JJ is as good as dead and it’s my fault! Meanwhile Topper and Rafe can beat me with a golf club but nothing happens to them!”
In that moment Heyward and his son share an understanding. JJ Maybank isn’t the boy who sank Topper Thornton’s boat. Pope was. He had finally had it with the bullies, he snapped and retaliated. His best friend was paying a hefty price for something he didn’t do; taking the fall and sacrificing himself to ensure that his son’s future remained intact.
Heyward wraps his son in a tight hug. Pope melts into him, sobbing uncontrollably. “I’m gonna try and work some magic to make this right. You hear me, son?”
**
The next morning Heyward pulls his truck up to the giant mansion the Thorntons call home. He is aware of their address due to the amount of orders he receives from the affluent family. Cynthia enjoys her expensive blue wine from Italy that he has to order from a specialty store in Charleston. Topper has some type of an allergy to wheat and dairy so he has to pull a lot of strings to get a special protein powder for the spoiled brat to use shipped to the island. The older man shakes his head thinking about how often a half starved JJ Maybank inhales food at his dinner table. The world was really an unfair place.
He parks at the very end of the driveway and makes his way to the front entrance. He scoffs as he passes two marble lions at the end of a grand staircase. What is this, the Taj Mahal? He presses the doorbell and listens to the elaborate chimes play classical music.
A petite woman in a neat black and white uniform opens the front door. “May I help you, sir?” she asks shyly.
Of course these people have a staff. “Yes. My name is Heyward. Is Dr. Thornton home?”
The woman looks confused. “She is but it’s still quite early. She’s having her breakfast currently. Do you have an appointment?”
Heyward glances at his watch. It’s almost 10am. He’s been up since before dawn working. “No appointment but I have something important to talk to her about. Tell her the owner of Heyward’s Seafood and Provisions is here.” He figures if she thinks there’s a delay with her precious wine she can put her fork down and meet with him.
“Oh, ok. I suppose I can check with her to see if she’d like to talk. Please come in but you’ll have to wait in the foyer,” the nervous worker stepped aside to let him in.
The chill of the AC hits Heyward in the face. Unbelievable. His family is sweating bullets over on the cut not even able to use a fan, meanwhile it feels like December in Canada in this place. The young woman scurries back. “Dr. Thornton is out on the veranda. She said she can spare about ten minutes. Please remove your shoes and follow me.”
He begrudgingly removes his work boots and follows the woman out to a large porch overlooking the water. Cynthia is sitting on a large whicker couch. She doesn’t stand to greet him but motions to the seat across from her. Once he takes a seat she states curtly, “If this is about what was done to my son’s boat all questions can be directed to our legal team.”
“So that’s how it’s going to be? Even after all the specialty items I’ve searched high and low to get for your family through the years?” he shoots back.
She shakes her head and crosses her arms. “Heyward, your skill set at retrieving difficult things is much appreciated. However, that is your job. We pay a hefty price for those items and choose to do business with you. Besides, it was reported to me that it wasn’t even your son as originally thought. It was the Maybank punk who not only sunk my Topper’s boat but stole your boat to do it. If I were you, I’d be pressing charges too.”
Now it is well known that Heyward is a master at putting up with Kook bullshit in order to help his business thrive but it took every fiber in the being of his soul not to tell this horrible woman where to go and how to get there. He took in a deep breath to calm himself. “Dr. Thornton, are you aware that your son and Rafe Cameron attacked my son with a golf club and stole merchandise meant for another family on Figure 8 the same day the boat was sunk? Now, I’m not saying JJ did the right thing when he chose to sink that boat but…”
“This is preposterous!” she interrupts him. “You have no evidence that my son, an honor student at the Kook Academy, did such a thing! And the Cameron family name speaks for itself. Are you sure it wasn’t Maybank who attacked your son and stole those items? That sounds much more like something he would do! It’s the reason why there are many of us who are uncomfortable with such a lowlife working at the club and the marina.”
Heyward could feel the vein on the side of his head bulging due to the anger brewing from inside of him. JJ Maybank might have been a consistent pain in his ass but he had been dealt the shittiest possible cards in life. Each and every time he ate at their house he went out of his way to be helpful and it was clear he was damn near starving. Whenever he accompanied Pope on deliveries not only did nothing get stolen but everything was delivered in record time.
“Dr. Thornton, have you ever taken the time to have a conversation with JJ?” he manages to ask politely.
“Now why would I ever get close enough to him to do that? I’d probably contract a case of body lice,” she quips cruelly.
“Now that’s just unnecessary, ma’am,” Heyward corrects. “I have found young Maybank to be nothing like his father. He’s a hard worker and a damn good friend to my son. Have I seen him stealing? Yes. You know from where? The grocery store because he was starving. It ain’t a crime to be born poor.”
Dr. Thornton doesn’t seem swayed at all. “Look, Heyward…you can feel sorry as you want for the kid but he’s a criminal. Perhaps being sent off the island to a juvenile detention center is just what he needs to get him to pull himself up by the bootstraps and start making the right choices.”
Heywards stands, knowing no magic will be worked out with the horrible witch across from him but he had one more card to play. “You know that child and his father won’t be able to pay for that expensive toy you bought for your son. Could you at least consider dropping the formal charges and letting him work it off? You’ll save money in the long run because you’ll never see a cent from them. If you bought the parts needed he’d be able to fix it; he’s very skilled at that. He listens to me. I’d get him where he needs to go until it’s fixed. I’ll even supervise him if you don’t trust him.”
“I’m sorry but no. He did the crime so he must suffer the consequences. It’s not about the money. Someone must hold that derelict accountable. Good day, Heyward. See you at Midsummers tonight. You always have the most lovely selection at your raw bar,” she says dismissively.
“Goodbye, Dr. Thornton,” he says as he walks back into the home. As he pulls his boots on in the foyer he reminds himself to not forget to call the distributor in Charleston to cancel his latest order of a case of Italian blue wine.
**
The Midsummers party comes and goes. When Topper Thornton ordered an oyster from his raw bar it was really difficult to not turn around and spit in it. However, Heyward is a consemit professional so he didn’t. It was difficult seeing JJ from afar in his busboy uniform, face littered in blue and purple bruises. Luke had been angry that was for sure.
He wondered if he should involve Child Protective Services but he was well aware that a kid like him wouldn’t be sent to a loving home, especially with the charges looming against him. The best he’d get would be a group home if not a quicker entry to the Wadesboro Juvenile Detention Center.
Heyward had halfheartedly yelled his son’s name as he ran away from his shift that night following his wild friends. Seeing JJ cause a raucous while the tight ass Kooks looked on horrified was quite a site to behold. He may have even chuckled to himself when the rambunctious teen called Rose Cameron “Lady Liberty” as soon as he saw her crazy spiked crown. The kid has spirit for sure.
**
The morning after Midsummers Heyward is on his dock cleaning out the coolers while the sun was just peaking over the horizon. He hears a rattling noise from behind him so he turns to find the source. None other than JJ Maybank is hanging onto the storm pipe, shimmying down from Pope’s second story window.
He waits for the kid’s boots to touch securely on the ground to yell, “What in the name of God’s green earth are you trying to do boy!?!”
JJ freezes. Heyward can tell he’s considering his options. He knows he can outrun the older man but he won’t be able to avoid him forever.
Heyward sighs, takes a seat on one of the coolers, and motions for the boy to join him. “C’mon son, take a seat right here.”
JJ reluctantly abides, sitting across from his friend’s dad pulling his hat down lower hoping to cover up his black eye and face littered with bruises. “Uh, listen Heyward, I was just tryin’ to leave without bothering you or the Mrs.”
“Where you headed this early in the morning kid?” Heyward hands him a bottle of water he fished out of one of the coolers.
The boy takes it from the older man but avoids directly looking at him. “Thanks…I dunno. The Chateau probably. John B needs some stuff. He…uh…had a rough night but he’s ok now. He’s in the hospital but I woke up to a text saying Ward fucking Cameron is gonna foster him so I’m going to go grab some of his shit for him and…”
“JJ, you’re welcome to come and stay here like you did when you were younger if you don’t want to go home right now. You can quit trying to hide it. I ain’t gonna tell no one. Lotta good it would do you if I did,” Heyward drawls.
“Oh this?” the kid points to his face. “Thanks but this is more Kook bullshit. They hate me even more now since I sunk their king’s ship…”
“Boy, I know you weren’t the one who sank that spoiled son of a bitch’s boat,” the older man interrupts.
That got JJ’s attention. He gulps and his leg starts bouncing uncontrollably. “What? Of course I did. Sorry about taking your boat. I just can’t help myself sometimes. You know how us Maybanks are…”
“Stop it,” Heyward interrupts him again. “I know it was Pope. And I know what you did for him. It was a stupid and selfless decision you made the other day. That’s why I’ve been tryin’ to fix it for you.”
JJ’s mouth hangs open and his eyes are wide. He starts to say something but then stops, looking away again.
Heyward continues, “Now I’m not saying you’re not still a royal pain in my ass so don’t start getting cocky around me. I tried to talk to Dr. Thornton about arranging some work for you to make her drop the charges but that woman has ice wine running through her veins.”
“Uh, ice wine?” JJ questions, looking legitimately confused.
“Yeah, that rich bitch has had so much wine and Botox she’s barely considered human anymore.”
The two stare at each other for a moment before they both start laughing hysterically. Once they settle down JJ says, “Damn Heyward, that was a good one.”
“You ain’t a bad kid you know. A bit wild but you’ve been saving Pope’s ass since you were little kids,” the older man says seriously.
JJ shrugs, “Well, he’s the smartest guy I know. He’s actually going places. I’m just…”
“Why do you always do that?” Heyward interrupts.
The boy’s head snaps up. “Huh? Do what?”
“Put yourself down. It ain’t lost on me that this bravado thing is an act. Every chance you get you rip yourself down. Hearing what you said to Shoupe about where you’re from damn near broke my heart, kid. And my heart is pretty much titanium.”
JJ doesn’t answer. He shifts uncomfortably across from the older man looking behind him at the shrimp boats heading out for their daily catch. Adults speaking kindly to him is not something he’s used to.
“I’m just saying’ give yourself a chance. I knew Luke when he was your age. You’re nothing like him. He never would’ve taken the fall for someone else. You did. You saved my boy and I’m not gonna forget it.”
JJ bites his lip again and is nervously playing with his hat. “I…uh…gotta go to the Chateau. JB needs his stuff…”
“Sure thing, JJ. Can you help an old man up? These knees ain’t what they used to be,” Heyward reaches his hand over to him.
The kid jumps up and takes the older man’s hand, pulling him up off of the cooler. Heyward holds onto his hand a little longer than necessary. “Thanks, Maybank.”
JJ smiles slightly and looks directly into Heyward’s eyes. “You’re welcome old man.”