Back at the Château JJ, John B, Kie, and Pope are waiting around when John B asks

"How long you think she'll be?

"Who knows" Pope shrugs as I walk in and nod "speak of the devil"

"How was it?" Kie asks

"Topper knows I hang out with you guys. I got a whole damn lecture" I walk over to the couch and plop down. I noticed John B looking out the window.

"Guys....Guys! Somebody's here" We all stand up and rush to the window.

"Is that them?" Kie asks

"No your kidding me" I say my anxiety forming

"is that them" Kie asks again

"I told you these guys were serious" JJ says turning around and putting his hands on his head, I watch a John B pushes JJ up against the wall

"Where's the gun?"

"The gun?" JJ mumbles "The gun is"

"Now you don't have the gun. the one time we need it" I say my voice starting to pick up a little with anxiety

"Your backpack?" John B asks looking at JJ

"and then I put it"

"On the porch?"

"The porch" JJ nods and runs out of the room to the porch I hear him coming back as I hear my name being called

"Sydney Thornton!! Come out Now!!"

My eyes widen as I cover my mouth with my hand. I see JJ running towards me.... well not just me, running back toward the rest of us. He runs back into the room and closes the door and looking directly at me. I see the worry and protectiveness in his eyes as whispers "There on the front porch"

"THORNTON! WHERE YOU AT GIRL. WE SAW YOU COME IN HERE!"

“We gotta leave!” I’m looking around and then at the windows, “guys, window. Window.” It’s painted shut but they immediately try opening it, pulling up on the bottom lip, even pushing up on the top window seal, “Hurry.”

“Sack this place!”

I’m moving forward towards the desk and grabbing a letter opener as glass is being smashed through the house, “what... What's happening? Why is it taking so long?” I walk to Kiara quickly, a rush to my steps and hand her the knife, “here, here…”

“It's painted shut, okay?”

“I'll check the kitchen.”

" WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU THORNTON"

Kiara is digging out the paint as the two men are grunting and breaking things in the house, looking over John B and now Pope are braced back against the door, “Come on.” JJ’s whispering as the smashing in the background gets louder, “I’m going as fast as I can.”

“Hey, check the back room.”
We’re shushing each other as the door is starting to get banged on, the men outside yelling as the sound of glass shattering continues, he’s rattling the door and kicking it just as they open the window.

 
JJ pulls me over as the door starts to splinter, Kiara jumps out and then Pope only for JJ to make me jump out into Pope's arms, the last two boys following, “chicken coop now…” John B reached up and pulled the window closed as we all moved.

“You better not be in there!”

I can barely hear the yelling as we crouch walked our way inside the coop, John B and Pope bracing again on each side of the coop away from the chicken fencing. “Oww what the shit,” I sat against the side next to JJ and my leg felt like it popped, he looked down moving my leg over pushing me to sit at an angle.

"She must have escaped with her friends, well find her someplace else"

“Don’t move,” he whispered to me as Kiara looked over, I felt something on my leg pull as Kiara’s eyes widened her hand covering my mouth. Next thing I know is the roosters crowing loudly next to us and looking down I whimpered, a thumbtack sat in between JJ’s fingers, the metal pin was curved.

My hand sits against his wrist when I blink a few times, I had grabbed it when he pulled the pin out of my leg. My head lolled back, somehow it hurt more than getting shot. My eyes were teary when John B snapped back as did Kiara, the men leaving the house with cartons filled with books and binders. JJ shushed me letting me lean my head against him as I let out shaky breaths.

John B is looking out the holes as we are all cramped in the coop.

The rooster, the damn rooster is going to fucking blow our cover as i think that the rooster crows again, “do something, Pope. Shut him up.” He looked at JJ like it was ridiculous, “what do you want me to do?”

“Pet it, or talk to it. I don't know.” Kiara’s on the verge of crying as well, the chickens clucking with the rooster crowing making the area loud, “you do something.” Pope hits it away once and it flies in front of JJ and I. John B moves back and plants himself next to Kiara as she starts crying.

“JJ…” I watched as he grabbed the rooster pulling it’s neck before twisting it tight and snapping the spine with a crunch. I shoved my hand over my mouth this time, almost making a noise as my tears fell, a car engine in the background starting up.

“Ratter! What the hell are you doin'? Let's go.”

I listen as the truck drives off and Kiara starts to sob out loud, “JJ…” he’s stunned at what he did and looks at Kiara then back at me. I look back at JJ still shocked over the sudden quietness. I feel him grab my hand and squeeze it gently and reassuringly as we wait a few more minutes.