growing in love - jj maybank

Ch 1. The Kegger.

Dani Burton, an enigma to both kooks and pogues alike, stepped out of Topper Thornton's car, the warm sand catching the tips of her toes at the top of the hill. She let her attention drift toward the sounds of the ocean and, in turn, the sounds of plenty of teenagers enjoying each other's company, loudly overtaking faint music.

"I'm sorry, but I can't just let the birds have their way. It was mouse genocide! Dani agrees!"

Dani rolled her eyes, simply not understanding why Sarah and Topper were arguing in the first place and clearly annoyed by the rude interruption to her anxiety-induced people-watching. 

Lots bothered the small, quiet brunette, especially large groups of people, but she would rather face a party of rambunctious teenagers who didn't know her name than listen to Sarah Cameron and Topper argue something as trivial as mice and birds. At least at a party, she could disappear; Sarah tended to drag Dani into all her arguments with Topper when the opportunity presented itself. 

Dani quickened her pace as her eyes drifted over to a massive keg, resorting back to her quiet, mindful state, which included ignoring the blonde couple.

John B Routledge, infamous for his pogue antics, stood to the side of the massive barrel, passing cups of beer to a multitude of people: kooks, pogues, and tourists, or tourons, depending on who you asked, alike.

As Dani walked to the clump of teens surrounding the keg, pre-planning her conversation with John B, she passed Kiara Carrera. Kie was teasing JJ Maybank about something, but she gave Dani a quick glance and a small wave. 

Dani returned the favor with a reserved smile. 

Dani and Kie weren't the best of friends, but they got along well. Dani worked at the Carrera's restaurant, and they had surfed plenty of waves together. They were just two kook girls trying to shed the scaly skin of upper-class society. Kiara was possibly the only person on the island to make Dani feel as if she could belong to both the kooks and pogues. Yet, alas, they didn't run in the same circles on the day-to-day, limiting the girls' ability to be true friends. 

It was strange, though; while Kie and Dani were cordial, Dani seemed to have trouble getting along with the rest of her crew, though really, just JJ. 

Dani didn't think John B or Pope Heyward had anything too terrible to say about her; in fact, she hoped they didn't have anything to say about her. They weren't friends, and they weren't enemies. But, JJ? He was a man of mysteries... The biggest mystery of all was why the boy seemed to rather enjoy shooting Dani looks of discontent. Was it too much to ask to have the blonde pogue ignore her entirely?

Dani shook her body, physically ridding herself of her wandering thoughts. She knew that regardless of the pogue's feelings about her, one kegger wasn't going to break the outer banks.

Dani slowed her pace as she approached the curly-headed teen. "Hey, John B, can I get a cup of that?" In fear of sounding too overconfident, Dani significantly decreased the volume of the last few words of her question, adding a slight chuckle to the end. 

"Hey, Dani, what's up?" John B filled a cup, handing it to the teen and taking a swig of his own. 

Dani scooted out of the way, allowing people behind her access to the keg. "Nothing much, just, uh... enjoying the weather?"

John B chuckled at the girl's hesitancy, "Haha. Okay, Dani, have fun."

"Yep. Uhh, see ya!" 

 As Dani weaved through the crowd, ducking out of the way of wild elbows, she almost ran into Pope Heyward.