Shells

Chapter 1

(a/n hi y'all I'm so excited we're finally starting. My book will mostly be in 3rd person but I'll specify if that changes. Also John B's dad has to be missing for longer for the timeline to work :) and bold is narration!)

"That's what? A 3 story fall to the deck? I give you about a 1 and 3 chance of survival" the brains of the group cautioned

That's Pope Heyward. The smartest of the group and a finalist for the Lucas T. Vanderholt scholarship. He was also probably the weirdest of the group. He wanted to be coroner. His dad is a legend on the island. He was able to get you anything from the mainland. He didn't really know what to make of his odd son but that's just who Pope is.

"Should I jump?" The shaggy haired boy asked while teetering on the edge of the roof of the only semi-completed house

That's John B. Routledge. The assumed leader of the pogues. His house, the chateau, provided shelter for many of his friends. His dad went missing a year and a half ago at sea. People around here don't just go missing at sea. He refused to sign the presumed dead papers until they had a body. His mom ditched them when he was young, last they heard she was in Colorado. He had an uncle who is his legal guardian but he hasn't been in the banks for months. But nevertheless, the boy was rarely lonely. Lydia and JJ often stayed with him— neither of their home lives were great.

"It's only worth it if you do a flip" the brunette commented, sitting on the scaffolding just below the roof next to the boy that she loved but could never tell.

Speak of the devil, that's Lydia Sherman. Formerly the spitfire of the group. She changed not long after Big John went missing. She's now probably more reckless than JJ. She stays at the chateau because her father is an alcoholic and hurts her. The girl's mother had passed when she was 12. Lydia never used to be found without a smile on her face. But since the incident last summer, the only smiles she gives are fake.

"John B don't drop that beer man. You are not getting another one" the blonde boy added

The blondie is JJ Maybanks. He comes from a long line of fishing, drinking, vendetta-holding, salt-lifers who made their living off the water. He's definitely the best surfer of the group by a long shot but none of them liked to admit it. He also had a shit father. His mother had walked out on them pretty soon after JJ was born. JJ is only a mild kleptomaniac and will definitely be a future tax cheat.

And as if he had spoken it into existence, John B dropped the beer.

Around the same time the only other female in the group came out complaining about Japanese toilets and how the house had been built on a turtle habitat.

The girl who cared so deeply about the environment was Kiara Carerra or Kie. She was the only one in the group who technically wasn't a pogue. She lives on figure 8, the rich part of the island. But she hated the kooks and how stuck up they were. So she has her foot in both worlds. When she isn't listening to Marley, ranting about the environment or working at her parents restaurant- The Wreck, she hangs out with the pogues. The rest of them don't know why she does but are happy to have her around.

As Lydia opened her mouth to respond to Kie, Pope cut them off, "Uh, guys? Security is here"

"Wow they're early today" JJ grinned, helping the shorter girl off of the scaffolding. They quickly ran through the front of the house, JJ narrowly avoiding one of the guards. "Gary! It's nice to see you but I'm not much of a hugger"

He met Lydia and Pope at the chainlink fence, boosting both of them over onto the side where their ride- a beat up volkswagen van that they lovingly referred to as Twinkie- was slowly starting to leave