Solar Power // [outer banks / jj maybank]

7 - "We did it!"

Odie 

The next morning I wake up briefly when JJ leaves my bed, groaning at him to take a shower as I slammed a pillow over my head and rolled over, sleeping for a few more hours before getting up myself. JJ wrote me a fucking note. 

'Odes,
Pope's got me delivering groceries today
We'll be all over fig 8 please do me a favor 
and lay out wear a bikini so i have some 
eye candy whenever we pass your place
I'll owe you one,
JJ'

"Good morning." I say, entering the kitchen, still in my pjs and seeing Rose Cameron and Julie standing there. "Rose, I hope your morning is bad." I correct myself and she scoffs.

"Excuse me-"

"Odie." Julie eyes me, telling me to apologize without actually telling me.

"Sorry." I say, sounding more like a groan than anything else. "The Wreck is open. Told Mr. Carrera that you would order a shrimp salad for lunch today."

"Damn right I will." Julie laughs. "I made cold brew yesterday, it's in the garage fridge." She says when I head towards the coffee pot, knowing that I prefer cold, but also knowing that since I'm already wearing my bikini, I'm laying out in the sun all day. 

"Thanks, Julie, you're getting good at this whole thing." I say, heading towards the garage, where my dad's underneath his car. "What on Earth are you doing?" I ask. 

"Don't look so shocked, who put in half of the renovations on the Twinkie?" He laughs, sliding out from underneath the car, with a smile on his face.

"Big John, while you handed him tools." I respond with a smile, going to the fridge and using Julie's fancy cold brew machine. She might be hellbent on being the perfect mom and annoys the life out of me nine out of ten times, but she's full of Pinterest mom hacks that have made the house run smoother. Before we had her in our lives, we had frozen pizza for dinner twice a week, Izzy's hair was cut to her chin so my dad didn't have to figure out how to style it further than a pony or pigtails, "bunnies,"  if she was feeling it, and most importantly, my dad was sad. Now the house is weirdly streamlined, we're well fed, even if we order from restaurants a lot, Izzy's hair is almost to her ass, and she can style it herself, plus dad is happy again. I wonder if I should have him listen to that tape recording from Big John or not. Might be good closure.

"What are you up to today?" He asks, standing and wiping oil off his hands with a rag.

"Well, we looked at the weather last night and decided that we shouldn't hang out until later, since it's going to rain for most of the day. I've got the day off, I think I'm going to quit for the rest of the summer, I really can't be bothered, I'm sorry, so I'm just gonna lay out."

"Perry loves you, so if you ever decide you want to go back, you probably have that option. I know you and your friends have been having fun, so as long as you stay safe, I don't care." See? Told ya, he just wants us safe. "What are you doing today?" I ask, wishing I put my milk in my cup before I came out here so I don't have to stop chatting with him.

"Not much, Mr. Carrera expecting our lunch orders today?" He asks and I nod. "Maybe we can get lunch, the four of us?" He asks, looking almost scared to ask me.

"She's with Rose, so ask Julie before they decide to pop open a bottle of rose or something." I say with a smirk and head back inside, putting some vanilla syrup and oat milk into my coffee. "And dad, can we please see about getting electricity to JB's? I get the heebie jeebies at night when the lightbulbs he's got hanging outside can't turn on." I say when I realize he followed me inside.

"I'll call the company, but I'm not sure what I can do." He rolls his eyes. 

"Thanks!" I smile, taking my coffee and heading upstairs to change. I guess I'll do what JJ asked, twist my arm, I'll work on my tan all day. I think I've got half an edible stashed in my nightstand, maybe I'll have that after breakfast, I'm not doing anything until JJ and Pope are off work, and even then I think we're just going to go surfing. I can't wait to hit the waves, maybe I'll do that. Wow the opportunities are endless when you quit your job. "I think I'm gonna go surf." I say to my dad, my beach bag in my hand.