Breathing Blue | OBX | Sarah Cameron

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I'd gotten a text from Sarah asking me if I wanted to go to a party but I declined since I was already busy. And because we were about to eat and I wasn't going to say no to free food so we pulled up outside The Wreck. "Stealing drones makes you hungry," Kie said. 

"What I would do to a beer and shrimp and grits right now," JJ said.

"It would not be pretty," Pope responded. Kie and I went in to try and convince her dad to feed us since her dad liked me the best out of all of us. 

"Hey, Dad." We walked around the bar.

"Hey girls."

"How'd we do?"

"Didn't turn it over once."

"It's probably just bad luck because of the storm," I said and Kie hugged him.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to tell the banks that."

"Guess now is not the best time to ask for free food for me and my friends?" She asked pleadingly.

He sighed and looked over at the boys. "Look at them. They're greedy pelicans. I told you to stop hanging around these guys." He said looking at both of us. I think the main reason he liked me was because I could afford to pay for food and didn't live on the cut. I also didn't think he approved of me hanging around with them either.

"Well, everybody at the Kook Academy hates me, Dad," Kie said. "And I'm friends with Allie now, so it's not like all my friends are from the cut."

"'Cause you never gave them a chance."

"I did give them a chance. They got stuck up. They care more about shoes than surfing. What am I supposed to do with that?" She looked over at them and then me and they waved at us. "These are my friends." 

He chuckled lightly under his breath and then smiled. "Look. Well, I-- I got-- I gotta throw it out. Might as well take it." She gave him a big hug and we thanked him and he said he'd bring it out so I told them to sit down and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

We hung out for ages just enjoying ourselves, throwing fries into each other's mouths and filling up on the leftover food. Kie started dancing and got John B to join her. I stood next to Pope at the bar while he just watched them. As did JJ. I could tell Pope liked her, and JJ found her hot, obviously. But then he looked at me and stood up before grabbing my hand and pulling me around to dance with him. We were just finishing when I got a text from Sarah asking me to meet her outside her house.

JB dropped me off and I walked around to the back of it and found her sitting on a chair staring out at the water. I walked over to her and she stood up, hugging me. Just then I felt my phone ping and looked to see Emma had texted me asking me to go to hers. "Emma?" She asked and I nodded, causing her to sigh. "You can go if you want. I'm okay."

"No, no, no. I think I'm gonna end it with her actually..."

"You don't like her? I thought you liked her a lot?"

"I do, but I don't really see it going anywhere. I see her more as a friend I think."

"She'll be cool with that. She's a chill girl."

"Yeah, I know. I just wish it would work out, she's great. I just hope she'll be friends after."

"I wouldn't worry about that. I really don't know her too well but that girl has never held a grudge in her life."

"Yeah. Um, anyway, what happened. You seem sad." I sat down and she sat next to me.

She paused for a moment then sighed. "Als, why am I such an idiot?"

I chuckled slightly. "Where do I start? Did something happen at the party?"

"Yeah. Um... It's what didn't happen." I stood up and took her hand and we walked over to the chair swing they had and sat down, and she rested her head on my shoulder. 

"Okay. I'm listening."

"I told Topper I was ready."

"You did?"

"Yeah."

"Then... when it came down to it, I don't... I don't know, I- I couldn't do it." She stammered.

"Did he get mad? Did he stomp?" I asked her and she laughed lightly.

"Yeah. He's a stomper." We both chuckled. She moved so that she was led with her head on my thighs looking up at me.

"Well, it always has to feel right, no matter what." I stroked her hair softly.

"I know, but it did feel right. He was so sweet the entire day."

"What changed?"

"I don't know." We stayed there for a while before I took her up to bed and said goodbye since I'd said I would go out with Kie and the rest of them in the morning to look for the Royal Merchant. I got home and went to bed since it was already quite late. I decided I would tell Emma the next time I saw her. I didn't want to lie to her.

***

JB, Kie and I jumped in off the pier outside The Chateau and swam around the camera while JJ and Pope checked if it worked. Once we'd tested it for a while we paddled back up to the surface to get out. "Hey, once we get footage of the wreck, we'll bring it to a lawyer in town and file a formal claim." John B explained.

"It's bullshit. Why do we have to do that?" JJ leant on the plank of wood running across the front of the pier.

"Well, there is maritime salvage law. You can't just go to the ocean floor and scoop a bunch of stuff up." Pope told him.

"I know. I know. It's just lawyers aren't cheap, bro." I pointed at him and nodded, agreeing.

"I could try and help, it's just that I don't think my aunt and uncle would be up for that. Sorry guys."

"Nah don't worry about it Al, we'll figure it out." JJ put a hand on my shoulder, rubbing it softly. I looked at Kie who smirked at us. I'd told her on the way about me planning to end things with Emma and now she was convinced I liked JJ.

John B pushed his hair back out of his face. "Yeah don't worry about it. As soon as they see the footage, they'll work for a comp."

"How do you know all of that?" I asked.

"'Cause, my dad said it, like, a million times."

"Yeah, that's fair," Kie said and I nodded.

"This tether is, like, really long. In the wrong weather, it could get pushed around." Pope said while Kie climbed out of the water.

"Then we'll go at dead calm." John B climbed out after her as a rumble of thunder came, indicating today was not the day.

"At slack tide?" Kie asked.

"So now, we just gotta wait around for the right weather," Pope said.

"And today is not that day." I looked up at the sky.