𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒, 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

NINE| the drone

JUST as Eden had been a day or so prior, she was sitting by the edge of the HMS Pogue, bracelet kit in front of her.  Currently fixing up something for John B.—something to lift his mind off of his father for a moment—she let the sun bake down upon her back, listening in to whatever her friends decided to speak about.

John B. was steering the boat, Pope at his side as Kie and JJ sat with Eden on the edge.  The FedEx envelope was tucked right beside John B. to keep dry.  The map inside was the one key to the locked location of the Royal Merchant, and they couldn't risk losing it.

Currently, Eden and the Pogues on their way to Figure Eight—a hotel in Figure Eight, to be more specific—in search of some sort of wifi or service.  Even though it had been a few days since Agatha tore through the OBX, the Cut had yet to receive their phone service back.   The other side, however, had—thanks to the fact that they had back up generators.

Why a hotel? Well, Eden suggested the idea, based on the fact that Isla and Tom Bexley—more so Isla, if she were honest—could care less about her friends.  Heck, she was sure that her mother wouldn't even let them in if she tried to invite them, she'd faint at the sight of their sweaty appearances and dirty clothes.

Kie's parents would also be rather against the idea of letting the boys inside their house, so Eden suggested the next best thing:  A Kook hotel, where no one would question, nor would they care about five Pogue teenagers.

Eden always enjoyed rides on the HMS Pogue.  It gave her time to relax for a bit, to enjoy the ever growing heat that the summer sun granted, and the breeze that the wind allowed to pass through as they drove.  Eden could sit with her friends and soak up the remaining summer feeling.  

Even if the Pogues weren't speaking to one another—like now—the HMS Pogue made that okay.  It gave them a space where even if they were in silence, lost in their own thoughts, they could still be each other's company.

JJ spoke up, nodding towards an incoming boat, "You guys see that? That's the Malibu 24-MXZ, the worlds finest wakesetter.  "Number one in luxury, quality, and performance.  200K, easy."  The five all glanced towards the incoming boat in a dead panned stare.

"We picked the wrong parents." Pope muttered, hand meeting the back of the drivers seat.

Kie's voice turned sour as she spoke next, eyeing the passing boat. "I hate to break it to you guys, but that's Topper and his girlfriend."

At her words, Eden looked through her sunglasses, rolling her eyes as Sarah Cameron removed her own pair, scanning over the small boat with pursed lips—and a stare that screamed the word Kook—before turning away as if the Pogues weren't there at all.

"You don't have to act like you don't see us, bitch." Kiara called out, giving the blonde girl whose boat had passed an annoyed glance.  Sarah's snide probably had something to do with the words that John B. and Eden had spoken the day before, but Eden truly didn't care if she hurt the Kooks feelings.  Someone had to put her in line for snitching on John B.

"Kooks never change." Eden pushed her sunglasses up her nose, allowing the sun to beat down on her chest as she looked up.  Kooks would always be Kooks and Pogues would always be Pogues; it's just how the OBX worked.

The rest of the ride back to the chateau had gone smoothly, and now, Eden found herself back inside the Twinkie.  Heading back to John B.'s place had been full of dicussion about their plan, and now, heading to the hotel, they had everything set.