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C A S T A W A Y
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"What's up Eight Bait."
Harley startled dropping her towel to the floor. Her heart had skipped a beat in fright. She turned to face JJ who had stopped in front of her bedroom door probably heading to the toilet or John B's room.
"What did you just call me?"
"Eight Bait... Picture bait on a hook, you throw it into the water into the feeding ground of sharks. Lo' and behold the sharks descend. You are the bait, the sharks are the kooks. They saw you coming from a mile away and like an idiot you let the biggest idiot shark snag you."
"Are you high?" Harley's question was valid when you knew JJ.
"Yes I am." JJ didn't disappear like Harley assumed he would. "I saw you."
"You saw me..." Harley lifted her eyebrows in question as she picked up the towel she had been drying her hair with. "Okay. That's not creepy at all."
"I said I saw you. I never said I was watching you," JJ spoke defensively.
"And still it's just as creepy." For once JJ didn't look standoffish so she chose to give him the time of day. "What are you trying to get at?"
"I saw you in the water by the dock. Are you training for some kind of underwater sports or something that I don't know about."
"No. I was just swimming. And anyway, you made it pretty clear you hate my guts so you'd be the last person I tell about any hobbies I picked up."
JJ ignored pretty much everything Harley said and continued on in a lethargic manner. "Because you have PTSD about the night you washed up here. Probably wake up a blubbering mess. Yet you choose to dive underwater for a while at a time as if you're searching for something." JJ smirked. "Is there gold down there or something. Care to share, Castaway? This is my boy's land after all."
"You're rambling." Harley shook her head and spun away from the strange boy. Clearly the air must be getting to him like always because how could one kid be so hyperactive at all times, all the time.
"Is that how you're going to dismiss me? Damn those Kooks have taught you so much." JJ stepped further into the room and perched on Harley's bed looking to her now plain wall. "Where's your Rafe shrine? Or should I say your shrine of you and Rafe?"
"You mean my pictures. I took them down so that I could put up other stuff."
JJ looks around. "I don't see anything."
"Because I need to buy the stuff."
"Well why didn't you just wait to get the stuff first? Have you guys broken up?" JJ laughed. "Have you had an argument."
"No we're perfectly fine actually."
"Is this the part where you say you're irrevocably in love with him like you're that girl from that vampire movie."
"Twilight? Are you calling Rafe a vampire?"
"He is one cold, creepy, pale bastard."
"He's not pale."
JJ chuckles "That's all you got from that. I bet he doesn't even have a heartbeat under that translucent skin. I'm surprised he's not brain dead. Ahh actually he is. That explains why he goes around like a rabid dog beating up everything and everyone."
"JJ!"
"So yeah, I guess I'm calling him that loser vampire."
"Edward?"
"Yeah him." JJ mutters "What a shitty posh boy name too."
"JJ, get out!"
"Gladly." He hopped up and left without so much as a look back.
Harley stood astounded by JJ's audacity to approach her and then hate on her, all while not being astounded at all. This was JJ she was talking about. It was just weird that he put that much effort into making sure she knew he very strongly disliked her. Maybe if he put that much effort into school he wouldn't be failing. And if he put that much effort into his own life and family maybe he wouldn't be round John B's all the time where she was.
JJ does everything so spontaneously that Harley had to wonder if his dad even cared where he was. How odd.
She finished drying her hair and pulled it up out of her face. She didn't have plans with Rafe today and she was supposed to be hanging out with John B but JJ invited himself over. Sarah was busy being Sarah Cameron so Harley was going to drop by the garage and see if Billie needed a helping hand.
It was a lot cooler in the Outer Banks today, so Harley slipped on her Nascar jacket.
In the kitchen, John sat at the table with a slim stack of papers and a mug of, most likely, black coffee. On whatever he was reading, Harley noticed a small emblem in the top corner. It was golden, a ring around a bouquet of flowers. No. A posy of hay. The insignia looked familiar but like a lot of Harley's memories and recollections this one was missing.
"You've got your jacket on." John looked up and pointed in Harley's direction with his pen. "Are you off somewhere?"
"Yeah. I was going to see if Billie needed help at the garage since I'm not doing much here."
John sat up and took off his glasses. He tapped the table opposite him as he said, "Come sit. I wanted to talk to you about something quickly. Nothing bad."
"Are you sure?" Harley cracked a smile but she couldn't help the underlying nerves. Occasionally, she was reminded that her life here wasn't permanent.
"Yeah I'm sure, Kiddo." Big John reassured Harley immediately. "Actually, I think John B should be here. One second."
Harley sat rubbing at the pulse at her wrist nervously whilst John went to get his son for what seemed like a serious chat. As far as Harley knew everything was okay, yet that didn't stop her from fiddling. Rafe hated when she did that so she found herself sat on her hands and releasing a deep breath.
Shortly, the two Routledges returned and sat around the table with Harley. JJ's absence only fueled Harley's nerves as she stared between the two.
"So, you've been living with Bird and I for a while now and we think you fit in effortlessly. You've started to feel like a part of the family. And so I wanted to know if being a Routledge was something you'd want."
"I don't understand..."
"I'm an acting legal guardian but I wanted to know if you'd do me the honour of letting me adopt you? You'd legally be a Routledge and you'd be able to stay here. It gives you stability, knowing you won't be leaving, and it gives you a family that... loves you."
Harley was speechless. The nervous knot she'd had in her stomach five seconds ago had unravelled and vanished hollowing out her insides. She'd heard what Big John has said, yet her mind was still catching up and processing.
They wanted Harley to stay permanently. They had taken to Harley enough that they wanted her to be part of the family officially. She hadn't been expecting it and couldn't form a coherent response.
"You want me to be part of your family? Are you sure?"
It truly was surprising. She had washed up on their land and brought drama to their doorstep. The Pogues took her in and then she 'betrayed' them for the Kooks slightly coming between John B and the others. There was also the frequent hospital visits, though someone anonymous was still paying the bills. She couldn't forget almost being kidnapped, being questioned and checked up on by the police.
Then there was whatever so called family she had that wasn't looking for her. A part of her still wanted to find them. She wanted to know where she came from and what her life had been like. Yet, there was no word from Sheriff Peterkin and all of the searching Harley did left her deflated afterward. She felt awful that John and John B wanted her to be a part of the family and she was searching for her own as if she didn't want to be in the Routledge home.
"We wouldn't ask if we weren't sure, Lee." John B playfully nudged her shoulder earning himself a smile from her. "It would be cool to have you as a sister."
"You have time to decide. But, don't feel like you have to if you don't want to. It's all about making sure you're happy and situated."
Harley didn't know what to say or do. Her thoughts and feelings were all contradicting one another. "Could I think about it?"
"Of course you can. There's no rush. When you're ready let us know."
Harley nodded, immediately feeling guilty at her response. Maybe she should have just said yes, but she couldn't help wanting to think about it. She enjoyed being at the Routledge home and the friends she had made and kept, however there was still a part of her holding out to find her family. The part that kept dragging her back to the waters and below the surface until she couldn't breathe, in order to catch a smeared glimpse of her former life.
"I'm sorry."
John shook his head, "You don't have to apologise. You're allowed to be unsure about something like this. It is a big decision."
"We're still Jellybird no matter your decision," John B laughed and flung an arm around Harley. "And you're still a Pogue."
Harley huffed out a laugh and messed up his hair with amused eyes. "Pogues for life."
⚓
Clouds coasted above hiding the sun away for minutes at a time, toying with those hoping for a blazing warmth over the island. It reminded Harley of the afternoon Rafe had taken her out on his family's boat. They had a picnic out on the deck wrapped in blankets and each other watching the sunset. Sunsets seemed to be their thing.
Harley strolled through the open door of the garage eyes sweeping the area for her boss and good friend.
"Hey Billie!" She called out stepping toward the back office.
Normally Billie would be working on a car or sat at her desk in the office. Today, however, she wasn't anywhere to be seen which Harley found peculiar since the garage and the shop were open. Billie never usually left either place unattended.
Harley decided to wait in the office for any sign of Billie. In doing so she began to look around. She had been in the office numerous times, but never really looked around. Not that there was anything interesting to find in a garage office except the keys to cars they were servicing or the fancy ones Billie had imported and parked out front. Harley had her eye on a classic baby blue Camaro. In Harley's eyes it was old but gold and anybody would be lucky to drive it. She did wonder though how Billie had some of these cars and why she'd bring them to Kildare out of everywhere in the world.
Papers and files were stacked on the desk, pens and oil smothered cloths scattered around. She glanced down at the top sheet as her eyes scanned over the neat desk. A logo caught Harley's eyes and had her looking back. It was similar or the same one she had noticed on Mr Routledge's papers. Billie must have been servicing boats for whatever company this was that Mr Routledge must have been working for. Another pile looked like invoices and receipts from customers. A Mr Wayne paying installments totalling ten grand for repairs.
"Hi."
Harley jumped ten feet in the air at Billie's sudden voice. She looked up and stepped away from the desk she'd been leaned over.
"What are you doing?"
Harley looked around. "I was looking for you. I decided to wait in here when I couldn't find you."
"Hmm, well in future I'd appreciate if you waited out there," Billie gestured back into the main area. "Just to alleviate the temptation to snoop."
Harley was kind of taken aback by Billie's demeanour. Yes, snooping was rude, but it was only customer invoices and documents. She works here so it's not a secret whose cars have been in the garage and how much they've paid for what. Despite that, Harley chose not to argue and simply nodded.
Maybe Billie could see that she'd been a bit strong with her outburst or she was just that good at switching moods, but a smile plastered itself on her face. "Sorry for being so abrupt. It's just that I had a little surprise for you and it would have been ruined if you kept looking at those papers."
"What do you mean?"
"I... had a surprise for you." Harley watched on with an air of suspicion since Billie didn't sound that confident in her words. "I've seen you eyeing the blue Camaro outside and thought maybe I could give you lessons in it, before I gift it to you."
Billie circled to her desk and rummaged in her drawers pulling out a few papers and covering the previous piles. One thing she pulled out was an envelope with Harley's name scrawled across the top.
Harley's jaw dropped. "Wait. What? Are you serious?" She held her breath waiting for a response trying and failing to subdue her excitement. She was buzzing at the idea of it all already. Everything else forgotten.
"Yeah... deadly serious. You would have ruined the surprise if you went nosing around."
Harley took the envelope offered to her and pulled out the contents. 'P' stickers were the first to come out. Harley peered up questioningly.
"Even though I'm offering you lessons, we both know you won't need them. You'll be a learner for a week at most."
Harley looked down smiling and pulled out another paper.
It was a document of ownership curated in Harley's name. The last thing was a pre-filled form for an official license. Clearly, Billie had a lot of faith in Harley passing a test very soon.
"I don't know what to say," Harley gushed. There was no need for Billie to do something like this which is what made it even more special.
"You've gone through and are still going through quite a bit, and yet through that you're a hard worker and you're always happy. You deserve a gift to show how much I appreciate you."
"A gift sure. But a car and lessons... that's a lot."
"You deserve it."
Harley wasn't too sure about that, she hadn't done anything worthy of receiving a gift. On the contrary, she didn't want to go back and forth with Billie over it because Rafe had told her that doing that could be annoying.
"Thank you so much, Billie."
The two hugged before Billie offered Harley the keys to her new car. Harley bounded out of the garage like a kid at Christmas with Billie's laughter following her all the way outside.
Harley stopped short of crashing into Topper who had his hands up to catch her just in case.
"Woah there. What's got you shooting around like a rocket?"
He was in a white shirt, rolled up at the sleeves, and a pair of blue shorts.
"I got a car!" She jingled the keys happily.
"Mr Routledge got you a car?" Topper asked in disbelief. The Routledge's lived in the Cut so he assumed they weren't flush with money.
"Nope. I did." Billie turned the corner with a friendly smile. She stopped by a wall and leant against it.
Topper scanned the mechanic, before nodding and turning his attention back to Harley.
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
"Sarah is busy. So, I thought I'd come looking for you."
"Where's Kelce?"
"No idea. I haven't checked in with him today."
A teasing smile took hold of Harley as she went to give Topper a hug. "What I'm hearing is that you want to spend time with me over the boys. Which means you love me."
Topper shook his head and looked over Harley. "Something like that."
"Well, I came here to help Billie out, but I'd be free later on."
"No," Billie interjected with a wave of her hand and shake of her head. "I'm not busy here, so you can go with your friend. Take him on a ride in your new car."
"Really?"
"Yeah." Billie turned to point to Topper. "You can drive so I'm trusting you with Harley."
Topper nodded. Harley shouted goodbye and made her way to the light blue baby out front with Top.
"We can take your car if you want. Saves us from coming back."
"No. You've got a new car, a beautiful one at that, and you're excited to drive it. Let's go."
"I could kiss you."
Harley unlocked her car and slid in with a goofy smile on her face. Her hands trailed over the beige leather seats and the slim, vintage steering wheel.
"I'm so in love with this car."
If Harley's eyes could turn to hearts they would. It was as if the car was a mountain of gold.
"I think I am, too. Let's see how this baby drives."
Cruising around the Outerbanks in her baby blue Camaro would soon become Harley's favourite thing. Even having Topper to joke around with was great. She probably got on with him the best out of everybody in the group, barring Rafe and Sarah obviously. Topper was always sweet, kind and respectful. He never made Harley feel excluded, if anything he went out of his way to make her feel included.
"So, how are you and S going?" Harley asked whilst navigating some back roads in Figure Eight.
Topper shrugged, but Harley could spy the loved up look on Topper's face. "Pretty good. It's still pretty fresh, so we're still in that fun period."
"The honeymoon period?"
"Yeah, like that. But, we've been friends since we were little. Our parents have been friends for years. Us being together has been, sort of, inevitable. In the best way possible."
"Awwh," Harley cooed. Hearing Topper talk about his relationship like that made Harley giddy for her best friend Sarah. It also made her think to Rafe, she wondered how he spoke about their blooming relationship. She enjoyed all her time with him and always spoke highly of him no matter who she was speaking to.
"What about you and Rafe? All sweet in the land of the Castaway?"
"Yeah. We're great."
Topper leant his head back and tilted his head to Harley. She could feel his eyes content on the side of her face.
"You don't sound too sure."
"Yes I do." Her eyebrows scrunched up.
Her and Rafe were great. There were little things that maybe everybody else would question from what she's observed. Rafe could be a little controlling, for lack of a better word. Sometimes he could be a tiny bit aggressive when he was frustrated, however to Harley that felt normal. That's how some people could be and she found no need to adjust to his behaviours because it felt normal.
Harley had begun to think maybe Rafe reminded her of someone from her past, however it didn't seem like she would have the answer to that anytime.
"Rafe and I are great, but next time I'll squeal it with extra enthusiasm."
"So, how you say things normally?"
"Hey." Harley slapped a hand at Topper's shoulder as hard as she could without swerving the car.
"Both hands on the wheel missus. Your boss will end my life if we crash."
Harley snickered but obliged.
Eventually, she pulled into a fairly secret spot Topper had guided her to where a fountain cascaded in the centre of a public garden. This was where they spent the rest of their afternoon, until they met up with Kelce.