A GROUP OF five friends was hanging around a house under construction. A brunette-haired boy stood on the roof. He was drinking a beer and balancing himself. One of the friends, who had dark skin and was holding a power tool, was on the ground. A blonde boy sat on the scaffolding. The girl with short curly hair was sitting on the floor. The other girl with darker skin, and long, curly hair, was inside the house.
We're the Pogues, and our mission this summer is to have a good time, all the time.
"Please be careful John b." The girl from the floor yelled up to the boy on the roof.
"I am, don't worry."
"That's what, a three-story fall to the deck? I give you about a one in three chance of survival." The dark-skinned boy spoke up and the brunette boy tested the air.
"Should I do it?" He asked.
"Yeah, jump." The dark-skinned boy said.
"John b."
"I'll shoot you on the way down."
"You'll shoot me?" The two boys pretended to shoot each other.
"They're gonna have Japanese toilets with towel warmers." The other girl said coming out of the house.
"Of course. Why wouldn't they?" The blonde said.
"This used to be a turtle habitat, but who cares about the turtles, I guess?"
"I love turtles." The girl says with a smile as she is standing up.
"I can't have cold towels."
"Can you please not kill yourself?"
"I'm scared he's gonna fall."
"Don't spill that beer. I'm not giving you another one." The blonde said and as if on cue, the brunette drops it.
"Woah! Oh, shit."
"Of course you did."
"Smooth."
"Good job!"
"A-plus."
"Dumbass."
"Hey, uh, security's here." The dark-skinned boy said, tapping the railing.
"I didn't get to finish my beer."
"Let's wrap it up."
"Boys are early today. Humpty Dumpty, let's roll." The blonde said, standing up.
"Yea." The brunette said.
"Let's go, boys and girl."
"Gary is that you? It's me. Gary good to see you, man!"
"Is it time?" The dark-skinned boy asked.
"You're asking for it." The other girl said, her hair was half up and half down.
The group ran into the house. The girl with short hair curly hair grabbed the blonde boy's hand. The blonde's heart flipped once they came to contact. They laughed as they ran through the house. The security guard was going to catch the blonde but he turned around fast. The darker girl split with the brunette boy to go to their van.
"Hey, stop! Get em! They're coming your way!"
"Hey! Stop! I got them!"
"Not much of a hugger!" The blonde yelled.
"They're going out front!"
"Come on, Pope!" The girl shouted.
"Go, go, go, go, go, go!" The blonde repeated.
The dark-skinned boy jumped over the fence and landed on his face, groaning. The girl climbed over and landed on the boy. They both groaned in pain. The blonde jumped over and helped the girl get up.
"I'm so sorry Pope." The girl says helping him up, feeling really bad.
"Get up, Pope, fasto's coming."
"Hey! Come here you little pricks!" Gary, the security guard yelled as the three were running.
"Bus is leaving!" The brunette boy yelled.
"Come on boys and girl! Whoo!" The girl yelled as the three jumped in.
They laughed as they sat down. Gary started chasing after the van full of laughing teens. The girl with lighter skin plopped on the floor and lay down.
"Check out Gary, gunnin' for a raise." The dark-skinned boy said, getting her attention so she sat up.
"Come on, Gary!" The blonde said as he poked his head out of the orange van.
"Wait. Slow down."
"Hey! You little pricks!"
"You're gonna give him a heart attack." Both girls say.
"You're so close! You can do it. There you go." The blonde boy threw the can of beer, "They don't pay you enough bro."
"Jj, stop. Stop." The girl with shorter hair says, grabbing his shoulder.
"Oh, come on. That sort of initiative is just begging to be punished."
The girl gave him a look and he gave her an apologetic look. The girl with half up and half down shut the van door. The brunette boy drove past the sign that said: Welcome to the Outerbanks, Paradise on Earth.
The Outer Banks, Paradise on earth. It's sort of the place where you either have two jobs or two houses. Two tribes, one island.
The teens were laughing as they drove on the bridge. The lighter-skinned girl jumped into the front seat, next to her crush. They were driving through houses. Big houses. Where the rich are.
All right. This is the Figure Eight, the rich side of the island. Home of the Kooks. So, guess where we don't live.
They drove past the gold course on the Kook side. The girl leaned back into the seat. The blonde boy looked over at her and then at the brunette boy. They drove to the other side. The poorer side. But the five didn't mind it at all. They were driving past old houses they aren't done or can't be lived in.
And then, this is the south side or "the cut." Home of the working class who make a living busing table, washing yachts, running charters. The natural habitat of... drumroll, please... the Pogues. That's us. Pogues, pogies, the throw-away fish. Lowest member of the food chain. Okay. So, the downside of Pogue life is we're ignored and neglected. But the upside of Pogue life? We're ignored and neglected, which means we do whatever the fuck we want, whenever the fuck we want.
They were all on the boat as the brunette boy poured the fish on the boat. The dark-skinned boy laughed. The two girls made disgusted faces. The blonde was driving the boat with his red hat backward and had his sunglasses on.
That's JJ, my best friend since the third grade. He's about as local as they come. Latest in a long line of fishing, drinking, smuggling, vendetta-holding salt-lifers who made their living off the water. Best surfer I know. Just don't tell him I said that. Mild kleptomaniac and a future tax cheat.
The girl with curly hair in the group was talking to a group of people about microplastic. The other girl and the brunette boy ran up to her and hugged her from behind.
And that's Kiara, or Kie, as we call her. When she's not saving turtles or listening to Marley, or getting a dolphin tattoo, she hangs out with us. Sometimes Spence would go with her to get a tattoo. I'm not really sure why Kie hangs out with us, though. So, she's a rich kid, actually. Foot in both worlds... Her family owns The Wreck, this Outer Banks institution. Total cash cow with the tourists. You know, I'm not really sure how her parents feel about the boys but they really love Spencer. All the boys have a thing for her and I think even Spencer had a thing for her as well.
Jj and Kiara were dancing while the others watched. All of them were laughing. The lighter-skinned girl laid her head on the dark-skinned boy's shoulder as the two watched their friends with a smile.
And that's Pope, the brains of the operation... finalist for the Lucas T. Vanderhorst Merit Scholarship. And the smartest person I know. A little bit of a weirdo though. His father's this legendary character, Heyward. Anything you wanted on the island, Heyward could get for you. Now, I'm not sure Heyward knew what to make of his oddball son, but it didn't matter. His dad definitely loves Spencer. He was a Pogue, just like the rest of us.
The girl was with Jj and the brunette boy riding the boat. After another party, it was the morning. Jj had a blonde girl with him in the brunette boy's room. The lighter-skinned girl was laying with Kie on the couch.
And that's me, John Booker Routledge. And this is where I live. An old fish shack on the marsh. The Château, as my dad used to call it. There's my Dad. He disappeared at sea nine months ago, looking for a shipwreck along with my mother. Who disappears at sea these days? And then there's my Mom. She split when I was three. Last I heard, she was in Colorado. I think it was Colorado. Uncle T! That's my uncle, Uncle T. Since my dad vanished, he's supposedly our legal guardian. At the moment, he's in Mississippi, building houses... I think... which means it's just me right now, on my own, hangin' out with my friends. Three months after our dad went missing, he was officially presumed dead. I refused to sign the papers. Until I see a body, I'm not giving up.
The five stood on the boat together, watching the sunset. They put their arms around each other. The lighter girl pushed Jj into the water for being his annoying self. He climbed out of the boat and tackled her into the water. The last person was riding her bike with John b and she stopped to see a little kitten on the road. She stopped her bike and grabbed the blanket out of her backpack.
"Hey little guy, come here. I'll take you to a vet."
And well, you can't forget about her. That's Spencer Hale. She's a quiet but sweet girl. She's known Pope since they were like 2 years old. Everyone in Outer Banks loves her. Most people have a thing for her. But I know she has her eyes on one person. I don't know who it is, she won't tell me. I wonder if it's anyone in our group, but there's the no pogue on pogue macking rule. She always tries to help people even when they're rude to her. Even when they're assholes, she still says kind things to them. We always have to stand up for her. And I am completely okay with that. I would protect her with my life. She does have a Kook friend that also protects her a lot. Ryder Santos. I don't know how they became friends but I'm glad there's one kook that's not like the rest. I wonder if that's the guy she likes. Ryder is very well known and the Santos family is in 2nd place in Outer Banks for the most known family and richest family. Spencer does work at a restaurant that Kooks and Pogues can both go to. Sometimes I go visit her, just to bother her.
So, that's my crew.
•••
Thunder was clapping in the air as the three teens walked the beach. John B, Pope, and Spencer walk through the rain and heavy wind. John B wanted to go surfing and they had to bring a sensible friend. But he usually ignores him. John B dragged Spencer along cause he wants her to just fuck it and do whatever. Spencer reads the sign that says: Beach closed due to hurricane
"It's a double overhead out there, bro. Double overhead?"
"Are you sure? This isn't the safest. What if you get hurt really badly? What if you die?"
"Those aren't surfable waves, bro," Pope said.
"Says who?" John B said laughing.
"Jb."
"Come on, Spence! Whoo!"
John B grabs her hand and they start running towards the beach. The two tried to surf but failed. John b fell and then soon after, Spencer falls. The thunder rumbled as she was swimming. She reached over to John b, and held onto his arm so she doesn't drift away. The two stared out into the distance and saw a boat.
"What the hell?" John b asks.
"Holy shit what is that?"
"I think it's a boat..."