"𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙡𝙚"
𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨...
♪ 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 - 𝙩𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙬𝙞𝙛𝙩 ♪
WHEN BLUE FIRST MET JJ MAYBANK, she was convinced he was an angel.
Anyone who knew the boy would laugh at that, wondering how someone could see the wicked-tongued, rebellious, mild-kleptomaniac stoner as anything close to angelic. They only saw a derelict from the Cut, a teenager who had been to detention and the sheriff's station far too many times to count, the son of a man who moved weight and aided drug smugglers in order to bring in money.
But when Blue was seven years old, she saw him.
It was a rainy dare on Kildare when John B had brought JJ to the Chateau for the first time. Blue had been making something in the kitchen with her father, completely unaware that her brother had come home or that he had company. It wasn't until John B's voice called out that she stopped helping her dad with lunch and walked out into the living room.
And the second she faced the front door, her life had taken a turn for the better.
There, standing in the doorway with a sly smile and shaggy blond hair, was her angel. His shirt was too big for a third grader and his shoes had holes in them. His knees were scraped and he had a bruise on his cheek that, at the time, she had no idea where it came from. But despite his raggedy appearance, she thought he was beautiful.
Before that moment, Blue hated boys. She didn't want anything to do with their grossness and cooties and disgusting nature. They didn't interest her at all. No, up until that point, her only concerns were catching butterflies and planning to save the world from global warming with her best friend, Kiara. But seeing JJ Maybank in her doorway flipped some kind of switch inside her brain and suddenly boys weren't so bad anymore.
But Blue would never tell him that. His ego was already big enough and she didn't want to add gasoline to the fire.
JJ and Blue had just stared at each other for a few moments. It was like they had both just discovered something new, like they were in some kind of trance. Big John had looked between the two kids and a knowing, humored look appeared on his face. Her father was a smart man and she could tell he had figured out that his little girl had developed her first crush right before his very eyes.
Then John B rounded the corner and shoved JJ's shoulder, yelling, "Quit looking at my sister! She's off limits!" He had grabbed the blond by his oversized shirt and began dragging him away. Seven-year-old Blue had sent her brother a quick middle finger when their father's back was turned. While JJ was being forced out of the doorway, he glanced back at Blue and sent her smile and a little wave, radiating humor and confidence even back then.
Since that day, she had loved JJ completely, with him not having a single clue. She loved his voice and his laugh and his wild, untamable way of being that inspired her to live a little less carefully. It was the kind of love that consumed her, eating her alive with no mercy, but also felt easy somehow. Like it was a fate that couldn't be escaped or thrown away no matter how many times she tried.
Blue wasn't quite sure why her love for him never went away over the years. She would think that a feeling, a simple feeling, couldn't possibly last this long. That with time and experiences and other opportunities it would eventually go away or be passed onto someone else. But it never did. Something about JJ Maybank always had her. Whether it was his loyalty or his beauty or his strength, she didn't know.
Maybe it was all of him.
No matter the reason, that feeling never wavered and Blue knew she would be stuck with it forever. Because even now, with his bloodied hands in hers and a proud smirk on his split lip, she still thought he was an angel.
"You can save me the speech, alright," JJ spoke, his blue eyes keeping track of the bandage she was wrapping around his knuckles. "You're an independent woman and you don't need me to fight your battles. I know, I know-"
"Clearly you don't." Blue chuckled, motioning towards his injuries. They weren't bad at all, definitely not as bad as whatever Sean had to deal with, but she couldn't find much sympathy for that boy. "Will it ever get through your thick skull? Or should I just stop repeating myself?" The girl asked as she playfully shoved his head to the side.
He laughed, running his tongue over his teeth as he faced her again. "I feel like you should be thanking me right now, Blue. Yeah, I definitely deserve some thanks after putting my life in danger for you." There was a teasing tone underneath his request and she knew that he didn't really need her to thank him. He just liked being annoying and getting under people's skin.
But he was already under her skin for a completely different reason.
Blue gasped at his dramatic ramblings. "Danger? You really think your life was in danger?" She questioned and he shrugged. "Sean Livingston is the exact opposite of danger. His broken nose and your lack of injuries prove that, don't you think?"
He looked at her with expectance swimming in his ocean eyes, his gaze never retracting from hers as she paused her work on his hand. His fair brows raised slightly, lips pulling into a little pout, waiting for her to crack. Blue knew this game all too well. Hell, she invented it.
"You're stealing my trick," Her face scrunched up at the realization. "Not gonna work, buddy."
He groaned in disappointment. "I guess the princess's work can't be imitated."
She continued to clean up his knuckles, wiping away the blood that littered his tan skin. Blue had done this for him many times over the years and the act of patching him up became routine. It was something she wished wasn't true, something she wished they hadn't normalized in their friendship, but there wasn't much she could do to change it.
"What did he say to you, anyways?" JJ asked. The humor had left his features and was replaced by something more serious. He wanted to know if Sean needed another ass-kicking, something he would gratefully provide with no hesitation. "One minute you guys were talking and the next you were ripping yourself away from him. Did he hurt you?"
Blue shook her head, "No, he didn't." Which was true. She had dealt with a lot of Seans before and had gotten used to that kind of behavior. She learned to expect nothing less. Sure, it was sad, but it was reality. The only boys she knew that were actually sweet were her friends and her brother; and even they could have their douchebag moments. But Kie and Blue always straightened them out.
"Well, what happened?" JJ pressed, being the nosy little shit that he was. But he wasn't asking out of pure curiosity. He was asking because he was protective and wanted to shield Blue from anything that could make her feel even an inkling of pain.
"Not much, he was just weird, you know?" She began. "He started off by apologizing about my dad, and the next thing I knew, he was telling me we should go somewhere more private." She scoffed as she recalled the short-lived conversation that still boggled her mind. "Said he wanted to get know me. I knew it was bullshit."
JJ nodded, "Yeah, seems like he needs a few lessons on talking to women. Lesson number one: don't talk about her missing father. I think that should go without saying."
A chuckle left her rosy lips. "You offering to teach him? Since you're the master and all?"
"Teach him? Hell no, if I taught him all my moves, he would just lay them on you, and we can't have that happening." The blond boy shook his head, disgust riddling his expression at the thought.
"Oh, we can't?"
"No. No way."
Blue laughed at him and grabbed a washcloth from the counter they were sitting on top of. The party was still going on outside, not showing any signs of slowing down soon. They could still hear Kiara's favorite songs playing and the noises of rowdy, drunk teenagers as they continued to get shit faced. Blue was sure that once her and JJ were done in the kitchen, they would rejoin the celebration and forget who Sean even was.
She poured some rubbing alcohol over the washcloth and turned to JJ, taking his face in her free hand. A silent conversation passed between the two, one where she was warning him that it would sting and he replied with a nod that said, "I know, trust me, I know". She gently placed the cloth on his split lip, trying not to let his quiet hiss stop her from doing what needed to be done.
"You okay, Blue?" JJ spoke up as she continued to apply first aid. Blue glanced up at him, which wasn't hard to do considering their faces weren't that far apart. If she moved a few inches closer, her lips would be touching his. The realization made goosebumps appear on her arms.
"Yeah, I'm good." She said without a second thought. It was becoming a habit, one that took nine months to form.
He looked at her like he knew she had formed a routine and he was set on breaking it. JJ had a way of knowing when Blue was lying, even when her lies had a bit of truth to them. He could always tell when she was drowning in her mind or when she couldn't smile as much or when she just wanted to pretend nothing had happened for a little while. He knew because he had gone through all of that, too.
Because in all honesty, Blue could fake it for everyone else. She could fake it for her brother and their friends and the whole goddamn island. But she couldn't fake it for JJ. He could see right through her.
"River," He spoke. He only ever said her first name when he needed to reach her. When he needed her to really listen to whatever he was saying. When he needed her to know that he was there. "I know today is probably really hard for you. And I know that you seem like you're having fun, but if you're not, you can tell me." He reached for the girl's hand, the one that resting on his face, and covered it with his own.
Blue caught his stare and couldn't look away. His pleading and comforting expression drew her in, making her want to take a sledgehammer to her walls and tear them down, just for him. Only for him. "I don't know..." She began with a small sigh. "It's my first birthday without him and it's just...weird." JJ nodded when the words hit the air, his thumb rubbing circles on her wrist. "And I had forgotten for a while but talking about him with Sean just reminded me of it, and it made me realize that this is what the rest of my life was going to be like."
The pain from her father's disappearance was a hard thing for her to verbalize. To her, the scars left from losing him were deeply imprinted on her mind and heart, a constant reminder that the vivid life her father brought to her was now in black and white. But those scars were invisible to everyone else. At least that was how she wanted it to be.
Blue had a bad habit of pretending she was fine in order to carry the weight of others. She saw what her kindness did for people, how it seemed to help them when they really needed it, and she never wanted to take that away from them. She wanted to be the kind of person that lifted people's spirits, that gave them assistance when needed, that offered a shoulder to cry on at any given hour of the day. The kind of person her father would be proud of.
It was exhausting, but she would never drop her smile. Even if pretending hurt a little, she knew it was better to fake it until she made it, hoping that one day her happiness would be more genuine.
JJ took the washcloth out of Blue's hand and set it back down on the counter. He took both of her hands this time, holding them, intertwining their fingers. The blond boy had the capacity to be tough and vicious, but he was also the gentlest person she had ever known. "Maybe he'll come back, maybe he won't." He started. She knew he was trying his best to be cautious, knowing the sensitive grounds he was treading on. "But no matter what, you're not alone, okay? We're here for you. I'm here for you."
Blue nodded, "I know." Because she did. She knew that despite missing a part of my family, missing a part of herself, it wasn't all bad. Her life hadn't been completely derailed. She had people that loved her and she loved them. They were always there, and without them, she would fall apart. But they were the glue that held the girl together and kept her from breaking. And as long as she had them, she would be okay.
JJ sent her a small smile, letting the heaviness leave the room. "Okay, it's still your birthday, so close your eyes." He demanded. He took his hands from hers and she nearly frowned at the loss of contact.
"Why?" Blue laughed lightly, covering her eyes despite not getting an answer yet.
"Because I said so!"
She heard him leave the room and a few sounds from a distant room sounded in his wake. It took a couple moments before the sound of his boots against the wooden floor caught her attention. She felt his presence next to her once again before he grabbed her right arm, removing it from her eyes and bringing it up to him, but not before making sure her other hand kept her from seeing anything.
"What're you doing?" Blue asked.
"Giving you your present."
She felt something being tied around her wrist. A smile threatened to tug at the corners of her lips at the feeling of yarn pressing against her skin. It didn't take long before JJ was tugging at her left hand, removing it from her face. Blue glanced down at her gift and instantly felt a warm sensation spread throughout her chest at the sight.
A bracelet made of baby blue, sage green, and light purple braided yarn sat on her wrist. There was a metal charm that caught the dim lighting of the overhead lamp, catching her eye. She grasped the flat piece of silver and analyzed the carvings on each side. On the front was her initials partnered with a little butterfly. On the other side was a heart, and next to it was signed "JJ". The carvings were in his rough, scratchy writing.
"You made this," Blue said, grinning like he had just handed her a million dollars. "It's beautiful."
JJ shrugged. "It's nothing fancy, but none of the bracelets at the market had the shades you like." He pointed to the blue, green, and purple yarn that adorned her wrist. Her heart skipped a beat at something so simple, just him knowing the certain hues of her favorite colors and deciding to make something based on them. "Kie taught me how to braid it and the writing's a little shitty, but y'know..."
JJ's presents to Blue were always her favorite. Despite never having money, he always made sure to get her something, no matter what. Like when she turned ten and he stole flowers out of a Kook's garden to make her a flower crown, or when she turned thirteen and he got her a pastel pocket knife that he pickpocketed from the local pawn shop, or last year when he got a $2 box of blue hair dye and they dyed matching strands in their hair that lasted the whole summer.
She could have been gifted everything in the world, all the cars and mansions and private jets there were to offer, but none of it could ever compare to a birthday present from JJ Maybank. Because with him, it was always the thought and care that came with each gift. Those were the things she treasured the most.
Blue shook her head at his dismissals. "I love it, JJ, it's perfect." She told him sincerely. Her thumb ran over the charm again, touching his name, wanting it to be carved on her forever.
His fingers lightly touched her wrist again. "Yeah?"
"Yeah."
The two held a gentle stare for a few moments. Just like before, there was little space between them, and Blue felt a pull towards him that was always there - just stronger now. She hoped she wasn't seeing things because it seemed like JJ's eyes had flickered down to her lips for a split second.
Throughout the years, there had been moments where Blue thought that JJ might like her back. Moments where he looked at her a certain way or said something that was more than just harmless flirting, more along the lines of something bigger, something that held more weight. But those moments never went anywhere. They always went back to normal, to them being friends. To them being what they've always been. She thought that eventually, maybe, all of those moments would build up and up and up to the moment. The one where feelings are confessed and the best kiss in the world happens and fireworks light up the sky. The moment she had dreamed about for years, the one she would fantasize about whenever she was lost in her mind.
But it hadn't happened. And she was starting to think it never would.
Still, despite being let down time and time again, each of those moments sparked a little bit of hope within her battered heart. At least for the time being. When those moments happened, she held onto them for dear life, wanting to remember every detail and every word and every gleam in his eyes. Because if she couldn't have him, at least she could have that. At least she could have moments where she felt - just for a second - like they could be something more.
And this was one of those moments.
Blue savored it. She watched as his gaze swept over every inch of her face and wondered if the already-small distance between them was getting smaller. But before she could get an answer and see if fireworks were going to light up the sky that night, the kitchen door burst open, making her and JJ jump apart.
"There she is!" John B yelled as he drunkenly ran up to the counter, a goofy smile adorning his whole face and a dazed look swimming in his hazel eyes. Pope and Kie were trailing behind him with similar expressions. "The birthday girl! Why the hell are you hiding?!" Her brother ruffled her hair as he slurred his words.
Great, the whole Peanut Gallery was here! Impeccable timing on their part, as always.
Pope pointed at JJ, eyes wide with realization. "He took her!"
Kie gasped and laughed at the same time. "Oh shit, he did! What a dick!" The three of them burst out laughing at their grand discovery.
"Wow, you guys are so funny." JJ deadpanned, bitterness coating his words as he clenched his jaw. "What the hell are you doing in here?"
John B walked over to Blue, stumbling slightly as he walked, and began poking her face. "We came to find the princess, of course!" He spoke in a terrible British accent as he squished his sister's face, making her slap his hand away. "You've been holding her hostage in her for like twenty million hours, bro."
"Yeah, were you guys macking in here, or what?" Kiara giggled but her question made Blue's face heat up.
"No!" JJ and Blue both exclaimed at the same time. They both shared a hurried glance for a split second before looking away.
Kie laughed even harder at their sudden outburst. "Relaaaax, I was just kidding! No Pogue-on-Pogue macking, remember?"
John B took his gaze off of his sister and switched it over to his best friend. His face turned more serious - well, as serious as it could get in his inebriated state - and he placed both of his hands on the blond's shoulders. The Routledge boy stared at JJ intensely, making the latter feel a little weirded out. "If you were macking on my sister, dude, I'll totally punch you. I mean it. Like, a real good punch, man. I'm not joking."
JJ tapped John B's cheek and smiled playfully, feeling like he was dealing with a toddler. Their dynamic was normally the other way around, so he savored it being switched for the time being. "I'm sure you would bro, but you got nothing to worry about." He spared another quick look at Blue after the words left his lips. She had turned her head the second he made eye contact, hiding her face in the dark curtains of her hair.
Nothing to worry about. Blue tried not to let his words bother her. It was the truth, right? As much as she wanted to hold onto hope for some kind of magical moment to happen, it wasn't in the cards for her, and maybe it was time for her to finally let go of her childish fantasies.
JJ had made it clear there was nothing worth hoping for.
"I'm bored!" Pope yelled, interrupting the conversation and making all eyes turn towards him. In his drunken state, the attention on him didn't make him feel nearly as anxious as it usually would. "Let's go back to the party!"
Blue shook off the impressive range of sadness that was raging a storm in her heart and put on her best smile. Welcome back, Island Sweetheart.
"What are we waiting for?" She asked her friends. Before she could hop down off the counter, John B grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder. Her world was quite literally upside down and her brain felt like mush from the beer she drank earlier and losing her sense of gravity. "Hey! What the fuck!" She yelled, slamming her dainty fists onto his back, but it did nothing to stop him. Rude!
"The princess needs to have a grand entrance!" Her brother laughed, their friends joining in as they followed the two Routledges out of the kitchen.
"I don't really feel safe with a drunk person carrying me! I'm gonna fall and break my neck!"
JJ gently tapped the girl's side as he walked beside John B. "I'll catch you, Blue, don't worry."
As the five of them made their way back to the party, she could hear their guests cheering at the sight of John B carrying the birthday girl. The boy raved in the attention and turned around, letting Blue face her admirers. "Say hi, Bluey!"
She raised her head up and moved her hair out of her eyes, her gaze being met with a large crowd of teenagers all staring at her with wide smiles. Blue let out a nervous giggle and lifted her hand in a shy wave. "Hi, how's it going?"
The party all yelled back drunken "Happy birthdays" and various praises aimed at the Pogue princess. They raised their solo cups in the air as John B brought her closer to the party and set her down on the grass. He wasn't very delicate in his movements - considering his lack of sobriety - and he nearly knocked his sister into a lawn chair, but she was able to regain her balance quickly.
Someone from the keg brought her a drink and she thanked them before downing it quickly. After the moment in the kitchen, she wanted to get lost in a drunken haze for a little while so she'd forget it's lingering effects on her mind. While she was setting the now-empty solo cup down by the firepit, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see her angel by her side, a newly rolled joint in his hand and a mischievous smile on his pretty face.
"Happy birthday, Blue." He said, bringing the joint to her glossy lips. She held it there while he grabbed his zippo lighter from his pocket and then lit it for her. His blue eyes stayed trained on the smoke coming out of her mouth, seemingly entranced by the sight. "Let's make it a good one."
𑁍 𑁍 𑁍
Here's the thing about the Department of Child Services: They were all complete dickheads.
At least that's what was Blue was thinking. And glancing at the annoyed look on her brother's face, she could tell he was thinking the exact same thing.
The two Routledges were summoned to their school's guidance counselor's office a few days after Blue's party. Since DCS didn't have a location on the small island of Kildare, Cheryl had made a special trip from the mainland for a very unwelcomed visit. The teens had managed to keep her off their backs for a while but after the head of the department caught wind of their current living situation, they couldn't hide any longer.
After Big John went missing, their Uncle Teddy became their legal guardian. Well, for about six months, at least. Their uncle was the kind of person that couldn't stay in one place and always needed to be on the move. It was a surprise he even stayed in the Outer Banks for as long as he did. Now he was somewhere on the mainland, maybe in Mississippi or Vegas, no one was sure. The important thing was that despite his departure, he still paid for the Chateau's bills, relieving some weight off the kids' backs. But even though they tried to get a hold of Teddy several times, trying to ask him if he could just make one appearance to appease the law, he never answered his phone.
For the last three months, John B and Blue had been living without any kind of guardian, much to DCS's displeasure. And judging by the slight scowl on Cheryl's face, Blue knew that this wasn't going to end well for them.
"River, John, it's come to our attention that you are unemancipated minors living on your own." Cheryl, the head of the department, sighed as she took a seat at the counselor's desk. The two teenagers sat in front of her in uncomfortable office chairs, wishing they were literally anywhere else.
John B scoffed, "No...no." He smiled but it looked more like a grimace. The woman gave him a pointed look and he just repeated his actions. "No."
Blue nearly rolled her eyes. Her brother wasn't the best actor. "That's not true." She spoke up, causing the social worker's gaze to land upon her.
"I need honesty to help you." Cheryl spoke. "That's what we all want, right?"
Bullshit. Blue knew what Cheryl really wanted. She wanted her and John B to get shipped to the mainland to be a part of her little system, to be foster kids for some greedy family wanting a government check. But Blue and her brother wanted to stay home. They wanted to be with their friends, where they were raised, where they had the only memories of their missing father. And Cheryl and her little system wanted to disrupt all of that.
John B nodded, playing along for the game. "Yeah. We're being honest." He kept his charming, innocent smile on as he spoke.
"One hundred percent honest." Blue flashed one of her pretty grins that often got her whatever she wanted.
Cheryl glanced down at the papers littering her desktop, reading off some information that wasn't available for the teens to see. "Okay, then when is the last time you spoke to your uncle?" She asked. Neither one of them knew the answer to that question.
Before Blue could make something up, John B beat her to it. He raised his watch up to his face, pretending to read the time. "Uh...34 minutes ago." He smiled again, small dimples appearing on his cheeks, seeming pretty satisfied with his answer. Blue had to resist the urge to slap him.
"When's the last time you saw him?"
"Two hours and...43 minutes ago?"
Cheryl looked annoyed. Her pencil-thin brows rose high on her forehead and her beady, brown eyes stared at both of the kids like they were rocks in her shoe. But her glimpse of annoyance was quickly replaced with something gentler and more sympathizing: the mask of a social worker.
"River, John," She started again, her voice softer this time. "We're gonna come out there tomorrow to talk to your uncle. If he's not there, we're gonna move forward with foster care."
The words sunk deep into Blue's chest. She didn't know how there were going to make it out of this one. She was sure that by tomorrow, she'd have to pack her bags, get on the next ferry and say goodbye to her life. She'd have to leave everything and everyone behind. Blue couldn't help but think about all of the things she never got to do or say, all of the confessions and aspirations that were now unreachable. Sure, life in the Outer Banks wasn't sunshine and rainbows, but it was home. And thinking about Pope, Kiara, JJ, and even her new kitten and the very real possibility of leaving them behind left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Blue glanced down at the new bracelet adorning her wrist and thought of all the missed opportunities she would never be able to grasp.
Cheryl's voice brought her back to her cruel, sad reality. "I want to assure you both that we're going to find you a safe and loving home." She actually thought they were going to be happy to hear that.
Blue nearly threw up at her promise. John B's face dropped its innocent smile, hating the direction the meeting had took. They thought they might've had a chance at convincing them they weren't completely alone, or at least have been able to buy some more time, but no. They had hit a brick wall and there was no way of escaping their fate.
Realistically, Blue knew that Cheryl and her little system weren't the enemy. Well, they were, but she knew it was their job to investigate and take care of cases like hers. They were supposed to find endangered children and bring them sanctuary, much like what she wanted to do with animals. But in her mind, and in her brother's mind, they weren't in any danger. Sure, they didn't have any adults around to tell them what to do or keep them out of trouble, but they were fine. It wasn't like they didn't have shelter or food or means of income. They both worked, they took care of themselves, and they were sure they would be good on their own.
But DCS wouldn't see it that way. They would only see two unemancipated minors living in a run-down fish shack on the marsh with no parental figure or legal guardian, and that would be enough for them to take the teenagers and completely uproot them from everything they loved.
As the two siblings walked out of the school, they stayed silent until they got far enough away from the building to be sure no lingering officers could hear them. They walked along the sandy sidewalk with an air of heaviness lingering above their heads. Blue was the first one to speak.
"What are we going to do?" She asked, her voice faltering as the question left her lips. "I mean, can we do anything? Can we call Teddy?"
John B shook his head. His face was stoic as he continued to step alongside her. "No. There's no point, you know he won't answer."
"Well, is there anything? Anything at all?" Blue asked desperately. She tried to think of any plan that could prevent the inevitable, but she came up blank. The only ways to escape the foster system was to either run from it or buy your way out. Neither of those two options were very doable for the two Routledges.
John B stopped walking, making Blue follow suit. They stood just off the main road, near the marina, far enough from any residents to be able to speak freely. The boy placed his hand on his sister's shoulder, trying to offer some comfort but knew it was useless. "I think they've got us this time, Bluey." He spoke with a weight dragging his voice down. He was supposed to be the adult, the protector, but he was failing.
The girl felt tears well up in her eyes but refused to let them fall. "Shit."
Blue and John B were scared. The two had always been close, ever since the day she washed up on shore and he held her hand with no hesitation. They were partners in crime that always looked out for each other. John B, though he knew his sister was growing up and becoming more independent every day, thought of himself as her protector. He was her big brother and to him, his life mission would always be to make sure she was safe. But he knew that there was very little he could do to save her this time.
After they had come to terms with their situation, the two decided to make their way into the marina. The last thing they wanted was to go back to the Chateau and be reminded of the home they were being forced out of. So they sat on one of the many docks, surrounded by locals, trying to immerse themselves in the community they loved. The Cut wasn't a glamorous place, but it had a lot of great people. Blue and John B were friendly faces on the island and made acquaintances in nearly everyone they talked to. They knew that not only were they going to miss their found family, but they were going to miss their neighbors as well.
A couple hours of small talk later, everyone began to notice a shift in the environment. The sky, once bright blue, was now a dark grey that loomed threateningly over the residents' heads. The wind started to pick up and get stronger by the second, causing flags to wave viciously and abandoned objects to get thrown around. Warning sirens rang throughout the salty air, making everyone's nerve pick up.
Blue had been talking to Lilah, the coast guard's daughter, when she heard the blaring noise. Their conversation halted once they took notice of all the commotion going on around them. Blue looked around and saw John B standing at the front of a small crowd and quickly made her way over to him.
"What's going on?" She asked, but he just pointed at the screen mounted on the wall.
A news report on one of the coast guard's TVs caught everyone's attention. A video of a hurricane took over the screen and the words "LATEST FORECAST: AGATHA TO MAKE LANDFALL" sat right below the visual. A woman's voice sounded from the television, making Blue and John B walk closer to hear what she was saying.
"Hurricane Agatha continues its steady march towards Kildare Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina..."
"Holy shit." John B said as he stared at the screen with wide eyes. He looked towards his sister, who stood next to him with a similar expression.
The two were surrounded by a small crowd all craning their necks to see what was happening. Once the news reporter was finished talking, it became clear to everyone that a storm was coming soon, and with little time to prepare for it. Hurricane Agatha was scheduled to arrive that night and stay until morning. Beaches would be wrecked, businesses would shut down, and most importantly - the ferries would be closed.
"You know what this means?" Blue asked, a small smile adorning her lips as she watched the hurricane wreak havoc on the screen. John B nodded in response.
Normally when people heard about impending hurricanes, they were filled with a sense of dread and fear. Blue had felt that way all of the other times a storm threatened to wreck their island, but not this time. No, this time she looked at the screen, watching as Agatha ripped through the sea at a ferocious pace, and she felt hope. She was sure she was witnessing a miracle.
They started to weave their way through the crowd, stepping out into the dock. While Blue was working on moving her hair out of her face, John B pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialing a number he unfortunately knew by heart.
"Department of Child Services, can I help you?"
"Yeah, uh..." He looked around at the mess surrounding him, looking up at the red warning flags waving in the distance. "I think we're probably gonna have to reschedule."
𝗼𝗺𝗴 𝗵𝗶
𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲??? 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗼 𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗯𝗲𝗹𝘁𝘀
𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝗷 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴??? 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁??? 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘁??? 𝗶 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗺𝗼𝗻
𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘆𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿; 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆'𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗔𝗜𝗧! 𝘁𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
𝗶 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗰𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗶 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝘂𝘇 𝗶'𝗺 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝘂𝗵) 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆'𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁 (𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆)
𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲
𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝘆𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘂