"i'm still jenny from the block."
--
"outer banks , north carolina."
my heart sank. i'd lived my entire life in philadelphia , pennsylvania. it was the only city i had ever known - the streets , the people , the sounds. everything about it felt like home to me , even though it wouldn't be my home anymore.
dad pulled the car into our driveway. "home , sweet home."
i almost snorted. "home" was a bit of a stretch. it's more like a shack. the faded paint is peeling , the windows are cracked and clouded , and the roof tiles are barely holding on.
we all jump out of the car. my mom smiles. "luella , honey. why don't you and your brother go inside while me and your dad sort out the bags ?"
i nod. "sure , mom."
i take hunter inside. his eyes widen. "this house is a piece of crap."
i laugh in surprise. "you can say that one again. i would move back to philly in a heartbeat."
hunter sighs. "how are we supposed to live here ?"
i shrug. "i have no fuckin' idea."
--
i fiddle with my locket. it was a gift from my best friend , nevaeh. we met in kindergarten and we've been inseparable ever since. she's what i miss most about philly.
nevaeh
july 9th , 11:53
luella
nev , i miss you sm.
nevaeh
me too ella , come back to philly pls.
luella
i wish i could , trust me.
nevaeh
how's the new crib ?
luella
remember that abandoned cabin we found ?
nevaeh
that bad ?
luella
that bad.
nevaeh
i'm sorry , i'll come visit as soon as i can.
luella
love you.
nevaeh
love ya more.
i put my phone down to go for a run. although i don't want to be here , i can't deny that outer banks is beautiful. i'm running along the beach when i spot a flyer up on a lamppost. "help wanted." perfect. i need some way to make money in this shitty town. it's for some place called the wreck , so i carry on running until i find it.
the wreck is packed full of people , so i wait at the bar to hear about the job application. there's a girl with tangled brown hair , rushing around , taking orders. i can see why they need help.
"welcome to the wreck. do you know what you want to order yet ?"
i shake my head. "no , i'm not here for food. i'm here about the help wanted sign ? i need a job."
she smiles. "thank god. it's been so busy lately. take a seat and i'll get you a form to fill out."
i sit down and she hands me a form. i scribble down my answers and she looks over them. "i haven't seen you around before. are you new ?"
i nod. "yeah , i just moved here from philly."
her eyes widen. "philly ? you came a long way just to get to outer banks."
i laugh. "yeah , i didn't really have a choice."
she puts my form down. "you're hired. welcome aboard. i'm kiara , by the way."
i smile. "luella."
she shakes my hand. "nice to meet you , luella."
i pull my hand away. "when can i start ?"
kiara laughs. "how about now ? the lunch rush is soon , and i wouldn't mind some help."
i shrug. "sure."
she grabs me an apron. "let's get started , partner."
three boys run up to the bar. a blonde boy leans over the tabletop. "kie , please tell me there's leftovers. i am fucking starving."
she laughs and pushes him off the tabletop. "yes , there's leftovers , you slob." kie winks at me. "it's your turn to babysit the manchild."
she goes to grab the leftovers , and the three boys divert their attention to me. the blonde boy looks me up and down. "and who might you be ? i don't remember seeing you , and i definitely would've remembered that face. unless i was high. or drunk."
i roll my eyes. "luella. and rest assured , you haven't seen me. and you won't be seeing any more of me."
his friends laugh. the tan boy elbows him. "she got you there , jj."
so , the blonde boy's name is jj. huh.
jj is unfazed. "you're feisty."
i shrug. "i don't know what you mean. i'm sweeter than honey."
kie comes back with the leftovers and the boys start eating like they haven't seen food in weeks.
"luella , meet jj , john b and pope. jj is our cliched bad boy. if he hits on you , try and ignore the sound until it goes away."
i laugh , but i feel disappointed that jj clearly hits on everyone. i thought he might actually like me. "got it."
kie gestures towards the boy called pope. "pope is the smart one. he's practically a genius , and don't tell anyone this , but he used to be a mathlete."
pope acts shocked , but i see a twinkle in his eye. "kie. you can't go around telling people my darkest secrets. i'm so ashamed."
kie giggles. "yeah , whatever. go solve some differential equations."
kie gestures to the boy named john b. "and john b is always finding adventures for us to go on. which most of the time end in run ins with the police."
he flashes a smile. "thanks for the introduction , kie."
jj finishes a strawberry milkshake in one gulp and slams it down on the table. "so , luella. are you a kook or a pogue ?"
my brow furrows. "am i a what ?"
jj leans forward. "a kook is like a rich kid that lives on figure eight. type of people with two houses. a pogue is a poor kid. we're pogues. we live on the cut. we're more likely to have two jobs."
i laugh. "in that case , i'm definitely a pogue. you should see my house."
he raises an eyebrow. "was that an invitation ?"
i scoff. "keep dreaming , jj."
he shrugs. "it was worth a try."
i laugh. "sure it was."
jj sits up. "you know how to surf ?"
i snort "oh yeah , a girl from the suburbs of philly definitely knows how to surf."
jj shrugs. "i'll teach ya after your shift if you want."
kie elbows him. "hurricane agatha tonight. those waves aren't surfable."
jj laughs. "all waves are surfable. for me , at least."
i grin. "okay , fine. i'll come out , but the second the water gets a little rocky , we're leaving."
he nods , satisfied. "yes ma'am."
--
i put my apron away and run out on the beach. "jj , i believe it's time for my first lesson."
he nods. "after i'm done with ya , you'll be the best surfer in the obx. except me , of course."
we tread into shallow water , and he places the board down. "i think it's better to start with the basics , so let's just paddle first.
he taps on the board and i press my stomach against it and hold on tight. "like this ?"
he gestures to my waist. "may i ?"
i nod. "yeah , sure."
he puts his hands on my waist to adjust my position , and i can almost feel the butterflies in my stomach trying to get out. keep it together , kinsley.
"let me grab my board , and we can do some paddling together." he runs out to grab his board.
"i think i'm getting the hang of things." i smile.
he grins. "so , what's your deal ? what's a girl from philly doing in outer banks ?"
i stop paddling. "my parents met here , on vacation , when they were our age. they always wanted to move here eventually , and it just ended up happening now."
he looks at me quizzically. "but what about you ? did you wanna move here ?"
i snort. "of course not. my whole life's back in philly. my friends , my family , my best memories."
jj shrugs. "you can make new memories with me."
i'm enjoying myself , until i notice how cold the water's getting. i shiver.
jj looks at me with a concerned look on his face. he puts his hand on my shoulder. "jesus , luella. your lips have gone blue."
before i realise what's happening , jj lifts me up and carries me out of the water over his shoulder. he grabs a towel and wraps it around me.
i laugh weakly. "you're just being dramatic. i'm fine."
jj speaks softly. "i'm not being dramatic , and you know it. let me take you home."
i relax in his arms. "okay."
--
my phone starts ringing.
i pick up my phone , and see that it's hunter , my brother. "ella , where the fuck are you ?"
jj tenses. "who the fuck is that ?"
i put my hand over his mouth , because i know that hunter is going to be annoying about it , but it's too late. "is there someone with you ?"
"yeah , i got a job at the wreck , this local restaurant. i served jj during my shift , and he offered to teach me how to surf. obviously , i took him up on the offer , to learn how to hide my philly roots." i wink.
hunter raises an eyebrow. "jj ? new boyfriend already ? damn , luella. didn't know you were a player. i taught you well."
i sigh. "just my friend , hunter."
hunter smiles. "whatever you say. mom's gonna be so pissed if you miss dinner , she's making your favourite. when are you getting home ?"
i smile. "i'll come back now. i love you , big bro."
he waves. "love you , lil sis."
i hang up and look at jj. "i better get home. see you tomorrow ?"
he hesitates. "uh , yeah. tomorrow. i'm gonna make my way back to the beach. gonna surf a little before agatha comes in."
i laugh. you're crazy."
he winks. "only for you."
--
nevaeh
july 9th , 18:27
luella
so much to tell you. can you call ?
nevaeh
ofc. can't wait to hear all about it.
nev picks up immediately. "okay , spill."
i laugh. "i got a job at this local restaurant , right ?"
neve nods. "getting your bag , i get it."
i smirk. "i'm working my first shift , and the finest boy i have ever seen walks in."
she squeals. "oh my god."
"i know. turns out he's best friends with the girl i work with. what are the fucking odds , right ? we're just talking , and he invites me to go surfing with him." i smile at the memory.
neve smiles. "what the fuck , you better have said yes."
i nod. "of course i did , i'm not out of my fucking mind. there's some mild flirting going on , until the water gets so cold my lips go fucking blue."
she winks. "you should've asked him to kiss you to warm them up."
i giggle. "it's almost as good as that. he literally picks me up and puts my over his shoulder."
her jaw drops. "if that isn't a main character moment , i don't know what is."
i smirk , knowing she's going to go crazy when she hears what happens next. "i tell him that i'm fine , and he's being dramatic. i call him crazy for wanting to surf during a hurricane , and you know what he says next ? only for you."
she screams. "and you met this boy today ?"
i nod. "i know. it's fuckin' craz-"
my door swings open. "why the fuck are you shouting ?"
it's hunter. "oh my god , get out. and put a shirt on."
of course , he ignores me and walks over anyway. his face lights up when he sees nevaeh.
nevaeh waves. "hey hunter. nice abs."
he goes red.
i whisper to him. "told you , you should've put a shirt on."
he laughs. "no thanks , gotta show off my best asset."
i roll my eyes. "did you mean asshat ?"
he mocks being hurt , holding his hand over his heart. "ouch. that one really wrecked my ego."
i smile. "whatever you say , asshat."
he looks down at my phone again and winks. "so , nevaeh , when you coming down here to see me ?
she blushes. "as soon as i can." she pauses. ".. asshat."
i clear my throat. "nev , please stop fangirling over my brother so we can continue our very important conversation."
she goes red. "sorry , ella."
"hunter .." i start sweetly.
"yeah , what ?" he asks.
"get the fuck out." i throw my pillow at him.
"what the fuck ? OW , OKAY , OKAY - I'M GOING." he shuffles out my room awkwardly.
me and nevaeh burst into fits of giggles.
@luellakk
liked by popeheyward , huntorbehunter , johnwithab and 201 others
luellakk i'm still jenny from the block
lowkie you sure are
luellakk love u sm
nevrojas coming to see u rn
luellakk waiting patiently bb
maybankjj yo who's surfboard is that
luellakk you tell me👀
sashaspams get your ass back to philly rn
nevrojas u need to come down we miss u !!
luellakk i will i promise
『AUTHOR'S NOTE✎』
chapter one is the events right before the pilot episode of outer banks so it's all original dialogue , and i'm lowkey proud of myself for it ! obviously , there is still original dialogue in the other chapters , but this is the only chapter with no inspiration from the show.