MORNING, SUNSHINE
❝ my bikinis show more than this, dumbass. ❞
With my stuffed duffel bag on my shoulder, I wave off my father and brother as I walk up to my house. They're sitting in the Twinkie at the end of the driveway and they wave back before pulling away. They just dropped me off after I spent the weekend with them, as I do almost every weekend.
The setting sun is casting a beautiful glow over the house as I run up the steps, excited to see my mother and tell her all about the past couple days of my life. I drag my muddy Converses over the door mat before using my key and walking through the massive French doors.
"Mami?" I call out as I stroll through the foyer, but it's not my mother that responds.
"Hey, kiddo. Your mom went shopping. She should be back any minute now."
I round the corner of the kitchen to find Matt sitting at our unnecessarily large island, his reading glasses resting on the bridge of his nose and his laptop in front of him. My enthusiasm dissipates. "Oh, okay."
A few moments of awkward silence ensues. Even though Matt's been in my life since I was a toddler, we never quite got the hang of conversation with one another.
He eventually speaks up, peering over the top of his reading glasses as I place my bag down on the other side of the island. "So, how was your weekend?"
"It was good," I answer shortly, though that's a huge understatement. I had an amazing time, but I would just rather save all the details for my mom.
Details like how I helped my dad and brother with a ton of Royal Merchant research. How I coached Pope in all things romance, resulting in him having his first kiss at a party. How Kie and I aided newly hatched sea turtles in finding their way to the ocean. And JJ even gave me a lesson in pickpocketing – which it turns out, I'm pretty good at – but I'll keep that part to myself.
"Nothing special," I continue as I rummage through our oversized pantry for something to snack on, eventually finding a family-size bag of Cheeto Puffs.
Just as I'm about to eat my first puff, the doorbell rings, and my head snaps towards the door. I know it's not my mom. She wouldn't ring, she would just use her key.
Since Matt's busy, I go to answer it. I set the bag of chips down on the counter and lick the cheesy dust from my fingers as I make my way over. I peek through one of the long, skinny windows on either side of the door to find two officers, but they're dressed a little different than the ones I've seen around town. I think they might be state troopers.
I slowly open the door and look up at them, trying to sound as polite as possible, "Hi. Um... can I help you?"
One of the men responds, "Is your dad home?"
"My stepdad is, yeah." With my eyebrows furrowed in confusion, I turn around and call out, "Matt, it's for you!" My palms feel clammy as I turn back to the officers with a tight-lipped smile. I step aside, holding the door open wide. "Uh... come in."
The officers enter the house just as Matt joins us in the foyer. I watch my stepfather's face drop at the sight of them.
Did he do something wrong?
"Hello, officers. Is there... anything I can do for you?"
The state troopers both remove their hats, and the same one as before speaks again, "I'm very sorry to inform you of this, sir. But your wife, Carmen, passed away in a tragic accident."
I jolt awake with a sharp gasp.
I've been having recurring nightmares in the more than two years since my mother's passing. Some are just my imagination taunting me, and others, like that one, are memories.
I lay on my back on the pullout couch, staring at the ceiling, my heartbeat unsteady. Soft sunlight spilling through the windows and the sound of birds chirping outside helps to calm me, but I still find it slightly difficult to breathe. There's a weight on my chest. Literally. I turn my head to see JJ laying face down into the pillow beside me, his heavy arm draped over my chest.
How can he even breathe like that?
I try to get up, but he only tightens his hold on me. He turns onto his side, his nose tickling the side of my neck as his arms snake tightly around my waist, his soft grumbles filling the room.
Watching the sleeping boy, I feel a smile creep onto my lips. His blond hair dangles over to mingle with his eyebrows, his cheeks are rosy with the remnants of last week's sunburn, and the tiniest hint of a content smile is visible on his lips. He looks so peaceful. I almost don't want to disturb him, but my body is aching with the need to get out of bed. That springy ass pullout mattress probably broke my spine.
After fighting against his sleepy grasp for a few seconds, I'm finally able to pry him off of myself and roll off the pullout. And somehow, he remains asleep through it all, his soft snores sounding out just as I get to my feet.
I have a brief moment of confusion when I find myself wearing only my leggings and bralette. For a second, I think maybe we had too much fun last night and I drunkenly gave into his strip Uno idea. I almost forgot how after the power cut off, the Chateau became unbearably hot, so I shed the hoodie I had stolen from my best friend. But of course, he didn't have a single complaint to make about that. One way or another, he got his wish after all.
JJ and I stayed up for hours playing games, drinking, smoking, talking, and laughing. I wonder if my brother was able to get any sleep with all of our commotion.
Probably not, but oh well. Who cares?
We talked about all of our plans for this summer and reminisced on childhood memories together. Like the time my dad fixed up a busted, old kids' dirt bike he found on the side of the road and was teaching my brother and I to ride it, and I ran JJ over. Or the first time he and I got drunk and John B had to nurse our hangovers.
We must've gotten so high last night that we passed out together. Now, as my stomach growls loudly, I realize I have the munchies.
I rub my tired eyes as I drag my feet towards the kitchen. Grabbing a box of store brand Frosted Flakes from the cabinet, I pour some into a large bowl. I open the fridge to find that it's no longer cold inside, and pull out a fresh half-gallon of milk that I purchased yesterday and twist off the cap. Much to my dismay, when I bring my nose down to sniff it, a pungent, sour smell clouds my senses. Audibly gagging, I put it back, slamming the fridge shut in frustration.
See, I was cool with Agatha when she was helping my brother out, but now she's got me wasting money. I don't fuck with that bitch anymore.
Sluggish footsteps coming down the hall cause me to glance over my shoulder. John B groggily stumbles into the kitchen, yawning and stretching his arms above his head with his eyes squeezed shut. Waving his cellphone around in one hand, he speaks mid-yawn, "No service."
I raise my eyebrows at him. "Good observation, Einstein. Towers don't work when the powers out."
As his dramatically long yawn comes to an end, his arms fall at his sides and his eyes open. His gaze lands on me, his eyes widening for a moment. I'm sure I look crazy with my big ass bed-head hair engulfing my face as I stuff my mouth with fistfuls of dry cereal. But I quickly realize that's not the reason for his stunned look.
He throws his hands up to shield his eyes. "Ew, cover yourself!"
I've never been much of a morning person. If you even so much as look at me the wrong way before I'm fully awake – which normally isn't until noon – you're met with an angry beast. And my brother's criticism of my choice of attire definitely struck a nerve. "Shut the fuck up. My bikinis show more than this, dumbass."
I can see in his eyes the moment he realizes that he pissed off the demon that possesses me in the early mornings. He sucks in a deep breath, spinning in his heel and taking off towards the back door.
"Yo, JJ, you been outside?" He smacks the blond's leg as he walks past.
With his face once again buried in the mattress, JJ's words come out muffled. "I have polio, bro. I can't walk."
I carry my bowl of cereal with me as I follow my brother outside, and give a small squeeze to JJ's butt as I walk by, causing him to flinch slightly and mumble into his pillow what I'm sure is an impressive range of curses. He hates when I do that shit, but that's what makes it funny.
Standing in the grass at the bottom of the porch steps, I watch as John B assesses the damage the storm did to the property. I can hear him quietly grumble complaints to himself while he stumbles around tiredly through the lawn. Looking around the yard, I completely understand his frustration. There's a fallen tree, and branches and debris litter the yard.
"Agatha did some work, huh?" JJ's voice almost startles me, as I didn't realize he had gotten up yet. I turn around to see him standing at the top of the porch steps with a beer already in his hand.
"Yeah, she did," John B calls back to him, pulling a large branch from his boat, the HMS Pogue.
I continue to shovel cereal into my mouth as I speak, "What a fucking bitch."
"Ooh, let me get some of that." JJ's eyes land on my sorry excuse of a meal, and he doesn't hesitate before moving swiftly down the steps towards me, his messy hair flopping over into his face with each step. He reaches out for my bowl, but I quickly smack his hand away with a scowl. I do not play about my food. He seems to realize he's moments away from losing a finger, because he reroutes his approach. He gives me a soft and nervous smile. "Please?"
The sight of his adorable dimple forces me to soften my resolve. I'm never able to refuse him when he flashes me that sweet smile. I roll my eyes and hold my bowl out for him, and he immediately dives his hand into the cereal, scooping up a handful and dropping the flakes into his open mouth.
I narrow my eyes at him when he doesn't use his manners. "You're welcome."
"Thank you, Princess," JJ mutters with a full mouth as he winks playfully at me. I try to glare at his use of the nickname, but instead, my cheeks begin to heat up. He licks his lips, sending me a cocky smirk before strolling off to join John B by the boat with me tagging along behind him. He leans forward to rest his arms on the bow. "So what you thinkin'?"
As he carries on with his job of clearing off the boat of any twigs and branches, John B glances between the two of us. "I'm thinkin' that storm surge pushed all the crabs out on the marsh maze. All those drum are gonna chase the crab."
"What about the DCS? Wasn't that today?" JJ squints his eyes against the rising sun behind John B.
"Nah, they're not getting on a ferry."
"Dude, this storm really saved our asses." I rest my head gently on JJ's shoulder, as if I didn't just almost rip his head off over dry cereal.
He looks down at me and lets out a light chuckle when his eyes meet mine. He wraps an arm around me and pulls me tighter into his side. My mood swings probably give him a serious headache, but he still always puts up with me, and that will never fail to make me smile.
"Come on, think about it." John B waves a branch around in the air before tossing it to the ground below. "It's God telling us to fish."
❛ ━━･❪ ❀ ❫ ･━━ ❜
After clearing all the debris from the HMS Pogue and the yard as well, the three of us set off on the boat to collect our friends. John B stands at the wheel, steering the boat, and JJ's standing in front of him, leaning with an arm rested on the metal bar over the dash panel, and I'm lounging on the bow.
Wearing only a tiny pair of denim shorts and a bikini top, my tan skin glistens under the sunlight that's staring to peek through the storm clouds, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the feeling of the warmth and the wind on my body.
I almost roll my eyes as I think back to my brother's words earlier. He told me to cover up as if I don't walk around the island with seventy-five percent of my skin showing on a daily basis anyway. I'm definitely wearing less clothes now than I was when he made the comment. He was probably just freaked out because he saw me in my bra. It's probably just the concept of it.
Fuck modesty. It's hot out here. What does he want me to wear? A snow suit?
Soft waves splash against the hull as we drift closer to the docks along the edge of the waterway, trying to surveil the damages sustained by the neighboring properties because we're just a bunch of nosy teenagers. I suck in a sharp breath between gritted teeth at the sight of a boat up on the bank that had been completely obliterated by the storm.
"It's kind of a smuggler's boat. Won't be missed." JJ shrugs.
"Hi, Ms. Amy!" John B calls out to an older woman who's cleaning up her dock nearby.
I've seen her around town here and there. Most adults give my rowdy friends and I the cold shoulder, but not Ms. Amy. She's a sweet lady. I give her a friendly wave. "You guys get through it?"
With a kind smile, Ms. Amy waves back at us. "Still here!"
As we cruise past, JJ leans down to John B and speaks softly enough that the woman won't be able to hear. "She totally looked at me."
"I saw it." John B nods affirmatively.
"Did she, though?" I cock my head to the side as I tease the blond.
He spins around to face me with a cocky smirk. "You jealous?"
"Yeah, actually. Jealous that she looked at you instead of me. Ms. Amy's a milf," I laugh, and JJ shakes his head at my silly words, his lips curving up into a smile. We both know I have no interest in women, but it's true, though. She looks incredible for someone who's probably in their mid-forties.
We all fall back into silence as we look out at the battered state of the island we call home. Docks are ripped to shreds, boats are sunken, roofs are destroyed, and trees are toppled over – some even on top of houses. I'm so grateful the Chateau didn't get it this bad, but my heart still aches for others who live on The Cut. They'll be cleaning this all summer with no electricity or air conditioning.
Meanwhile, back on Figure Eight, the Kooks have their generators to keep their homes cool from the brutal July heat, and they don't have to lift a finger when it comes to clean up. I'm sure Matt had his landscapers come out bright and early to remove any debris from our yard. And those men work so hard, I know the property will be pristine by noon. It makes me feel guilty, knowing that everything is taken care of for me, while people not even three miles away aren't nearly as fortunate.
"Dude, look at this place," John B says with a low whistle.
"Agatha, what did you do?" JJ adds on dramatically.
"She is a crazy lady."
I smile softly in amusement at the boys' banter just as we near the Heyward family's dock. A grouchy-looking Pope stands before us – a baseball cap on his head, his shirt unbuttoned to reveal the chocolate skin of his abs, and a hose in his hand.
Looks like his dad already put him to work.
It appears that he's supposed to be hosing off the dock, but he's zoned out, staring straight ahead, spraying only one spot. He clearly isn't enjoying having to labor so early in the morning.
Behind him is a sign crafted from plywood and spray paint that reads 'BRING IT ON AGGIE YOU BITCH'. I snort as I read it. That's definitely Heyward's work.
"Well, look who we have here," John B says in a nasally voice, catching Pope's attention.
"Morning, sunshine!" I call over to him and blow the boy a kiss, which he pretends to catch and toss to the ground before stomping on it. I rear my head back in shock at his attitude. He might even be worse than me this morning. "Okay, rude."
"I'll take one." JJ grins at me.
"Well, at least someone appreciates me." I give Pope the finger as I rise to my feet and make my way over to JJ, placing a quick kiss to his cheek. When I pull away, I swear I see his face redden slightly, but I don't get a good look before my brother reaches over and shoves me away from him.
Without giving me a chance to scold him, he turns his attention back to Pope. "We have a safety meeting. Attendance mandatory," he speaks into his hand on his shoulder, mimicking the sound of a voice coming through a radio.
"I can't. My pop's got me on lockdown." Pope throws his free hand in the air before letting it slap down against the side of his upper thigh.
"Come on, man." JJ copies John B's radio static imitation, "Chhh. Your dad's a pussy. Over. Chhh." I shoot him a glare for being disrespectful as Heyward makes his way towards the end of the dock beside his son.
"Oh, I heard that, you little bastard." The man has sweat on his brow from his hard work and carries a broom in his hand as he narrows his eyes at the blond boy, a menacing expression on his face. Though he appears to be tough, his heart is just the opposite. He has a soft spot for us Pogues.
"Hi, Heyward!" I wave to him with an angelic smile. I'm pretty sure I'm his favorite, and I often use that power to get him to lighten up on the others.
His hard stare softens when his eyes land on me, and a small smile graces his strong features. "Hey, sweetheart. How's your stepfather doin'?" I almost roll my eyes at the question, but I would never disrespect Heyward like that, so I keep it contained.
He and Matt get along quite well – most Kooks seem to love Heyward, actually. Maybe it's because he's not the type of guy you want to piss off or maybe it's because they rely on his services for so many of their luxurious events. Or maybe it's just because behind those stern eyes is a man that's really just full of love. Tough love, but love nonetheless.
"He's fine, I guess," I groan.
The man raises a brow at me. "I hope you're not givin' him too much of a hard time." My eyes dart away guiltily, my tongue poking at the inside of my cheek. "Cut him some slack, Mari. He's a good man, you hear?"
"Yes, sir. I know."
He gives me a soft smile. "Now," he starts, his eyes narrowed playfully as he points between JJ and John B. "You keepin' these boys in check?"
"You know I always do," I assure him. "Speaking of boys... we kinda need your son?" I state more like a question, shrugging and bitting down on my bottom lip while nervously twiddling my fingers. When Heyward turns his head to the side and sucks his teeth, I realize my charm might not be enough this time.
"Yeah, and island rules. Day after a hurricane's a free day," JJ chimes in as if it were a commonly known fact, causing me to side-eye him. His silly comments aren't going to help.
Heyward looks unimpressed as he stares at him. "Who the hell made that up?"
"Uh... Pentagon, I think. We have security clearance." JJ begins to dig around in his pocket, pretending to search for something. "I have a card."
"Y'all think I'm stupid?" The man raises his eyebrows, signaling that his patience is beginning to wear thin. Not that he has much patience to begin with, but I digress.
I shake my head at his question, while JJ nods vigorously with a sly grin. I harshly slam the back of my hand into his gut, wiping that stupid smile off of his face.
He groans as he holds his stomach, "So fucking violent today, Mar." But then his smirk returns as he looks up at me from his doubled-over position. "I think I kinda like it." My eyes automatically roll at his remark, almost as if it's instinctual at this point.
I notice Pope's looking at me, his eyes begging me to persuade his father to let him go, but I just widen my own eyes as I gesture beside myself, signaling for him to quickly get on the boat before his dad can object. But being the goody two-shoes he is, he turns around to plead with his father.
"Dad, I'll do it tomorrow. I promise I'll do it tomorrow."
"No, no, no. Hell no! You doin' it right now!"
"Get in the boat," John B whisper-shouts.
"Make a run for it, bro. Make a run for it." JJ joins in on our attempts to persuade the boy, and surprisingly enough, it actually works. With a short glance back at his father, Pope drops the hose in his hand and sprints for the HMS Pogue.
"Boy, if you get in that boat—" Heyward's jaw drops in shock at his son's disobedience as he hops off the dock and into the boat, grabbing onto my outstretched arms to steady himself. "Bring yo ass back up here!"
"I promise I'll do it tomorrow, dad!"
While the other two boys cheer and holler – JJ whipping the bowline around above his head like a cowboy – I rest an arm on Pope's shoulder and look up at him with a proud smirk. "Welcome aboard, stowaway."
"Go, go, go!" Pope rushes John B, so he pushes forward on the throttle, picking up speed as we pull away from the dock.
Meanwhile, Heyward's angry shouts continue behind us. "When you get back you gonna clean shrimp! You gonna clean fish! You'll clean your dirty ass room!"
"We'll bring him back in one piece, I promise!" John B calls back to the man.
"And I don't like your friends!"
Upon hearing that last sentence, I audibly gasp and clutch my chest. Even though I know he doesn't mean it, I still feign hurt at his words. "Heyward!" I cry out, making sure to add a hint of pain to my voice for dramatic effect.
He quickly adds on to his previous statement, "Not you, Mari! You know I love you!"
"Love ya more, Pops!"
Once were far enough that Heyward can't hear us, we all burst out into a fit of laughter. Us pissing off Pope's dad is a common occurrence, but we always make up for it by helping out at his shop – which we'll probably end up doing sometime soon.
Though Heyward loves to act as if we're all a bother to him, it's still obvious how much he cares for us. He and his wife are like parental figures to us all, which we all need in one way or another. Behind Heyward's constant scolding and swearing, there's only love. He just wants more for us. He pushes us to be better. And we're each grateful for the role he plays in our lives.
Time passes quickly as we goof off, and before we know it, we've reached Figure Eight. Not even a twenty minute boat ride from where we came, it's like we've just entered another world. Though, thanks to the storm, the Kooks' side of the island seems slightly less luxurious than normal.
My brother steers the HMS Pogue towards the dock at the Carrera's large home, and I smile as I watch Kiara make her way down with a red cooler in hand. Looks like she brought 'supplies' for our endeavors.
John B calls out to her in a goofy tone, "Oh, top o' the mornin' to ya!"
"Good morning, guys."
"Morning," JJ says as he pushes his sitting body up and down on the edge of the boat behind him. He never works out, he just does random little things like that to keep his toned physique in shape. Somehow, it seems to do the trick. And I'm sure all the frequent fights help too.
Sitting across from him, I can't help but stare at his strong arms, watching how his muscles flex with each movement. But much to my embarrassment, he clears his throat, letting me know I've been caught. My eyes quickly find his, and he raises his eyebrows with his lips pressed together, though his little smile is still evident by the appearance of his dimple. I look away awkwardly.
I like muscles, okay? Sue me.
"Whatcha got?" Pope nods towards the cooler in Kie's hand.
"You got some juice boxes?" I teasingly question the wavy-haired girl.
"You know, just some yogurts and carrot sticks," she replies sarcastically as she reaches the end of the dock.
"What about my kind of juice box?" JJ eyes the cooler eagerly.
"Yeah." Kiara shrugs with a playful grin.
I get up from my seat and stretch out my hand for Kie to take. "M'lady."
"You're too kind." She accepts the gesture, using my hand for support as she steps into the moving boat.
As soon as Kiara sets the cooler down, JJ wastes no time in popping it open. Scooping up a few cold beers from the stash he found inside, he passes them around. Kie gladly takes hers. Pope refuses his, as it's far too early for his liking to begin drinking. John B catches the beer that's tossed his way with ease, holding it up in the air with a small nod as a silent 'thank you'. JJ uses his teeth to crack one open for me before handing it over and working on his own with one arm draped over my shoulders. He, Kie, and I all clank our glass bottles together.
"Cheers!"
"Salud!"
"Skoal!"
Cruising along through the marsh, we do what we would do on any other summer day. We listen to songs by random indie bands, we joke, and we gossip a little bit too. I have a feeling today's gonna be a really good day. A day to remember.
author's note:
oh, it's gonna be a day to remember, alright.
mari is living the dream and i'm jealous asf. how come i don't get to wake up in jj's arms?
and i also stare at his muscles constantly. as far as i'm concerned, his biceps are the lead role in the show. or maybe his forearms, bc the veins???? 😩
okay, let me stop before i get carried away.
love you, bye!