"we're the Pogues, and our mission this summer is to have a good time, all the time."
SCARLETT WOODS sat atop a piece of scaffolding that was attached to the reinnervations of the building the Pogues had broken into. She sat next to JJ, her head leaning on his shoulder. On her lap lay an open sketchbook, given to her by Kiara as a birthday present. Pencil in hand, she began to sketch the view of the skyline, the sun reflecting beautifully on the small waves of the sea.
"I don't see why you're not trying for an art scholarship." JJ told her, taking a sip of his beer. "You're stupidly talented at drawing."
Scarlett blushed lightly, and gently shoved shoved his arm. "Lies, JJ. You're telling lies."
"He is right though, Lottie." John B called down to her from where he stood on top of the roof. "You've always been a very talented artist." He was standing right on the edge of the roof, beer in hand as he dangled his foot over the edge.
"That's what, a three-story fall to the deck?" Pope called up to him.
"Yeah, be careful John B." Scarlett called, drawing her attention away from the beautiful sunset and up to her best friend. "Wouldn't want you falling to your death."
"I give you about a one-in-three chance of survival." Pope told him.
Scarlett gestured her hands in his direction. "You should listen to him." She called. "He's the smart one."
"I'm always careful." John B called back, grinning at her. He took another sip of his beer. "Should I do it?"
"What? Jump? No, you idiot. You could get seriously injured." Scarlett protested, closing her sketchbook.
"Yeah, you should jump, man. Give Red a heart attack while your at it." JJ laughed, throwing his arm around her shoulder and ruffling her hair- which was styled in a simple high-ponytail.
"Yeah, jump." Pope called up to John B, holding up a drill that had been lying on the deck. "I'll shoot you on the way down."
"You'll shoot me?" He pretended to hold a gun and fired an imaginary bullet at Pope. "Pow!"
Scarlett stole the can of beer from JJ's hand. "What the hell, Red? That's my beer!"
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, so I can take your t-shirts, but not your beer?" She asked, lifting the can to her lips and taking a sip.
"Well, you know... They're completely different things." He shrugged, but making no attempt to take back the alcoholic beverage.
"Besides, I'm gonna need this drink if John B really does jump off the roof."
"They're gonna have Japanese toilets with towel warmers." Kiara informed the group, walking back outside to join them on the deck.
"I'd love some towel warmers." Scarlett sighed, taking another sip of beer and moving closer to JJ's side.
"Well, I'll just have to save up all my money to buy us some, my love." JJ said softly, leaning his head on hers and squeezing her arm gently. Scarlett tilted her head up slightly and smiled at him. JJ glanced down at Kiara. "Of course. Why wouldn't they have them?" He said, his voice louder as he addressed the rest of the group.
"This used to be a turtle habitat, but who cares about the turtles, I guess?" She questioned, moving under the scaffolding to stand on the main deck area. She stood next to Pope and looked up to John B who was still standing precariously on the roof. "Can you please not kill yourself?"
"Don't spill that beer." JJ yelled up to him. "I'm not giving you another one."
Scarlett shook her head slightly, moving to a better position where she could see John B. "I think we have bigger priorities, like health and safety." She elbowed JJ in the ribs, making sure to not be too harsh. "More importantly, don't die!" She yelled up to the roof.
John B shifted his weight slightly, dangling his right leg further over the edge. He tilted slightly, wobbling as he brought his leg back to the safety of the roof, and his beer slipped from his grip. "Whoa! Oh, shit." The can smashed onto the deck, beer spilling out of it and onto the wooden floor.
"Of course you did." JJ sighed. "Like, right when I told you not to."
Scarlett shook her head in despair. "Just be glad it wasn't your neck." She shouted up to John B.
"Smooth." Kiara muttered. "Dumbass."
"A-plus." Pope commented, moving to look over the balcony and spotting a car. "Hey, uh, security's here." He called over his shoulder. "Let's wrap it up."
"Boys are early today." John B observed, crouching down and sliding off the roof.
"Humpty Dumpty, let's roll." JJ exclaimed, standing up and chucking the now empty can of beer to the side. He leaned forward and grabbed onto Scarlett's hands, helping her up. The two of them then climbed down to the deck.
"Let's go, boys." Kiara said, handing Scarlett her backpack. The shorter girl grabbed the bag and hurriedly shoved her sketchbook and pencils into it.
JJ leaned over the balcony railing and called out to the security guard, teasing the man. "Gary, is that you?"
Throwing her bag over her shoulders and securing it properly, Scarlett sighed. "JJ, stop it. C'mon. We've gotta go." She moved forward, grabbing onto the back of his shirt and began to pull him away from the railing.
"Gary, good to see you, man!" JJ yelled, shaking himself out of Scarlett's grip and grabbing onto her hand instead.
"You're just asking for it." Kiara laughed, following behind the group as they made their escape.
They made a run for it, speeding through the upstairs level of the unfinished house- letting out yells and cheers as they went. The Pogues raced down the stairs, Scarlett and JJ leading the pack. Making it to the lower level meant they had to duck under planks of wood. Excitement flooded through Scarlett's veins as ran behind JJ, jumping over tool boxes and whatever the builders had left laying around. JJ skidded as they ran into Gary and quickly pulled Scarlett in a different direction.
"Sorry Gary!" She yelled over her shoulder, apologising to the man. A laugh left her lips as they dodged one of the other security guards, narrowly missing JJ.
"Not much of a hugger man!"
"I beg to differ!" Scarlett yelled at him.
They ran out into the garden, cutting through it to reach the road where John B's van was parked. By now Pope, JJ and Scarlett were the only three left in the chase, the former in the lead. JJ cheered Pope on as they approached the fence, the latter easily scaling it. The couple reached it soon after and, with a small boost from JJ, Scarlett was able to climb it. No sooner had JJ jumped over it, then Gary appeared behind them.
"Come here, you little pricks!" He yelled as the three teens ran away, laughing their heads off.
"Bus is leaving!" John B called out, pressing the horn of his van. "Hurry up!" Pope, JJ and Scarlett all jumped into the van and John B immediately sped away.
"Now that, was something." Scarlett breathed out, holding her side and panting heavily from all the running.
"Check out Gary, gunnin' for a raise." Pope laughed.
"Come on, Gary!" JJ yelled, leaning out of the open door. He looked behind him, over his shoulder, and locked eye with Scarlett. "You alright there, Red?"
"Perfectly splendid." She grinned. "Mind you don't fall out the van."
JJ grinned at her before turning his attention back to the security guard who was still running after them. "Wait, slow down, slow down, slow down." He grabbed onto the roof of the van and leaned out the open door, holding out a can of beer to Gary.
"You're gonna give him a heart attack." Kiara laughed, nudging John B's elbow and grinning over to Scarlett.
"And we wouldn't want a dead body on our hands, would we?" Scarlett laughed, leaning back in her seat as she drank from the water bottle she had pulled out from her bag. "JJ, quit it. We've annoyed him enough for today." She reached out and swatted the back of his shirt.
Ignoring her, JJ continued to pester the security guard. "You're so close! You can do it. There you go." They all watched, amused, as JJ threw the can of beer. It missed its target- Gary's hands- and landed on the tarmac and exploding all over the poor man's shoes. "They don't pay you enough, bro." JJ called out.
"C'mon. Stop it." Scarlett groaned, pulling the tall boy back into the van.
"Oh, come on." JJ whined, sitting back and pulling the dark-haired girl into his lap. "That sort of initiative is just begging to be punished." Scarlett grinned, looking around at her friends- who were more like her family- as she leaned back into JJ's chest.
"So, you coming back to mine later?" Kiara asked her fellow female Pogue as she leaned out of the van to pull the door shut. Scarlett nodded.
"What's happening?" John B asked, glancing over his shoulder as he drove down the road.
"I'm going to Kie's later to pick up Maisie since she went there after summer school today." Scarlett explained, closing her eyes in contentment as JJ wrapped his arms around her. "Which reminds me. I need to pick up my waitressing schedule."
"You know my dad's fine with you picking your own schedule and turning up to work whenever."
"Maisie's in summer school?" Pope asked, leaning his back against the side of the van.
Scarlett nodded, opening her eyes to watch the view as they drove along. "Her teachers recommended it, what with her grades being exceptionally high for an six-year-old."
"I don't remember there being a summer school here." JJ mused, running his fingers threw Scarlett's ponytail.
"That's because it's for Kooks." Kiara explained.
"That's gotta be ridiculously expensive." John B pointed out. "Where's your dad finding all this money?"
"He's not. The jerk refuses to get another job since he got fired. Any money we have, he spends on shitty alcohol or drugs. Kie's parents offered to pay for the school." She turned her attention to said girl. "And, I'll pay them back every cent. I promise."
Kiara waved her off. "You don't have to. You need the money to live. They'll understand. Besides, they're already pretty rich." She shrugged.
The conversation lulled to a stop, settling the group into a comfortable silence. John B leaned forward and turned the radio up to its highest volume as they drove over the bridge and past the sign for home.
'Welcome To The
OUTER BANKS
PARADISE ON EARTH'
❤❤❤
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Edited: 14/11/2020