Chapter Text
We’re the Pogues, and our mission this summer is to have a good time, all the time.
And that’s my sister. Pogue Princess, or Birdie, as I like to call her when I want to piss her off. The most responsible behind Pope and the one who keeps food in the house when all else fails. When she’s not yelling at me to clean my room, she’s working at the Island Club.
We used to be pretty close growing up, but since our dad disappeared, things have been kinda rough between the two of us. My dad and I got along way better, and I think that caused a rift between them, so she wasn’t too upset when he disappeared. I owe her way more than I let on, and everyone loves her. She’s the glue for our chaos.
The sunshine across the horizon was blinding, casting the Island Club in a golden light that almost made you dread the day a bit less. The thought of spending the next nine hours in straight heat while serving food and drinks to ungrateful people of the Outer Banks sounded like hell, but the idea of a storm that could knock out the power for a couple of days and give you some time to relax? Perfect.
As long as you survived this first.
Today would be busy. Warnings were coming in for the first hurricane of the season, and you were ready to get it over with. The Island Club would be packed with resident Kooks trying to get their last hurrah in before the big storm, and that often meant nonstop tables and barely any room to breathe.
The only thing you had going for you was your manager, Cassandra. Once a fellow Pogue, now turned Kook, she understood your motivation and your drive to get the day over and just try to survive it.
The day passed much faster than you anticipated, and soon enough, Cassandra was tugging on the strings of your apron as you stepped behind the bar. She pushed an amount of cash into your hand. “Hey, you. Tips for the day. We’re closing down early for the storm. You got a ride home?”
You glanced at the clock on the wall. 4:46 PM. John B was supposed to get you when your shift ended at 5:00. You gave her a nod. “Yeah, my brother’s coming in the next few minutes. Do you really think it’ll hit us?”
She shrugged, stabbing a few receipts into her pile before wiping down the bar space in front of her. “I’d like to think it’s not, but based on that sky and the wind shiftin’, it’s time to run, girl. Be careful, you and John B.”
You nodded as she continued to shuffle around the back of the bar without another word. The storm siren rattled up in the distance, the deep noise sending chills down your back as you tossed your apron in the bin. Fellow employees continued to rush their way around in attempts to lock everything down in a collective manner as you slipped out the back door.
4:46 turned to 5:17 before you knew it as you sat on the bench outside the back of the club. The few times John B had shown up to get you, this is where you would meet. But, to your disappointment, it seemed he had forgotten. Again.
John Booker Routledge. Your slightly older brother and biggest annoyance. You’d always consider him to be your best friend and confidant, yet lately, he seemed to be anything but that. Things hit the fan when your dad, Big John, disappeared to sea months ag, which managed to create tension between you and John B.
Your relationship with your dad had always been a mess. He picked your brother over you every time and managed to get under your skin every chance he could. Needless to say, you weren’t super disappointed when he went racing after this so-called treasure. He had barely been there in the first place, and while you hoped things would be better without him, it felt like you’d lost John B in the mix too.
You called him again, getting his obnoxious voicemail for the fourth time. Cursing to yourself, you stood up and decided he wasn’t going to be here anytime soon, and your best bet would be to start walking before it got too late.
“Fucking John B and zero responsibility,” You cursed to yourself as you wiped water from your face. The harsh wind was starting to sting, and the rain was kicking up from the gentle mist. The sky was an angry swirl of green and gray above you, thunder roaring in the distance while the ocean splashed up angrily.
By the time you’d made it home, you were positively soaked from head to toe. Your resident old Volkswagen van, The Twinkie, was parked in the driveway, making you even more pissed than before. You groaned loudly, stomping up to the screened-in porch in a fury.
“John B!” You shouted as you tossed your bag on the porch couch, struggling to shrug your sopping wet clothes off until you reached the swimsuit below. You threw them in a pile, moving to tug your drenched shoes and socks off too, before finally entering the house. “Hello? Asshole, you forgot me!”
Silence followed your words, meaning John B wasn’t here. Not only did that piss you off, but now, you were worried. Where the hell could he be when there was a Category 2 hurricane barreling your way?
The storm siren continued to blare outside, rain pounding against the windows as the wind howled. With a deep sigh, you tossed your clothes into the washer and grabbed a couple of items to go with, figuring you might as well get as much done as you could before power went out.
You managed enough time to complete two loads of laundry, shower, and make dinner before John B decided to make his existence known.
So when he walks in the door, high off the adrenaline of surfing the surge with JJ behind him, he comes face to face with you looking absolutely pissed off.
“What’s your deal?” He asked nonchalantly and brushed past you for a beer from the fridge. Water dripped across the floors you had just cleaned and you bit back the urge to cuss him out.
“Where were you?”
John B tossed a can to JJ as well before cracking his own. “We surfed the surge. Is that a problem?”
You tilted your head, voice still scarily steady. “And you didn’t think about the fact that you were supposed to get me from work before the storm rolled in?”
JJ let out a low whistle as John B paused mid-drink. “Shit.”
“Yeah, shit,” You repeated as you glared at him. “I walked two miles, John B. In the rain.”
Your brother moved out of the kitchen area to sprawl on the couch with zero regret in his words. “Look, I’m sorry. I forgot. Mistakes happen.”
You scoffed and rolled your eyes, resisting the desire to throw something at him. “Yes, mistakes, except you blatantly don’t even attempt to be responsible for shit anymore!”
“Hey, I went to the DCS appointment yesterday!”
“Wow, and who reminded you of that appointment? Who scheduled it?”
He went silent, looking up at JJ with nothing to say before lifting his beer and drinking it. You shook your head, almost in tears of frustration as you stared at the boy who was supposedly your brother. “You’re such an asshole.”
Your relationship with John B’s friends was complicated. Sometimes he wanted you around, other times you never heard from any of them for days. You didn’t know if they tolerated you because John B was their friend or if they actually enjoyed your presence. With JJ though, you never had to question any of that.
You risked a glance at said boy standing near your brother, your eyes speaking more than your voice ever could before you turned away.
JJ watched as you slipped back into your room with a sniffle. He winced at the sight of the food you’d prepared across the stove, feeling guilty for asking John B to surf the surge in the first place.
As John B’s unofficial best friend since the third grade, JJ had grown up around you for what felt like forever. He’d been there through every sibling spat, every broken bone, and he wasn’t even slightly phased by the small argument he’d just witnessed. He wished he saw more of you, though; he missed the way things used to be before Big John disappeared.
“Dude, you don’t have to be such a dick to her,” JJ said as he moved forward to grab some of the food while it was still warm. “She is like, the only reason you’re alive at this point.”
John B crushed the can in his hand before standing from the couch. “Why does she have to be such a buzz kill about it?”
“Maybe because she’s only sixteen and playing ‘Mom’ for people who are older than her?” JJ replied pointedly.
The response made John B pause for a moment, the words striking a little too true before he grabbed a plate to fill. “Whatever, bro. She’ll be fine. Now come on, we have a whole storm to drink through.”
--
Hurricane Agatha did her best to wreak havoc on Kildare Island, and in some cases, she succeeded. The lack of cell service and power to the house was enough proof of that.
You took your time crawling out of bed, figuring there was nothing else waiting for you besides storm cleanup ahead. The club would be closed for at least a few days to deal with the power outage and to get food replaced, so that basically meant free days for you.
The main room was silent when you walked out later in the morning. JJ wasn’t passed out on the pullout, and John B’s door was open, making you sigh to yourself. Of course, they up and left without saying anything. The missing HMS Pogue at the end of the dock confirmed it, too.
Deciding the Twinkie would have a rough time dodging the mess the storm made, you made a quick bike trip to the general store down the road to get some ice in hopes of keeping food somewhat cold until the power could come back on.
The quiet that came after a hurricane was always something that brought you peace. Everyone was forced to take a moment and pause. Mother Nature spared no one, and she made sure to remind you of that every so often.
The hours passed in moving tree branches and trying to track down all of your dad’s angry ass chickens that you swore you hated. You’d finally managed to get everything in a somewhat organized pile to use as firewood when the HMS Pogue decided to show face at the dock.
“Look who decided to show up,” You grumbled as John B, Kiara, Pope, and JJ trekked their way to you. Your glare settled on your brother. “Where the hell have you been?”
“Oh, hey. Thanks for cleaning up.” John B looked over all the organized debris dismissively and walked onto the porch. “Did you make lunch?”
You stared at him incredulously before ignoring him and refocusing on the other Pogues in front of you. “Sandwiches are in the cooler.”
JJ let out a whoop of excitement and jumped to kiss your forehead. “Love you, Birdie!”
You rolled your eyes as he took off toward the house, nearly tripping at the speed he moved. Kie shook her head, pausing to give you a quick hug before she and Pope walked inside as well. You could hear scattered bits of their conversation as you continued to snap branches in half.
“...we’re talking about a dirtbag marina rat and all of a sudden he’s got a Grady-White? Just sayin’. How does a marina rat get a boat like that?”
“Square groupers, bro. Flying under the radar, no aerial surveillance.”
“For the record, if that is a smuggling ship, with illegal contraband on the inside of it… it probably belongs to someone else. They could come looking for it.” The tone in Pope’s voice made you look over at all of them with suspicion.
“Well, stupid things have good outcomes all the time.”
JJ being the one to say that brought you no comfort and you decided to interject, making your way up to where they were all slouched on the porch furniture. They all turned to you expectantly, so you raised an eyebrow. “What did you all do?”
John B glared. “We’re having a private conversation.”
“On an open porch where I’m standing less than 20 feet away? Real private of you.”
JJ took a massive bite of his sandwich before standing up and wrapping an arm around your shoulder. “Hey, hey. No fight needed. Listen, Sunshine…you busy?”
You gave him an unamused look at his chewing, the sound annoying in your ear. “J, you know I’m not busy.”
“Perfect. It’s decided then. We’re having a kegger.”
--
You didn’t ask questions on how John B and JJ managed to find kegs of beer, nor did you ask how they suddenly had money to do so when your brother seemed to be anywhere but work these days.
The Boneyard filled relatively quickly with familiar and new faces while you tried to find a spot in the mess of it all. It was bound to get busy, especially since the hurricane had basically shut down any other event on the island.
You’d spent some time talking to your group from school, brief catch-ups on summer jobs, and if they were lucky enough to take any trips before they parted ways. You were left behind to people watch on one of the large rotting tree trunks that took up the space.
“My lady.” A red solo cup hovered in front of your face from a hand, which you only accepted since the voice was recognizable.
“Thanks,” You hummed and pulled it closer as JJ took a seat on the side of you. You glanced at him before taking a sip of the nearly warm beer, the taste sour on your tongue.
“Why you looking at me like that?”
You shrugged, forcing yourself to turn away from him. “Figured you’d have better things to do than sit with little old me.”
JJ’s arm wrapped around your shoulder, forcing you closer to him. You hated the way nerves bubbled in your stomach at his touch and your cheeks warmed at the action. “I’ve had enough of trying to talk up strangers for a night if you believe it.”
You scoffed, “You, JJ Maybank, bored of girls? I’m shocked.”
“Bored of all but one.”
Your relationship with JJ had always been different from the others. He’d flirt with you like it was nobody’s business, and you always thought he was kidding, just playing around with his best friend’s sister. Part of you got annoyed by it, knowing that’s how he was with any girl he came into contact with, but then there was part of you that held out hope that maybe it was different with you.
This summer was different, if you were honest. He hadn’t been dragging in hookups every other night like his usual self and although the others didn’t really speak on it, you had noticed.
“Yo, JJ!” John B’s voice broke the bubble you’d formed between you and the boy next to you. Your brother was on his way over and it left you no room to ask JJ what he meant by that statement. “Who the fuck gave you a beer?”
You gave John B an annoyed look, refusing to rat out JJ for no reason. “Why do you care?”
John B swooped the cup out of your hand and you rolled your eyes. Of course he wants to play Big Brother at this very moment. “J, dude. I need you on pong.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”
JJ gave you an apologetic look before following John B over to where a group had set up the beer pong table. You turned back toward the ocean, eyes catching sight of Sarah Cameron and her resident Kooks who had shockingly shown up for this.
You didn’t have anything against her, in all honesty. She’d always been nice at the Island Club whenever she visited and Kiara never wanted to explain what had actually happened between them a few years back, so you had nothing but your own experience to go off of.
It didn’t take long before Pope got bored with the crowd and took the spot next to you, the two of you busy with work talk and his plans for college prep for the next year of school. Pope was so smart, and you were envious that he had the dedication to follow academics.
Eventually, the sun set across the horizon and you were left with the moonlight and bonfire to provide some light for the remaining partygoers. It was almost peaceful if you could tune out the loud chatter and annoying music that someone had taken over playing.
Until it wasn’t.
You could hear it all before you saw it; the yelling, the sound of skin on skin that didn’t sound nice, people crowding in a certain area. Sarah Cameron’s boyfriend, Topper, punched John B square in the face and then you were running. Pope gained a distance on you, pulling JJ from starting a fist fight with someone else in return.
You stared anxiously as the bystanders shouted for a fight. Your brother pushed himself off the ocean floor to tackle Topper down with him and you winced. “John B, stop!”
“Topper!” Sarah was suddenly next to you, yelling at her boyfriend in hopes that one of them would grow the fuck up and walk away. People were circling in on your group in hopes of getting a glimpse of whatever the hell this had turned into.
The boys exchanged lousy punches and you groaned in annoyance at the childish display of dominance. “Is this really necessary?” You mumbled to yourself.
“Why do they always fight first?” Sarah must’ve heard you because her reply was in your direction and you looked up to face her. She didn’t seem to be too worried about Topper, but it was obvious she was annoyed that their night had turned the same way yours had.
It wasn’t until Topper bodyslammed John B in the ocean that you freaked out.
“Topper!”
The Kook was literally holding John B’s head underwater and you screamed when there was no sign of him letting go. Feet moving first, you nearly tripped into the ocean and pushed against the larger boy’s back to shift his grip, but he wasn’t budging. “Topper, get the fuck off! Someone help!”
Topper dropped one hand from John B’s neck to shove you away and you tumbled into the water a few feet away.
That was enough to piss JJ off to the next level. His body moved before he had time to process what the hell he was doing and suddenly, the gun he stole from the motel room was pressed against Topper’s skull.
“Yeah, you know what that is. Your move, broski.”
You managed to get the salt water off your face just as someone yelled about a gun. You blinked in shock at the sight of the blond boy holding said weapon as Topper slowly raised his hands off of John B.
“Put the gun down!” Sarah was screaming, fully panicked at the scene ahead of her. You moved slowly, not wanting to set JJ off to any sudden movements and grabbed John B’s t-shirt the second you had enough room. It was difficult to drag him through the wet sand but you managed to get him away from the water as best as possible.
“John B?” Your voice was shaky as you tapped the side of his face to wake him up. When he didn’t move, you shook him a little harder and nearly passed out when he started coughing up water. “Holy shit, are you okay?”
“Get the hell off our side of the island!”
You flinched at the volume of the gunshots within close range and looked over to see JJ with the gun pointed in the air. The remaining crowd took off with his actions until it was just you, JJ, Kie, Pope, and John B left behind. Kie was busy ripping JJ’s ass, Pope right behind her as they chewed him out.
The distant look in John B’s eyes was really concerning as you kept your gaze on him. Your hands were shaking as you shook his shoulders. “JB?”
He blinked up at you, trying to process where the hell he was and what had just happened. Water burned his nose and all he could really tell was that you looked terrified and he had no clue why. If he paid attention, he could make out his friends’ raised voices but everything was so foggy and suddenly, he was really, really tired.
“Pope!”
Your shout broke up their argument, all concerns now moving toward John B, who had passed out again. Pope was quick to move to your side and he checked to make sure your brother was still breathing before addressing you. “He’s okay, probably just the adrenaline crash. We need to get out of here, now.”
--
You barely slept that night.
JJ, Kie, and Pope helped you get John B back to the house, but you couldn’t beat the worry in your chest and were up all night. Annoyance or not, he was still your brother and you were not about to lose him to a petty fight with a Kook anytime soon.
When Sheriff Peterkin knocked on the door at 8:00 AM sharp, you knew you were fucked. She didn’t seem too pissed at the sight of you but you didn’t want to get your hopes up.
“Hi, Sheriff Peterkin.” You opened the door for her, letting her inside the dim lighting of your powerless home.
"Mornin’, Miss Routledge. Your brother here?” She was scanning the place with her eyes and you were grateful that you’d taken the time to clean up more than usual this week.
You nodded, pointing your thumb behind you to where his door was closed. “He’s asleep, rough night.”
“So I heard.” She gave you a pointed look that told you she already knew what you were trying to avoid talking about. “Mind waking him up for me?”
Realising she meant business, you slipped into John B’s room where he was out cold across the mattress. “John B?”
He startled at the sudden noise, eyes blinking at you tiredly. “Hm?”
You glanced over your shoulder to where the woman was waiting in your kitchen. “Sheriff Peterkin is here.”
John B let out a deep sigh and nodded, dragging his hand across his face. “Give me a sec.”
You exited his room to return to your slightly unwanted guest. You liked Sheriff Peterkin, you just hated the fact that you and your brother were on this side of her glare more often than not. “He’s moving. Can I get you a water?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you, though. You two fairing well with the storm?”
“For the most part,” You answered honestly. “The club is closed for a few days so I'm missing out on working hours, but I’m sure they’ll be back before I’m ready for them to be.”
A small smile pulled on her lips. “Your brother sure is lucky to have you, sweetheart. Wish he would keep his head on his shoulders a little better.”
You laughed quietly before mumbling, “Yeah, me too.”
John B picked that moment to come around the corner, still rubbing sleep from his eyes as he took in Sheriff Peterkin’s presence in the kitchen and the lack of amusement in her expression. “Sorry to barge in on you two like this. DCS called; they wanted me to check in. See how you’re both doin’.”
The black eye was so dark against John B’s tanned skin and you winced at the sight of it in the full sunlight. Sheriff Peterkin caught it quickly. “So, how are you, besides that?” She pointed to the bruised area.
John B tried to backtrack immediately. “Oh, no. We’re-we’re great. Yeah, fantastic. Uh, thanks for comin’ by.”
“I’m so glad to hear that, John B, but I heard a few things that worried me. Let me see if I can remember. Oh yeah, one of the things I heard was that your Uncle Teddy, your guardian, hasn’t been in the state in three months.”
“Yeah, that’s false-”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Peterkin cut off John B’s defense. “I know it’s true, I called the school. They said you used to be a good student, but now you’re failing all your classes.”
You coughed as she picked up Kie’s leftover joint from last night and sniffed it curiously.
“No, no, I’m only failing one and it’s history,” John B corrected.
Sheriff Peterkin looked at you as your brother dug himself in a deeper hole. “And I heard there was a fight on the beach yesterday and a gun was involved.”
You stayed quiet as John B attempted to explain but Sheriff Peterkin’s eyes were still on you. Your silence was enough to answer her, anyway.
“That’s okay, I know who it was. I’ll get to him. All I’m worried about right now is makin’ sure you’re in a safe home,” She explained.
John B nodded. “Yeah, super safe. Super sound, sturdy, you know?” He knocked his hand against the wall as if that proved anything. “Uncle T’s coming so…”
She tilted her head in consideration. “That what he told you?”
“Yeah.”
“If he is coming, I think you both should be allowed to stay. But if I stick my neck out for you, you have to help me. Tit for tat.”
John B grimaced, “What… what does tat mean?”
You rolled your eyes at his response. “How can we help you, Sheriff?”
“I got a body found in the marsh yesterday. Were you in the marsh yesterday?”
To your surprise, John B nodded truthfully. “Yeah, we were fishin’ for some drum.”
“Catch anything?” When your brother shook his head, she frowned. “Strange, fishing’s usually good after a storm. All sorts of things get stirred up. You come across a wreck yesterday?”
The question made your stomach drop and the slightest hesitation from John B didn’t help. “No,” He answered after a split second.
Sheriff Peterkin knew better, though, and let out a sigh, “You skimmin’ just above the surface, John B. Now, down here is foster care, juvie. Pretty big drop for a smart kid like you, and I would hate to see the two of you get separated. Up here is you and your little friends doing whatever you want. Outer Banks, or foster care on the mainland. You’re one inch above the surface, John B. If I was you, I’d start flapping my wings. Now, you sure you didn’t come across a wreck yesterday?”
Your heart was pounding in your chest. This wasn’t your question to answer, but you were internally begging John B to offer Sheriff Peterkin a crumb. She could keep DCS back for you so long as you guys worked with her, which seemed like a fair deal.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure.”
Peterkin placed her hand on your brother’s shoulder. “It’s better if you didn’t, you understand? I’m gonna look the other way, as long as you stay out of the marsh.”
She turned to leave, scanning the walls of the house as she did. “You know, you lucky your sister puts up with this. You might be fine tearing your life up, but you’re bringing her with you. Just think about that.”
With that, she dipped out the screen door and down the stairs to where her police cruiser was parked.
You winced as John B threw an empty can against the wall in frustration, his hands coming to tug at his wild hair. “I’m sorry-”
John B shook his head, cutting off whatever apology you were going to give him. A tense silence settled over the two of you and part of you could cry from feeling so distant from someone who was sitting a few feet from you.
“You’d tell me if something was wrong, right?” You asked quietly, almost terrified to hear the answer that could break your heart. You’d always been the cautious one between the two of you, but this was more serious than anything had been so far. If Sheriff Peterkin was specifically telling John B and his friends to stay away from something and she would cover for DCS, it had to be important.
John B took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair before looking at you. “Yeah, I would.”
But the way he got off the pullout and slammed the door shut behind him told you differently.
He would lie to you every time if it meant keeping his friends and whatever this adventure was, to himself.
--