¥showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks¥
In which Jackie Routledge and her group of friends from the south side of Outer Banks try to have the summer of their lives, but end up it being filled with mystery, tragedy, risks, adventure...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
{Mr, Big Head}
There's a moment in every kid's life when you feel like anything's possible. When you feel like you've got the total mojo. You could, I don't know, free-climb El Capitan, land on Mars, or, uh..get elected as president. The whole world's there for the taking if you've got the sack to go for it. And then, when you least expect it, some Kook shows up and tells you there's no eternal mystery. And then all that talk about free-climbing and Mars and the president...bullshit. Magic gets cancer and dies.
I clench my fist and jaw in frustration and anger. It was the third time the drone went over the wreck and still no gold. I stormed back into the cabin, and JJ followed momentarily behind me. "Start it up and bring us back to land," I mutter as I slide my body to the floor, I pull up my legs and wrap my arms around them, trying to control myself from having a breakdown.
I feel so angry and confused but mostly, I feel that I had disappointed and let down my dad. I failed him as a daughter. It was crushing my heart knowing the gold wasn't there and tears started falling down my eyes. On the tap recorder, he told my brother and me to go find the gold. We followed his map and we did everything we possibly could, all for nothing. I could feel JJ's eyes on me.
"Babe?" He says softly. "Yeah," I mumble under my breath, he walks over and sits down beside me. "You okay?" He asks wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "No," I answer. "Five seconds ago, I was the happiest girl alive and now, I'm just angry. It's not there, JJ. The gold, it was supposed to be there. We were supposed to get it and finally get DCS off our backs, you away from your father and Pope into college. We were supposed to be happy." I sob into his shoulder.
"Pope, take the wheel and bring us home," JJ tells him and he does as he's told. "We're going to drop you and John B at home, you two need to get some sleep and just relax, okay?" He says and I let out a sigh. "Okay. Are you going to stay with me?" I ask glancing up at him as he wipes away my tears. "I can't, right now. I have to go back to my house for a few hours but I'll come to yours later." He answers and a faint smile appears on my face. For the rest of the journey, John B and Kie are arguing about the merchant while JJ and I sit on the ground cuddling each other.
Pope dropped John B. and me off first before taking Kie and JJ home. John B. and I walked up the dock, and neither of us said a word. I pull open the back door and grab a soda from the fridge, while John b puts the keys on the rack. "Hey, guys" a familiar voice speaks up from behind me causing me to nearly choke on the soda. John B and I turn around to see Cheryl sitting down on our couch, in her perfect suit and the biggest smirk plasters across her face as she has just accomplished something she's been wanting for ages.
"You know, Cheryl, it's kind of a bad time for a check-in." My brother sighs sitting down beside me. "Not a check-in. We're here to take you both." She replies. I glance over at my brother and raise an eyebrow. "Today? Really?" He says folding his arms annoyedly. "It's just for a few weeks until your hearing."She explains looking at my brother and then at me. "No, no, no. Cheryl, look, we're not going into foster care, okay? We're not gonna go be a part of your little system. And I definitely won't allow you to separate Jackie and me." My brother defends, I place my hand on his shoulder to try to comfort him.
"This is our home, Cheryl. We're going nowhere." I argue and she sighs. "John b, Jackie, this is Deputy Thomas." She introduces herself as the man walks behind John B. and me. "Oh, shit." My brother mumbles grabbing my hand. "He works with juveniles for the sheriff's department." She introduces me as my brother pulls me off the chair away from the deputy.
"Look, I know Uncle T is down in Mississippi working at a casino. He hasn't been here in months." Cheryl explains and I sigh. "What?"My brother scoffs before looking at me and we make a run for the exit. But Deputy Thomas blocks our way. We quickly stop in front of him and I start to panic. "No, see, that's my nightmare right there. Look, I—I—I want emancipation." My brother points out. "Emancipation for who? There's nobody here but you two." Cheryl states. "Asylum?" My brother suggests.
"On what ground?" She asks folding her arms. "On-on solid ground. On holy grounds. Look, Jackie and I feel real—real prosecuted right now by you and especially Mr., big head over there." My brother says and I nod in agreement. ''What are you looking at, bro? What're you gonna do? You gonna tease us?" My brother asks looking at the deputy before we break off into a sprint again, actually making it past the table but the officer wraps his arms around John B. "Let me go!" My brother yells. "Get off him! Let my brother go!" I scream trying to get him to let go of John B.
"Cheryl tell your dog to let him go, "I demand. "That's enough!" Cheryl yells at us. "Okay! Okay!" John B sighs. ''Guys, just relax." She tells us as the deputy releases John b, I quickly run to him and pull him into a hug. "Okay, we give up." My brother sighs as he rests his head on mine wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closer.
"It's going to be okay, I won't let anything happen to you." He whispers in my ear and I nod. '"Go pack a few things, we need to get going." Cheryl orders. John B grabs my hand and leads us to our rooms. I grab my bag and throw in a few clothes, a picture of the Pogues and me, and my father's envelope. We go back out to the living room, where Cheryl and the deputy are still waiting for us.
My brother walks over to the kitchen wall and pulls off a picture of our dad. "See this, Cheryl?" My brother asks walking towards her and showing her the picture. "Do you know who this is? Yeah, it's our dad. And do you know what he wanted? He wanted me to stay here at home and take care of my sister. And you're taking us away from our home and him. You're going to take Jackie from me too. Do you understand that?" My brother yells. "It's the law, John B," Cheryl says opening the door for us and my brother scoffs exiting the house. "The law." I scoff following behind my brother as she leads us out of our house. As soon as we get in the car, we are driving away from our home, playing with my father's watch and anxiously tapping the window, I glance over at my brother and a faint smile appears on his face.
***
As we drive through the cut, John B puts his elbow on the window, raising the picture of our father to his eyes. He quickly glances over at me with a smirk on his face and I furrow my eyebrows in confusion, as he smoothly lets the picture fly out the window.
"No, stop, stop, stop. Please stop!" My brother shouts. "That was our last picture of our dad," I yell playing along. "Not gonna happen, kids." The deputy calls out and I roll my eyes. "Come on. Just stop the car. Please. That's all we've got left." My brother pleads and Cheryl sighs. "Pull over," she says. "You want me to pull over?" The deputy asks and she nods her head. "Just pull over." She states and he does as he's told and pulls the car to a stop.
"Thank you." My brother sighs. The deputy gets out and looks around the area for the picture. "Cheryl, can we help him look? Please?" My brother asks. "He's got it." She shrugs. "This idiot. He's not looking in the right place." I groan. "It's gonna get trashed. Cheryl, please." My brother pleads and she sighs. "It's our final keepsake of our dad. Are you gonna let that happen?" I question as she rubs her temples in frustration.
"Make it quick." She replies unlocking the doors. "Thank you." My brother and I say in unison before glancing at each other. "Go," I whisper to him and he nods grabbing the bag. "Later, Thomas! Ha-ha!" My brother laughs grabbing my hand as we sprint across the street. We ignore the two cars that nearly trampled us and their angry honks as we continue to hop over metal fences and run through the graveyard.
Coming around a corner in the cut, we ran past our friend's house, Jorge. "Hey, Jorge."My brother says panting as the boy looks up at us. "What's up, guys? Looking good Jackie." He smiles and I nod. "Nothing much.'" I answer. "Look a snow leopard." My brother says pointing at Jorge, tricking him so we could take his bike. "Sorry." I apologise as John B and I hope on the bike. "I'll give it back. I promise." My brother salutes him. "You better!" Jorge calls out as we cycle fast down the street.
My brother stops down an empty alleyway to catch his breath. 'We should split.' John b pants and I raise my eyebrow in confusion. "What? No! I'm not leaving you." I object and he sighs. "Go to JJ's, Jackie. You'll be safe with him. I'll get Dad's picture and meet you there, I promise." He says with a smile and I sigh before nodding. "You better!" I say hopping off the bike as he cycles off saluting me goodbye, I take a deep breath before I start sprinting towards JJ's house.
