MOONLIGHT | outer banks ²

SEVEN. (the dock)

    John B wasn't dead. Those four words swirled around my head as I sat with the pogues. I stared down at my phone, at the group chat I had opened up on it. He was alive. I stood from my spot, catching the pogue's attention as I did. I could feel each of them watching as I began walking off the school property.

I could hear JJ tell them to let me go. He told them it would be better for me to clear my thoughts alone.

I wanted more answers, I wanted to be able to see John B in person and talk to him alone, and I wanted more than anything to run into the boy's arms and for him to tell me it was okay and that he loved me. I longed for him to tell me those words again.

I walked through the front door of my house and Derek leaned around the corner from the kitchen. "What are you doing here?" He asked, looking down at his watch and then back up to the door.

"Laney, you should be in class right now." Sam let out as he walked over, stopping when he looked at me. "Laney?" His voice filled with concern and Derek leaned back over, standing from his spot too when he looked at my tear-stained face.

Sam walked towards me and grabbed my arm, I looked up at him and his face softened. I felt myself fall slightly and Sam wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight.

"What happened?" He whispered. I thought about telling him the truth, maybe I should. "Sam" I let out, my voice so soft it was barely audible.

"yeah?" He asked, pulling back slightly from the hug.

"It's John B" My words made the boy look back at his boyfriend who shared a look. "John B's alive" The boys faces broke into shock, and I let out my breath.

"What are you talking about?" Derek asked, walking towards us. "he's alive, like really alive" My voice cracked as I talked.

"Laney, he died," Sam told me, sitting me down on the couch.

"no, he didn't" I shook my head and pulled my phone out, clicking on the messages. I showed the boys my phone. "oh my god" Sam let out, squeezing my hand.

"Promise me you won't say anything?" I pleaded, and I realized I could have messed up the whole thing then and there.

"Of course, can I do anything to help?" Sam asked and Derek nodded behind him, causing me to smile. "I'm gonna go see the pogues after Kiara's shift tonight, we're gonna talk about some things. I'll let you know" I told them and they nodded, both boys moving to hug me again.

I stood from the couch and walked to my room a few minutes after that, pulling John B's bandana from the box in the floor. I tied it around my wrist and took a deep breath.

I picked up a half-smoked joint and lit it again, finishing it off myself. I laid down in my bed and stared at the ceiling, I just wanted him to be okay. And even though I tried to fight it, my eyelids got tired and they fluttered shut.

I was back at the chateau, walking down towards the dock. It was late at night and the stars were shining over the water. As I walked closer, I saw a figure leaning against one of the posts on the dock and I smiled. It was John B.

I could feel the light breeze dancing along my skin and I shut my eyes, trying to keep myself in that moment for as long as I could.

When I opened my eyes I was closer now, I wanted to run towards him as fast as I could but my pace was slow, steady. "hey" I let out, making my way to the spot next to him. The feeling of his presence calming me.

"hey" His words were numb and he kept his gaze on the water.

The two of us talked about his dad, and I told him things would be okay. And when I placed my hand over his on the railing, he didn't pull away. He looked from the water over to me as I looked out over the water. I felt his eyes on me and I looked back over at him, we only held eye contact a second before he turned back to the water but in that second I fell for the boy.

The two of us stood as we watched the water, our hands intertwined on the railing. I remembered this day. I remembered the way John B climbed into my window and whisked me away. It was the night we found Big John's tape and the map, it was the night I became a pogue.

I felt the light shake to my shoulders and when I opened my eyes Sam was leaning over me. "hey sleepy, don't you have somewhere to be?" His tone was playful and I let out a groan.

"shit" I cursed, getting up from the bed and racing out the door. "no goodbye?" Derek jokingly yelled from the door.

I ran from the house towards the restaurant. It's not like the pogues would be mad about me being late, I just didn't want to be any later than I already was.

"on the dock," Anna, Kiara's mother told me as I slowed down. "Thank you" I called to the woman. I walked towards the pogues, who didn't seem to notice me at first. Busy in conversation.

"Sorry I'm late, what did I miss?" I asked as I got closer to them. "oh, just the dumbest idea brought to you by none other than JJ" Pope let out, earring a scoff from the blonde boy.

"All right, well, what do you got, Pope? I was just trying to keep it simple." JJ let out as he sat down, leaving space beside him for me.

"What was this simple plan?" I asked as I took a seat next to JJ who pulled me closer. "Oh you know, kidnap Rafe" Kiara told me and I looked at JJ like the boy was ridiculous.

"That's a crime JJ" I lectured, ignoring his mocking.

"We just need a material witness. We saw Ward's plane fly right over our heads with the gold inside of it. He didn't fly it. If somebody else flew, they were there on the tarmac. They saw Peterkin get murdered. We just have to find whoever that was and get them to confess on record." Pope explained and I couldn't deny it was definitely more of a plan than JJ's.

"how do we do that?" Kiara asked, and I looked beside me at JJ who was pretending to sulk. "a little light espionage" Pope answered and JJ perked up.

"a little ghost recon" He added, each of us smiling at each other. "woogity woogity?" We laughed and put our hands up together. "woogity baby" JJ let out, wrapping his arms around me as we pulled our hands away.

We had a plan. A plan that could actually work. A plan that could bring John B back home.