Exhale, Outer Banks [ 1 ]

026. SEWER LIFE

It's late at night and Cordelia makes sure JJ is asleep. She peeks into the bedroom to find her brother lying in bed, half of his face stuffed in the pillow, light snores being present.

Cordelia carefully sneaks out, making sure to avoid the creaky floorboards. After getting outside, she gets her bike, immediately setting off to the abandoned house.

Soon enough, she gets there, practically falling off the bike as she skids to a stop. She rushes in, finding Fletcher already there.

"Hey. What was so urgent?" Fletcher asks.

"Okay, I should've found a way to tell you earlier, but I've been with JJ, Kie, and Pope the whole time. Not a single minute to myself since we found out." Cordelia says.

"Found out what?" Fletcher asks, looking at her extremely confused.

"They're alive." Cordelia declares, a small grin on her face.

"Who?" Fletcher asks.

"John B and Sarah, idiot. Who else? They're alive." Cordelia tells him.

"What?" Fletcher asks, his voice quiet, confusion and disbelief filling his body.

"Yeah." Cordelia pulls her phone out and shows him the picture and the text messages. "They're alive. In the Bahamas, we're trying to clear his name. Which hopefully goes as planned."

"Oh, my God." Fletcher whispers.

"I'm honestly mostly telling you cause I know you're pretty close with Sarah. I kind of think she might want you to know. I don't know. Maybe. I guess. I don't really know the extent of your friendship with her."

"Well, we both bitched about both Topper and Rafe, which really bonds two people." Fletcher says. "I can't believe. They're actually alive." He lightly laughs. "How are you clearing his name?"

"We're gonna get the gun that Rafe used to kill Peterkin. We, uh, we saw Ward shoot a guy, uh, Gavin, and, um... but the gun fell into a storm drain and we almost got caught by Ward cause Kie started fucking yelling, but we got away. And then the cops, obviously, did not believe us cause why would they believe four teens versus the two biggest dickheads on the island, and--"

"Wait, wait, wait, slow-- slow down." Fletcher tells her, stopping the girl's quick ramble. "You saw Ward shoot a guy? And he almost caught you guys?"

"Yeah." Cordelia nods.

"Wha-- are you guys okay? Are you okay?" Fletcher asks, glancing over her for any injuries.

"Yeah. Yeah, we're good. I'm good. Little freaked, but good." Cordelia assures.

"Well, how are you gonna find the gun if it fell in a storm drain?" Fletcher asks.

"Well, hopefully it's not in the sewer and it's just, you know, in the surrounding area or whatever. But, uh, I guess one of us are gonna be going into the sewer." She humorlessly chuckles. "I called not it."

"Okay, well, um... be careful, I guess." Fletcher says, not sure what else to tell her. "Text me and let me know what happens."

"Yeah, definitely. I gotta go before JJ wakes up and finds out I'm gone. I'll see you later." Cordelia says.

"Yeah, later." Fletcher says.

Without thinking, Cordelia leans forward and plants a chaste kiss on Fletcher's cheek.

"Bye!" She calls as she rushes out of the house, leaving a frozen Fletcher alone.

"Bye." Fletcher mumbles, lightly touching his cheek, staring at the shut door.