BRIZO 2 | 𝐉𝐉 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤

1

CHAPTER ONE 
the fellowship of the pogues

From the very beginning, it was always Kooks and Pogues. That's how it's always been. Some people made the best of it, and some people fought against it.

I've been taught to fight it. My father lost everything he had fighting being a Pogue. Fuck, he lost his life. The Merchant gold was part of that fight. He used to say that it was our way out. I wasn't much of a believer. John B, on the other hand... Well, he did like playing explorers with our pops.

My father used to say that gold was our way to even the scales - how the Pogues win. Lately I've been thinking that maybe he was wrong all this time along. The gold wasn't an escape. It has always been a trap.

It's been a month since we fled from Ward's ship. An entire month, stranded on a deserted island. A month.

My perception of time has started to shift. Days have become much longer than they used to be. I try to keep my mind occupied all the time, because if I don't, my depressing thoughts will consume me.

Don't get me wrong, it's not all that bad. I love Poguelandia - that's how JJ named our island. Turns out he got an artist in him. He drew our flag - it's a beautiful chicken with a bra, smoking a joint. I helped him hang it from a palm tree, cheering him on and laughing our asses off.

I've been spending a lot of time with the girls, too. Cleo, Sarah, Kiara and I have been creating and crafting all we could to make this island feel like a home. We're pretty satisfied with our work. We are truly the best of friends.

Kiara and I worked out our problems, turns out all we needed was a night alone crying on each other's shoulders. We've been inseparable ever since. Sarah says she's glad we're fine now, she told me she couldn't stand when we were being bitches to each other. She had a point, to be fair.

And as for Cleo... I just adore her. She fits just right in our group. She has the same wild personality as JJ, and she joins us most of the time in our pranks and shitty ideas around the beach. I also think she's becoming sweet on Pope, but he's not aware of that just yet.

I'm not sure if I want to go back to Kildare. I miss my home, sure, but everything is so much easier here. We don't have to worry about people shooting at us, losing our house, debts and being orphans. Poguelandia freed us from everything.

That's what JJ and I have been talking about for a while now. He's focused, showing me how to make a shitty spear to help us catch some fish for dinner. I asked if he'd ever wanted to be rescued.

"Rescued?" He chuckles, glancing briefly at my hands with a smirk. "From what? From..." He gestures around us, "from paradise?"

"So you're not going back?" I ask, smiling sweetly at him.