Outer Banks (JJ Maybank x Female Reader) Book 3

The Shell Trail

From the very beginning, it was always Kooks. and Pogues. Some people with everything. And some with nothing. That's the way it's always been. And that's how they wanna keep it. Some people make the best of it, and some people fight against it. The Merchant gold was a part of that. For my father, John B, and I, the treasure was our way out. How we evened the scales. How the Pogues win. But at some point... you kind of have to wonder... was the treasure an escape? Or was it a trap?

~~~~~~

"Whoo!" I cheer, clapping as JJ throws his hands in the air. "You did it J!" I call happily. "Poguelandia!" I scream, smiling up at the flying sheet that JJ tied to the palm tree. A chicken is drawn on it, a chicken with a coconut bra and crocs, smoking a J. Poguelandia is scrawled under neath it in the charcoal JJ used to draw. "Whoa!" JJ cheers. "It's perfect!" I call. I walk over to the hut, tossing my soaking wet t-shirt on the clothes line we made from one rock to another. 

John B stumbles down onto the beach, tossing three more coconuts onto our pile and a few sticks in the fire. Sarah ties reeds together to continue the beds she started making a week ago. "Rescue?" JJ laughs as he joins me. "From what? From... from paradise?" He asks, sitting down next to me and tying a reed around the end of his homemade spear. "I'm not going back," He shrugs. "Ever," He shakes his head. I chuckle, smiling to myself.

"I mean, look around. We got everything we need," He grins. "Right here," He smiles. "Yeah?" I ask, biting my lip as I stand up. "Just like we talked about," I say as I straddle him, dropping into my lap. "But you could use a haircut," I smile, running my hands through his hair. "Exactly," He smiles. "How's yours looking?" He asks, glancing over at my abandoned spear. "You ready to provide for the family?" He asks, kissing me. "Yeah," I nod, standing up again and grabbing the spear. 

"Let's go kill something," He grins, taking my hand. "You don't have to say it like that," I smirk. "Yeah. That's exactly what we're gonna do," He says. "It sounds so barbaric, like...," I laugh. "Well that's the circle of life, y/n. Unless you wanna eat coconuts forever," He grins. I laugh. "After the past month, I think I'm good on coconuts," I say. He takes his shirt off, tossing it aside as we wade into the water. "You ready?" He asks. "Yeah," I nod. "Alright, today's the day," He nods to himself. 

"Alright, remember, watch your shadow. They see that, they're gone," He says. "Alright," I nod, stepping behind a rock. "Alright, here we go," He says. "Just like we practiced, alright?" He asks, squinting up at me. I nod. "Alright," He smiles, tightening his grip on his spear. "Hey. Hey, y/n. y/n/n, y/n/n, y/n/n. Y/n, it's a skate," He hisses. "It's a skate right there, you see him?" He asks. "Alright, it's all me!" I nod. "He sees me, he's coming over by you!" JJ yells. "He's coming over... he's coming towards you," He says. "Yeah, it's me," I nod. 

"This is it. This is the time," He grins. "I can't. I really can't," I wince. "Y/n, y/n, come on!" He shouts, running forward and trying to spear it. "Dang it, I missed it. Where is it? Where is it?" He asks. "I missed it," He says as I jump forward, throwing my spear into the water. I lift it up, the ray flopping on the end. "Oh, my God," I breathe as JJ wraps his arms around me. "Oh, my God, you did it!" He laughs. "You did it! We're having Skate tonight!" He cheers, pressing his lips firmly to mine. "Oh, shit!" I laugh.

"Full Pogue!" He screams happily, taking the spear from me. We both cheer, laughing. "Yes!" I laugh. "That's food in our bellies, right there!" He grins. "God, I love you," He laughs, kissing me again.

~~~~~~

"Wow," Pope chuckles as he admires the Skate cooking over the fire. "Okay, John B, your turn. Truth or dare?" Sarah asks. "Alright, alright, truth," He grins, standing up and raising his arms. "Truth?" She grins happily, taking the woven basket off her head and tossing it to him. "Truth!" He nods, catching it and placing it on his head. "If you could do it all again... what would you do different?" She asks. "Uh, get the gold out before Ward did!" JJ says.

"Maybe, hide the cross a little better," Pope smirks at JJ. "Not yell "murderer" at Ward maybe," Kie says, giving me a look. "Uh, steal a couple bottles of rum before we jumped off the boat?" John B answers. "Yeah, why didn't you do that actually?" JJ asks. "I don't know, maybe 'cause I was in a fight to the death?" John B suggests as I laugh. "I would look both ways before crossing the street," Cleo says, giving John B and Sarah a smile. Kie and Sarah start to giggle and John B purses his lips. "Yeah, my bad. My bad," He nods.

"Your turn, chief," She grins at John B. "Alright, Kie, truth or dare?" He asks, placing the hat on her head. "Truth," She shakes her head. "Alright, um... if you could go home, to your parents' house on Figure Eight this instant... would you do it?" He asks. Kie purses her lips in thought. "Mmm," Sarah and I giggle. She shakes her head, a grin breaking across her face. "No chance," She says. "Seconded!" Sarah grins.

"No chance!" John B laughs. "Hear! Hear!" JJ grins, raising his coconut. "To no chance," He laughs. "The shower's tempting though," She says. "Ooh, I could use a fat shower right now," John B sighs. "Y/n, truth or dare?" She asks, tossing me the makeshift hat. "Dare," I nod. "I dare you... to go get the boards so we can surf," She grins, wiggling her eyebrows. "Seriously? Lame," I say, rolling my eyes. Everyone cheers. "Come on, y/n, you know you wanna go out there right now," John B says. "But they're all the way on top of the cliff and they don't even work," I whine.

"You know the rules, if you don't do the dare, you're on coconut duty for a week," Kie smiles. "Ugh, whatever," I grunt, tossing the hat onto the ground and standing up. I flip them off over my shoulder as I walk around the back of the hollow rock we use as shelter, climbing up the sand dunes to get on top. It doesn't take long, but it still wears me out. When I reach the top, the palm leaf-woven surf boards aren't even up there. I groan, looking around in search of them for one more minute before heading back down the dunes. 

"They weren't even there!" I groan as I walk back around the corner of the rock. Everyone is gone. "Um, guys?" I call, panic seizing my limbs. "JJ? John B?" I scream, frantically searching around our hut. "Kie? Guys!" I scream. "J-," I stop mid yell when I notice all of the shells on the ground. My eyes trail down the beach, following the trail of shells as my hand moves to cover my mouth.

My eyes find the end of the trail, where JJ waits at the end, the Pogues surround him, smiles on all of their faces. I begin the walk down the beach and I'm still at least 15 feet away when JJ falls to the ground, down on one knee. My second hand slaps over my mouth and I freeze. JJ raises both hands, a ring between his fingers. "How...?" I whisper, not able to say anything else. Tears stream down my cheeks as I watch him. "I've had it ever since the night at the bonfire. It was my mother's. The one she left at home when she left my dad and me," He whispers as I stand there, frozen.

"I know you said we were too young, but I think you're pretty much stuck with me now," He smiles, looking around at the island we've made for ourselves. "I love you, y/n. So much," He smiles, shaking his head as a tear rolls down his cheek. "I've loved you since 3rd grade," He smiles. "It's just you and me now. And the rest of these derelicts," He says, nodding to everyone else. I laugh slightly, looking at the rest of the Pogues. "I want to make you mine for the rest of my life. Nothing to lose right? So there's no reason to say no," He smiles. 

"I did everything right, didn't I?" JJ whispers. "I got the ring. I did the speech. I did the trail of flowers as best as I could. This is anything but a pity proposal," He says. I nod my head with his words, unable to speak. "So marry me?" He whispers. I look around the circle, first at Cleo, who I've only known for a month. She winks, nodding at JJ. Pope smiles at me, giving me a tight nod of approval. Kie smiles widely, giving me a thumbs up. Sarah nods happily, nodding her head in JJ's direction. Finally I look at John B, a question in my eyes. He nods his head in approval. 

"I love you both," He mouths. Finally I turn back to JJ, my feet still planted. "Hell yeah, I'll marry you," I choke out. Everyone cheers happily as JJ stands up and I close the distance between us. He smiles happily, sliding his mother's ring on my finger before kissing me. The cheering grows as I laugh against his lips. "You did everything right," I nod, holding his face between my hands as I smile.