Denial || An OBX Story

Chapter Twenty

Maddie and JJ were awoken by Kie when she found the two teens sleeping on the hammock. JJ's empty can was picked up by Kiara and they were listening to a song they'd never heard. However they were thankful someone woke them up, otherwise the hot summer sun would've burned their skin without them even knowing.

Just as John B had said, the boat was ready. The Pogues were just waiting on Maddie and JJ to wake up and get ready. John B threatened to flip the hammock if they continued to lay in it lazily, so they both made their way inside to scrap something together to wear.

Maddie chose a pink, floral bikini and denim shorts, deciding to wait until she got on the boat to put sunscreen on. Kiara was the only one waiting inside for her, sitting on the couch and twirling her hair.

Kiara followed Maddie out the door. "You and JJ crashed together?" She asks. That was the question that Maddie was waiting for. She knew someone was going to ask about it eventually and she was dreading answering.

Maddie's slept in the same bed as all the boys and Kiara, it wasn't ever weird to any of them, and it was certainly never sexual or romantic. Usually it would be after one of them had a rough day. She'd be comforting them and end up falling asleep. Her favorite was the day her parents passed. While that doesn't necessarily sound great, it was the hardest day of her life. But it was her favorite because John B, JJ, Pope, and Kiara all squeezed onto her bed, and  crashed even when she told them they didn't have to all be there for her. They simply refused to leave.

"He was here when I came home. We were up for a while and ended up falling asleep." She explains. And it was the honest truth. Her and JJ always fell asleep when they had no intentions to, even if it was the most uncomfortable place.

They made their way down to the boat, Maddie taking the seat next to John B. JJ clearly checked her out the second he saw her, unable to control his own eyes. "Quit teasing me, Maddie." JJ jokes, tossing her sunglasses to her and running a hand through his hair.

Maddie looks over at him with confusion. She took the sunglasses and put them on after running a hand through her hair. "I don't know what you mean. What did I do?"

"You're just obnoxiously hot, I don't know." JJ smirks, making Maddie laugh as they cruised through the water.

John B had the package on the boat, it was on the floor near Maddie's feet. He'd moved it so she could sit next to him.

No one was really paying attention until they all heard JJ whistle and then turn back towards his friends. "You guys see that?" He looks at the approaching boat again. "That's the Malibu 24-MXZ, the world's finest wakesetter. Number one in luxury, quality, and performance. 200K, easy."

"We picked the wrong parents." Pope mumbles.

Kiara rolls her eyes and looks away from the boat. "I hate to break it to you guys, but that's Topper and his girlfriend."

"Can I throw something at them?" Maddie asks John B as she scans the boat for something to throw across the way. But when John B elbowed her side, she leaned back again, shooting the Kooks a dirty look.

Sarah takes off her sunglasses just to show that she wasn't giving the Pogues any attention, and Maddie couldn't help but laugh a little bit. Kiara looks over at the girl and they share the same look. "You don't have to act like you don't see us, bitch."

"Cheers to that, Kie." Maddie smiles, pretending to toast a glass in Kiara's direction. The boat ride was just filler time until the Pogues could get into a hotel's library for internet access.

When they got home, they drove themselves in the Twinkie, JJ sitting in the front and Kiara, Pope, and Maddie climbing out of the back when they eventually stopped.