The Angel of Outer Banks

Pouge For Life

There's not a word for old friends who've just met. Moving across the country has been one of the most terrible things I've ever experienced. Being put in a new place somehow exposed every rotten thing in my life so suddenly. Being with Sarah and her friends made me realize that I had been lonely and hurting for my entire life. When I was with them, that feeling vanished for the first time. They treated me like a normal person. Not Rogan the angel, not Rogan: Lana Del Ray's only son. Just Rogan. And they liked me. I finally felt like there were people in my life who really, truly liked me for who I was as a person. They made me feel like I belonged.

     I was paralyzed with fear as I stared out the window. I could see a finger in the darkness outside, tapping relentlessly. I slowly approached and squinted to see who it was. Who else would do this but... Sarah. Sarah was on my roof with a wild grin, one hand gripping the outside of my window, and the other hand now waving. I saw more figures behind her, crouching in the dark, and I realized that it was all of her friends, similarly giddy to be up on the roof of my house.

I was excited to see them, but incredibly confused. I heaved open the window and found myself laughing at the absurdity.

"What are you guys doing?" I exclaimed.

"It was Kiara's idea!" Sarah responded, giggling.

"To climb up on my roof? Why? If my mom sees you, she'll kill you. You guys know she's super mad at me right now." I whispered frantically.

"Take a chill pill, it'll be fine, she won't even know we were here." John B reassured me.

"How do you know that?" I interrogated.

"Let's just say this isn't my first rodeo. We're here to break you out."

"What? No, I'm not-" I began, but Sarah pulled me from the ledge out onto the roof like I weighed nothing.

"What are you doing? I'm not going with you!" I snarled, pulling my arm free from her hands, "My mom already grounded me for what I did today."

"Oh my gosh, just shut up and stop being so uptight!" Kiara exclaimed jokingly, "Your mom needs to stop being such a helicopter. You're your own person, you can't just let her keep you locked up. C'mon."

Kiara nudged me toward the ledge, and I reluctantly stepped down onto a ladder that they'd leaned up against the house.

We walked away from my house and into the woods.

"Y'know, we realized we never got to show you my prized possession." John B said. The group began to giggle, and I suddenly felt a little worried that they were about to prank me or something.

"What is it that is so worth it to kidnap me from my home during the middle of the night? I honestly can't believe I let you guys-" I stared in shock at what was before me.

It was an ancient volkswagon, parked out on a gravel road that cut through the woods.

JJ began to toot out of an imaginary horn and John B began to explain what exactly I was looking at. "Nineteen sixty-three VW bus, generation two. We call her the Twinkie."

It was hard to see in the dark, but most of the car was a brown woody color, two electric red and yellow stripes ran along the side.

The four members of my friend group were looking at me with anticipation, awaiting my response.

"You've got to let me drive this thing," I replied, smiling. Something was incredibly intriguing about the idea of driving this relic.

"Sure." John B said and held out the keys. I reached for them, and he lifted them out of my short reach. He teased me with the keys until I was able to get a good hold of them and pull them out of his hands.

As I approached the vehicle, its dilapidation became more and more apparent, and I could see rust stains that seemed to flow down the exterior of the vehicle like tiny rivers of iron.

I boosted myself into the driver's seat, and a strong musty odor hit me in the face. John B sat in the passenger seat and everyone else loaded into the back. My hands glided up and down the big worn-out leather steering wheel. I cranked the car and started up the engine.

It was nothing like the fancy cars I'd driven up and down the California coast. They were silent, cooperative, and flawless. Designer cars had such a smooth ride, it barely felt like you were moving at all. This car wanted to tell me about its age, and as I began to steer, I realized the calibration was off, and corrected myself. I jostled in my seat with the bumps in the gravel. This car had personality, and I felt like I was really getting to know her. She was riddled with flaws, but she was imperfectly beautiful in a way that a Lamborghini could never be.

"Um... So are we gonna keep driving in circles, or what?" Kiara remarked in a snarky tone.

"Before we get out onto some real roads, I think we need to test if you qualify to drive the Coveted '63." JJ said, winking.

"No, not again JJ." Sarah demanded.

"Okay, Sarah, but you have to admit, it was really funny when he did it to you for the first time. Maybe not to you, but it was pretty funny." Kiara said.

"Wait, did what the first time?" I inquired as my eyes flitted to the rearview mirror.

"Hit it!" John B. Yelled, as JJ flung himself over the center console, and stamped down on the gas pedal with his hand.

"What are you doing!" I yelled, as I quickly flung the steering wheel to avoid a rapidly approaching oak tree.

The passengers in the old van yelped with what seemed to be startled amusement as I made a sharp left and approached a paved street. I turned onto the road, my heart racing, As the car's RPM began to descend, so did my adrenaline. I looked to the back and discovered a lot of shocked but relieved faces.

I let out a relieved laugh, which was joined by the other members of the vehicle.

"So, where are we headed?" I asked quizzically. The Volkswagen went silent, or, at least as much as it could. I sat in the driver's seat expectantly as the group deliberated.

"Well, now that we're headed East, why don't we stop by the boneyard for a beach party my friend is hosting?" Sarah offered.

"There's a beach party on the boneyard and you didn't tell us?" John B asked in a hurt tone.

"Yeah, I wasn't going to mention it, not after what happened last time." Sarah deadpanned, "But now that Rogan's here, we totally need to show him what a real party on the outer banks looks like."

"Ok, that fight was totally justified, and that stuck-up kook deserved every bit of hurt I threw his way." John B said.

Sarah attacked back, "Losing a game of beer pong is not a 'justified' reason to punch someone into the Atlantic."

"Will you guys shut up already?" JJ demanded, "This is gonna be Rogan's first party at the boneyard!"