OUTER BANKS SEASON 4 : JJ'S LEGACY

TANNYHILL

Sarah fumbled with the keys unlocking the gigantic front door to the mansion that she used to call home. JJ stood behind her, awkwardly fiddling with the ring on his thumb. Sarah twisted the shiny, cold, golden handle and the door creaked open. As soon as she stepped inside, she was hit with a wave of sentimental, nostalgic scents all at once. JJ admired the beautiful walls, covered in pictures and paintings, the marble ceiling, the calm atmosphere that the house held.

Sarah slowly walked towards the staircase as she glanced around at the photographs leading in the spiral around the wall of the stairs. There it was. The photograph of her and her childhood golden retriever. Look at her eyes, so happy, her smile so pure, her grasp on the fur of her small friend so innocent and content. Her darker hair was held back with a headband and fell to the side of her shoulder gracefully. She admired how much she looked like her mother in this image and she was flooded with a sense of sadness yet love.

JJ watched as she took the frame off of the wall and into her hands and traced her old puppy gently with her thumb.

"Bailey." She whispered to herself.

She hung the photograph back in its place and drifted up the rest of the spiraling staircase. JJ followed behind her but paused at the very photograph she had just been gazing at intently.

'She seems familiar to me.' JJ thought to himself, but was aware that it was young Sarah.

He continued to follow the blonde up the stairs until they reached a room which smelt of lavender, sun cream and salty sea hair. Sarah flew into the room and into her closet where she found a small suitcase. As it was wedged at the top of her wardrobe, she struggled to get it down. JJ noticed she was struggling and walked over to her to help.

She kept pulling at it but it wasn't budging one inch. She began to grow frustrated and she pulled harder to the point where tears started to build at the edge of her eyes. Was she really this weak? JJ quickly rushed towards her and lowered her arms for her to give up, seeing she was starting to get very upset.

"Hey, hey, hey. Leave it. Leave it, Sarah, I got it." JJ told her quickly, grabbing it down for her through some wiggling movements (it also helped being a bit taller).

She sat on her bed behind her and placed her head in the palms of her hand. Her shoulders began to shake as tears began streaming down her round, flushed cheeks. JJ put the suitcase on the floor in front of the wardrobe and went over to sit besides her. He slowly placed his hand on her back as she began to sniffle.

"It's okay." JJ gently reminded her.

"No it's not. Nothing's okay." Sarah replied, through sobs.

JJ shuffled closer to her and now placed his other hand on her shoulder as he tried his best to comfort one of his best friends.

"How is any of this okay, JJ?" Sarah sat up now and JJ sombrely looked at her drained eyes, puffy and red.

He could feel her pain. He really could. So he comforted her in the way that Kiara, John B and Pope had over all of the years.

He pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

"Shhh. It's gonna be alright. I promise. Everything's gonna be fine, Sare." JJ reassured her in his low, comforting tone. A tone that he has used many times with John B over the times when Big John would abandon him for months on end.

"How do you know that?" Sarah cried, making his shirt wet with tears.

"Because I'm right here. I'm okay. Which means you're gonna be just fine." JJ told her with a mutual understanding that the two had about each other's situations.

"Trust me, if anyone can get through this... it's Sarah Cameron." He held her tightly as she sobbed onto his chest.

After a few moments, Sarah wiped her tears away and looked at her best friend deep in the pupil of his eye.

"Thank you." She pronounced with such clarity.

JJ smiled at her, his wide, dimple forming, kind smile.

"You're welcome." JJ replied, calmly.

They gazed at each other for a moment or two and then Sarah broke the silence.

"Alright! Let's get packing!" She arose and grabbed the suitcase.

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Warm and energised from intense packing and shoving and sitting on suitcases and bags to get them to zip up, Sarah tied her hair in a bun with her hair band and pulled her rucksack on her shoulders. Little thin pieces of hair fell down in front of her eyes.

JJ admired how pretty his best friend was with her hair up and how it compliments her facial features. Of course, he didn't say this. He was very uncomfortable when it came to complimenting his female friends. However with John B, JJ flirted back and forth with him jokingly on a daily basis.

JJ held two suitcases either side of him, his muscular frame flexing as he balanced out the weight between them.

"You hungry?" Sarah asked, politely as she snatched a few little things into her pockets like photographs and jewellery.

"A little. Should we grab something after dropping this off at the house?" JJ replied in a soft tone.

"Yeah that's what I was thinking." Sarah responded, her voice croaky and weak from her tearful moment half an hour ago before.

"Alright. Let's go, yeah?"

The two began to wander out of the bedroom, only for Sarah to hesitate when she got to the edge of the door frame. She breathed in, JJ in front of her, and turned around.

"Bye room." Sarah sombrely smiled at the place she used to lay her head, a room filled with laughter, love, tears, fear and memories that made her hairs stand on edge.

JJ smiled at her, an understanding curl of his lips and mouth against his cheeks.

She turned and ushered JJ down the hall. They walked downstairs and Sarah cut in front of JJ when he told her to because he was carrying the cases. She rushed down the spiralling stairs quickly and JJ waddled a bit behind her.

As they dashed down the step, they heard the door open and then close again as if someone had discreetly crept inside. Sarah frowned as she couldn't think of anyone who she was expecting. She flashed a confused look at JJ who was at least an average flight of stairs behind her at this point.

Sarah gripped the leather strap of her bag in between her fingers, feeling the burn grinding on her palm. She felt the uncomfortable sensation of the rough material on her shoulder from her backpack. Suddenly she was extremely aware of everything. Every feeling, every smell, every object, every noise.

As she finally reached the bottom of the stairs, she looked up from her feet where she was concentrating on not falling at the speed she was jogging.

And there he was.

The very person she feared the most.

His irritating grin.

His stupid fancy checkered shirt with the collar open.

His manipulative eyes creased at his smirk.

His faded buzz cut across his skull.

Her brother.

Rafe Cameron.

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