Tough love - JJ Maybank

introduction

"The outer banks, paradise on earth. It's the sort of place where you either have two jobs or two houses. Two tribes, one island. So, Figure eight, the rich side of the island, home of the kooks. So, guess where don't live? And then the south side – or the cut – home of the working class who make a living waiting tables, watching yachts, running charters, natural habitat of... Drumroll please... The pogues. That's us.

That's JJ, my best friend since third grade. He's about as local as they come, latest in a long line of fishing, drinking, smuggling, vendetta holding salt lifers who made a living off the water. The best surfer I know. Just don't tell him I said that.

And that's Kiara. Or Kie, as we call her. So, she's a rich kid, actually, built in both worlds. And when she's not saving turtles, or listening to Marley, or getting a dolphin tattoo, she hangs out with us.

Oh, and the blonde girl right there. That's Holly, the youngest of our pack. Moved here 5 years ago from England, and lives on figure eight with her mom and her two older brothers. Me and JJ found her on the way to school, where her brothers had dumped her on the side of the street on her first day of school, and she just immediately clicked with all of us. I'm pretty sure JJ is head over heals for her, but, then again, he likes any girl who lives and breathes.

And that's Pope, the brains of the operation finalist for the Lucas T Thanderhorse merit scholarship, and the smartest person I know. A bit of weirdo, but he's a pogue, just like the rest of us.

So, that's my crew. And that's me. John Booker Routledge. And this is where I live. An old fish shack on the marsh. There's dad. He disappeared 9 months ago looking for a shipwreck. Three months after my dad was missing, he was officially presumed dead, I refused to sign the papers. Until I see a body I'm not giving up. Not yet."

omg i can't wait to start this story, i hope you're as excited as i am!!