Since her mother's passing she felt alone and drifting against the tide.
But he made her feel grounded.
A fight between addiction and love, she wanted to be free. A haunting past she can't keep running away from.
"People do bad things when they ar...
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We returned back to the Chateaux in a lively manner. It hadn't changed since I'd last been here. Beat up mosquito nets surrounded the windows, old beer cans out on the porch. We all perched up on the decking and began to talk about old times.
"You know you haven't missed much Eli, everything is still the same in OBX," Pope sighed. I smiled, "it never will change Popey, there will always be the Kooks and the Pogues". The warm summer air hit my face, I took in a breath and shut my eyes for a second.
When we moved to Jacksonville, I never fit in. People didn't get my personality. Where as these guys, well, they get it. No one over there got my style, my thick black eyeliner occasionally and punk looking clothes. The Pogues, never judged although they sometimes mocked me for looking slightly emo in a place that was so sunny. But they never judged. I took out a cigarette and held the poisonous stick to my mouth. "Woah since when did Miss Eli become a smoker," JJ giggled. "When Jacksonville happened," I spoke, lighting the cigarette and taking a hit. "Touché," JJ smiled.
After a couple of hours of chatting Kie joined us after her shift. "How was it then waitress," Sarah joked. "Sorry we all can't fund off Daddy for the rest of our lives," Kie mocked making Sarah huff. The boys and myself started giggling. I always admired their love hate relationship.
Evening had approached and although the sun hadn't set, Pope and Kie decided to stroll home together whilst Sarah and John B got up to their 'business'. Which left me and JJ.
"So," I longly said. "So how did you get that cut?" JJ asked. I rolled my eyes. "I told you, surfing," I lied. He sighed. "Look I'm no Einstein or anything but I know what your Dad does to you," I furrowed my brows at him. "Eli, I know your Dad hits you, man do you not think I can see it knowing from experience!" I'd forgotten about JJ's relationship with his father. His father was as cruel as mine and it never crossed my mind that he would know how it feels. I flicked the ash off my cigarette and looked up at him. "I didn't think any of you would notice really," I softly said, "my dad is horrible and I guess I'm used to it now, I don't know what mood he's going to be in when I go home and sure as hell I do something little so wrong then I pay the price for it. But like I said I'm used to it". JJ came and wrapped his arm round my shoulder. "No one should ever get used to it Eli, and I can't let you get hurt any longer," he whispered. I bury my head into the crook of his neck. "If it gets really bad, I'll leave," I lied. There's no way I could leave that sadistic man. He would find me.
We sat in silence for a while just admiring the view of the water. As the sun began to set I decided it would be time to head home. Sure I was dreading it, but the longer I left it then the worse it would get.
I bid my farewell to JJ and shouted through to Sarah and John B. Fuck walking into whatever they're up to.
I set along my track home, feeling the warm salty air around me. Obx was the most beautiful place on earth for sure.
