RIVER | JJ MAYBANK

TWENTY FIVE

OBX-LIFE

"Guys. We've done it three times. There's nothing there." JJ shouted, the storm was getting worse. John B was stood at the other side of the boat with his head in his hands. They found the merchant, but not the gold.

"Shut up!" Kie snapped angrily at JJ, but he didn't seem to care.

"What? It's true." JJ shrugged, trying to keep the boat under control.

"The gold could be buried. We don't know." Kie looked between the four.

"I'm not one for shitting on dreams Kie, but it's not there. There's no gold. We got our hopes up for nothing." River said pessimistically, leaning against the frame of the door.

"If it was there, it would've been found on the metal detector okay?" John B announced. "Somebody beat us to it."

"Or it was never there." JJ mumbled. River walked over and stood beside the boy.

"Take us home J." She whispered resting her head on his shoulder. JJ's arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.

~

River sat on Kie's bed with a smile, it had been along time since the two spent some girl time together. "You've got some explaining to do."

"What?" Kie questioned innocently. River leant on the door frame of her en-suite. "I don't know what you're on about." She lied. River ran and jumped on the bed, she twirled around before sitting in front of Kie.

"John B." River said as Kie laughed. "You kissed. Explain." Kie turned bright red.

"I-there's nothing to say. He kissed me." She paused. "You know the rules Riv, no Pogue on Pogue macking."

River avoided eye contact with Kie, she had broken the rule on many occasions.

"Oh come on." River groaned. "You were the one who invented that rule. You can be the one to take it away."

River remembered that day vividly. Her and JJ were sat on the dock at John B's, he had his arms wrapped around her waist and was placing light kisses on her neck. So that was when, Kie stood up and said she had an announcement to make, that's when he invented the 'no pogue on Pogue macking'. She said that no matter what they should all just remain friends so that they don't break apart.

"No way." Kie shook her head. "That rule stopped them from getting with you too." Kie reminded her.

River laid back on the bed. It was so comfortable, ten times more comfortable than hers at home. "Yeah. I know." She said. "Believe me I know."

~

"I'm so glad that they're still doing this." Kie smiled, her arm linked with River's. "Keep calm and carry on. Back to OBX life." She said as they made their way down to the front of the field, where the movie was being projected from. "You know? Aren't you glad I made you come?"

"You know I am. This is my favourite thing about Summer." River smiled. She loved watching all the old fashioned movies on a big screen while sat outside.

"Ecstatic." Pope said sarcastically.

"My couch was pretty comfy, I'll be honest." JJ mumbled. River helped Kie sit up and she placed her snacks in the middle of her's and Kie's chair.