𝑨𝑫𝑹𝑰𝑭𝑻, jj maybank

EIGHTEEN - he's an idiot

EIGHTEEN —— he's an idiot

Sweat dripped down Bee's neck and forehead as she and Kiara walked to John B's house, the thick blanket of summer heat weighing heavy. Every summer, weather in the Outer Banks was the same, and every summer, Bee thought she might just die from the temperature.

After discovering the well under the Crain house, the Pogues split up for a few hours, but Bee and Kiara opted to stick together while Kiara worked at The Wreck and Bee stuck around to keep her company and pester Mr. Carrera.

Bee tied her hair up in a ponytail to minimize the heat, which was cascading across her skin in waves as she and Kiara walked. After internally debating about it for a couple minutes, Bee finally glanced at her friend and asked, "Hey, Kie?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember what you said on the way back from the salvage yard?"

Kiara frowned. "What part?"

Bee hesitated, taking a moment to gather the words she wanted to say. "Well, about JJ. And how he was acting at the kegger? Was that, like, true?"

Kiara laughed, amused by the memory. "Ohh, right. Yeah, dude, it was totally obvious. He'd do something stupid then look to see if you saw. Why do you ask?"

Bee shrugged. "No reason... Just wanted to make sure I heard you right."

She could hear suspicion in Kiara's voice when she repeated, "Why?"

Again, Bee shrugged her shoulders and kept walking, her eyes darting from trees to bushes to the paved road below her feet. Kiara had stopped walking, though, and Bee didn't notice until she was a couple feet away from her. As soon as she realized, she turned around to see Kie's eyebrows raised, silently asking for an answer.

"Seriously, Kie, no reason," Bee lied, adjusting the bracelets around her wrist.

Kiara narrowed her eyes, but relented sooner than Bee had expected. As she caught up to where Bee stood, she said, "Just... remember the rule, okay?"

Bee rolled her eyes, trying to play it off. "Dude, seriously? Don't worry."

"Hey, I'm just sayin'."

Sighing, Bee began walking again. She wished she hadn't brought it up in the first place, because now her cheeks were warm with a flush and her mind reeled with nerves.

She broke the silence again to change the subject. "You said you'd make an album about us with your hundred mil, right?"

Kiara grinned, happy to drop the previous subject, and nodded. "Hell yeah. P4L all the way."

"Can I be featured?"

"Of course."

"I don't know what I'd do, though."

"We'll think of something," Kiara shrugged. "But only if you also agree to design the album cover."

Bee looked at Kiara, studying her face to see if she was genuine or not. "Are you serious?"

"All the way, dude. Artists supporting artists!"

An excited smile lit up Bee's face and she wrapped her arms around Kiara, as they continued to walk. "You're the best."

Kiara's face brightened just as much as Bee's, and the two girls did the Pogue's signature handshake, a wordless vow to follow through with their plans.

When they arrived at the Château, everyone was already gathered on the porch, sitting under a thick cloud of foggy, uncomfortable silence. The closer she got, the more Bee squinted, trying to decipher what was different about her friends. And then, as she approached the steps leading up to the porch, she realized what it was, so painfully obvious that she was embarrassed to admit it had taken her so long to notice.