𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒 𝐒𝐎 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 ➝ 𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧

𝟏. 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘.

The warm water lapped against my body as I pushed through the salty water, body laying flat on my surfboard. My hair was pushed behind my shoulder, slowly drying from the descending sun in the distance. I adjusted my blue bikini as I stopped swimming, staring at the orange, pink, and yellow colours that swirled together in the distance.

I pushed off of my board, sitting in an upright position as my feet dangled beneath me, slowly treading the water. Seabirds called from above me as I closed my eyes, taking in the relaxing moment in time before I had to leave. I raked a pruned hand through my hair, trying to comb the knots away.

Summer was beginning and I was leaving for University in a few short months. I was leaving my friends, my family, my entire life, in the Outer Banks. I laid back down on my board, knowing that I had to get home before my mom would start worrying. Even though I just turned eighteen, she still thinks of me as the little ten-year-old that needs her for everything. Don't get me wrong, I love her unconditionally, but sometimes she can be a little much.

I walked across the beach and back up to my car, sand sticking to my feet, and the back of my calves. I unlocked my light blue jeep and tossed my board into the back, before slipping into the driver's seat, still damp. I pulled away from the curb and made my way down the road, away from the place that I called my Safe Haven.

Welcome to the Outer Banks; paradise on earth, as I like to say. It's the type of place where you either have two jobs or two houses. Two tribes, one island.

Palm trees and other cars zipped by me as I kept a hand on the steering wheel. Taking a right turn, I drove down the freshly paved road of Figure Eight, the rich side of the island, which was home of the Kooks. The Kooks were the rich second-homers who came from pouncy-ass boarding schools. Just kids who spend their families money and could never work a day in their lives if they had to.

Driving over a bridge, I could see the sun setting into the marsh maze, lighting up the calm water. Pulling off my sunglasses, I watched as my oh-so-familiar town passed by me in a flash. The paved road was almost destroyed as gravel scratched the bottom of my car, signalling that I was in the Southside or The Cut, as many people call it. This was the home of the Pogues; my home. The Pogues were labelled as the lower class or throwaway fish, practically the bottom of the food chain. We made living bussing tables, washing yachts, or running charters, and for me, working at the country club down in Kooklandia.

I knew this wasn't the life my mom wanted for me, but honestly, I wouldn't trade it, or my friends, for anything else.

I parked my car next to the house and hopped down to the ground, slinging my bag over my shoulder. I walked into my house to see my mom sitting in the kitchen, cold coffee in a mug, a bill in her hand. "Mom," I said softly as I laid a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and turned around, knocking the coffee to the ground and shattering the mug.

"Shit," She mumbled as she moved off the chair, but I stopped her before she could pick up the broken ceramic dish. "I'm sorry, y/n," she apologized as she ran a hand through her hair, sitting back on the chair.

"Hey, hey, hey," I cooed, "Let's get you some sleep okay? I can clean this up," She nodded softly and I led her into her bedroom. She crawled into bed and I planted a light kiss on her forehead as her eyes drooped shut. Walking out of her room, I closed the door quietly and made my way back down the hall and towards the kitchen.

Life's been hard on my mom, and me as well. My dad passed away almost a year ago and recently, life's been hell for both of us. I've been taking care of my mom, knowing that it's been difficult to pay the bills, especially where we live. I've been buying food and donating most of my earning towards the family, trying to keep us together. I'm feeling like string cheese, slowly being pulled apart every second, and I have no clue how I'm going to hold up.