The World Under Water

II: the boat

Percy's POV

"Hurricane Agatha takes a steady march towards Kildare Island in the Outer Banks of-" I curse as my phone looses all its battery on the live weather feed. I sigh and toss it in a drawer, and leaving a note on the front door: I'm running off to help John B prep the Chateau.

I jog up to his porch and, after waiting for a couple minutes, realize he's not there, which could mean a number of things-most running through my mind are bad. I know DCS was supposed to come and do an assessment today since his uncle's done jack shit for him and hasn't even come up to check on him. "Whatever," I grumble, and let myself in.

He appears hours later, soaking wet and lost in thought.

"Yo, Johnny B, where were you at?" I call to him in the dark, and he jumps. He opens his mouth to speak but I quickly interrupt. "Never mind, I won't make you tell me. Just don't go out and do weird and mysterious shit in another storm again." I stand up, taking his board from him and leaning it against the wall.

"Ah, where would I be without you, Percival?" He smirks and ruffles my already messy hair. I gasp and smack his hand. "No touching, bitch!" He shakes his head and says goodnight over his shoulder before closing the door to his room.

JJ comes in at some point of the night, so we sit and talk for a couple minutes before he turns in. Groaning, I flop onto the bed next to him and the next thing I know, I'm out like a light.

--<>--

The first thing I notice when I wake up is John B's rooster making a fit and JJ snoring next to me. I sigh and stretch right before John B comes out of his room. He nods his head towards me, then asks JJ if he's been outside.

JJ groans and shoves me aside. "I have polio bro, I can't walk." I tap him on the nose and stand up.

"Y'all good, dude?" I ask John B, who stares at an uprooted tree. He doesn't respond to me, muttering an oh man before JJ walks outside and slings his arm around my shoulder.

"Agatha did some work, huh?" He explains, as I kick the screen door shut.

"Yeah, she did."

We all walk towards the Pogue, which was thankfully dragged onto land before Aggie hit, and I climb inside to clear out tree branches.

"Whatcha thinkin'?" JJ asks John B, in reference to the storm

"Uh, I'm thinking the storm surge pushed all the crabs down to the marshland. All those drum are gonna chase the crab."

"What about the DCS?" I ask, leaning my arms against the side of the boat.

"Wasn't that today?" Adds JJ. I drum my fingers on the side of the boat, and he grabs my hand to stop me.

"Nah, they're not gettin' on the ferry. Well, think about it. It's god tellin' us to fish!" John B exclaims, throwing his arm out towards the water.

I grin and whoop. "Let's go boys!" I climb out of the boat and back towards the house to grab my bag.

--<>--

Johnny B and JJ make conversation on the Pogue, while I continue knotting a friendship bracelet.

"-boat didn't sink. I hope he has insurance dude," JJ quips. I shift down to the floor of the boat, electing to lie down because I can.

"Hi Miss Amy, did you get through it?" John B greets a woman, who replies back as we continue cruising along the water. It's silent for a moment before he speaks up again. "Look at this place."

"Agatha, what'd you do?" JJ replies.

"Ya bitch!" I sit up, picking up a crushed beer can from the water

"She is a craaazy lady!" John B says

"Hardcore dude. Hurricane surge. We're gonna be cleaning this all summer."

"Not if I can help it!" I reply.

I kind of tune out again but am snapped back into reality when Mr. Heyward starts arguing with Pope. Seeing him conflicted, I mouth come here. He sighs and apologizes as he jumps in the boat. I give him a fist bump right as we speed away, and Heyward's voice rings clear and true across the water: "And I don't like your friends!"

The boys make light conversation until we pull up to Kiara. "Woah, top o' the mornin' to ya!" JJ calls as she climbs down a ramp into the boat.

"Good morning boys," She replies, lugging a cooler down.

"Mornin' Kie!" I stand to help her into the boat.

"You got some juice boxes?" JJ asks, and she goes along with the joke. "What about my kind of juice boxes?"

"Yeah," she replies lightly. "And yours," she motions to me, opening the cooler and fishing out a can of root beer. "Can't leave you out of the fun!"

"Brace for impact!" John B says as we clink cheers to the day ahead of us.

--<>--

"Hey, lemme show you a party trick!" JJ stands up from braiding my hair. I lean sideways to let him pass and scoot over towards Kie.

"Terrifying," she says, and she's not wrong.

"Hey Pope, can you go a little faster please?" JJ asks, and I can't help but be curious about what shit he'll pull next. John B moves, and I groan.

"Better not be your figurehead shit!" I retort, and all he does is wink in my direction and station himself at the front of the boat. And immediately send beer flying back at us.

"Oh my god, you're getting beer in my hair!" Kiara exclaims, and that's all I need to hear before I hit the deck for minimal splash. Everyone tells him that's enough, but he doesn't get down until we hit something in the water and he flips overboard.

I get thrown to the back of the boat and get hip-checked by the backseat. John B straight up just falls over, and Pope holds on for dear life. Kiara thunks down on the deck.

"Ughhh." JJ groans as he resurfaces from the water. "I think my heels touched the back of my head!"

I hiss (that's gotta hurt) then slowly get up, holding my side. Everyone starts standing as well, and I hoist John B up before leaning over the side of the boat and looking at JJ. "Let's not do extremely risky stunts next time," I snort.

"Pope, what did you do?"

"Channel changed," He calls out to JJ, who's swimming back to the boat.

"Yeah, no shit!" I clap Pope's shoulder before extending a hand to haul up my best friend.

"I saved the beer though!" JJ calls, still in the water. John B replies sarcastically, but my focus is on Pope, who looks overboard. His face changes from concern to disbelief.

"What's up?" I ask, squinting all around.

"Guys, I think there's a boat down there." 

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A/N: I'm taking an online anthropology course (because I'm qUIrkY) and it's actually really really interesting!! like I'm learning about hominids right now and while it wasn't a very long lesson,  it was extremely cool. love me some physical anthropology.

hope you enjoy this chapter!! me and the sweat bee flying around me, george, say hi!!