before I start the chapter, I want y'all to know how much I love and appreciate every single one of you. I'm always here if anyone needs to talk or just want someone to listen. that being said, please please please let your friends and family know how much you love them too. you'll never realize that one sentence could save a person's life until it's too late.
I love you all so so so much.
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Hoppla! Dieses Bild entspricht nicht unseren inhaltlichen Richtlinien. Um mit dem Veröffentlichen fortfahren zu können, entferne es bitte oder lade ein anderes Bild hoch.
"Hey Harper," Kie called to me from down the beach. The sky was beginning to fade away as day turned to night. I was walking down the beach again, it was becoming my new thing. I liked the serenity it brought me. It also made me feel closer to my parents.
"Hey Kie! What's up," I asked her as she approached me. She grabbed my hand, dragging me down the beach away from wherever I was going.
"OBX movie night! You're coming with," she told me excitedly.
"Oh, uhmm, I don't know if that's a good idea" I stammered out, stopping our pace.
"Harper," she sighed, "I know this is all really hard for you but we've gotta get back to some sort of normalcy. It'll do you a lot of good." I looked at her, tears welling in my eye. "You're so strong Harp, you can do this," she told me. I knew she was right but how are both of your parents dead, normal. Kie pulled me into a hug as I cried.
"It's gonna be okay Harp," Kie told me, "I don't know when but one day. In the meantime, you have me, John B, Pope, and JJ. You're a pogue now, one of us. We're family now."
"We have to go grab Pope and JJ first," I told her, breaking us out of our emotional moment.
"I'm so glad that they're still doing this," Kie told us as we walked across the green lawn to find a place to sit, "keep calm. Carry on." Our voices were drowned out but the announcer welcomed everyone.
"Back to OBX life," I muttered to the three, still nervous as we walked through the crowd.
"Is that Harper Avery," I heard a few kook girls whisper to each other. I nervously fiddled with the ends of my shirt. JJ grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to him.
"Ignore them," he whispered in my ear as he glared at the girls. I smiled at his kind gesture, "No one's gonna mess with our kook princess turned pogue." I laughed at the statement he made.
"Aren't you glad I made you come," Kie directed at us as we found a good spot on the grass to sit.
"Ecstatic," Pope said, his voice monotone.
"My couch was pretty comfy, I'll be honest," JJ started, "and Harpie here looks like she'd rather be dead." I punched his arm with my hand that wasn't clasped around his before looking towards Kie.
"I'm actually excited. I used to come to these religiously." I told her as the boys started their own conversation. Kie pulled me away from the boys, my hand being pulled out of JJ's as we walked over to the concession stand.
"Hey, uh... can I get two Pepsis, please," Kie asked the worker, "and a sprite please," I added.
"Sure," the worker turned to grab the sodas.
"Hey, Kie, Harper," I turned to see Rafe Cameron beside us. Rafe and I didn't really have any issues, our parents were friends but we never really interacted despite the occasional "hello," and of course he's Topper's friend.
"Hey, what's up," Kie responded, already annoyed with him. I giggled at her expression, she looked like she was gonna punch him.
"How are you," he asked her as the vendor handed us our soda's
"I'm fine. Good, good. Um...," she stammered, confused by the interaction. Rafe's neutral face quickly turned into a glare.
"Tell your boy that we know what he did," he glared in Pope and JJ's direction.
"Sorry, what boy are you talking about," I asked him, trying to pry whatever information he had.
"He'll know." I guess that didn't work...
Kie started to walk away as she called him a "douche" under her breath. I turned to follow her but was stopped by Rafe's hand on my arm.
"It's good to see you, Harper," his glare softened for a moment, "but just remember where you belong," he dropped my arm and stormed off in the other direction. Following his route with my eyes, I made eye contact with Topper. Hastily, I turned and followed Kie to our seats. I sat between JJ and Pope, Kie on the other side of Pope.
"Just saw Rafe, and he said, and I quote, "Tell your boy that we know what he did,"" Kie told the two boys. JJ started to fiddle around nervously before I grabbed his hand, returning the favor from earlier. He smiled at me, squeezing my hand.
"What is that about," I asked them. JJ began to fiddle nervously again but this time with my fingers.
"Where is he," he asked looking around nervously.
"Right there," I nodded my head in the direction of the kook boys, the ones I used to sit with.
"Great, the whole death squad," Pope said as he turned to look at them. JJ reached around me to swat his arm, Pope yelled out and rubbed his arm.
"Don't stare, bro," JJ scolded him like he was a child.
"Just warning you, bro," JJ started, "If they corner me, I'm coming out swinging, okay?" I turned to look at the boy a "what the fuck" look adorning my face.
"Slice and dicin'. I'm on edge right now," he ignored my look, once again squeezing my hand.
"Yeah, yeah," I rolled my eyes at the two boys.
"If that doesn't work, I got this right here," JJ shook his backpack slightly. I looked at him in shock, he had the gun with him. (JJxGun fanfic coming soon)
"Yeah, yeah. So, we just gotta stay in the group," Pope told him.
"They can't get us in the group. Like a school of fish," JJ told him "stay in the school. Can't leave the school"
"I'm sorry, JJ...," Kie said but was interrupted by JJ pointing at the both of us, "stay in school." He's telling us this...
"Please tell me that you did not bring a gun here," Kie said, honestly I wasn't surprised the boy didn't show it but he was afraid of a lot more than we knew. He wanted, no needed, the protection it gave him. Even if he didn't ever use it.
"JJ, there are kids," Kie scolded the boy, he looked shamefully towards me where I just squeezed his hand and shrugged my shoulders.
"Kie, I didn't bring the gun," fucking liar, "everything's fine, okay?"
"Wow, thank you. That's really convincing. I love that, JJ," she told him, anger radiated through her eyes.
"Founding principle, you guys," she started as the announcer said he would be starting the movie, "no secrets amongst Pogues."
"What is Rafe talking about," I asked the two boys.
"It might go down tonight," is all JJ told us leaving me with one thought.
