'she's kook fuckin' royalty, man.'
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a lot of things go unnoticed in the outer banks. things like missing millions in gold, underage drinking, and the bruises that litter the skin of the kook princess.
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( john booker routledge, crime lord )
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"DID YOU HEAR?"
"Hear what?"
"They found Scooter's body."
"Shit."
"Yeah," Sarah said, her tone hushed. They were being trailed by Rafe, Topper, and Kelce, and Lucy had a feeling that this conversation wasn't one to be had anyway near prying ears. "Luce, everyone's looking for that Grady White."
"Shit."
"This summer's not gonna be normal, is it?"
"John B broke into the Druthers, so, no." Sarah smiled at that.
"Yeah," Sarah replied, "Dumped empty tanks in the middle of the room."
Lucy laughed. John B was potentially the worst criminal she'd ever had the displeasure of knowing.
"D'you think he killed Scooter?"
"Lucy! Oh my God!" Sarah pushed her shoulder, mouth opened wide. "Don't joke about that!"
"It's a definite possibility." Sarah just rolled her eyes, and Lucy smiled.
"He can't even break onto a boat," she replied, "What makes you think he'd be capable of murder?" Lucy shrugged.
They slipped into a comfortable silence as they walked. Figure Eight was practically cleared already, and Lucy knew that if they came back in a few days, there would be no trace of Agatha's destruction.
Lucy had a feeling they were joking to cover up the unease that had settled over Kildare like some sort of thick smoke. Guns being pulled at parties, dead bodies washing up in the marshes, mysteriously missing boats, Pogues poaching scuba gear. It didn't bode well.
"Mom! Please, I left her in the boat—"
Snatches of conversation drifted over to the girls where they stood.
"No. Come inside, Georgina. Now."
A mother stood, arms crossed, face stern. Her daughter gazed up at her, eyes pleading. Sarah and Lucy shared a look, and Sarah dashed off before Lucy could stop her.
"Sarah!" Topper called out from behind them, and Lucy shook her head, running over to join her best friend where she knelt beside the little girl.
"We appreciate the offer, but with the surge everything's disconnected," the mother said, and Lucy arrived mid conversation, Sarah already standing and moving towards the boat which was floating harmlessly in the muddy stormwater. Sarah had a glint in her eyes that told Lucy she wasn't going to give up. "You could get electrocuted." The older woman sounded exasperated, but Sarah just shrugged, looking back down at the child.
"I promise I'll be careful," Sarah said, "So you left her on the boat?"
"Mmhm." The girl's eyes were brimming with tears, and Lucy placed a hand on her shoulder, the most comfort she could offer. "She's got a— a trunk, and blue ears, and she's about this big." The girl gestured with her hands.
"Okay," Sarah said with a smile, "I'm gonna go get her for you."
"Christ," the mother groaned, rubbing a hand over her forehead, "Be careful. My insurance doesn't cover electrocution." Sarah shot Lucy a grin, and she rolled her eyes. If anyone was going to get electrocuted while trying to save a small child's toy, it would be Sarah.
Lucy pulled the little girl closer to her side, offering her a small smile.
"She'll be back before you know it, promise." The little girl — Georgina, Lucy thought — smiled, nodding.
Sarah made her way onto the boat, balancing on a toppled pole as though it was some sort of gymnastics beam.
"Sarah! There's 14,000 volts in that wire! Sarah!" Rose was shouting at them, and Lucy glanced over her shoulder to see that the boys were gathered, watching the spectacle with a well-rehearsed boredom. Only Topper seemed worried, and Lucy supposed that was a value to his character. For all his faults, he seemed to care about Sarah, as irritating as that was. Kelce and Rafe were used to her antics.
"Relax, Rose!" Sarah called back. "I'm an athlete!" Lucy scoffed. A couple half-assed cheerleading practices and a few years of childhood dance and gymnastics didn't exactly give Sarah athlete status. Her best friend shot her a wink over her shoulder, and Lucy smiled. "Hey, I see her!" Georgina's grin grew wider.
"See?" Lucy smoothed down the little girl's hair with her hand. "Back before you know it."
"Sarah, that's not funny!" Topper's voice was closer now, and he was striding across the once-manicured lawns with a purpose.
"Calm down, babe, I'm fine—"
With a scream, Sarah fell back, hitting the hull of the boat with a sickening thud, and Lucy's heart nearly stopped. Shit, shit, shit.
"Sarah!" She stood upright faster than her legs could handle, stumbling, Georgina forgotten by her side.
Suddenly, laughter came echoing out of the tiny vessel.
"It's disconnected," Sarah shouted, waving the ragged end of the wire around in her hand, "Suckers." She grabbed the tiny felt elephant, tucked in behind one of the seats of the boat, and made her way back to Lucy and Georgina. Lucy shot her what she hoped was a look to kill. "Luce, you should see your face." Lucy simply narrowed her eyes. "Topper! Did I get you?" Her face was lit up with some childlike glee as she passed the toy back to the little girl.
"Yeah, okay, yeah," he said, his fist tightly clenched, "I'm sorry that I care." Sarah laughed, and Lucy's mask of indifference broke, the two collapsing into giggles.
"Hey, there's kids around!" Lucy looked at Georgina, happily waltzing away with her mother, elephant in hand. She leaned forwards to whisper in Sarah's ear.
"Bitch."
Sarah just rolled her eyes and grabbed her hand, the two of them laughing as they ran over to the others. Rose's lips were pursed, the universal 'I'll be telling your father about this' expression.
As they reached the others, Sarah ruffled Wheezie's hair, slotting herself under Topper's tanned arm.
Some things in the Outer Banks never changed.
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sorry she's a lil short, just wanted to get something out because i'm in the middle of a really busy time for schoolwork - three cheers for the IB diploma! this should be the last update til this weekend (but i might find some time hehe my procrastination knows no bounds!)
