𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 ᯓ outer banks

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

     THE POGUES arrived at the motel.

     After the storm, everything in Outer Banks now looked like a shitshow but this motel was at the peak of it, obviously hitting the brunt end of the storm. Mattresses were flung outside, trees had fallen over, smashed glass scattered the grounds, and not many people were out cleaning it up, probably because it was a lost cause anyway. Brooklyn imagined it didn't look any prettier when it was clean.

     "I thought the Château looked bad."

     "This place is a shitshow."

     "Motel or meth lab?"

     "You be the judge."

     "Doesn't look like a place somebody with a Grady-White stays," John B says, and he isn't wrong. No way did someone have something expensive like that boat and live in such poor conditions. It just doesn't add up.

"No. Looks like a place someone with a Grady-White would get killed," Brooklyn replies.

     John B comes closer to the ground, the boat riding up against the dirt slightly before resting. "All right. Here we go. This is your captain speaking. HMS Pogue comin' in for landing." JJ jumped off the bow of the boat upon arrival and tied it off. "Whoo!"

     "We good?"

     "Yeah, we good."

     Brooklyn climbs over the edge after deciding to go in with her brother and best friend. She was just as eager as her brother to find out what was in that motel room. Also she'd rather join JJ and John B than stay on the boat and listen to Pope talk about math or Kiara talk about the environment.

     "All right. Here goes nothin'." John B hits his sister's arm lightly.

     "Hey," Pope calls, catching their attention. "Don't let them two do anything stupid." Pope points a finger over at JJ and Brooklyn who act offended but they know they're more likely to get into trouble.

     "Oh, we will." JJ grins towards Brooklyn, his elbow nudging her arm which brings a soft smile out of her.

     "I'm not making promises," John B replies. He knows he can't stop them once they start trouble.

     Kiara then steps forward to say, "Uh, be careful." Brooklyn's eyebrow raises, confused as to why Kiara is only asking him to be careful. "I mean it." She hands him the motel key, their hands brushing against each other.

      "Okay." He chuckles awkwardly, acting as if he doesn't have a crush on the girl. He moves away from Pope and Kiara, patting JJ's shoulder and separating his sister from him. "Let's go."

     Brooklyn glances over at JJ, noticing that he's grinning, probably because he's been separated from her once again. "Why are all these mattresses out?" Brooklyn asks, her eyes moving from JJ to look to the scene before her.

     "After a hurricane, they ditch 'em 'cause they're moldy," JJ tells her. Brooklyn furrows her eyebrows, a grin on her face as she can't believe he of all people knows that. It's a rather strange fact to know in the first place.

     They move towards the stairs, bumping shoulders awkwardly as they step up to the second floor, hoping to find room twenty-nine. Somehow, Brooklyn and JJ had found their way beside each other once again, something John B doesn't realise.