Ignored & Neglected - Outer Banks

Chapter 3: Freedom has always felt better with you.

Authors Note: Hiya loves,

As a writer, I worship at the alter of votes and comments. Hearing your thoughts, what you like, what you dislike, keeps me writing. Which keeps chapters coming. Life hack, I know.

I hope you like this chapter - the events in it are quite close to my heart, as is the world in which it takes place. Enjoy!

All the love,
L xx
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

They duck up the path, heading for the quickest route off campus, keeping an eye out the whole time for any patrolling teachers. Being caught out, after lights out, with a boy - not good.

The gate on the campus border is shut, but the wooden ledges built into the fence provide an easy step up and over. They move in complete silence to begin with, all too aware how easily noise travels on campus at night.

Once there's a half kilometre between the two of them and the campus, they begin to run, letting the sound of their footsteps pound out against the red dirt. It's freeing- the stars are bright, with no pollution to dim them, and the moon lights the track for them. Kiara lets out a whoop of joy, unwarranted. JJ turns on his heel to grin at her.

"Fucking freedom!" He yells out, the sound clear in the quiet of the night. There's no one around now, and the night air is a welcome cooling from the heat of the day.

She begins to laugh, a little manically as they run, enjoying the sense of openness they so rarely get inside the campus, when they know their every move is being watched by someone. When JJ reaches out to clasp her hand as they run, she grasps it back, feeling a tingle run along her palm. She's happy. They're doing something absolutely batshit crazy – but she's happy.

John B and Pope arrive at Mount Rivers Saddle sweaty and out of breath. John B has shed his black hoodie during the run, tying it around his waist instead.

"Fucking hell, you and JJ are masochistic fuckers." Pope says, sucking in air in sharp breaths. "Let's run up Mount River, it'll be fun, let's do it when we could be in bed asleep, it'll be even more fun. Let's be athletic morons." He starts, in a high-pitched sarcastic voice.

"In which case Pope, I've got shit news for you. Because we're only halfway." He's got a shit-eating grin on his face as he says it, and he can see Pope's murderous look shot back at him. John B sits down on the ground, back against a tree, and tilts his head back, looking up.

The gumtrees are thick here, but the gaps in the branches show a sky full of stars- enough that they could almost find their way back to campus based solely on them, John B's sure of it. He doesn't plan on testing the theory, but he could do it. For sure.

"Think I might just wait here for you guys instead." Pope says. John B ignores him.

Pope likes to complain, but no matter how much he hates some of the things they do, he hates being left out even more. He'll run it with them, no doubt about it. John B just has to let him be dramatic first.

"I mean it. I'm not going up there. There's probably like-"

"Drop bears?" John B asks, voice filled with mirth. Pope glares at him, his face shadowed by the gum trees.

"I was going to say hermits. But yeah, drop bears." Pope says, stubbornly.

"Please- we can absolutely take on a hermit. No worries."

"It's not about whether I could take a hermit- it's about whether I want to. And, I have decided, I don't."

John B nods, faux seriously. "Very wise, very wise."