family. | outer banks x oc

crain

I eventually got Topper home last night. Now, I found myself sitting in The Wreck with John B, Kiara, Pope, and JJ.

John B had just finished explaining the events of last night, when Kiara added a quick question.

"I'm sorry. You're staying where?"

"Tannyhill."

"So you're living with Sarah Cameron."

What part of John B's story did she not understand. Ward was being nice. He saved him.

"Okay, look, the only reason I'm living there is because her dad bailed me out, right?"

"You could come live with me and Topper." I jokingly smile.

Pope chuckles behind me, and John B rolls his eyes.

"Hey, so do you have a membership to the clubs now?" Pope questions.

"I don't know, Pope."

"What about those little golf carts they drive around? You get one of them?"

"Does it come with a sweater-vest, or do you have to buy one on your own?"

I laugh at Pope and JJ's ridiculous comments.

"Look, you promised." Kie continues. "You said you weren't with her."

"Bro, just own it. She got you." JJ adds.

I look over at the blonde boy and notices the array if cuts scattered on his face. I mentally punch myself for not truly asking if he was okay. I told him he could talk to me, but maybe he didn't think my offer was genuine.

"Look, if you wanna hang out with her, that's fine. But I'm letting you knoe now that I'm not doing anything with Sarah."

"Do you guys see her here?" John B questions. "No, right. Okay. A little focus would be fantastic."

--
Somehow, we had figured out the first place we needed to visit was Battery Jasper-- an old fort.

The view from here was beautiful, but none of it seemed relevant to the hypothetical gold.

"We're in battery right here." Pope states, pointing to the old map. "So if this is parcel nine, then it's somewhere northeast of here."

Kiara points, "Somewhere over there."

"Right."

JJ and I exchange glances at eachother. It was quite clear that we were both skeptical of the situation.

"Guy's, that's not Tannyhill, that's a subdivision." JJ argues.

"Tannyhill Plantation was the entire island," John B explains. "it got sold into smaller pieces over time."

Pope murmurs something about a stone wall, while pointing to the map.

We make slow, awkward eye contact. We still hadn't talked about why he told Kiara about my dad. It hurt. A lot. I thought he was someone I could trust, my bestfriend. Although, it turned out I was wrong. I would've been safer telling JJ.

--

We piled into the van, and turn down old, twisting roads. Eventually, we end our trip at an old stone wall.

"Looks like a stone wall to me."

My eyes drift from the stone wall and up to the house, which towers over the trees.

"Not the Crain house."

"Are you kidding me?" Kiara asks as we get put of the van.

"Worst case scenario."