A Can of Coke

Pilot part 3

 There were tons of kids clustered in the golden light of the boardwalk as we all walked through with a pony keg in tow. 

We jumped down from a washed out stairway to the beach and finally put the heavy keg down.

JJ immediately started manning the tap, filling cup after cup with foamy beer, and scowled at the trashy Kook music blasting from various BMWs and Jeeps. 

Everyone hung out on the boardwalk: Pogues, Kooks, and Tourons alike. It was kind of like a neutral zone, although the segregation was very clear. 

Tourans mixed in a little bit, trying to have a vacation romance or whatever. (JJ usually cashed in on those.) But the Kooks remained closer to the beach-- as far as they possibly could be from us Pogues.

The Outer Banks boardwalk was practically paradise--at least it usually was. Tonight, however, it was kind of a living hell for me. 

I felt so awkward being here after all the tension I caused.

 Kie and Pope were still sweet and inviting, but were now off who knows where talking to Tourans about aquatic pollution and Kafka.

 JJ was still JJ, but with an extra side of side eye.

 And John B was...

Well, John B hated me. 

Not really knowing what to do with myself, I grabbed a beer and awkwardly stood next to JJ as he hit on Touron girls. 

"You know... I can drive a boat." JJ slurred while puffing out his chest.

"Wow! Really!? That's so cool!" Three girls squealed as their eyes practically undressed the boy in front of them. 

Running his hand through his hair all smug, JJ replied, "yeah, it kind of is." 

"Everyone on the island knows how to drive a boat, ya' dope." I laughed, poking him in the side. 

"Crick! Don't be a cock block!" He angrily whispered to me.

"Why don't you bother John B or something?"

My heart sank a bit, "...oh yeah...that's what I'd normally do, right?... sorry..." I replied while walking away. 

What was I doing here? I was no one without John B, and I lost him, so now I was nobody, and nobodies don't go to keggars. 

"Wait!" JJ called after me as I continued to walk into a different crowd of people, feeling utterly dejected. 

These people we dressed crisper. Everything they were wearing looked brand new. I didn't really recognize them, maybe a few faces from school, but that was about it. 

As I entered the group, a sudden realization of dread ran through me. 

Kooks. 

"Ooohwhee, look what we got here!" A boy commented, looking me up and down. 

"John B's bitch." Another said. I recognized that one...Topper I believed...John B told me to steer clear from him at all times. 

"Never thought I'd get to see his pet up close," he laughed. 

His arm was wrapped around an overwhelming attractive girl, who I recognized as Sarah.

"Topper, cool it." She nudged him. 

"Where's your leash?" He continued to laugh. 

My heart was beating in my throat, I couldn't find any words to throw back at them... I just froze.