¥showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks¥
In which Jackie Routledge and her group of friends from the south side of Outer Banks try to have the summer of their lives, but end up it being filled with mystery, tragedy, risks, adventure...
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{Mr, Big Head}
There's a point in every kid's life when you feel invincible, like nothing is out of your reach. You've got the mojo—like you could scale El Capitan with no ropes, land on Mars, or even get elected president. The whole world feels like it's yours for the taking, as long as you've got the guts to go for it. And then, just when you least expect it, some Kook swoops in and shatters it all, telling you there's no such thing as eternal mystery. All that talk about climbing mountains, space, or being president? Bullshit. Reality hits, and the magic gets sick and fades away.
I clench my fist and jaw, frustration and anger bubbling up inside. It's the third time the drone has passed over the wreck, and there's still no gold. I can feel my pulse quicken as I storm back into the cabin, JJ following behind. "Start it up. Bring us back to land," I mumble, my voice tight. I slide to the floor, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. It's all I can do to keep from breaking down.
I'm furious and confused, but most of all, I feel like I've let my dad down. I've failed him as a daughter. It hurts, deep in my chest, knowing the gold isn't there. Tears begin to spill down my face. On the tape recorder, my dad told John B and me to find the gold. We followed his map. We did everything we could—and it was all for nothing. I can feel JJ's gaze on me as I try to keep it together.
"Babe?" His voice is soft, breaking through the heavy silence.
"Yeah," I whisper, my voice thick with emotion.
He sits down beside me, pulling me close. "You okay?" He asks, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.
"No," I reply, my voice trembling. "Five seconds ago, I was the happiest girl alive, and now... now I'm just angry. It's not there, JJ. The gold... it was supposed to be there. We were supposed to get it. We were supposed to fix everything—get DCS off our backs, you away from your dad, Pope into college. We were supposed to be happy." I break down, sobbing into his shoulder.
"Pope, take the wheel and bring us home," JJ says, his voice steady, but there's a heaviness to it. Pope nods and steers the boat in the direction of land. "We're going to drop you and John B at home. You guys need to get some sleep, just... relax, okay?" He looks down at me, and I let out a shaky sigh. "Okay," I whisper, still trying to pull myself together.
"Are you going to stay with me?" I glance up at him, searching his face.
"I can't, right now," he says softly, wiping away my tears. "I have to go back to my house for a few hours, but I'll come to yours later, I promise."
A faint smile flickers on my lips, the warmth of his words offering a small comfort. For the rest of the journey, John B and Kie argue over the merchant's treasure, but JJ and I remain quiet, huddled together, finding solace in each other's presence as the boat heads back home.
