Storm Chaser // JJ Maybank

43

It's been a whole month on this island. A month in Poguelandia. A month in what some people would call paradise. A month without my mom. No Kook/Pogue war. No Ward. No Rafe. I don't know if we'll ever make it off this island. And I don't know if I truly want to.

JJ and I are putting together a new stick for spearfishing. I may or may not have broken the last one in half. I'm not very good at spearfishing but it's not for a lack of trying.

"Do you think anyone is gonna come rescue us?" I ask.

"Rescue?" JJ laughs. "From what? From... from paradise? I'm not going back. Ever." JJ looks around. "I mean, look around. We got everything we need. Right here."

I smile slightly. "Just like we talked about."

JJ nods his head as he smiles. "Exactly. How's yours looking?" I hold up my spear. "You ready to provide for the family?"

I stand up. "Yeah."

"Let's go kill something," JJ tells me.

I laugh lightly. "Kie would hate you saying it like that."

"Yeah, well that's exactly what we're gonna do," JJ tells me. "If you can manage to catch anything this time."

I shave him forward. "I am trying my hardest, JJ."

"Well, if you don't catch something we're gonna be eating coconuts forever," JJ remarks.

I sigh. "After the past month, I think I'm good on coconuts."

I stand in the shallow water next to JJ. We've done this every day for a week, and I still haven't been able to catch anything.

"You ready?" JJ asks.

I nod my head. "Yeah. Yeah."

"All right. Today's the day," JJ tells me. "All right, remember, watch your shadow. They see that, they're gone."

"Got it," I tell him.

"All right, here we go. Just like we practiced, all right?" JJ says. I nod. "All right. Hey. Hey, Storm. Storm, Storm, Storm. Storm, it's a skate. It's a skate right there. You see him?"

I can see the shape of the skate in the water. "All right. It's all me."

"He sees me! He's coming over by you. He's coming towards you," JJ tells me.

"Yeah, it's me. This is it. This is the time," I tell myself.

JJ stabs his spear into the water. "Dang it. I missed it. Where is it? I missed it."

I grunt as I stab my spear into the water. I hit the skate.

JJ laughs happily. "Oh my God. You did it!"

I laugh as I hug JJ.

"We're having skate tonight," JJ says.

I laugh again. "Oh shit!"

"Full Pogue!" JJ shouts. "Yes! That's food in our bellies right there."

We all sit around and play truth or dare. There isn't much to do on the island when we're not busy surviving.

"John B, your turn. Truth or dare?" Sarah asks.

"All right, all right. Truth," John B answers.

"Truth?" Sarah asks.

"Truth!" John B tells her.

Sarah tosses John B the hat she wove out of palm leaves.

"This is exciting," Cleo remarks.