written in the stars - a topper thornton fanfic (outer banks)

f i v e

song: 'left hand free' by alt-J

- present -

The next day, Genevieve woke up early. This wasn't unusual nowadays. Her curtains were no longer curtains, just pieces of fabric that lay in a pile on the floor underneath her window. This was thanks to her father, who had pulled them down in a drunken rage. This resulyed in very early mornings and very late nights for Genevieve, as sunlight poured into her room from dawn until dusk. Genevieve groaned and buried her face in her pillow in an attempt to fall back asleep. It didn't work. Besides, it was better for her if she woke up before her father. Less risk of... you know.

She sighed and tied her thick, brown hair into a low bun that covered the back of her neck. She rubbed her eyes and stood up. The house was silent, but that was quickly broken by the sound of her bare feet padding along the wooden floor, which was then broken by the creaking of the floorboards. The house was a metaphor for Genevieve's life. It was falling apart right before her eyes. She opened the cupboard to look for food, even though she was well aware that it would be empty.

Genevieve was forced to be completely self-sufficient now seeing as her father never went shopping, unless he needed cigarettes or alcohol. Genevieve had always told herself that she would never smoke or drink, but now she was adamant that she never would. She sighed as she walked back to her room and threw on a pair of white cargo shorts and a cropped white strappy top. She threw on a shirt over it, completely forgetting that it was Topper's. She slid into her shoes and ran out the door, making sure she slammed it after her.

When she reached the chateau, she found JJ asleep on the porch. She rolled her eyes and smacked him lightly on the leg, causing him to jump up defensively from his slumber. "Gotcha," Genevieve said with a smirk as she walked inside. "Fuck you," he muttered, lying back down. "John B?" She called as she looked around the chateau. "Do you come bearing food?" He called from his bedroom. "Obviously not." Genevieve muttered, her mind straying back to the fact that she was starving. "Well then, off to Heyward's we go!" John B called from his bedroom.

Genevieve watched as John B balanced on one leg on the roof of an old building which was being renovated. How they had ended up here, she didn't know. "That's, what, a three story fall to the deck? I give you about a one in three chance of survival," Pope said as he looked up at John B. "Should I do it?" John B called, holding up his finger to see what way the wind was blowing. "Yeah you should, I'll shoot you on the way down." Pope said as he pointed a nail gun towards John B. "You'll shoot me?" John B questioned, making gun signs with his fingers.

"They're gonna have Japanese toilets with towel warmers." Kie said as she emerged from within the building. Genevieve laughed. "Of course they are. Why wouldn't they?" "This used to be a turtle habitat, but who cares about the turtles I guess." Kie said as she looked up at John B, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice. "I can't have cold towels." JJ said, earning a slap from Genevieve, who was sat next to him on some scaffolding.

"Can you please not kill yourself?" Kie called up to John B, who was still stood on top of the building. "Don't spill that beer! I'm not giving you another one," JJ said as he took a sip from his own can. Genevieve sighed and glanced around. "Ten dollars says he drops the beer," she muttered to herself. The sound of the beer can dropping from John B's hand and hitting the floor signalled that her assumption was correct, as always.

"Of course you did, like right when I told you not to!" JJ said as he rolled his eyes, holding his can out to Genevieve even though he was well aware that she didn't drink. She shook her head as she looked up at John B, who groaned in frustration as he stared at the beer can which lay on the decking, its contents spilling out.