Paradise on earth.

Prolouge.

We're the Pouges and our mission this summer is to have a good time, all the time.

The Outer Banks, paradise on earth. It's the sort of place where you either have two jobs or two houses. Two tribes, one island.

There's figure eight, the rich side of the island, home of the Kooks. So guess where we don't live.

And then there's the south side or the Cut. Home of the working class who make a living busing tables, washing yachts, and running charters.

The natural habitat of- drumroll please....... The Pouges. That's us.

Pouges, pogies, the throwaway fish. The lowest member of the food chain.

Ok, so the down side to Pouge life is that we are ignored and neglected.

But the upside of Pouge life? We're ignored and neglected, which means we do whatever we want, whenever we want except- well when Ms Miller bosses us around of course.

There's JJ, my best friend since the third grade. He's about as local as they come. Latest in a long line of fishing, drinking, smuggling vendetta-holding salt lifers who made their living off the water.

Best surfer I know. Just don't tell him I said that. Mild kleptomaniac and a future tax cheat.

 He has a way with the ladies, especially the taken ones -aka Alex.

Then there's Kiara or Kie and we call her.

 When she's not saving turtles or listening to Marley or getting dolphin tattoos, she hangs out with us. I'm not really sure why though, she "pretends'' to hate us and that she's here for the girls but we all know she really loves us.

So, she's a rich kid actually. Foot in both worlds. 

Her family owns The Wreck, which is an Outer Banks institution.

 Total cash cow with the tourists. You know, I'm not really sure how her parents feel about us. 

We all... correction Pope has a thing for her.

Ashlyyn or Ash as we like to call her, is a fraternal twin and I've been best friends with her since kindergarten. 

She's what I like to call hard to read, she looks all happy and nice but is actually plotting some evil plan to kill you.

When she's not hanging out with us she's reading, singing songs from a musical about the civil war or doing voodoo crystal magic shit. She's WAY too smart for her own good and bossy like her mom, but she and her family are all I have left so I'll put up with it.

Pope is the brains of the operation... won every nerdy competition since pre-k.

And the smartest person I know. 

A little bit of a weirdo. 

His fathers this legendary character, Heyward. Anything you wanted on the island, Heyward could get for you. 

Now, I'm not sure Heyward knew what to make of his oddball son, but it didn't matter. 

He was a Pouge, just like the rest of us.

Last but probably least Alexandra or again Alex, the other piece of the matching set. 

I honestly don't know why her mum chose such a Kooky name but here we are.

I've known her most of my life and I could not tell you her favourite colour BUT I could tell you who her current celebrity crush is- Dylan O'Brien. 

She loves her phone so we can't get her off it most of the time, the social Pouge if you will. 

But when she's off that thing she's a HEAVY drinker and her hobby is picking a fight with JJ.

So, that's my crew.  

-John B