Kook for the Summer

We could've taken on the world together

The bell rings.
School is out, finally. My life can resume to the exciting existence that is being a Pogue. Sitting in the Twinkie on the way home from an adventure. Surfing through both the day and night, blissfully unaware that time exists. Pranking the shiny people on Figure 8. No pens and paper. No teachers and whiteboards. Just simplicity. The sea and the sand. The island. Our island.
JJ is waiting for me outside the classroom, he leans beside the door and takes his cap off. Holding it out to me he says, "Come on, ma'lady! I've got, like, five minutes tops until I gotta be at the other side of the island to try and steal some shit for the party tonight so you better hurry."
Mr Rolo's head is facing JJ in an instant, his neck moves so quickly it looks like he must have whiplash. "Language, Mr Maybank!"
JJ bows and puts his cap back on. "I am so sorry, sir. My language is terrible, I apologise. I will work on it over summer, I will read Shakespeare every single day...I will write one of his plays myself, Goddammit! I. Will. Be. Shakespeare. Then I will come back and we can re-assess my language."
I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder. When I reach the door I push gently JJ into the hall. "Come on, idiot." Then I turn to the man who sits confused at his desk, thanking the lord that summer is about to begin as he re-asses his whole life. "Have a good summer, Mr Rolo."
I grab J's arm and turn into the hall to walk out with him.
"Ave, you've gotta be careful acting like that with me," he jokes. "I might just...fall in love with you."
"You're very funny."
"Why, thank you."
"So, what's the plan?"

J and I walk to my dad's house where I get changed into something a little more comfortable for the hot weather, then we climb onto HMS Pogue in which we sail to figure 8.
The sun is beaming. The sky is blue. The sea is absolutely beautiful. This summer will be the best yet, I am sure of it. This summer will last forever in our minds, time will not stand against it, and I can't wait.
"Right, you know the country club?" JJ asks me.
"Yes, I know the country club. My mum is a member."
"Ahh, the old accent."
"What?"
"Your accent came properly through when you said that, how do you do it? It's like," he starts moving his mouth like he's trying to create the shape of the word with his lips, "mu...mum. Haha! Classic."
"Will my accent ever not be funny to you?"
"Maybe."
"Okay, perfect."
"But it won't ever not be hot."
"JJ!" I swat his arm.
"What?"
"Shut up."
"I dig British accents, c'mon! You can't harm a man for that."
"Anyway, the country club. What about it?"
"I need you to get us in."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"Kook privilege, of course!"
"J, I don't have Kook privilege. I lost that a long time ago."
"You never lose a Kook privilege. I mean, look at Rafe Cameron. Has he lost his?"
I tense at the name.
"I guess not."
"See? If he can sustain his then you've still got yours. You gotta get us in there sweetheart. We want to start this summer with a bang, right?"
"A bang?" I laugh.
"I mean...if you're offering."

We arrive at the other side of the island. It's quiet. There's only a few people about. Some of my mother's friends side eye me and JJ, especially JJ, whilst others smile or say hello.
"You go to the bar, distract the staff, flirt with them or something, and I'll creep in behind and get some shit, yeah?"
"Are you sure this is a good plan?"
"My best. Just follow me."
The pair of us sneak into the country club, stealthy as a herd of bulls, and make our way to the bar. I take a seat on one of the stools and JJ waits beside the counter for the man in uniform to serve me.
"Sir?" I say sweetly.
The man swivels around. His hair is dark. He's young. I kind of recognise him. I think he might be a year or two older than me.
"If it's not the Kook princess," he replies.
A million memories come tumbling to the forefront of my mind but I push them back with a pained smile.
"That's me."
"What can I do for you today?"
I discretely nod at JJ who scuttles behind the bar in search for the crates of beer and bottles of spirits.
"Um..." I look at the arrangements of drinks. I'm not even of age. I wonder if he'd get me a drink anyway.
"How about a cocktail? Something exotic?"
"I'm good," I say, wishing JJ would hurry up. He's struggling to be quiet as he juggles two crates of beer and a few bottles of vodka. I wish he'd hurry up so we could get out of here. "I actually wanted to talk to you."
"Me?"
"Yeah..." my voice goes kind of raspy, I hate myself for it but I have to do it, "I came here to see you." I lay my hands on the counter by his.
JJ almost drops the drinks. But the man is looking into my eyes all mesmerised that he doesn't seem to care for the sound coming from behind him.
"What did you wanna talk about?" the man leans forward so his face is near mine.
J escapes and gives me the nod to say we're free to go.
I look at my watch and jump off the stool. "Ah, I'm so sorry. I gotta go!"
We start to run.
"Hey! Princess, come back here!" the man calls.
"I'm sorry!" I shout back.
JJ grabs my hand and we fly outta that place, wheezing in fits of laughter. The man can't leave the bar but he watches us from out of the windows. I can see his mouth is still moving. I assume he's still shouting.
"Ave, we gotta go before he calls the cops or something."
"Good plan."
The two of us run through the car park, hurdle the fence, then make our way to the jetty where we take board on HMS Pogue.

The party is alive. Everyone is dancing. Everyone is buzzing. We're on the beach. Some people are skinny dipping, others keep themselves on the dry sand.
I look at JJ and Pope and Kie who are standing beside me. We're talking about our highlights of the school year. Mine definitely has to be when JJ and I set fire to Mr Rolo's desk by accident. He flipped. It was hilarious.
"You know, dead people will literally just piss—"
"Anyone wanna go for a dip?"
They all look at me then at the sea.
"Naked?" Kiara asks.
JJ's eyes swivel to find mine. He chuckles. "I'm in, like, one hundred percent in."
I grab Kiara's hand. "Yes. Only if you want to."
She scrunches her nose. "Hm."
"Hm?" I repeat. "I will if you will."
"We've got one dangerous friendship."
"Yup." I agree. "We give in too easily. Solidarity is our fatal flaw. Pope, you coming in?"
"I mean, if JJ is..."
"Oh, I'm all in man. Let's go! Pogue for life, baby!"
I grab Pope's hand and JJ grabs Kie's then we all run towards the waves. It's getting pretty dark. Nobody will really notice if our clothes aren't on.
We let go of each other's hands and throw our clothes behind us, then we dive into the cool ocean.
"Fuck me!" Kie and I scream in unison.
"Alright," JJ shrugs.
Pope pushes him. "You're such an idiot. Shut up."
"What? We've got two super hot chicks with us, naked, in the sea and they're screaming fuck me literally who would not take the opportunity to make a joke outta it."
"That's fair."
The water climbs all over my skin and into every crevice of my body. Surrounding me like a clasp of cold hands. I almost start to think of that summer. That one summer...last summer.
"What are you guys doing?!" It's John B. He's with Sarah.
"We're swimming!" I shout back.
He's further down the beach but the pair run up to meet us.
"You're skinny dipping, aren't you?"
JJ replies, "You bet we are, boy! Come on in."
We all dance around for a while. Several songs play. And then we return to shore, with our clothes back on, and get ourselves some beers. We do vodka shots. I take one from JJ's stomach, he does the same from mine, then Kie and I also use each other's bodies as surfaces for our shot glasses.
It's great. Everyone's having a good time. People start to dance in smaller groups. Kie breaks off to talk to Pope, they had a thing the previous summer, I suspect it's about to rekindle, and John B and Sarah hide away behind some trees for a while. JJ and I are the only Pogues left.
We go near the fire and he pulls me in to dance. And as we sway, with him whispering all sorts of ridiculous, but admittedly insanely hot, stuff in my ear, a whole load of Kooks enter.
"I gotta say, Ave. I'd do anything for you if you'd let me," JJ whispers.
I smile and bring my lips to his ear. "Who knows? Maybe I will."
He puts a strand of hair behind my ear. "Yeah?"
It's then that I notice Rafe Cameron walk in. His eyes scan the beach until he finds me. If I hadn't drank those shots I wouldn't be able to move right now. I'd have frozen right there on the spot and let the past summer invade my mind. But I didn't. I only moved closer to JJ, taking my eyes off Rafe whilst still feeling his burn into me.
I hold the back of JJ's neck and move him into me. He places an arm around my waist and our bodies lock together in a perfect fit. He starts to breathe rather heavily. I can't help but laugh.
"Don't tell me you've never been this close to a girl before?" I taunt him.
He shakes his head. "I hope that one day I can shut you up."
"I hope so too."
His eyes are wild. I let go of his neck.
"I'm going to get another drink. I'll be back."
He watches me leave then starts to fix himself, trying to get his heartbeat back under control.
When I get to the table of drinks, another pair of eyes are on me. A very familiar pair of eyes. And they're burning hot. They scald me with a feeling I know all too well. Rafe guards the beers. I try to sneak past him. I fail.
"Hey, Ave," he says gently, laying a light hand on my shoulder. His tone does not match his crazy eyes. "How are you? I haven't seen you since...what, August?"
I shake his hand off me. Streetlights, police cars and warm rain fog my mind. August.
"What? Are you ignoring me now?" he laughs, reaching behind me to grab a can opener for the two beers in front of him. He removes the lid off one and hands the bottle to me. "You're so cold," he says. "You know it burns me to just be your summer fling."
You were my summer fling?! I want to scoff. But I don't. I simply ignore him. Because I know that will drive him crazy. I know that will drive him crazier than any words ever could.
"You know, I still have dreams about that summer."
Hazy sunrises and hot cars...
"You're in the passenger seat...you're looking at me, always looking at me, and you're mine, you're all mine." He dips his head until his lips meet my ear. "We could've taken on the world together," he whispers.
My skin crawls at the sudden heat that brushes over it. I'm seventeen all over again, we're on the staircase at some party, we're all over each other on the beach, we're lost in time.
"Don't talk to me like that," I say. But I don't move.
"Of course," he backs away, "of course."