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━━ chapter one ━━ in which the pogues find a sunken boat in the marsh ✭
MARLEY awoke to the sound of rattling - it came from outside, where remnants of last night's storm clattered in the grass, waiting to be cleared up by the workers who would be due to arrive in a couple hours time. apart from the teen girl, the summers' figure eight house was empty - her mother, julie, already at the country club catching breakfast with her friends, and her brother, elliot, (who was home from college for the summer) presumably at the gym with his old friends.
her joints gently clicked as she sat up, and the smooth legs previously tangled up in her white sheets touched the cool, wood-panelled floor. the sun burned lightly against the edge of the horizon, having not fully gained its position higher up in the sky yet. its beams streamed through the white veil curtains, casting a golden light across marley's bedroom.
she reached out for her phone on her nightstand, before remembering that all the phone lines would be down - and besides, its not like she would see anything interesting - just a bunch of misscalls from wren, and her daily co-star update ('your sun is in gemini, meaning today you're looking for a soulmate who can help you sort through the chaos of your feelings' or something like that).
she instead pulled her ridden-up tank top lower over her stomach, and moved towards the window. she opened it up with a yawn, sticking her head out of it to wake herself up. the salty air made her hair feel sticky, the scorching heat feeling muggy due to the lingering moisture from aforementioned storm. tying back her blonde waves with a hair tie, she let out a full, content sigh.
breakfast was a small bowl of strawberry oats, and once she was bathed and dressed (jean cut-offs, red converse and a red bikini top) she left the house, hopping on her bike and heading to the cut to meet up with her best friends in the whole entire world.
summer had officially started.
the streets of figure eight were filled with vans unloading generators for the rich folk to get there internet access back, and workers from the cut helping (before being paid, of course) to rectify the affects of the storm. marley rode past the cameron residence, where she spotted her uncle ward outside talking to lana grubbs, but she carried on, deciding it was in her best interest for him not to see her headed to the cut.
the spokes of her bicycle wheels soon blurred as the girl pedalled faster, blades of grass tickling her ankles as she approached the bridge connecting the two sides of the island. the sun felt like a warm shawl on her naked shoulders - comforting and grounding. marley's eyes rested on the passing scenes, the honeyed natural hues laying all the more brightness to the open sky.
the day ahead felt sweet on her tongue, and that sweetness turned into joy when she caught sight of two heads topped with short, wavy hair - one brunette and one blonde. john b and jj.
