Tidal Wave. | obx szn 1

We'll Find It.

Aurora Minerva almost always goes home at night. She hates the silence of the chateau. Pope knows this. He knows she wants to go home, but she also doesn't at the same time.

Aurora sits on the couch on the chateau porch. She cries silently. Pope steps out to the porch and his face softens when he notices her tears.

"Rory, what's up?" Pope asks, sitting beside her.

She rubs the tears off her face. Even though she has been friends with Pope for forever, she still won't cry infront of him. "I don't want to go home, but at the same time I do."

"I know," Pope replies. "Want me to take you home? I'll spend the night if you want."

"Really? You would do that?"

"Of course, Ace."

Aurora smiles. She pulls Pope into a hug.

༄

Aurora and Pope have to walk to the Minerva home. They walk side-by-side down the middle of the road.

"I hate my mom." Aurora speaks.

"Don't say that, Rory."

"No, like, I really hate her."

"I know, just, don't say it."

Aurora sighs. She goes silent while Pope talks about mythical creatures and stories.

"You know that most of the world is undiscovered? Think about the ocean. It's huge. Almost endless, Rory. Atlantis could 100% exist."

Aurora chuckles. "Atlantis? Really, Pope?"

"You know it's said to have existed in 360 B.C? The story is that the people on the island were insanely rich. Richer than kooks kind of rich. Apparently, they were, like, super greedy and as punishment, the island sunk."

"You believe that?" Aurora questions, surprised. Pope is a science guy. He believes in facts— not theories. Something Aurora loves about Pope is his ability to spit out random facts about things nobody else knows.

"Yeah," Pope answers. "I wanna find it so bad."

"You— we will find it." Aurora assures him. She watches him smile. The streetlights only reveal parts of his face. She can see his necklace reflecting. It's a simple silver chain with a white cross on the end. Pope isn't religious, but his grandma always has been. She got that for him on his 13th birthday. He hasn't taken it off since.

Pope's smile doesn't fade until they arrive at the Minerva house.

August and Lucca are sitting on the front porch.

"Guys? What's going on?" Aurora asks, panic rising.

She can hear her dogs, Branson and Honey, barking hysterically from inside.

"Mom and Dad are fighting."

"It started outside and the whole frickin' neighborhood heard them."

Aurora sighs. She rubs her forehead.

"I'll stay here with Lucca and Auggie. You go in, Rory," Pope suggests. Aurora nods.