Cherry Waves - Outerbanks

Prologue.

————

The Outer Banks.

Paradise in earth.

It's the sort of place where you either have two jobs or two houses. Two tribes, one island.

On one hand there's the Kooks. They live on the rich side of the island, Figure Eight, their life consists of golf, country clubs and spending their vast amounts of money.

On the other hand are the Pogues. They live on the not-so-rich side of the island, The Cut, they're the lowest member of the food chain. The downside to Pogue life? They're ignored and neglected. The upside to Pogue life? They're ignored and neglected, which means they can do whatever they want, whenever they want.

Where do i fit in?

That's a tricky one.

My brother JJ, he has been a Pogue for as long as i can remember so, naturally, you'd think i'd be one too.

Its not that simple.

Me and JJ have the same father, we've lived together since i was born, 5 months after him, and were extremely close growing up. Our father was never there for us and we never really saw our moms, but we had each other; all we had was each other.

Despite our closeness, i never really hung out with his friends, of course i had seen them and interacted with them. When they dropped JJ back after a day out on 'The Pogue' or when they came to grab a bag for JJ on his nights at their house.

Those nights were the worst. When JJ would leave for days to go on adventures for treasure and to fight pirates. At least that's what he told me he did when he got back; i think in reality, he just wanted to escape. Escape our shitty house and shitty father. Escape the empty bottles and lingering debt.

I know he doesn't know what happens when he leaves. Too busy chasing the high to think about his half-sister locked in the bathroom to avoid their drunk dad; his harsh tempers and his harsher fist.

I know he doesn't know. I know he'd stay if he did.

It doesn't making his absence hurt any less.

Doesn't make the bruises fade any quicker.

I was always jealous of JJ, he was really close with his friends from what i could tell.

Last year i finally started making friends at school, started hanging out and going to parties. Everything normal outer bank teens did. However that all changed when i started dating Rafe Cameron.

I met him at a party as he didn't go to my school. Tight skirt and tight smiles, i weaved through the crowds before bumping into him; beer spilling all over his shirt.

His brand new shirt, cost more than my house and car combined apparently. I know he was an asshole, ok? But he was the fist person who looked at me, who kissed me.

It didn't matter that he'd kissed almost half the girls on the island. All that mattered was that he kissed me. And he did, a lot.

We started making out a lot and seeing each other after that but Rafe was always weary about his friends and family knowing about us. We could have a picnic at the park as long as it was in the shade of the trees. We could scuba dive together as long as it wasn't in any 'main' places.

We did a lot under the cover of darkness which meant of course we did a lot at night. Soon i was out the house as much as JJ. Slipping out once our dads breathing evened out and home before the sun.

I thought it was because he wanted to take things slow and keep it to ourselves at first, that's what he told me. But later on i found out it was because he was embarrassed to be dating someone from The Cut.

It was pretty obvious when his family and friends found out and he immediately dumped me.

From then on he never spoke to me directly again, but he certainly didn't keep my name out of his mouth.

When i went back to school and realised none of my friends were talking to me, in fact, they were completely ignoring me, i knew something was off.

Rafe had started a rumour that i cheated on him.

That son of a bitch had told people that i'd slept with another guy when we hadn't even slept together our selves.

No-one would look me in the eyes. I was shunned, set apart and labelled a slut.

Worst of all, he'd told everyone i slept with John B. My brothers childhood best friend and the talk of outer banks since his dad was 'lost' at sea.

It's not like he was getting back at me for anything, he simply just wanted to make my life even harder than he knew it already was. He wanted to cover the fact that he'd spent to year making out with someone so beneath him.

Loving him hurt, he was the first to see me, to kiss me, to, god-forbid, love me.

The first to lie to me, to shun me, to hurt me.

I was so ready for him to be the last as well.

Since then i haven't left the house much. As much as i hate being home, it's better then stepping outside and being humiliated by every person my age on the island.

—

"Scarlet?"

I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Scarlet."

Out of my daydreaming, i turned to face JJ, his messy blonde hair falling across his face. A devious grin was plastered across his face.

"What?" I groaned, rubbing my eyes.

"Get up off your ass, your not staying at home all summer." He looked at me as i rolled my eyes.

"What else am i meant to do?"

"You're gonna spend summer with the Pogues"