Perfect Storm | JJ Maybank [3]

one

BEING STRANDED ON a remote island in the middle of the tropics wasn't the worst thing Jo had happen to her. In fact, it was probably one of the best. Her days were spent basking in the sun and foraging for coconuts and berries. It was the textbook definition of the pogue life. There were  no kooks to rustle their feathers or pick fights about being poor troublemakers, no police or CPS trying to tear them away from their friends, and most importantly Ward and Rafe were far, far away.

Jo smiled as she stood on the beach and stared out at the water. She couldn't fathom a life any better than this. They could literally do what they wanted, whenever they wanted.

"Hey, beautiful."

JJ's husky voice filled the girl's ears and made her heart flutter. Her smile turned into a grin as she turned to face him, closing the small space between them and and cupping JJ's face.

"Another day in paradise," Jo hummed. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against JJ's, both of them smiling into the kiss.

"Hell yeah."

JJ ran a hand through his tousled hair. It was getting longer now and reached his neck, the front pieces constantly sweeping over his eyes. Jo didn't mind; she loved to run her fingers through the beautiful blonde locks. It was also bleach blonde, courtesy of the unrelenting sun beating down on them. Even Jo's dark hair had gotten a little bit lighter, but she tried to keep it tied back and away from her face and as a result she didn't notice the changes as much.

Things fell into place easily — almost too easily. After a few days of worrying about what would happen if they were never found, the pogues got straight to work on finding everything they'd need. They were a perfect group to be stranded together with each of them bringing a different skill to the table. Cleo was familiar with tropical islands and knew which plants and berries were safe. Pope's endless knowledge helped too, and he discovered that certain leaves and vines could be used as bandages and string. Kie was great at basket weaving and her and Sarah were able to build a makeshift tent out of sticks and leaves, and John B and JJ were the fire masters. JJ also perfected the art of tree climbing so they had plenty of coconuts to go around.

Jo had never realized just how much the land provided for them and she now held a new appreciation for it. She finally understood why Kie was so adamant about protecting the environment and swore to the girl if they ever made it back to civilization, she'd stand behind her in all her efforts.

"Alright, are we ready?" Jo peered up at JJ, holding her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun. JJ grinned and nodded, leading her back to their little leaf tent. They'd been working on making spears — another skill thanks to Pope.

JJ handed the brunette a long spear and skipped back out to the water, leading them to a rockier spot where the waves were less intense. That was where the fish resided so they wouldn't get swept away with the tide.