I'm here // JJ Maybank

Pilot

We're the Pouges, and our mission this summer is to have a good time, all the time.
——
"That's what, a three-story fall to the deck? I give you about a one-in-three chance of survival" Pope calls out from the main deck. John B stands on the tip on the roof with a beer in hand.

I look up from the scaffolding at my best friend who currently has a death wish.
JJ sits nexts to me with a beer in hand also gazing up at John B.
"He's so dumb sometimes" I say shaking my head.

"Should I do it?" John B asks teetering on one foot.
"Yeah jump." Pope replies, "I'll shoot you on the way down"
"You'll shoot me?"
"Yep. Pow"
I sip my beer ignoring the stupidness around me.

"They're gonna have Japanese toilets with towel warmers" Kie says coming out of the house, annoyed.
"I can't have cold towels." JJ mocks
"Oh no that would be absurd." I add.
"Can you please not kill yourself" Kie shouts to John B who is still balancing on one leg.
"Let him. Then I can have the chateau!" I say smiling up at John B. He sticks his tongue out at me.
"Don't spill that beer. I'm not giving you another one." JJ says. In perfect timing a gush of wind comes making John B loose his balance and drops the beer.
"Whoa! Oh shit" John B shouts regaining his balance and sadly watching his beer fall to the ground.
"Good going B" I laugh at him.
"Of course you did. Did I not just tell him Mel?"
JJ looks over at me. I laugh and shake my head.

"Hey uh securities here. Let's wrap it up." Pope calls out. We all rush up. John B slides his way down off of the roof. I offer a hand so that he can jump down and the three of us climb down the scaffolding.
We all take off running through the house. Going in separate directions.
"Gary is that you?" JJ laughs.
"Gary long time no see! I've missed you!" I shout out. I follow JJ throughout the house. JJ runs right into the security guard, quickly stopping himself and pulling me in the opposite direction.
"Not much of a hugger man" I laugh as I continue sprinting my way out of this maze of a house. We run to the fence and somehow John B and kie already pulled the Twinkie upfront. Pope hops the fence first, me and JJ following close behind.
"Come on pope get up" I say grabbing pope and bringing him to his feet. He's never been good at this whole escape quick thing. We all rush into the van with Gary still on our tail.
JJ and I lean our head out of the sliding door watching poor Gary running his heart out after us.
"Check out Gary, gun' for a raise." JJ laughs. I grab a beer and hold it out for Gary.
"Wait, slow down. Hey! you little pricks!"
"You're so close Gary, cmon you can do it!" I taunt.
"You guys are gonna give him a heart attack" kie says.
JJ wraps an arm around me while I throw Gary the beer to keep me stable inside the moving van.
"There you go! Have a good day Gary!" I call out after he catches the beer.
"They don't pay you enough, bro!" JJ adds.
"Guys stop. Stop." Kie says pulling us back inside. I move over and sit next to kie wrapping an arm around her while JJ closes the door.
"Oh come on, that sort of initiative is just begging to be punished." JJ laughs. I hold out my arm and fist bump JJ.
John B laughs along and drives us back home.
—
"This is the south side or the cut. Home of the working class who make a living busing tables, washing yachts, running charters. The natural habitat of... drumroll please...
The pogues.
That's us.
Pouges, Pougies, the throwaway fish. Lowest member of the food chain.
Okay. So, the downside of pouge life is we are ignored and neglected. But the upside of pouge life? We're ignored and neglected, which means we can do whatever we want, whenever we want."

"Nice haul, dude look at that" JJ says brining up a net full of fish.
"Ugh John B" kie groans at the live fish spewed on the floor of the boat.
"Been all bait for, like, three weeks."
"Gross" I say look over at the flopping fish.

"That's JJ, my best friend since the third grade. He's about as local as they come. Latest in the long line of fishing, drinking, smuggling, vendetta-holding salt-lifers who made their living off the water. Best surfer I know, but don't tell Amelia I said that. Mild kleptomaniac and future tax cheat.
—
"Is this guy in prison?" Kie says disgusted.
"How has that not happened yet? Come on." John B walks over to kie and the touron she's talking to to, and hugs her from behind
"Get off me" she pushes him away, "don't even get me started on micro plastics."

"And that's kiara, or kie, as we call her. When not saving turtles or listening to Marley, or getting a dolphin tattoo, she hangs with us. Im not really sure why though. So she's a rich kid, actually. Her family owns the wreck, this outerbanks institution. Total cash cow with the tourists. You know, I'm not really sure how her parents feel about us. I guess we all kinda have a thing for her, well maybe not all of us."
—
"That's pope, the brains of the operation... finalist for the Lucas T. Vanderhorst merit scholarship - and the smartest person I know."
"Stop touching that" pope snaps.
"Little bit of a weirdo. His fathers this legendary character, Heyward. Anything you wanted on the island, Heyward could get for you. Now I'm not sure Heyward knew what to make of his oddball son, but it didn't matter. He was a pouge, just like the rest of us.
—
I walk into the chateau the night after a party. I'm a little known for disappearing with a kook or touron at the end of the night. Always slightly disappointing, but entertaining none the less. I throw my bag down on the table and see kie passed out on the pull out and John B closing the guest bedroom door, which most likely had a JJ and some random hookup of his own.
"How was your night" John B asks eying me knowingly.
"Oh so magical. Took his money clip and a half drank bottle of rum to make it worth my time." I say pulling out new belongings. John B shakes his head and eyes the bottle of rum.

"And then we have Amelia Carter, she's basically my sister. She lives in the house next door, haven't spent more than a week apart from one another since diapers.
Her parents dipped two years ago, leaving her and her older brother Connor to fend for themselves. Shes what everyone likes to refer to as the pouge princess. She's as loyal as they come. Amelia is the type of person who would do anything for her friends. She was my rock when my dad disappeared. All of us lean on her , maybe too much sometimes.
I don't think JJ and I would have made it this far without her."

So, that's my crew."

—-
Chapter one done! I'm so excited to make this guys. I've read probably every story on this app so it's time I make my own. I will be doing all three seasons so be patient! More to come ;)