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Chapter One ✯¸.•'*¨'*•✿✿•*'¨*'•.¸✯
Ever since John B was declared dead at sea, nothing had been the same.
Avery couldn't remember what day it was. Every day was a blur, merging into the next. She was miserable. You wouldn't guess that though, not by the forced smile and friendly small talk she gave to every costumer that came into the store. The blonde teen stood at the counter, discussing possible fixes and improvements that they can offer the customer. He was a kind, older man that was a local and been visiting for ages. If it wasn't for her aching heart, she would tolerate more of his conversations instead of wiggling herself out of any further communication than necessary.
As soon as the man left, she dropped the act. Her smile fell flat and she inhaled deeply, blowing a raspberry. She slid the surf board over the counter and awkwardly manoeuvred it, carrying it out back to be worked on. The workshop had never been so organised and ahead of work. Avery had dedicated most of her time and focus on working. It was a healthy coping mechanism, unlike some.
The Pogues were trying their best to deal with the loss. Avery found herself feeling overly insecure at the thought that she was being selfish with grieving. The friends had spent very little time together since they saw John B sail away from the dock and into the storm. Avery and JJ hadn't spoken about it, neither of them had intentions to either. Honestly, neither of them had much intention to make any effort towards the other. There was a strange shift between them the morning after. It had only continued shifting further and further away from their reach.
The sound of muffled voices made her head tilt up. One of the consequences of your best friend dying a murderer was the black lash of everyone's opinions. No matter what Avery could argue back with, and she argued back every time, it wasn't enough to make them think to change their mind. Especially the Kooks, of course they had a lot to say. Sarah Cameron was also declared dead, and had been titled a Pogue by the island. Like that was the worst thing to be labelled as. They had loads to say about that too. Avery couldn't stand them before, she didn't think it was possible for her to dislike them anymore, but apparently it is.
Her feet pounded against the wooden flooring. She felt her heart rate pick up slightly and her fists balled by her sides. The closer she got to the front door, the clearer the figures were. By their beige chino shorts and polo shirts, Avery knew they were Kooks. This wasn't the first time she had encountered cocky and immature Kooks, it just made her more angry. The door swinging up hardly made the group of four flinch, they continue laughing and encouraging their friend to finish their spray painting.
"Hey! Get out of here!" Avery yelled. With a burst of confidence, she reached out to the nearest teenager and gave him a shove. He mocked her, not phased by her at all. "I said piss off! Now!"
"Hey! You heard her, get out of here!" Pope's voice appeared. The boy rushed over to the storefront, Kie closely following.
"Are you serious? What the hell!" Kie scoffed, glaring at the group.
"Dirty Pogues" one of the Kooks snorted, smiling like he just said something actually funny. Avery huffed and went to launch for him, being stopped by Pope. She shoved his arm away from her and watched the Kooks walk away, proud of their vandalism.
"Has that happened before?" Pope asked, his eyes glued to the Kooks until they were fully out of sight. He didn't get a response, turning to look at Avery, realising she wasn't next to him anymore. "Aves, has that happened before?"
"Those shitty Kooks shouldn't be allowed to get away with this" Kie bitterly said, crossing her arms over her chest. Her hard expression softened at the sight of Avery kneeling by the vandalised board.
"Yeah, well, they do. We can't do shit about that. It will never change," Avery breathed. She whipped out the old rag that was tucked in her jean shorts pocket, hoping it'll be enough to scrub the paint off. She scrubbed hard, smudging the wet black lines even more. She grunted, "fuck!"
Pope slowly approached her, resting a hand on her shoulder as she dropped to the ground completely. He crouched behind her, "it's okay, Aves. We will fix it, okay? It'll be fine"
"It's not!" Avery almost shouted. She fumbled to her feet, causing Pope to stumble back. He wanted nothing more to help, ease her aching bones but he didn't know if he could. The blonde violently lifted the board from the display, finding to harder to do than expected, her wound up mood didn't help it happen smoothly.
Like lost puppies, Pope and Kie quickly followed her into the store. They hesitated at the doorway to the workshop, already hearing the cluttering noises. Avery was bound to be having a moment, she was bubbling with anger and that slightly terrified both of them. Kie gestured for Pope to go first, rolling her eyes when he shook his head vigorously and his eyes stared widely back at her. The girl entered the room first, frowning as the beads smacked her in the face and got caught in her curls. Pope smacked them out the way, helping her out.
"Look, Aves," Kie paused, stumbled back as Avery pushed past her to reach the cabinet of tools and solutions. She ignored Kie and continued rummaging to gather what she needed to clean the board. "Come on. We know this is hard but you've not spoke to us. We get it. We are here for you, just talk to us, please. You and JJ can't–"
"Yeah, I can. And you don't get it, Kie. You don't get it!" Avery snapped, finally twirling around to face the pair. Her eyes were glossy but no tears were balancing on her waterline, they were angry, and somewhat conflicted. "You lost your friend. I lost everything. John B, JJ–"
"You lost John B... we all did, Avery," Pope's tone was soft, afraid that if he raised it a little too much she would shatter right in front of him. He stepped around Kie, "we understand, okay? We all are dealing with this differently. But we are still together. Like always. You can't push us away. We aren't going to let you do that"
"Wait, what do you mean about JJ?" Kie asked, unable to bite back the nagging question. She peered around Pope, noticing how Avery's eyes soften ever so slightly.
"That's something you'll definitely not understand," Avery muttered, shaking her head. There was a moment of silence, an opportunity for Avery to continue scavenging for the acetone. She put her things on the wooden table and sighed, "I'm trying, all right? I am trying. It's just–"
"We know" Pope breathlessly chuckled. For the first time, Avery chose to not argue and nodded curtly. He wandered over to her with open arms and took her into an embrace. She allowed it and rested her head in his chest, closing her eyes at the feel of Kie pressing up against her back, joining the hug.
Avery knew that they were right. They all lost the same person, their best friend. This was a time they needed each other the most. They shouldn't be going against each other or pushing each other away. That was a lot harder said than done, especially for Avery and JJ.
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Authors note!! First chapter is up! I would be lying if I said I haven't been dedicating as much time as possible and already created so many drafts, waiting to be edited and published. I'm so excited to get this story in full swing. It has been a little iffy as season 2 starts off fairly slow but once it all builds up, there will be lots to come, especially for Avery. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter, and I'll see you again very soon for the next! <3
