Outer Banks (JJ Maybank x Reader) Book 1

The Compass

They say we're in denial. Whatever. Denial's underrated. You should try it sometime. It's highly effective, and it's only denial if your wrong. It doesn't make any sense. My dad is the last guy who would ever get lost at sea. This compass coming back to us, my father's compass, which was passed down for generations, it's a sign. My dad's still alive. And I'm gonna find him.

~~~~~

Someone pounds on our front door rapidly, probably almost knocking the old door off. I groan, covering my eyes. It can't be past 8. "DCS! I know you're in there!" A man yells. I roll over, confused. Something slams against my window and I jump up. "Woah!" I shout, but it's just JJ. He laughs. "Gotcha, slick!" He yells. I flip him off and roll back over, pulling my sheets over my head. He knocks his fist against the window, dying of laughter. "You should've seen your face, your face was like...," He says, but before he can finish, I slam the window shut.

"Okay, I'm just saying, I don't understand why you don't at least try with Kiara," JJ says once the three of us are in the Twinkie. Today, we're going to find out why Scooter had my dad's compass. "She clearly likes you," I agree. "She's like," JJ says, throwing his head back. "Oh, John B," He sings in a high pitched voice. "Is that what she's like?" John B asks sarcastically.

"Yeah, she's sketching about you diving, then she kissed you, bro," I say. "On the cheek," John B sighs. "It's not like we were makin' out, I've seen y/n kiss your cheek before," He defends. "Low-hanging fruit, bro, don't pretend you don't notice," JJ says. "I see it in your eyes," He says, putting two fingers up to his eyes. "You're like "I kinda like that' and you start blushing and shit," He drawls. "I blush?" John B asks skeptically. "Yeah," JJ nods. "Really?" He asks again. "Yeah," JJ and I say at the same time. "Okay, fine, what about you two?" He asks.

"What do you mean, 'you two'?" JJ asks. "I saw you yesterday morning on the porch...," John B says, wanting us to confirm his point. I roll my eyes. "It's not like that," I say at the same time as JJ says, "That's different."

JJ catches my eye for a second before turning back around and reaching for the compass, taking it off the dash. "Hey, don't-!" John B starts to grab it away, but JJ lunges away from him. "I was just looking at it," He says. "I gotta admit, your father's compass in Scooter's boat, that's freaky," JJ says, looking back at me. "Yeah, that's why we're going to talk to Mrs. Lana, to figure this whole thing out," John B says.

"And I'm sure she would just love to talk to us," JJ sighs. "It's not like her husband just drowned or anything."

~~~~

"You know what this house looks like?" I ask as we get out of the van. "Whoever lives here smokes too much weed," JJ answers as I pretend to take a hit. As we walk closer to the house, we start to hear crashing and glass shattering. JJ and John B stop walking, JJ holding his hand out to stop me. "Bullshit!" Someone yells from inside as more glass crashes to the floor. "Maybe we should come back," JJ whispers. "No, no, no, shut up," John B hisses. "It's a little too soon...," JJ tries to reason. "Shut up!" He says again, inching towards the house.

Whatever this is, it isn't something I wanna be tangled up in. "Tell me where it is, or I'll fuck you up!" We hear a man's voice coming from the house. We can hear Lana, Scooter's wife, gasping and shrieking. "I'll sink you in the fucking-!" The man doesn't get to finish because their is another loud crash and scream. "You're hurting me!" Lana shouts. "I...," JJ stutters, flinching with each scream and shatter. He clutches my hand tightly, and I his.

"Shut up. Come on," John B hisses. "Come on," He says again when we don't move, more screams and shouting coming from inside. "Where the fuck is it, you bitch!" The man screams with another crash as John B runs to the side of the house, ducking below the window. "I don't know!" Lana sobs. "Is it here in this house?" Crash. "Is it somewhere else?" Shatter.

Lana continues to sob as the man questions her, and John B inches closer to the window. I glance sideways at JJ one more time before following John B. "Please, I-I-I didn't...," Lana sobs. JJ grabs me harshly by the waist, pulling me to the ground under the window and grabbing John B after me. He starts to protest again but John B presses our backs flat against the wall. "Shut up!" He hisses. I wince with the next shatter, squeezing my eyes shut and panting heavily.

JJ glances at me, then back at John B. "You still think we should say?" He bites out through clenched teeth. "The compass wasn't in the boat!" The man shouts with a thud. "Where is it Lana?" He screams. I try to control my breathing and stop shaking, but my efforts do no good as another thud slams the wall and Lana sobs. "I don't know!" She shouts again from inside.

"JJ," I whisper, my voice pained. He squeezes my hand tightly, letting me know he's there. More sobs, more crashes. "Don't listen," John B shakes his head, but he looks like he's trying not to cry. The wall shudders and some sort of dust flies down on us, covering us. JJ shakes his head, trying to get it out. "Is that paint?" He hisses. "Yes, it's paint!" John B says, trying not to shout. I wince again, pressing my back tightly against the wall. L

Lana lets out another painful sob, but the crashes stop. "Let's get the hell out of here, man," A rough male voice says. John B starts to move away from the window. "We should just go... he's got smuggler-," JJ tries to protest but John B cuts him off. "Shut up!" He says again. "...smuggler written all over him," JJ is still protesting. The front door slams and John B flies back around the corner, pressing his back to the wall. "Shut up, shut up," He whispers. Lana sobs from inside.

John B peeks around the corner again after a second, and we watch as two guys start a boat motor, climbing onto their boat. "Dude, those were the guys that shot at us!" JJ hisses. "Go back, go back, go back, go back," John B hisses as the boat starts through the marsh. We file back around the corner of the house, pressing against it tightly.

When the boat finally pulls away, the three of us sneak into the front of the house. "Shit," I whisper when I see the furniture torn and thrown all over the house. "Mrs. Lana?" John B calls, trying to follow the sobs. "Mrs. Lana!" He says when he sees her on the floor of the bathroom. "Hey, hey," He whispers, running towards her and kneeling down beside her. "Hey, are you okay?" He asks, touching her shoulder. When he does, she jumps, looking back at us.

"It's okay, it's okay," He tells her in a whispered tone. "Dude, she's tweaking," JJ hisses when she gives us a traumatized look. "Do you need a doctor?" John B asks when she continues to sob. "Let's call the sheriff's department," John B says to JJ and I. "No, no, no, no cops, please," She sobs suddenly. "Mm. That's not good," JJ whispers, pursing his lips together. "Come on, dude, let's go, let's just go," He whispers urgently, trying to pull John B away. "You shouldn't be here," Lana sobs. "That's enough for me. Come on," JJ urges. "Wait, wait," I say, kneeling down next to her.

"What do you know about these guys?" I ask her carefully. JJ groans nervously, pacing and running his hands through his hair. "They were looking for something," She whimpers. "Does it have anything to do with this?" John B asks, pulling out the compass. She freezes when she sees it. "Do you know anything about this?" He asks her. She shakes her head, a wild look in her eyes.

"This was our father's, and Scooter had it. Why?" I ask her, slightly forceful. She shakes her head again. "Scooter didn't have it, okay?" She pleads with another sob. "Don't tell anyone that you have that!" She says, starting to yell. "Dude, come on," JJ hisses from behind us. "Why? Why?" I urge as Lana starts to go into hysterics again. "They can't know! They can't know that you have that! You have to get out of here!" She screams at us, shaking her head and sobbing.

"What do you know about the compass?" John B shouts angrily as JJ pulls me to my feet. "We gotta go, let's go, let's go," JJ says, pulling me against him. "Go! Get out!" Lana screams, looking around wildly. I look over my shoulder, watching her as JJ pulls me out of the house.