Kildare Sweethearts [OUTER BANKS]

𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒

maddie's story

EVER SINCE I COULD REMEMBER it's been my dad, my mom, my older brother and me.

we lived in a small rundown house in the outer banks. we lived on the cut, getting by with a fishing license and waiting tables.

it wasn't much but we were happy-ish.
and that's all i remembered. all i let myself remember.

happy. we were happy until i was old enough to realize what was actually happening within the walls of my small house.

one day my parents were arguing about something—drugs. i didn't know it at the time but my father would sneak out at night and disappear until the next day after his "shift". he'd use all the money he made to get more, feeding his addiction. no wonder we were poor. he'd get arrested and do his time then get out and go right back in.

i had few pleasant memories of my dad. but mostly him getting arrested, yelling, or watching reruns of disney movies or criminal minds (which scared the crap out of my kid self) on our couch with me and my older brother.

when my dad was away, my mom would drink. she'd come home from work and open a new bottle of wine until she passed out on the couch. my older brother was practically my only sense of supervision until i was around nine years old.

anyways, one day in the first grade i couldn't take the yelling from my parents and decided to go play outside. while i was out there i heard something in the bushes. i stopped what i was doing and for some reason, went towards the noise.

best decision i made.

a little blonde boy popped out from behind the bushes with his arms up while yelling, "boo!"

that's when i met my best friend, jj maybank.

we would always play in each others yards, go swimming, fishing. when he was outside, i was outside. when i was on the lake, he was on the lake. when i was in my room, he was there too. when he was riding his bike, i was on the back of it.

when we were eight, we decided to go for a walk on the island. i wanted to turn around but jj refused and kept going, said he knew where he was going but i didn't believe him. i was tired and knew my brother would be questioning where i was.

then a bell caught our attention right when i decided to turn back. we both stopped and looked up at the house with the bell. a man with a beard was ringing it up by a tree. he was calling someone's name.