Their Princess: outer banks

Smooth sailing

TW- swearing, alcohol use, smut, mature content,

Song: Apartment 402
Artist: girl in red

Kiera's POV:

After nearly drinking myself to death with Kath earlier, I just wanted some sleep. And for all of the effects to wear off. But of course I didn't even make it home before the all-knowing rumble of John B's van engine rattles past me— then screeches to a halt.

"Yo, Kie. Where you been? We've been looking all over for you!" JJ shouts, that stupid, big, bold smile on his face as usual. He opens the back door of the Twinkie for me to climb into. Pope is there doing something on his laptop and JJ and John B are in the front of the car.

"Long night?" John B asks, slight amusement in his voice. I hear JJ cackling, an unlit cigarette in his mouth.

"Something like that." I sigh, running a hand through my tangled hair. I wonder where Kath is?

"Seriously though, where were you. You haven't been answering your phone, we've called you like a million times." I furrow my eyebrows and pull my phone from the pockets of my shorts. The screen is black; I click the on button and the phone is dimly lit up with a low battery icon. So much for technology.

"My phone must have died." I tell them, shoving back into the pocket. Pope looks up now, his nose turned up and his face protruding many wrinkles. "What?"

"You stink of booze, Kie. Who's your new drinking buddy?" He asks, the two boys in the front seats still laughing.

"No one." I state. "It's not important."

JJ peers over the back of the headrest, "Yeah, what's 'not important'? Kie's got a guy!" He teases before I snap at them.

"I don't. If you must know I was drinking with Kat!" My voice is louder than it usually is, to be honest I just want them all to shut up.

"As in Rafe Cameron's girl? Damn Kie, I didn't know you swung that way." JJ laughs again, before John B whacks him over her head with his own hand. He probably saw the discomfort written all over my face through the mirror. "Sorry." He mumbles, facing out of the window now.

"You know her then?" Pope asks, I nod at the same time as John B. "Both of you?" We nod again. I had no idea JB knew her, but nonetheless I allow him to tell them both his encounter first.

"I work for the Cameron's as a summer job. Her and Rafe are like supper close, and that other one. The blonde one. But anyway, she's never less than three feet away from him. It's weird, bet he's using her or some shit. No one like him could have healthy relationship with a girl like that—"

"What the fuck John B?!" I interrupt him, I know I haven't spoken to Kat in ages, but she still means a lot to me. She's been through so much, she told me last night, practically sobbed her whole way through the conversation. "She's my best friend." I even shock myself saying that out loud.

"What?" The three boys say aloud.

"She..." I pause, I still love her like a sister, "She's still my best friend."

"She's dating a psycho. Rafe literally beat Pope up." John B chuckles, "How is she still sane?"

"She is." I snap back, "She's the most fragile, beautiful, kind, caring girl I know. And although we've only just got back in touch, she's still my favourite person." JJ stays silent.

The car ride back to John B's house was quiet after that. I made it awkward with my outburst. After the storm, we all went fishing and found a key and an abandoned, sunken boat. It all leads to John B's dad (he went missing a while back) we're going to find out what happened. This summer is going to be the adventure of a lifetime: just me, JJ, Pope and John B.