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chapter one. paradise on earth.
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THEY SAY THAT CHILDREN OF THE WATER HURT THE MOST. Julia Routledge never really understood that at first. Not when water is supposed to be so healing. Headache? Drink some water. Feeling hot? Drink some water. Hungover? Drink some water. So how could it be that those born with salt water in their veins hurt the most? It just didn't make any sense.
Until he vanished. Then she understood. But she didn't blame the water. Not really. It wasn't the water that took her father away that day. It was his own selfish desire. His own stories that made him board that boat and leave her and her brother. And for that... she's not sure she can forgive him. If he ever returns, that is.
John B doesn't think he's gone. He doesn't believe that their father could be gone; buried at the bottom of the ocean or in the belly of the sea life. He truly believes that he's alive, finishing his expedition with the plan of returning home to them. He would never abandon them, not like their mother. Not like their uncle who was supposed to be taking care of them. Not like the world they lived in.
They wouldn't be alone forever. Even without their father, they had their friends. Julia had Kiara, her best friend. The only person able to get her out of her shell. The water to her sandy beach, and the salt to her air. Without Kiara, Julia feared she would cave in on herself. She would allow the fear and the abandonment weigh her down until she could no longer resurface. She reminded her what it was like to breathe again.
And there was Pope. Sometimes Julia thought he might be a genius. Like Albert Einstein genius. But then he'd say something so incredibly weird that would remind her that he's just a teenager. Not many people understand Pope. Not his father, not the other pogues, and especially not the kooks. But they did. Maybe that's why it worked. After all, every friend group needs that one smart, weird kid.
