𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬? | rafe cameron

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏

The outer banks, paradise on earth.

And this is me Aria Mae Graves, I live on figure 8. It's the sorta place where you either have two jobs or two houses, two tribes one island.

Figure 8 is the rich side of the island, home of the "kooks". Though I never claim myself as one.

My crew lives on the south side— or the cut. Home of the working class, they bust tables,
running charters. I help of course, half the time I'm helping Kie and her dad.

My group, the Pogues. That's us.

There's JJ. My best friend sense we were one. He's about as fun as they come, not as fun as me. Best surfer I know. But he's never gonna know I said that.

And Kiara. or Kie as we call her, she's a rich kid, naturally. Foot in both worlds, and when she's not saving turtles or listening to Marley, or getting a dolphin tattoo, she hangs out with us.

And Pope. The brains of the operation, finalist for the Lukas T vanderhorst merit scholarship. And the smartest person I know, little bit of a weirdo. He was a Pogue, just like the rest of us.

And John b. John Booker Routledge. His dad disappeared at sea, 9 months ago looking for a ship reck, he was a father like figure to me too.
3 months after he went missing he was officially presumed dead. John b refuse to sign any papers, until we see a body, we are not giving up. John b is like a brother to me. Always has been.

And then there's me, Aria. I've known the Pogues for as long as I could remember, met JJ first then we met Jb then Pope and Kie, been inseparable ever sense.

And this is my crew- JJ—Kiara—Pope—John b.

We are a group.

And our mission this summer is to have a good time, all the time.

꧁❧꧂

"That's what, a three-story fall to the deck?" Asks Pope as he looks up at me standing on the roof of the house we were hanging out on. His brown eyes twinkled in the sun as I squint my eyes to look at him.

A smile turned on the corner of my lips as I hold my beer out that I had to forcefully pull from Jayj's hands earlier. I steadily hover one foot off of the roof of the house, careful to keep my balance.

It was the first day of summer break, thankfully. The sun was shining bright down on us with a warm breeze.

"I give you about a one in three chance of survival." Pope continued, as he squints one of his eyes to prevent the sun from shining in it, so he could get a better look at me hovering.

"Hm?" I question, as I bring the beer back to my plump lips, grimacing over the taste, still hovering one foot.

Pope shakes his head at me, giving me a silent glare that made my smile wider. "Should I do it?" I teased.

My eyes travel over to JJ for a moment as he squints his eyes, looking up at me with his head tilted back. He had his hands laid over the metal bar, he's wearing his red hat. I swear he doesn't go anywhere with out it. He had a basic grey shirt on with camouflage shorts.

Pope grabs my attention as he picks up a nail gun from the table beside him."Yeah, you should jump." He pauses as he brings the nail gun to one eye aiming it at me. "I'll shoot you on the way down." He grins.

His smile was massive on his lips as he tilted his head to the side.

He's adorable.

I bite my bottom lip to prevent my smile, "Oh yeah? You'll shoot me Pope?" I taunted, tilting my head.