Waves

Keep Calm and OBX On

Pulling up to a secluded house in amongst the trees JJ looks around, scoping out the area. He's never been to this part of the island before, which is surprising to him because he thought he knew the island better than anyone.

"Is this where you bring me to die?" JJ asks his best friend as they both get out of the Jeep, closing the doors behind them. Harli just rolls her eyes at him. "I always knew it would end like this. Man, I should've been nicer to you as kids."

"Come on!" Harli laughs at him as she walks towards the porch of the old house.

"Seriously, where are we?" Harli knocks on the door, looking over at him with a sneaky smile. An older lady opens the door, looking at the two teenagers before her.

"Harli? Is that you?" The old lady asks as she steps out onto the porch. "You've not been around in a while."

"I know, Mama Odie. I'm sorry." Harli embraces the lady in a soft hug. "It's just been..." Harli lets out a deep sigh before finishing. "...crazy lately."

"I heart about John B, sweetie. I'm so sorry."

"Thank you. But that's actually not why I'm here. We need your help."

The old lady looks over at the young boy standing next to the girl that she had watched grow up, eyes studying him intensely. JJ grows nervous at her gaze as she notices the open gash on his head.

"Oh, I'd say you do." Mama Odie says. "What happened to you, son?"

"Oh, uh, his..."

"Skateboarding accident." JJ interrupts Harli's sentence. "Yeah. I'm just no good at it."

"Uh, yeah. Right." Harli agrees with him.

"Mmhm." Mama Odie studies the two teenagers skeptically. "Come on in then." She opens the door for them and the two enter the house behind her. The old lady starts gathering up some items in her hand before turning to the brunette. "Harli, sweetie. Do you care to put some of my tea on for us?" Harli nods in agreement and leaves towards the kitchen to do just that as Mama Odie turns towards JJ. "Come with me, Son." JJ follows her down the hall, glancing over his shoulder at Harli. JJ follows Mama Odie into the bathroom and sits down on a stool as instructed while she crushes some herbs and begins to make a paste. He watches her curiously as she mixes.

"Ugh! What is that?" JJ's nose scrunches up at the sight of it.

"This is a natural numbing paste. It'll help with the pain and healing process while numbing the area for me to give you stitches. Much better for you than the stuff the ER gives." Mama Odie answers his question as she puts some of the paste onto her finger, rubbing it onto JJ's gash. "Now, you wanna tell me how you actually got this wound?"

JJ hesitates for a moment, unsure if he should be revealing such a secret to a stranger. But Harli must trust her if she brought him here. "My, uh... my dad. He loses his temper sometimes."

"A parent should never hit a child like this, temper or not. Seems you're lucky to still be sitting here right now."

"Yeah, well... Harli helped in that department. She, uh... she held a gun to him and we were able to get away."

"She's a wiley one, that one. She never could stand to see someone get hurt."

"How do you know her?"

"Oh, I've known Harli since she was just a little girl. Her momma used to come see me for some herbals to help with the pain of her chemotherapy." JJ sits silently, listening to the woman regale him with the story of how she met the young girl in the other room. His glance moves to the floor, feeling sympathetic for the life that his best friend has lived. The older lady notices his silence. "She's a good girl, Harli. She's a good friend to have on your side. She's got a lot of love, that one. She loves with her whole heart. You're a lucky boy to be dating her."