"He was different than anyone else, more rough and less polite in the best aspects. Being with him was like my own personal punishment, and my best gift all at once."
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"That was a good wave," I flicked back my wet hair, bringing my hands to my face to brush the remnants of ocean water on my cheeks.
"Super good, as always," Kie teased, before taking a hit off the joint. Kie was one of my closest friends, who had grown up with me and the crew practically. She was a kook gone pogue and she was a pretty damn good one.
"So, we're thinking of partying at the bonfire on the beach tonight... you coming?" Kie looked in my direction, as I set the board down onto the sand.
"Nah, not tonight. I've got another thing I have to do, but maybe next friday?" I suggested, but Kie turned a look of disappointment in my direction. I had already agreed to a party with Aurora at figure 8, who was never one to back down from asking me to go out with her.
Had the others known where I would be going, they'd probably kill me. Well, they'd laugh first and then kill me. Why? Because Pogues don't exactly get along well with Kooks.
In their eyes, pogues are lesser than.
The chump at the bottom of the barrel.
However, I guess I had an advantage with Aurora being my friend. We had met somewhere in a summer camp by Ocracoke Beach, where we got along for our mutual hatred of the cranky swimming instructor.
She was much more rich than I could ever even fathom, always offering to cover things for me and going overboard with her gifts. I was thankful for her, just as much as I was the pogues.
But of course, that left room for conflict and for secrets. A double life that brought some guilt for some time and also a lot of fun.
The waves crashing against the shore shot me back to reality and I looked away from the beach to meet Kie, "What time is it?" She furrowed her eyebrows in response, but looked down at her phone, "5:32, why?"
I gathered my things without leaving time for explanation, "Gotta go, see ya tomorrow!"
Adrenaline rushed through me, as I slammed open the door to my house. "Mom?" I heard no response, but continued to make way for my room. She must've been busy at Watermen's bar, where she worked.
I glanced at a picture of us together sitting on my dresser. It was just me and her for as long as I can remember. My father had died when I was younger and that honestly took quite the toll on her. She wasn't the same after.
I snapped back, grabbing at a mixture of different shirts and pants. This was a kook party, and I'd be damned if I looked like I didn't come from figure 8.
Of course, I settled on a simple pair of white beach shorts and a slim teal cropped tank top. Basic, but still looked pretty decent. Aurora had done the favor of giving me any of her spare clothes, which gave me a wider range of actually nice things in my closet.
