written in the stars - a topper thornton fanfic (outer banks)

t h i r t y

song: 'cool about it' - boygenius

one year ago

Some time had passed since Topper had left. There had been an undeniable shift in Genevieve's... everything, really. Kiara was the only person who truly knew why, but even the boys had noticed the change.

Sat at the boneyard, they were waiting for Kiara to come back with food. JJ looked over at Genevieve, who was sat next to him staring out at the ocean. 'You alright Gen?'

Torn from her thoughts and back to reality, Genevieve looked over at JJ and nodded, mustering a non-convincing smile. 'I'm fine, just thinking.'

'About what?' JJ asked. She'd been distant for months, and he still hadn't figured out why.

Genevieve shrugged and sighed. 'Nothing. Everything.'

JJ frowned as he watched Genevieve's gaze fall back on the ocean. Something had changed in her. It pained him that he didn't know what. It killed him that he couldn't do anything about it.

.....

A little while later, the Pogues were sat around the fire, having wolfed down the food that Kiara had gotten them in less than 5 minutes.

'We'll have free roam of the island in a few more weeks,' John B said, cracking open another can of beer.

'Thank fuck. I can't wait until all those Kooks drive their pretty little asses home,' JJ said.

Genevieve gazed out across the ocean. The only Kook she had ever cared about left weeks ago. She had been telling herself that he'd have had to leave at some point, but she still found herself mourning the weeks that they could have had together.

She wasn't alone with her thoughts for too long, because the sound of someone calling her name drew her back to reality. 'Dad?' Genevieve said, her head whipping around in confusion.

Her parents normally never cared if she stayed out late. This was strange, and the other Pogues clearly thought so too. 'Grounded?' JJ said, only half jokingly. Genevieve gave him a dig in the ribs as she stood up to go. 'I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow,' she said, glancing apprehensively at Jackson who was stood at the top of the boneyard expectantly.

'What's that about?' Kiara said as she watched Genevieve jog up towards her dad.

'Can't be good, whatever it is,' Pope muttered with a sigh.

.....

Genevieve's breath caught in her throat when she walked into the kitchen to find her mom sat at the table, holding a letter in her hand. Jackson hadn't said anything to her on the walk home, and she was beginning to get scared. 'Can somebody please tell me what's going on,' Genevieve said, looking frantically between her dad and her mom.

'Come here, Gen,' Laurie said with a weak smile, gently patting the seat next to her.

Genevieve sat down and glanced at the letter that her mom was holding. The top of the letter read 'UNC Hospitals - Cancer Care'. Genevieve felt as if she was going to throw up. 'No...' she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Genevieve looked up at Laurie with wide eyes. 'Wh.... What....'

'Your mom has Stage 3 kidney cancer, Gen,' Jackson said from across the table.

Genevieve's face grew hot and she felt as if she was about to faint. 'I.... But.... How did you even....'

Genevieve looked up at Laurie, who took Genevieve's hand in hers. But Genevieve didn't recognise her. Her mom was thinner, greyer, more frail than she remembered. Genevieve had been so wrapped up in her own pain, that she hadn't even noticed how much her mom had changed. How long had she been sick?

'It was just a routine blood test that discovered it, Gen. I had no symptoms, no pain,' Laurie said.

'But cancer is treatable, right? If you had no symptoms that's a good thing, right?'

Laurie and Jackson exchanged glances. 'I...' Laurie began, but her voice trailed off.

'The cancer has began to spread to her other organs,' Jackson said, reaching across the table to take Laurie's hand in his.

'No...' Genevieve began. 'No, no, no. You're not dying. No, no, you're not dying. They're going to treat it. There's a treatment for cancer. They can cure you, Mom. They... they have to.' Genevieve's eyes filled with tears and her whole body shook as she ran to the sink and began to throw up.

'Oh Gen baby,' Laurie said, walking over to hold Genevieve's hair back. 'It'll be okay. I'm going nowhere just yet.'

Jackson frowned as he walked over towards them. He knew that that wasn't exactly true.

Genevieve broke down crying as she collapsed into Laurie and Jackson's arms. Heavy sobs wracked her entire body. The last thing she remembered is Jackson carrying her into her bed, before the world went black.

.....

The Pogues left the boneyard one by one after Genevieve left, and JJ found himself heading home soon after. It was dark outside, but the weak light of the Browns' kitchen illuminated the driveway.

JJ stopped dead in his tracks as he watched Laurie and Jackson break the news to Genevieve. He couldn't hear anything, but even from behind the trees where he stood, he could make out the horror on Genevieve's face. A loud crash sounded as Genevieve ran from the table to the sink, and JJ flinched when he saw her begin to throw up.

'Fucking hell,' he muttered under his breath, watching Jackson lift Genevieve up and carry her to her room. He bit the inside of his cheek as he crossed the driveway to his house, taken aback by what he had just seen. He was even more taken aback when he found his dad sat on the porch. Evidently he had also been watching the scene in the Brown's unfold.

'Cancer,' Luke muttered, taking a sip from his beer.

JJ stopped, turning to look at Luke. 'What?'

'Laurie's got cancer. Says she's only got another month or two.'

JJ found himself rooted to the spot, frozen. He didn't know what to say, or even what to think. 'Fuck.'

Luke nodded, crushing up his empty can. 'Fuck.'