𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑|𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐊𝐒

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

"I still think you should've gone to Italy," JJ commented, nudging his older brother's shoulder who stared at the water before him. Jeremiah's eyes slowly locked with JJ's, a slight chuckle escaping his lips. Even after he told JJ how he wasn't going to spend his summer in Italy like he had been dreaming of for the last couple of months or so, he had still taken it upon himself to demand that he change his mind and go see the world, to which Jeremiah immediately shot down the idea. For why would he do that when there were people back home that needed him? Jeremiah's plans could wait, for they always did, and most likely always will for as long as he chose to live in the OBX, paradise on earth.

"It's not gonna happen," Jeremiah murmured, desperately not wanting to indulge in a conversation that already broke his heart too many times to count. He knew how much JJ wanted him to go out and live his life, but he just couldn't. Jeremiah couldn't even think about leaving those he cared behind without feeling a nauseating feeling arise within him. It was a sickness, one that Jeremiah didn't bother to find a cure for. "Drop it, JJ. I'm not going to Italy. It's too late. Mh friends got their tickets and they leave tomorrow."

There was so much more JJ had wanted to say in that moment. He wanted to scream at his brother for never putting himself first. He wanted to tell him that it was ok to live your life the way you wanted, not the way others laid it out for you. His lips parted, the words on the verge of spilling from his lips. However once their eyes locked once more, JJ froze. Jeremiah looked as if he was beating himself up about it enough, and anymore would simply second him over the edge. JJ's jaw clicked in frustration, turning away from his older brother to prevent another argument from breaking out. Jeremiah watched this action, his trembling hand reaching out to grab JJ's own and tell him that he was sorry, even if he had nothing to really apologize for. Sorry was just a word that was permanently embedded into his skin like a curse, one that was impossible to rid.

"That's a Grady-white. A new one of those is like 500 Gs, each." JJ informed, switching the topic back over towards the abandoned boat that the group had discovered minutes ago.

That's the boat I saw when I surfed the surge. Maybe it hit the jetty or something." John B stated, Jeremiah shooting him a look of shock. So that must've explained why he hadn't picked up the phone when Jeremiah called the previous night, wondering where his brother was. Jeremiah continued to stare down at the ocean, hoping that it would give him sort of answers as to why there just so happened to be a boat at the bottom of the sea. Perhaps this was his summer adventure in replacement for not being able to go to Italy with his friends. Fuck, he really needed to stop thinking about what he gave up.

"That's my boy, Pouge style!" JJ cheered, slapping John B on the shoulder as if he had just accomplished the greatest task in the entire world. Jeremiah rolled his eyes, not really having the energy to reprimand his brother for praising such a ridiculous action.

"Wait, wait. Do we know whose boat that is?" Pope asked, bringing the conversation back to the topic that it once was. Jeremiah nodded his head, wanting to know the answer to that question as well. He considered diving back into the water to see for himself, for his younger brother and friends were completely unreliable in a situation like this.

"No. But we're about to find out," John B leaned over to open up the compartment on the bow and grab an anchor. Jeremiah's brows furrowed at the action, realizing what he was about to do as he grabbed his wrist to prevent him from going into the water.

"Dude, it's too deep," JJ shook his head, sharing the same thought process as his brother. Jeremiah flinched once John B had ripped his wrist out of the deadly hold that it was once it, now standing at the edge of the boat. He couldn't help but take on the parental role that had been forced upon him, for he was the only legal adult out of the group which also meant that he was responsible for his brother and friends safety. It was a heinous role, one that constantly left him with migraines that lasted for about an hour at a time. JJ had finally agreed to letting John B dive and pushed him into the water, the group clamoring over towards the edge of the boat to see what was going on.