Lost at Sea 3 ⋆ JJ Maybank

𝕬fterword

Well, now, I really don't know what to say. I'm writing this in between having the draft finished and rereading it, and oh, the RIDE it has been. Looking back on where we came from is insane to me. This whole thing is insane,, I don't think I've ever properly finished a book series, and I'm honoured that Kat was my first, no pun intended.

We've had so much to go through. From the first book to this last. We've taken first steps and to be honest most of those updates were done scared, and now, I suppose, the most important lesson is that people are allowed to be flawed. You are allowed to be flawed. No one can be perfect all the time, that's kind of the whole point. Have you seen how boring perfect characters are???

Without kidding, I want you all to know that you are perfect as you are. You don't have to change a single thing just because you feel like you aren't enough, because you are. There's no perfect friend, no perfect child, no perfect anything. And if you have to be a monster to survive, that's okay. As long as you try to claw your way back from it. The important thing is to try. As long as you do, everything will be okay eventually. And if it's not, well, it's a lesson to be learned.

It all sounds like empty words, but it's because I can't grasp the concept of Kat's story ending, but I'm glad it does so, like this. On a fun note. A happy note. A soft note. It's what she deserves. I guess it's what we all deserve, even if you know. Saying goodbye's hard, even if it's just a silly fanfiction I update in the date of night.

I want to thank EVERYONE first and foremost for reading through those three books. Even if you don't vote or comment, or if you only vote or only comment or WHATEVER, if you stuck around so long, you are my friend. That's how it works, I fear. And I love you dearly. Thank you for letting me tell you Kat's story, and I guess, mine, in some way.

I want to give a special thanks to teaganthecheese, eekayye, kekk444ontopfr, ItchyAgalea, simplybilinski, jambox8, ella_amara, bibble-senses, livelaughlee,elliemaemilkyway, -pastelmic-, meenahwrites23, pizzafrenchfry, mj98100364, and starstuck777. You guys made writing so easy. I always looked forward to your comments, oh, it was insane. Wouldn't go to sleep until I saw one of you guys vote, and I'm being so serious here!!!!! Thank you so much for trusting me with the story, no matter how many curveballs I threw at you guys. Woops? I wish I could thank all of you individually, for the random keyboard smashes when I post, to the eagle screams and the simplest hello and hating JJ because he said he wanted to be friends and throwing it at his face and understanding Kat for what she was going through and indulging my little whims. Thank you infinitely.

Thank you -allonsy, for your silly LaS edit that got me through the break-up (the one where I decided to make it worse), and for just being such a good friend and letting me hype you endlessly on Instagram for no other reason than me being evil!!

Thank you junebluesfever for just deciding to read three whole books one day, and for always being a hype man in the comments (me and lissa are waiting to adopt you just so you know)

Thank you cosmicoswalds, MY MEG, my bestest of friends, for all the graphics and letting me spoil you the ending and listening to my rants and crying with me over the ending before it even happened, and for growing with me through this whole book. You are a gem, and I love you forever and ever for real for real

Thank you veedeity you little loser who won't read because you know it's going to be sad . HA I'M EXPOSING YOU!!!!! (I'm sorry please love me). Thank you for being there when I need guidance and for letting me SCREAM about misogyny and girlhood through Kat and Dallas, and you know, thank you for being my girlfriend. I know receiving texts of me crying at 4 AM has gotta be tiring. I do love you though???????? You're my JJ and you have no choice

This is, as everyone expected it, the last JJKAT book. It is, however, not THE last book. Whoops, sorry, slight misdirect. Just because Kat's doing the goldhunt from Yale doesn't mean she isn't here!! But only as a side character because the next book, BACK TO THE OCEAN  is coming out as soon as OBX4 decides to show up (hurry up Netflix please). It will be a BILLYKIE book, at LAST, time to blast Good Luck Babe! by Chappell Roan, because oh, Kie, we are going to unearth so many secrets... not to mention Billy's. It takes strength to be this kind, believe me!

For now, in the name of the last JJKAT book, I'd love to know your favourite moments of the whole series, I'll read them every night to sleep, it's like a reward! Also, it's how I cope. I'll miss them endlessly.

And one last time, thank you so much for reading, you mean the very most to me <3

Go be soft, Kat. Thanks for everything.