Indiana Wheeler's life is a mess. Between a broken family and a town that never feels like home, she's barely holding it together. When an unexpected offer from Rafe Cameron pulls her into the chaos of Kook life, everything she thought she knew star...
Indiana Wheeler had learned to navigate chaos from an early age. she was a quite petite girl, probably because of nutrients deficiency when she was growing up. In the cramped, weathered house she shared with her father and older brother Percy, peace was a rare commodity. Every day brought a new challenge, and every night, she wondered if things would ever get better. But one thing remained constant: the bond she had with her brother and her friends, John B and JJ. They were her anchors in a world that seemed determined to drag her under.
Percy Wheeler had always been more than just an older brother. Since their mother left when Indiana was barely old enough to understand what abandonment meant, Percy had stepped into the role of caretaker. He was a year older than Indiana, but it often felt like more. He shielded her from their father's worst moments, took the brunt of the verbal lashings, and worked odd jobs around the Cut to keep the house running.
Their father, once a skilled fisherman, had fallen victim to his demons long ago. Addiction had taken everything from him—his job, his dignity, and most of all, his family. The man Indiana had faint memories of, the one who used to take her out on the boat and teach her about the ocean, was long gone. In his place was a hollow shell of a man, angry and unpredictable, whose love for the bottle far outweighed any love he had left for his children.
It was Percy who made sure Indiana had food on the table, even if it meant he went without. It was Percy who taught her how to fight back when the world pushed too hard. And it was Percy who reminded her that they were a team, no matter what.
But even Percy couldn't protect her from everything.
John B Routledge and JJ Maybank were more than just friends to Indiana; they were family. Growing up on the Cut meant that everyone knew everyone else's business, but it also meant that bonds were forged in shared hardship. The three of them had been inseparable since childhood, and as they grew older, they became each other's escape from the harsh realities of life at home.
John B was the brains of their trio, always coming up with plans and schemes to keep them entertained or get them out of trouble. He had a way of making the impossible seem possible, and his optimism was contagious. Indiana admired him for that, even when his plans led them into more trouble than they started with.
JJ, on the other hand, was the wild card. Reckless, impulsive, and fiercely loyal, he was the one who'd take a punch for you and then laugh it off like it was nothing. But Indiana knew that beneath the bravado, JJ was hurting too. His own father was a violent drunk, and JJ's carefree attitude was a mask to hide the pain.
Together, the three of them navigated the ups and downs of life on the Cut. They spent their days surfing, fishing, and exploring the islands, trying to forget about the things that haunted them at night. For Indiana, those moments were the only time she felt free—free from her father's anger, free from the suffocating weight of responsibility, free to just be a teenager.
But that freedom was always fleeting.
presenting:
Indiana Wheeler, 18
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and
Rafe Cameron, 19
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