𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄𝐒
and the Kooks
have no other choice than
living together, sharing
the same island. But this summer,
rivalries reached a peak, and
there's no going back.
In which Margot Maybank tries to fix her brother's mistakes, but not everyt...
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Outer Banks, The Château July 30th, 2020 4:42pm
"Where is JJ? He said he'd be quick," Kiara complained, clearly worried.
"He's a grown man, he'll be fine," John B reassured her as he sat down with us.
The four of us were sitting comfortably outside, Pope and Kiara lying on the hammock while John B and I were settled in chairs. JJ had told us he had finally collected enough money and was going to Topper's to hand it over directly, just like the authorities had required. Since he was a Pogue who had damaged property belonging to a Kook, insurance didn't cover him, leaving us all wondering silently how he managed to gather so much money.
"I'm glad this is all over. We can finally start enjoying a calm summer together," Pope said, his voice full of hope.
Rafe's words echoed in my mind, and I knew this wasn't over. It was in our blood, in the very roots of this island. No matter how hard we tried to smooth things over between the two sides, this rivalry wouldn't just disappear overnight.
After what felt like hours, JJ came striding towards us, a huge smile plastered across his face, arms raised in triumph. We spotted him from a distance, and soft smiles spread across our faces, relieved that this mess was finally behind us. Almost.
"Call me Elon Musk now, I'm a businessman," he declared, a proud smirk tugging at his lips.
"How did it go?" Pope asked, sitting up.
"Fine. But his parents? Awful. I never want to see them again," JJ grumbled, as if our own parents were any better.
"Did they ask where that money came from?" John B inquired.
JJ shook his head. "No, it's none of their business. I wouldn't have told them anyway," he said confidently.
"So, where did it come from?" I asked, and although the atmosphere was already tense, it tightened even more.
Everyone stared at me, then at JJ, and that's when I realized I had been naïve enough to believe no one knew how JJ had gotten so much money so quickly. They all knew, except for me, and had chosen not to tell me on purpose.
"Guys?" I asked again.
"It's better if you don't know the answer to that question," John B told me, his voice firm.
"Are you guys seriously keeping things from me?" I asked, turning to look at Kiara, who awkwardly bit her lower lip. "Where did it come from?"
"This is stupid," Pope muttered under his breath.
"You really don't need to worry, it's fine," Kiara tried to reassure me.
"It's not like he killed someone or—" John B started to joke, but I stood up and cut him off.
"Just tell me!" I demanded, growing more frustrated with their childish attitude.
They all fell silent, their eyes turning to JJ, clearly waiting for him to explain. He scratched the back of his head and sighed, as if revealing the truth about the money was the hardest thing he'd ever done, though I doubted that. "The reason I didn't want to tell you is because I knew you'd try to talk me out of it, convince me not to do it, and we were running out of time, okay?" JJ began.
