Storm Chaser // JJ Maybank

64

It happened a few times this summer. A storm out over the Atlantic, hundreds of miles away sending ripples right over the pond. If you grew up on the Outer Banks, you could just tell. No matter where you were, you could hear it.

It didn't matter what you planned on doing that day. You hit the brake, no matter what.

Everyone is in the surf shop getting out boards ready. Today is a day for surfing and nothing else. The swells are going to be the best of the summer.

"Yeah, baby, now that's a perfect swell, bro," JJ says as he checks his phone. "It's probably the best of the year."

"Come on. Are you guys seriously surfing today?" Pope asks.

"Oh, don't. Don't," John B remarks.

"As opposed to what?" Kie asks.

Pope holds up the amulet. "Well, I don't wanna sell the million dollars I have in my hand for 50K, so I'm gonna look into this."

"Wait. Pope, you just heard me, right? I said it's a perfect swell day," JJ states.

"Yeah, and there'll be other swell days," Pope reasons.

"Wow," I remark.

"Pope that's like saying there's other pizza to eat, all right?" JJ remarks. "Like, come on. Are you serious?"

"Wow. Listen to your Earth Mother, Pope," Kie tells him. "She's, like, begging you to surf."

"I think my Earth Mother is telling me to maximize our intel," Pope argues.

"Mine's telling me to maximize the swell," Kie states.

"You wanna maximize beach day?" John B asks Sarah.

"I'm gonna maximize this tan," Sarah states.

"Okay, everyone have fun maximizing," Pope tells us.

John B looks around. "Wait, wait. Hold on. Wait, where... where's Cleo?"

"Oh, yeah, she just texted me," Pope informs us. "She said that she was on Pogue patrol, and she's looking for bait in The Cut."

"Lame," Kie states. "Tell her we're closed."

"I'll text her right now," Pope assures us.

"Pope,rule number one, is no working on a swell day," I tell him.

"That's rule number one," JJ agrees.

"Okay. Hey, somebody's gotta do this," Pope reasons. "You guys have fun. Catch a nasty one for me."

"Miss you already," Sarah tells him.

"Are you gonna meet us there?" JJ asks.

We manage to find a spot on the beach all to ourselves. The swell is just as amazing as we hoped. We start to set up camp.

"Don't you just immediately feel like life is better at the beach?" Kie asks.

John B throws JJ's chair down on the sand.

"Easy with her," JJ warns. "I've had this thing since I was three."

I laugh as I put our umbrella up.

"Oh God. Half-baked Poguelandia," John B teases.

"Let's get these boards off," JJ states.

"Oh boy," John B remarks.

"What?" JJ asks.

I see three ridiculously expensive cars driving our way.

"Come on," I remark.