P4L | Outer Banks | JJ Maybank

The Gun

"This is the north drain," JJ said, gesturing down to the drain before the group of Pogues. "It should have gotten washed into the gully. So, if it got flushed out from this drain, it would've been pushed out to like–"

"Somewhere in this trash," Pope said.

"Correct."

"Oh my god," Kie sighed. "People who use plastic should be shot."

"Okay, personally, I love plastic," JJ said, giving Kie a grin as he dropped down into the water below them. Cory chuckled, lowering herself onto the ledge carefully. "Use it everyday. Love the stuff."

"Okay, well hopefully you recycle it, and don't let it flush into the ocean," Kiara snapped.

"I thought you'd say something like that, so..." Pope said, reaching into his pocket. "Trash bags."

"Did you just proactively protect the environment?" Kie asked.

Cory chuckled, glancing up at her best friend standing behind her with a giddy grin on her face.

"Maybe."

"You want me and Cory to leave you two alone, or what's going on?" JJ interrupted, only to get a rolled up trash bag chucked at him.

"Just pick up the trash," Pope ordered.

Cory chuckled, reaching for a high five from JJ.

JJ handed her the trash bag as he began picking up trash out of the water. She unrolled it and held it open for the three other teenagers to place in the bag.

Six trash bags later, they had cleaned every piece of plastic up.

"Well, that was fun," JJ sighed.

"If it's not in the trash, then it's gotta be in the storm drain," Pope concluded.

"It's in... it's in the drain."

"Of course it is," Kie sighed.

"Good thing I brought the crow," JJ said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a crowbar. He turned to the gate, beginning to yank it open as Kie started asking questions.

"So, are we gonna do, like, rock, paper, scissors? Or alphabetically? Or like, the oldest goes?" she asked.

Cory chuckled.

"In the sewer," JJ said, grunting as he and Pope yanked the gate open. "There's this worm that you get when you're down there. It gets into your blood, and then it has to come out your pecker. So, uh... that would be a hard pass for me."

"Yeah, it's gonna be a no for me," Pope admitted.

"Well, I don't wanna do it," Kie groaned.

Cory rolled her eyes. "I will do it."

Immediately there was a chorus of 'nos' from the Pogues in front of her.

"Not with that foot!" JJ yelled.

"I'll be on my knees," Cory shrugged. "Besides, my foot's healing."

"No, it's not, Core," Pope sighed. "Not with all the running around we've been doing."

"Yeah, you're sitting this one out," Kie said, before glancing around. Then she sighed. "Fine. I will do it."

She moved around, allowing Pope to pull the gate open for her before getting down onto her knees and starting to crawl through the tunnel.

"Just, uh, holler if you need anything, okay?" JJ said. "We'll, uh... we'll holler back."

"Very helpful, thank you," Kie's voice echoed back out the entrance to the sewer.