Carmen's heart skipped a beat when she realized two of the Pogues were looking directly at her. Kiara and Pope, if she remembered his name correctly. Trying to appear nonchalant, she adjusted her sunglasses and turned back to her book, though the words on the page blurred together as her nerves kicked in. Her mind raced, wondering if she had been staring at them for too long. Get it together, she thought.
The sound of approaching footsteps pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up, and to her surprise, it was Sarah's friend, or not friend anymore—Kiara.
Carmen glanced beyond her and noticed the three boys lingering in the background. JJ had his arms crossed, his expression unreadable but clearly displeased. John B shifted uncomfortably, as though caught between two sides of an argument, while Pope just stood quietly, seemingly neutral.
“Hey,” Kiara greeted with an easy smile. “I saw you followed us on Instagram. And I remember you from the restaurant the other day.”
Carmen offered a slightly awkward smile, her natural wit momentarily failing her. “Yeah, uh, I figured I’d introduce myself. I’m Carmen. Carmen Lancaster.”
“Carmen,” Kiara repeated, her tone warm. “Nice to meet you. You seemed... cool. And I get it—you’re probably new here and looking for some people to hang out with. If you’re interested, you’re welcome to chill with us sometime.”
“Really?” Carmen’s face brightened at the offer, though she tried to hide just how much it meant to her. “That would be amazing, honestly. Thank you.”
Kiara nodded but hesitated for a second, her tone softening. “Just a heads-up, though. The guys might be... skeptical.” She glanced back at her group, her gaze lingering on JJ’s tense stance. “You know, with you being a Kook and all. But I get it—I’ve been in that position. And I don’t want you to feel like you don’t belong.”
Carmen’s heart warmed at Kiara’s words, and she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “I really appreciate that. I know I don’t exactly... scream ‘Pogue.’ But I’ll try not to mess up your dynamic or anything.”
Kiara chuckled and pulled her phone from her pocket. “Relax, you’ll be fine. Here—put your number in, and we’ll keep in touch.”
After Carmen entered her number into Kiara’s phone, her parents emerged from the water. Her father’s expression instantly hardened as he caught sight of Kiara and the others. His disapproval was almost tangible, his eyes narrowing at the group behind her. In contrast, her mother offered a gentle smile but quickly looked away, knowing better than to confront her husband.
“Well, how’s that book of yours?” her mom asked in Spanish, swiftly changing the subject. Carmen’s lips twitched into a grateful smile as she replied in kind.
“Pretty good,” she answered, though her mind was far from the story in her hands.
Her mom nodded, then gestured toward the ocean. “You should take a quick swim. We’ll be leaving soon, and it’s better if you don't leave your stuff alone.”
Carmen hesitated but agreed, setting down her book and making her way to the water. The cool waves were refreshing, and for a while, she let herself relax, floating aimlessly. She wasn’t aware that the Pogues were still watching her, their eyes following her movements.
When she finally came out of the water, the sun warmed her skin as she dried off and slipped her dress back on. Her parents were already gathering their things.
“We’re heading to the Marshall's now,” her father announced. “But since you’re done swimming, why don’t you take our bags back? Carmen didn’t mind. “Sure, I’ve got it.”
YOU ARE READING
difficult - outer banks
Fanfiction"i've been drinking and staying up too late reliving bad decisions i thought eventually my ranting here would fix it i really think sometimes there's something that i'm missing oh, i know spiraling is miserable i should probably go back home why doe...
