I love you, I'm sorry || Outer Banks

002- And so it begins

The next morning I wake up on the couch, JJ on the opposite side of me and John B standing up, flicking the light switch with no response.

He turns to me. "No cell, no power."

"Great," I sigh, then lay my head on the pillow again.

John B goes over to JJ. "Yo, JJ, you been outside yet?"

JJ replies by saying, "I have polio, Bro. I can't walk."

"How 'bout you Janie?"

I shook my head. "I have polio, too."

John B then goes outside and JJ and I reluctantly follow. "Damn," I exclaim, "Aggie did some work!" An entire tree has fallen down and branches litter the lawn.

"Whatcha thinking?" JJ asks John B as we go over to join my brother who's clearing branches off of the H.M.S. Pogue.

"I'm thinking that storm surge pushed all the crabs out on the marsh maze," replied John B. "All those drum are going to chase the crabs." I don't know fishing lingo or anything about that area of expertise, but I'm pretty sure that that is a type of fish.

"What about DCS, wasn't that today?" JJ asked. God, it's really hard to take my eyes off him when he doesn't have a shirt on. However, I don't have time for that type of awkwardness, so I force my gaze elsewhere.

Don't let your impulsive thoughts win, Mel.

"Nah, they're not getting on a ferry today," I pipe in.

"Yeah," my brother agrees. "Think about it. This is God's way of telling us to fish."

I give John B a skeptical look. I'm not so sure about that, but it does look like the perfect weather for fishing.

                                                                                         ☼⚓︎☺︎

First stop is Pope. We take the boat to the marina where Heyward's shop is.

"Good morning," John B calls out to a man.

"Sure hope Guffy's boat didn't sink," JJ says somberly, "he doesn't have insurance."

I turn my attention to a woman on the dock. "Hey, Miss Amy! You guys get through it?"

"Still here!" Miss Amy yells back.

JJ bends down and whispers to me, "She totally looked at me." I roll my eyes.

Little does he know, she wasn't the only one looking at him.

"Wow, look at this place," John B marvels. The marina is littered with trash and debris from dilapidated boats.

"Sheesh, Agatha, what did you do?" JJ questions, as he took a look around.

"She's a bitch," I huff, taking my feet out of the water. "We're gonna be cleaning this up all summer."

"That is my nightmare," joins John B. "Well, look what we have here," he adds as we come up on Pope washing away something with a hose.

JJ makes a siren noise as I stay out of the ridiculousness. Or try to, at least.

My brother uses his hands like a megaphone as says, "We have a safety meeting. Attendance mandatory." Then he mimics static.

"I can't," Pope deadpans. "My pop's got me on lockdown."

"C'mon man," JJ encourages. Then he mimics static. "You're dad's an pussy. Over." I elbow him. I think Heyward deserves more respect than that.