what now? | outerbanks

• forty •

JJ
The little circle that Sarah placed the compass in pops open, and inside, there's what looks like a scroll.
Upon opening, it's actually many, many scrolls.
"What is all this?" Kie asks, taking some of the scrolls, the others following suit.
"Maps, documents, and shit," Pope mutters, flipping through pages to make them make sense. But they don't, not yet.
"Let's take this all back; sort it out and do more research." I raise my brows at Sarah when she says this, chuckling lightly.
"Aren't you the one who begged to be out here?" I quip, earning an apt glare from the blonde.
"I mean- unless you want to stay out here in the cold?"
"Yeah, this place is giving me the creeps," Cleo agrees, shivering slightly.
"And I have to pee," Sarah admits, scrunching her face in annoyance.
"There it is!" I joke back, and she glares at me again.
"Fuck you," she curses, pushing my head to the side and elbowing me in the gut. A pained groan erupts from my soul.
    "Shouldn't have poked the bear," Kie shrugs, looping her arm through mine and walking towards the dock. Pope and Cleo stay back a few seconds, snapping vital pictures of the symbols and whatnot, but follow not long after.
    John B. gets Sarah situated in her seat, cozy with a blanket, and I breathe a breath of relief when I notice the angry tension between them has subsided. The boat is only big enough for so much. I start the gas, and Pope pushes the boat off of the sand before hopping in.
    Kie wraps her arms around me and places her head on my chest. Her fingers lace with each other behind my back, and I can practically feel the electricity of the thrill running through them.
    "This is crazy," she finally hums, looking up at me with her big brown eyes. "I mean, the compass and everything- it makes me think back to the first time."
    "As terrible as those days were, I miss 'em," I admit, thinking about the time when it was just the four of us. Just dumb kids looking for treasure.
    "Terrible?! What was so terrible?" She lifts her head from my chest, and the spot gets cold again, deprived of her warmth.
    "You know, all the dead people and shit. And the people chasing us," I remind her, and she laughs.
    "Oh yeah. I was just thinking about us, though, not really the bad parts."
    "Hey, remember when you yelled murderer at Rafe!" I find myself in a fit of laughter, knowing the girl hates when I bring it up. She jabs me in the side, making me take a sharp breath in, the spot being extra sore after Sarah gutted me earlier.
    "Okay, I guess I don't miss that part," she says, rolling her eyes a little before resting her head on my shoulder. "I mean, can you imagine being Sarah?" She hushed her tone, not wanting the girl to hear.
    "Literally can't think of anyone more forgiving. I mean, he's killed how many people? One of them almost her? And now she's slowly letting him back into her life?" I rant in shock, impressed by Sarah's selflessness. Kie shivers.
    "Did not need all of those reminders," she mutters, shaking her head a little as if she's trying to get the haunting thoughts out. She goes back to talking, but there's the slightest of shifts in her demeanor. "But yeah, Sarah's so gracious. I can't wait to see her as a mother."
    "Can I be honest with you?" I run a hand through my hair, my fingers getting stuck momentarily as the wind tangles it in knots.
    "Always, baby. Of course."
    "I'm kind of scared."
    "Scared? Of what?" She lifts her head so her eyes can stare into mine, and the interaction gives me butterflies despite the heavy topic.
"I don't know- it's stupid, really. I just, I'm scared of what's going to happen once Sarah and John B. have the baby." It's been on my mind since the day I found out. Of course, I'm excited; John B. is my oldest friend, and Sarah's like my sister. Seeing them do what I know they were meant to do is going to be so rewarding, but I'm scared of the change. "It's always just been us; just the Pogues. I'm scared our relationships are going to change now that they have something else to hold their responsibilities, like they won't need us- won't need me anymore."
    "Jayj, you know that's not true," she starts.
    "Do I? I mean, it's not like they'll need my help with the baby. What if they just ghost us?"
"They're not going to ghost us. And, do you know anything about babies? They're going to need help, trust me," she laughs, twisting her fingers between my hair, looking up at me with the kindest eyes.
    "I guess it just feels different, Kie, like things are really about to change." I guide my hands along the wheel of the boat, steering it in the direction of the familiar lights that are starting to come into view.
    "Things are changing, J, but that's okay. It's not a bad thing," she says, reaching on her toes to kiss my cheek. "We will always get through things together. Me and you, but also all six of us. We're a team; that's how we work."
    I look down at the tanned girl, a still-sad, yet content smile on my lips, and kiss her lightly before pulling the boat to the dock. "Thank you, Kie."
    "It's what I'm here for," she hums, leaving my embrace and walking off onto the dock. "You coming or not?"