In which a Kook gets in the middle of a Pogue mess.
ADVENTURE, ROMANCE, SACRIFICE, FRIENDSHIP.
{slowburn}
jj maybank x female oc
(Season 1 - Season 4)
Outer Banks - JJ Maybank fanfiction. I don't own anything related to Outer Banks. I only own my ch...
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When the time for the zoning hearing came, the Pogues regrouped in front of the courthouse steps. A heavy breeze pushed through the air, carrying the salt of the ocean and the quiet tension of a town divided.
Avery walked in beside JJ, their steps synchronized more out of habit than coordination. As soon as they crossed the threshold into the municipal chamber, she felt the oxygen shift.
Her body stilled. There, seated near the front on the opposing side, were her parents.
Her mother's posture was rigid, shoulders drawn back with polite restraint, while her father sat forward, jaw clenched so tight the muscles in his temple twitched. His eyes met Avery's for only a second—but they lingered on JJ with contempt that made her stomach twist.
She heard JJ inhale, sharp and shallow. Reflexively, her hand reached for his, fingers tightening around his as if anchoring him to the floor. She didn't look away from her father when she did it.
JJ looked at her, silently grateful, and gave her hand a soft squeeze. A breath escaped him. His exhale was quieter.
Victoria, her mother, laid a calming hand on Preston's arm, quietly urging him to turn around. They didn't say a word. Maybe she'd realized Avery didn't need any more reasons to pull away even more.
The chamber was divided in more than just seating. Pogues huddled together on one side of the gallery, vastly outnumbered by the sharp-dressed Kooks, whose murmurings carried like static across the wood-paneled room. The marble walls made everything louder. Every footstep echoed like a gavel. Every exhale felt scrutinized.
Avery found her seat between Kie and JJ, her knees brushing his as they settled in.
At the front, the mayor straightened his papers and spoke into the microphone. "Before we move on with the rest of our agenda, I want to remind everyone to maintain civility and decorum throughout the rest of these proceedings. We're one island. Why don't we all try to act like it?"
Avery scoffed under her breath, folding her arms. The hypocrisy tasted bitter.
"Sure we are," John B muttered, sarcasm barely veiled.
The mayor's eyes scanned the room, but his words seemed pointed at them. "Any disruption will warrant expulsion and potential charges. Understood?"
Avery raised an eyebrow. The implication wasn't subtle. A glance to her side showed Pope and John B both eyeing JJ. Then it clicked.
Oh. They think he's going to explode.
She clenched her jaw, swallowing the instinct to speak up. Of course JJ was a risk—he'd lived his whole life with a fuse always lit. But that didn't make it fair.
The mayor continued. "Without further ado, we'll go on to the reports of our Council Members, starting with our Council Member Lawrence."
A balding man with glasses too big for his face cleared his throat and addressed the microphone. "Agenda 8A, ordinance 31, zoning for property located at the end of Roger's Point Road..."
