Taste ≫ outer banks

15

the chateau had been hazel and millie's new favorite place. they had been spending their weekends there for quite a while now and john b would go to their house during the week to work on homework and play with millie. he wanted to do whatever he could to make the girls feel as comfortable as ever due to their parents fighting so much. they had made it official that they were getting divorced, but neither said who would be moving out or where the girls were going to go yet. hazel had already had a conversation with her mother, informing her that no matter where she went, her two daughters were going with her and her mom couldn't have been more grateful.

school ended in two weeks and then summer vacation was starting. hazel had no real summer plans, so she wasn't sure what was going to happen. she wasn't entirely sure if she should make plans either, considering she could be packing up and leaving any day.

"hazel grace!" john b smiled, hugging the girl as she walked into the chateau before he turned to millie. "how's my favorite wikander?" he asked and the little girl smiled up at him while hazel gasped.

"excuse me," the sixteen year old girl glared at him. "that was rude."

"we all know i'm his favorite, hazel." millie smiled at her older sister. "there's no need to be sad though. john b loves you too; just not as much as me." she threw her hair over her shoulder in a sassy motion and it made hazel laugh as she shook her head at the little girl.

"true." john b smiled again, pressing a soft kiss to hazel's cheek as he led the two girls into the chateau. the rest of the gang was already there, ready for whatever adventure they were going on that day. "i figured we'd go surfing today." john b said as he placed his hands on his hips and looked around at the group to see their reactions.

"yes!" jj smiled, rising from the couch. "we haven't surfed in so long."

"true." pope nodded. "sounds good to me."

"i'd rather just tan." hazel spoke up. "i don't really know how to surf and neither does millie."

"that's fine." kiara smiled. "the three of us can tan and we'll even build a sand castle."

"yay!" millie cheered. "i'm so excited."

"okay." john b smiled. "let's get ready."

everyone gathered what they needed before climbing into the van and hazel's car. hazel, john b, and millie went in hazel's car while pope, jj, and kiara went in the van, carrying the surfboards. when they arrived to the beach the boys took off towards the water with their boards while the girls laid on the towels in the sand. they took off their clothes, leaving them in their bathingsuits and they watched the boys surf for awhile, cheering for them whenever they would get a good wave. as promised, they built a sand castle with the tools hazel had in her trunk and the three of them had the time of their lives.

the boys soon came in and millie ran over to them, riding on john b's surfboard near the shore, showing her how to surf. "so," kiara began, sitting next to the girl. "john b told me about your parents." she began and hazel only nodded. "i'm really sorry."

"me too." she sighed. "i don't know what's going to happen, but i have a strong feeling millie and i will be leaving the outer banks this summer and i don't think i'm ready to say goodbye."

"no one is ever ready to say goodbye." kiara shrugged her shoulders. "it's just something that you have to do." there was a silence between them as they watched millie and the boys in the water. "just know you will be missed here. by everyone."

"i know." hazel sighed. "i'm gonna miss you guys so much." kiara gave her a side hug before rising from the ground.

"i'll race you to the water." she challenged, not even giving hazel time to get up as she ran towards the water.

a laugh escaped the blonde's lips as she raced after her and once she made it to the water the first thing she did was tackle john b into the water. the boy faked a scream and shook his head, causing the water in his hair to fly everywhere, making the teenage girl scream as she tried to shield herself. john b picked her up from behind and spun her around before throwing her into the water, making the girl giggle.

millie laughed loudly from on top of the surfboard as she watched the two and clapped when hazel went under water. hazel faked a glare and the little girl only smiled wider as hazel slowly approached her, tipping the surfboard over so the small blonde fell into the water. she gasped, coming up for air and narrowed her eyes at her sister before splashing her, causing hazel to laugh.

"that was mean!" she screamed in a joking manner and hazel smiled innocently at her before turning back to john b. the boy was talking with jj and she didn't want to interrupt, so she made her way back to shore and laid on her beach towel, slipping her sunglasses over her face as she let the sun dry her.

john b soon came out of the water, laying his towel down next to her and laid on it. "you good? he asked and the blonde nodded.

"i'm just not much of an ocean person." she shrugged her shoulders. "i'm usually in and out. that's really it."

"gotcha." he nodded. he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips. "have you heard anything from your parents?"

"not yet." she pursed her lips. "they're seeing their lawyer's today, so we'll see."

he only nodded and it fell silent as they tanned in the sun. by the time hazel and millie had to go home it was nearly dark. her mom had text her, asking when they were going to be home, so hazel took that as her cue to leave. she slipped her clothes on over her bathingsuit and said goodbye to everyone before heading to her car with millie following behind.

the ride home felt longer than normal and hazel was dreading the conversation she was probably going to have with her mother. once they arrived home, millie said goodnight to her parents and older sister before she made her way to her room to get ready for bed. she was exhausted after the long day at the beach.

both her parents stood in the kitchen, sipping out of mugs. "what's up?" she asked, looking between the two of them.

"your mother is moving out." her dad spoke first and hazel's heart flipped in her chest. "it's up to you and millie who you want to live with, but just know you're welcome in either of our houses."

"where are you moving to?" hazel asked, looking at her mother.

"in with my sister for the time being." she answered. "it's not far from here and it's the only available place right now."

"that's six hours away. that's considered far." hazel frowned before she composed herself and sighed. "okay." there was a silence between the three of them before hazel spoke again, directing her question to her mother. "when are you leaving?"

"it depends." she said. "if you and millie are coming with me i'm going to let you finish school before we go anywhere, but if you choose to stay with your dad then i'll be gone by next week."

hazel didn't know how to break the news to her dad, so she simply said it. "millie and i are going with you, mom." she looked over at her father. "it's nothing against you, dad. we just want to go with mom."

"i understand." her dad nodded. "just know, you're welcome here whenever you want."

"thank you." she smiled, hugging the man before she hugged her mom and excused herself. she made her way to her room and fell on to her bed, letting the tears escape her eyes. she hugged one of her pillows and cried into the other one as she laid in her bed, not ready for what was to come in the future.