Ocean Eyes-Outer Banks

chapter 17

"hey. hey. calm down with the attitude alright man. he looks great." caroline said staring daggers at john b.
"uh-uh i-i mean, l-looks good" john b said giving jj a thumbs up.
"dude shut the fuck up." jj said laughing at john b.
caroline smiled and grabbed a hold of jj arms.
"let's go down to the dock." kie offered.
"oh shit. i actually told my dad that jj would come over for dinner tonight."
"wait hold up." jj said putting his hands up.
"jj...you have to. plus you are already dressed nice too, that will make him like you even more."
"i thought he already liked me?"
" JJ, do you not understand that we were literally just friends before, he liked you when you were just my friend. now you're my boyfriend, and all fathers are going to hate their daughters boyfriends"
he sighed staring into the girls eyes "...ok" he finally said.

caroline stood on her tippy toes and gave jj a kiss on the cheek.
kie and pope made vomiting noises and john b started laughing at their actions.
"come on" caroline said pulling jj back out to the car.

the teens got in the car and drove away.
"caroline, what if-what if, he doesn't like me?" jj whispered to her.
"jj, he will. i promise." she smiled that sweet soft smile.
he didn't respond and just turned his head back to the road.

the two arrived at the big house and got out of the car. jj walked up to the door and was wiping his sweaty hands on his pants. caroline opened the door and called out to her dad.
"come into the kitchen!" he shouted back.

the two walked into the kitchen and caroline walked over to her father to give him a hug. once she pulled away jj walked up and stuck his hand out for jason becker to shake. jason put his hand out and jj said "hello sir"
"hello jj"
"so are we ready for dinner?" caroline asked.
"Actually we're not having dinner tonight. I got a last-minute call from work and I have to be there in about 20 minutes. So I'm just gonna talk to JJ and decide if  you two can date." he said.
"oh ok" both teenagers responded.
"so jj tell me, what are your future plan?"
" at the moment I'm just trying to live my best life, I want to take it day by day and see where my life takes me. The most important thing to me right now is getting into college and I'll see where I'll go from there."
"ok ok. I know that you and Caroline have been friends for a very long time, and I'm gonna be honest with you, I thought you were a great best friend for Caroline, and I think that you guys will do even better as a couple."
"thank you sir."
" but I must let you know If I ever hear about you and my daughter having sex I will have to kill you."
jj let out a nervous laugh and caroline slapped her dad on the arm.
"jj i like you son, and i think that you will be good for my daughter and i approve of you two dating."
"thank you so much sir. you don't understand how much i appreciate this." jj said shaking his hand.
"of course, now you two go do whatever you kids do now days."
"bye daddy!" caroline yelled as she ran out the door.

they got into the car and started driving away.
"ya know, it kinda turned me on when you called him daddy." jj said turning to caroline.
"are you serious?" she asked.
"dead ass."
she just laughed at him and scoffed. "jj maybank, you might be the horniest person alive."
"probably."

they pulled up to john bs and walked down towards the dock where the rest of the group was sitting.
"well how'd it go?" kie asked.
"he likes me." jj said with a goofy smile.
"good job man, your officially part of the becker family." pope said.
"not until caroline takes my last name." he said looking down at her.
"cut the cute shit please." pope said.

the teens were talking for a while about random things, like how they were gonna change the world and what happens when you die.
"why do you guys care so much about what happens when you die? why don't you just enjoy life while you have it and not worry about something you can't control." caroline said sitting with her legs dangling off the edge of the dock.

"because caro, people live in fear, the truth is people worry about what they can't control. and maybe it's not the best thing to hear...but it's the truth."

"i agree with caroline, why continue talking about something that we can't control? let's talk about stuff we can, like what are future going to look like" john b said.

"how can you control that?" jj asked.

"because j, you can do whatever you can dream. if you want to become as rich as Ward Cameron, trust me, you can do it. there is very little that you can't control." caroline told the boy.

"john bs right, what does your guys future hold?" pope asked.

"well, i want to own a surf shop, in town, raise a family with my beautiful wife, and have 3 kids. two boys and then a girl. and i want to have a big boat and go fishing every weekend." john b said.

"i want to go to college and become a doctor. not just any doctor though. the worlds best doctor. and i want to come back the the outer banks when i finish school and i'll have my own clinic here and i'll help my parents run the shop. i'll eventually get married and have two kids. girl and a boy. and i'll live the best god damn life i could live." pope answered.

"i want to help people after high school. maybe travel to different countries right after i graduate. then i want to become a teacher, science teacher. for 2nd graders. for maybe about three years and during that time i want to get married and have three kids. two girls and a boy. and then i'll spend the rest of my life cleaning up after hurricanes and maybe start a jewelry business." kie said.

"well, i would like to graduate high school and start my own fishing charter, spend the whole day out on the boat, come home to my beautiful wife." he said looking at caroline. "and my two kids. boy and girl. spend time with my family, and when my kids get older, i will teach them to surf, ot maybe, my other plan is after i graduate become a pro surfer here. obviously i'd still marry caroline, but i want to stay here, this is where i belong." jj said smiling around.

"so, everyone wants to stay here? well um, i want to graduate high school and maybe move to LA or New York and model there. i've always wanted to be a model and now that i'm getting older, i'm pretty sure it's what i want to do for life. i've been thinking, i'll get a roommate and start off getting paid little money and then grow and grow and become famous and i'll make millions." caroline said smiling imagining her life in her mind. "i'll settle down around age 27 and get married. have one kid. it doesn't matter if it's a girl or boy. i'll teach them how to surf and they will get almost as good as me. and maybe someday i'll take them back here to see where i grew up, to see where i lived my best years. i'm not sure though, i don't know if i can leave and come back without staying here forever." she said smile fading. the rest of the group was stunned at what they had just heard. jj looked like he had just gotten stabbed in the heart. i mean caroline did just say, she didn't want a future with him.

"then don't leave." jj said looking caroline straight in the eyes.
"jj" she smiled. "i love it here, i do, really. but there is more for me then the outer banks. i know it. i could model and travel the world, that's my dream. and trust me, i wish i could spend the rest of my life with you guys, but i can't take you away from your dreams just because mine involve me separating from you, from here ." she said looking around

the group was silent. jj wiped a tear from his cheek quickly and tried to brush back the feeling out being broken.
finally pope broke the silence. "that's good. that's good. i'm glad you have a plan." caroline just smiled at the boy as her eyes began to water, thinking about having to say goodbye in just two short years.
"but hey! that could all go to shit and i could spend the rest of my life here right!" she let out a fake laugh and so did everyone except jj.
"ok ok enough of this sad bullshit. we still have two years still we graduate."
"well technically your about to turn 17 so almost one year." pope said. the group grew silent until caroline rose her drink and said "to making this the best year yet."
"to making this the best year yet." they all responded.
"ok let's get high." kie laughed as she reached for the weed sitting in the middle of the group.

jj took a long puff and blew it out into the air as he looked out over the water.
"yo jj are you good bro?" john b asked patting his shoulder.
"fantastic."

ok guyssss. i lowkey really liked this chapter a lot. the way caroline thought about her future and life relates back to how i feel. and her plan is literally what i want for my future so that's where i got the idea. i love you guys so much!!!