𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞- 𝐣𝐣 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤

1.

🦋☀ 🌊 - 1

Within minutes of getting her friend's text, Olivia Wilkins was up and reaching for her backpack and supplies. She twisted her curly hair into a messy bun, grabbed her things, and ran out of her room-barefoot, energized, and ready for whatever the day had planned.

Down in the kitchen, her brother Noah sat at the counter with his friend.

"Where are you headed to so quickly?" Noah asked, watching as his sister snatched an apple from the bowl and turned toward the door.

"Out." she said with a roll of her eyes.

"No hello?" The brunette boy beside Noah grinned, eyes flicking over her. He liked the view but not the outfit-or the fact that she was hanging with the Pogues.

"Bye, Rafe." Olivia shot the boys a smug smile before stepping out of the house.

"Mom and Dad are going to kill you!" Noah called after her, already knowing exactly where she was headed.

Olivia ignored him. The walk to the houses under construction wasn't short, but she didn't mind. The air was hot and sticky, the kind of day that begged for trouble-and hanging out was basically a full-time job for the Pogues.

As soon as she spotted them down by one of the unfinished houses, she broke into a run. "What's up losers! Hope you didn't have too much fun without me."

"Hello to you too." The blonde boy glanced up with a smirk. "Bring any goods?"

Olivia smiled, knowing exactly what JJ wanted. She pulled the blunts from her bag, handed him one, and lit her own.

"Ahh, you're the best." JJ's eyes rolled back on the first drag.

Olivia laughed, glancing up at the brunette balancing dangerously on the roof. "How's the view?"

"In front of me, perfect. The view of you guys, not so much." John B lifted one foot into the air, perfectly at ease three stories up. He was the kind of reckless that made life more interesting-something Olivia could never quite resist.

She'd met the Pogues last summer at the Camerons' Midsummers party. JJ had crashed it with John B, all grin and trouble. One thing led to another, and by sunrise they'd woken up in the same bed. JJ liked her-he admitted that much-but rules were rules: no Pogue-on-Pogue macking.

"That's about a three-story fall," Pope warned, stepping closer. "I give you a one-in-three chance of survival."

John B licked his finger, testing the wind. "Should I do it?"

"Do a flip on your way down," Olivia called, dropping beside JJ.

"It'll make it more fun." JJ flicked his blunt aside and grabbed his beer instead.

"Yeah! You should jump," Pope added, raising the drill he'd found. "I'll shoot you on the way down."

"You're gonna shoot me?" John B aimed a finger gun and pretended to fire.

"They're gonna have Japanese toilets with towel warmers," came a voice from inside the house. Kiara stepped out, her curls bouncing as she frowned at the decor.

Olivia grinned and waved. Kiara was her person-the only other girl in the group, and the only other Kook who got it.

"Of course they are, why wouldn't they?" Pope said, watching her too.

"This used to be a turtle habitat, but who cares about the turtles, I guess." Kiara kept going, her voice sharp with sarcasm.

"I'll save the turtles with you." Olivia smiled, resting her arm on JJ's shoulder.