Now or Never ⇀ John B Routledge [1]

xxxiii. you broke me first

Everyone had an origin story. One that explained step by step how they became the person they were today and while you may not be able to change the past, you could always work to build a better future. Each Pogue struggled with factors that may seem different to the naked eye, their individual struggles stemmed from similar issues.

To start, JJ Maybank's story began the day after his third birthday. He and his father went on their yearly camping trip, something the blonde looked forward to even though he didn't understand what was going on. When they returned to their small Outer Banks shack though, his mother was gone. Luke Maybank was heartbroken and from that day on, the man JJ once adored became his worst enemy.

Next was Pope Heyward, the golden boy whose strangled relationship with his father caused him distress for years. The sixteen year old was overly cautious about everything he said and did in fear that something negative would get back to his father because the last thing he ever wanted to do was disappoint him. Recently though, Pope's focus point had been elsewhere, causing a break in his family dynamic, and he was terrified to see what would happen when he finally returned home.

Then there was Kiara Carrera, Kook exile turned Pogue. The curly haired girl had it all according to her best friends: money, electricity, and two parents who loved her unconditionally. In a way, she did, but material items weren't enough to mask her struggles. Growing up, her parents were so focused on fighting their way up Kildare's social ladder, that they neglected her. Forcing the young girl to find herself, a person that neither adult was very fond of now, all on her own.

Everyone in Kildare County knew the origin story of sixteen year old John Booker Routledge. News of his missing father called for numerous search parties and inevitable heartbreak. John B, like his blonde counterpart, struggled with abandonment because of his mother's departure. He never heard anything from the woman that brought him into this world. She didn't even return his phone call when Big John disappeared nine months ago...

The brunette surfer was strong, stronger than most kids his age, but that didn't make him invincible.

Their newest recruit, Emerson Slaney, was still a mystery to most of the Pogues. A rich kid turned rogue according to Figure Eight residents since her parents dirty deals had yet to be exposed. The seventeen year old rising senior thought her parents could do no wrong until the night Hurricane Agatha hit. Since then, her eyes had been opened. She finally understood what being a Slaney was all about and wanted nothing to do with it, even if it meant putting herself in harm's way.

Lastly, there was Ashtyn and Lucas Hughes, a pair of siblings that had an unbreakable bond. At the age of five, Luke began understanding his surroundings more. He saw the way his mother mistreated his baby sister and took it upon himself to right her wrongs. He raised Ashtyn all on his own and while Claudia may claim he was a 'menace' to society, Luke knew his heart was in the right place. The boys poor behavior was his way of keeping the devil's negative energy focused toward him.