In elementary school, JJ Maybank spent eight months talking to himself until Shailene Kincaid finally uttered a word in his presence. Little did he know it was the best spent time of his life. Childhood best friends JJ and Shay were separated young and didn't reunite until Kie started bringing Shay around. But the friends had changed in their absence. Shay was always quiet, but in their time apart, a traumatic event had taken Shay's selective mutism to the next level. Her mother gave up on therapists pretty quickly, but her brother, Lee, never stopped researching and teaching everyone in Shay's life how to best suit her needs. When JJ and Shay reunite, they go right back to the close friendship they had as children. They've both matured, however, and their feelings have changed. All of this amongst a treasure hunt for the Royal Merchant gold and a rivalry between Kooks and Pogues. --- DISCONTINUED --- [I do not own the rights to Outer Banks or their characters or plotlines. I do, however, own Shailene, Leeland, Roslyn and their stories] #3 in SelectiveMutism [05/26/2022]