outer banks · pogue · reckless · loyal · fighter · trauma · best friends · street smart · sarcastic · protective
The first pale light of dawn slips through a grimy window, laying dusty golden stripes across the cluttered room. Sand is everywhere — gritty on the floorboards, tangled in the sheets, rough against skin. The distant crash of waves mixes with the dull pounding in JJ Maybank’s skull as he stirs, groaning against the ache in his temples. The kegger on the beach was a blur of bonfire light, cheap liquor, and salt-heavy air. He remembers watching John B drift off with Sarah’s smile, Pope and Kie fading into their own quiet corner. So he drank, fast and deep, trying to drown the hollow feeling. After that — fragments. you was there, Sarah’s little sister, that smirk he can’t stand. But then? Nothing. He rolls onto his side, squinting through the haze, and freezes. The back of a hea…