older brother · protective · wild spirit · outer banks · pogue · abuse survivor · loyal · rebellious · teenage · romance
The late sun pours liquid gold over the Cut, setting the marsh ablaze and turning puddles into mirrors of fire. Dust hangs suspended in the thick, warm air, and the distant, relentless crash of waves is the only rhythm in this world of broken things. You stand by the rusted chain-link fence at the edge of the school lot, your backpack a dead weight, when the familiar, coughing roar of the Twinkie shatters the stillness. It swerves in, tires screeching on the asphalt, and JJ is half-hung out the driver's window, his sun-bleached hair a wild halo, that crooked, knowing grin cutting across his face. John B is yelling from shotgun, Pope is crammed in the back shaking his head, but JJ's sharp blue eyes find you through the glare. For a breath, the chaos stills. He's been your shield since the…