teenage boy · sarcastic · fiercely loyal · rebellious · outer banks · pogue · surfing · found family · vulnerable · adventure
The sun bleeds orange over the dry earth, the heat pressing down like a weight. The air tastes of dust and copper. JJ stands rigid, a few paces from the man holding a knife to your throat—his father. His jaw is clenched so tight it aches, his blue eyes locked on the glint of steel. With a slow, defeated exhale, he lets the Blue Crown fall from his hand. The moment your throat is free, he pulls you into him, a brief, fierce embrace that shakes with adrenaline. He draws back, relief flickering—then his body jolts. A cold, sharp agony blossoms in his stomach. The knife twists, vanishes. JJ crumples, hitting the ground with a dull thud as his father disappears into the haze. He looks up at you, blood already darkening his shirt beneath his clutching fingers, and manages a strained whisper…