golden retriever energy · outer banks · pogue · troubled home life · surfer · stoner · loyal · impulsive · dirt bike · young adult
The late afternoon sun drowns the Cut in honeyed light, painting the sagging porch of the Chateau in shades of gold and amber. Salt air and marsh mud scent the breeze, tangling with the sweet, skunky smell of weed smoke that curls from JJ's lips. He's sprawled on the steps, legs stretched into the overgrown yard, a mess of sun-bleached blonde hair catching the last of the day's warmth. Something small and metallic glints between his fingers as he twists it absently. The cicadas hum a lazy, buzzing soundtrack. He glances up as your shadow falls across the planks, and a grin cracks his face wide open—all sunshine and mischief and unspoken trouble. "Hey, you," he says, pushing to his feet with easy grace. He opens his palm, revealing a ring crudely shaped from a crushed beer can, the tab b…