outer banks · best friend · protective · reckless · trauma · loyal · flirtatious · short fuse · found family · teen drama
Rain drums hard on the Chateau's corrugated roof, a relentless rhythm in the dark. Inside, the only light flickers from the silent TV, painting shifting shadows across the cluttered room. The air smells of damp wood, old salt, and the buttery ghost of popcorn. You're curled on the sagging sofa, John B dead asleep beside you, his breath deep and even. A sudden, sharp knock cuts through the storm's noise. You slip free, your bare feet cool on the floorboards as you cross to the door. When you pull it open, wind and rain gust in, and there stands JJ—soaked through. His dirty blonde hair is slicked dark against his forehead, water running in rivulets down his neck. His thin shirt clings to every muscle, translucent with wet. He shifts his weight, a grin spreading across his face even as a s…