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CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
too bad i'm a kook.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The sun had set a long time ago, leaving the Outer Banks in a blueish hue as the moon settled over the island. Kennedy sat on her patchwork blanket, staring up at the big screen in front of her whilst shoving sweet and salted popcorn in her mouth. The movies were dreadfully boring—black and white numbers about things Kennedy didn't particularly care about. And even if she did, she couldn't focus on the movies—not with the gazes of her ex-boyfriend and brother drilling into the back of her head.

A yawn escaped her lips as she glanced over her shoulder, her eyes locking onto Rafe's who was staring her down. She flipped him the middle finger before turning back to the screen, watching on as the movie played out. Only a few minutes passed before something caught her attention—JJ and Pope passing her by, whom she hadn't even realised had been there.

They hadn't noticed her, too busy mumbling between themselves as they walked behind the large screen. Kennedy turned around, searching for the only reason they'd be in Kook territory. Her eyes landed on Kiara whose gaze was glued to the screen. Kennedy scoffed to herself. Why Kiara had thought bringing the boys into Figure 8 would be a good idea, she couldn't figure out.

Turning back to the movie, she shoved more of the popcorn in her mouth before washing it down with her Diet Coke. Her eyes were growing heavier the longer the movie played out, before suddenly, everything was erupting into chaos.

Her eyes opened, revealing that the sheet the movie was playing on had combusted into flames, "Oh, shit." She mumbled to herself, quickly grabbing her backpack and standing to her feet as everyone began to panic, fleeing to safety.

She was about to rush off with the crowd to get away from the blaze when she heard raised voices from behind where the fire was coming from. She hesitated, glancing to where everyone was running off to and then the fire. Fuck it, she thought in the back of her mind, rushing towards the massive fire.

By the time she got there, whatever commotion had been going on was dying down. Her eyes fell on the two parties. Topper, Kelce and Rafe. Kiara, JJ and Pope.

"Kelce, let go of JJ!" Kiara was exclaiming, rushing towards the boy who had JJ in a headlock.

Kelce shoved JJ away from him, allowing the boy to breathe in air, coughing ever so slightly. Kennedy rushed towards them, "What the fuck is going on?" She demanded, giving her brother a shove on the chest who chuckled as he stumbled back, his eyes glazed over.

He stepped back towards her, leaning down to her height, "Non of your fucking business." He hissed at her.

She glared at him, giving him another shove, "When is this going to end, huh?" She demanded over the noise of the sheet burning down around them. Everyone stopped to look at her. She threw her hands up. "This is getting out of control, Topper!" She tried reasoning with him.

Rafe stepped in line with her brother, "It's over when we say it's over." He told her, a manic smile on her lips.

Kennedy looked between the pair, shaking her head in disbelief as she stepped away from him, "You two are unbelievable." She whispered, but neither of them seemed to care how much they were upsetting her.

Rafe wrapped his arm around Topper's shoulder, "Holy shit, you almost killed him, man!" He exclaimed as he laughed, pulling Topper alongside him as they fled the scene.

Kennedy stood there, watching them go, moments before there was a hard shove at her back, making her trip onto the floor, "Get control over your fucking dogs, Kennedy!" Kiara was yelling from up above her, glaring down at the blonde.

Kennedy was on her feet in a second, giving Kiara a shove back, "Get control over yours!" She yelled back, her knees dirty from falling into the dirt. She pushed her hair away from her face as everyone stared at her. "I mean, seriously? You think you can sink my brother's boat and he won't come after you? How fucking stupid are you guys?" She yelled between them, her eyes narrowed, cheeks flushed.

"An eye for an eye," JJ spoke up, his voice hoarse after being put in a headlock by Kelce. "Your brother and your boyfriend bet Pope to a pulp. We weren't just gonna sit back and take that shit." He told her.

Kennedy threw her hands up, "Then this is never going to end!" She exclaimed, feeling the heat of the flames on her skin. "If y'all keep going down this road, this war is never gonna stop, don't you get that?" She demanded, looking between them with desperate eyes.

"So, what? We're just supposed to sit back and take it?" JJ questioned, tilting his head. "Because if we do that, then you Kook's are always gonna win!" He yelled, throwing up a hand, losing his breath.

Kennedy stared at him, "Kooks are gonna win regardless," She told them the cold, hard truth, making each of their faces fall. She laughed a little, though there was no smile on her face. "I mean, can't you see it? We're always going to win." She whispered, her eyes beginning to gloss over. What she said was true. The Kook's would always win—because that was who they were. They had big names and therefore, never suffered any consequences of their actions. They were the winners in every situation.

Suddenly, Kiara was lunging at her, "You bitch!" She cried out, tears in her eyes as Pope held her back. "You're the worst of them all! You know this is wrong and you stand there and let it happen!" She screamed at her, thrashing in Pope's grip to get to her.

Kennedy slowly nodded her head, "You're right," She agreed, making Kiara come to a sudden halt. "But what exactly do you want me to do about it, huh? I can't do shit! I might be a Kook and I might be a Thornton. But when it comes down to it—I don't have any power on this island. So, tell me Kiara, what do you want me to do about it?" She demanded, hot tears burning in her eyes.

Kiara stared at her in defeat, "Just be a better person." She told her.

Kennedy stared her down before scoffing, "Right," She said with a nod of her head before the sound of sirens were ringing in the air. "Y'all might wanna run before the cops show up. You know how this always ends." She told them, giving a nod to where the cops and fire trucks were pulling up behind them.

Kaira shook her head, crouching down to grab her backpack before barging her shoulder against Kennedy's as she marched off.

Pope approached her, a solemn look on his face, "You're not a bad person," He assured her, making her blink as she stared at him. "Maybe stop acting like it." He suggested, his tone heavy before he followed after Kiara.

Kennedy stood there, staring at the ground as JJ lingered. He approached her slowly, "Just wanted to say thanks for helping my boy," He spoke up, making her glance up at him. "And that I'm not sorry for what we did to your asshole of a brother's boat." He added, putting a smile on his face.

Kennedy scoffed, "You know there's gonna be consequences for that, right? My grandfathers a judge, he's not gonna let what happened slide," She reminded him, making JJ nod slowly. "Was it worth it?" She asked him.

The blond thought about it for a second before his lips broke out into a grin, "Every second of it," He said, much to her surprise. He stepped closer to her. "This is something you won't understand, Princess. But moments like that? It's when us Pogues do win. Shit, it might not be for long and it will probably backfire—but for a moment, we really get to fucking win." He told her, the grin still on his lips, though it had stretched to his eyes.

Kennedy watched him, trying to figure him out, "And that's good enough for you?"

JJ laughed, "Hell yeah it is."

Kennedy stared at him, her eyes locked on his. She ducked her head, chuckling a little, "You Pogues," She said under her breath, though there was no bitterness to her tone. "Not a single care in the world, huh?" She rhetorically asked, a small smile on her lips.

JJ leaned down to her, "You should try it sometime, Princess." He told her, his grin turning into a smile.

She furrowed her brows, "Not caring?" She inquired in confusion.

JJ's face got closer to hers, making her breath momentarily stop, "Being a Pogue." He whispered, holding her gaze, eyes smiling mischievously into hers as she gawked back at him.

Collecting herself, she let out a scoff, "Too bad I'm a Kook." She chirped, giving a shrug of her shoulders.

"Yeah, that's really too bad." JJ agreed, giving her shoulder a nudge with hers as he passed her by, scramming before the police had the chance to interrogate him.

Kennedy stood there, rooted to the spot, JJ's words replaying in her mind over and over again. Truly what made a Pogue? Kennedy had always thought it came down to where you were born. But Kiara was born and raised a Kook—and she had become a Pogue. The brunette girl was free-spirited, doing whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. And Kennedy guessed that perhaps, that's what made a person a Pogue. But she was different—her life was different, being a Kook was all Kennedy had ever known. So then, why had JJ's words made her want to cry?

( authors note )

          hiiiiiii