II.   in the wake of a hurricane

Before she moved to Figure Eight, Dylan spent everyday at John B's house, the Chateau. Her home was just down the street from his. A bike ride away. She would stay the nights with him or John B would come and stay with her. Big John always welcomed Dylan into their home.

But then Big John went missing and things went dark for a while. Her father was a wreck. John B was in a state of depression and regret. Suddenly it wasn't just about him staying the night because they were best friends and more to do with the fact that he felt alone. She was the only person he could turn to.

Dylan laid restless on John B's couch. Conversations with a Killer played quietly on her phone. It was early in the morning, the sun bright orange, and the Pogues laid around the Chateau like they always did when they slept over.

Kiara was asleep on the pull out couch. She stirred and released a groan, signaling that she was awake. Dylan twisted her head and smiled at her. "Good morning, Kiki." She greeted sweetly.

Kiara smiled lazily her way. "Morning, honey."

John B came out of the bathroom and walked down the hallway. He smiled at the girls. "Morning, Kie. Morning, DJ."

"Good morning." They said back at the same time.

Dylan exited Netflix and groaned out loud. She rubbed her face once and sluggishly lifted herself off the couch, the blanket over her body falling. She passed by John B's room and heard faint giggles coming from inside, which she assumed was a girl with JJ. She rolled her eyes. Dylan walked into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, examining her very wild curls.

Pope made his way down the hallway and he paused when he saw Dylan fixing her hair. His tired eyes became less tired. "Morning, Dylan."

Dylan looked his way and smiled. "Mornin', P."

They started brushing their teeth. Dylan crossed her arm over her stomach and stared in the mirror as she brushed. Pope looked her way from the corner of his eye. Their eyes met in the mirror. Dylan smiled with the toothbrush in her mouth. He looked away and ran a hand through his hair. A second later, he looked at her again and he smiled, toothpaste around his mouth.

Dylan smiled back and spit her toothpaste in the sink. She looked back in the mirror. "I swear my hair looks horrendous in the mornings." She huffed and gathered her curly hair into her hands again. She let it all go.

Pope spit out his toothpaste and wiped his mouth. "I think it looks good like that. Messy, I mean."

She looked his way and smiled sideways. "Thanks, P." She ruffled his hair when she walked by, her hands dropping to his bare shoulders. "I think yours looks good, too."

Pope's eyes followed her as she walked down the hallway. She pulled her hair into a bun. He looked at himself in the mirror again, examining his red face.

Dylan found John B outside in the hammock. The soft yellow light shined on his sun kissed, freckles skin. She opened the screen door and walked into the backyard. "Mind if I join ya?" She questioned with squinted eyes.

John B turned his head to her and smiled. "Do I gotta ask?"

She laughed climbed into the hammock. She laid at the opposite side of him. They swayed back and forth in silence for a little bit. Dylan noticed the distant look on his face. "You okay?"

He looked her way and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." He quickly smiled.

She stared at him quietly, knowing he was lying, but she didn't question him. She just continued to swing.

"IM HOME!"

"KITCHEN!"

Dylan followed her mom's voice and found her in the kitchen with her dad. Ainsley Jennings smiled. "Did you have fun last night?"

"Oh yeah. Always." Dylan replied and sat across from her parents at the island. "Until I accidentally fell off the boat."

Logan grabbed a water from the fridge and pulled a face. "How'd you fall off the boat?"

"JJ threw a spider at me and I screamed and fell backwards. For a gnarly bruise." She explained and showed him the bruise on her ankle.

"Did you push him off as well?" Her mom asked.

She smirked. "Sure did."

She sent her a wink. "That's my girl."

The news of Hurricane Agatha was heard all around Kildare. As the day continued, the Jennings family gathered in the living room to watch the news. Braxton played video games on his phone, not caring.

"Hurricane Agatha continues its steady march towards Kildare Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina."

They went on to say there was a possibility the power could go out. That's when Dylan freaked. "What about the cut? John B's alone." Her worry showed in her voice.

"Give him a call, honey. Tell him to come over." Said her dad.

She quickly nodded and went to call her friend. She leaned against the back door as she waited for him to pick up. "DJ, always a pleasure!" He practically shouted into the phone.

Dylan wasted no time getting to the point. "B, there's a hurricane coming. Come stay with us."

"Aww, are you worried about me, Dyl Dyl?"

She could hear the siren sounds in the background. "I'm not ashamed to say yes, I am." She snapped.

She heard him laugh. "I'll be okay, DJ. I have JJ with me."

"Just come spent the night over here. Both of you."

"I will call you in the morning as soon as I wake up to tell you I'm okay. I promise." John B reassured her. "Okay?"

Dylan rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine, okay. But whatever the two of you do, please don't surf the surge. The last thing I need is to see on the news that my best friends have died because of surfing." She lectured him.

He laughed again. "I promise, little lady. Stay safe, okay? I love you!" He sang at the end.

"Yeah, yeah, I love you too. Stay safe and call me!" She ordered again and hang up. "Moron."

"Is he coming, honey?" Ainsley called out from the living room.

"No. He said JJ's with him. He promised he'd call me first thing in the morning." Dylan explained. The news continued on about Hurricane Agatha. Dylan took out her phone again and dialed another number.

After a few rings, Pope picked up the phone. "Hey, D." She could hear him smile.

"Hey, P. Have you heard about the hurricane?" She asked and sat on one of the island chairs.

"Ah yeah, my pops already gave me the lecture. Stay inside. No surfing. Complete lockdown."

She chuckled. "Thank God for Heyward." She brought her legs up to her chest. "How are you? You gonna be okay?"

"Don't worry about me, Dyl. I'll likely be fast asleep by the time it hits." She heard him laugh which made her smile. "What about you? Mr. And Mrs. J got you and Braxton trapped?"

She dramatically rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes. You know my dad. He probably won't let me step a foot outside. Brax couldn't care less. He's more interested in Call of Duty."

Pope laughed again. He sat at his desk in his room with his legs propped up. "I believe it. Just be safe, yeah?"

Dylan smiled again. "Course. You better call me tomorrow so I know you're alive." She teased.

"Sure thing, D."

"Be safe, P."

"Always."

None of the boys called the next morning. Dylan expected maybe the cut had lost power from the hurricane but she was still going crazy with nerves. She hadn't seen what outside looked yet. She found her father sitting on the couch in the living room, his phone pressed to his ear on a call. "Hey daddy." She said out loud.

Logan leaned his head back and smiled quickly. "Good morning, honey."

Her backyard didn't look horrible. Only a few things such as the porch swing and branches from the trees were blow over. Dylan's stomach turned as she thought about the cut. The thing about Figure Eight was almost nothing bad happened over here. It was a completely different world.

Her brother came outside. "Looks like nothing got touched." He spoke while looking around.

"Think mom and dad'll make us help clean?" Asked Dylan.

"I already have my cleaning shoes on." 

As she suspected, the cut was an absolute disaster. Homes were torn down or blown away and supplies from the ships and boats had been blow over across the island. It was a completely wreck and Dylan couldn't help but feel guilty. The Jennings family, minus Ainsley, ventured to the cut to help with the damage. Logan and Ainsley were very generous people as everybody in Kildare knew them as. He was a lawyer and she was a social worker. But the family lived on the cut at one point, so moving to Figure Eight didn't change how they felt about the side of the island.

Heyward's Shop came into view while Dylan walked down the boardwalk. The father and son stood outside. A smile stretched on her face. "Hey, Heywards!" She called out.

Pope and Heyward turned to her. "Well, if it isn't Dylan Jennings!" The father announced brightly. "How you doing, sweetheart? Nothing got harmed last night?"

"I'm doing great, Mr. Heyward. We made it just fine. Though, I think Braxton snuck into bed with me a couple times cause he got scared."

Heyward chuckled. "Say, where's your pops at?"

She pointed to toward his shop. "He should be inside with Braxton."

He walked away to go inside and Dylan smiled at Pope as he hosed down the dock. "Hey, hot shot."

Pope's eyes admired her wild hair that was pulled half up, half down and the large blue T shirt was wearing that covered her back shorts. Numerous bracelets, some made and some gifted, covered both her wrists. "Hey, DJ."

She stuffed her hands in her back pockets and leaned on her hip. "Pops still got you on lockdown?" She asked, referring to their yesterday conversation."

He sighed. "You have no idea. I've been here since seven this morning."

"That'd explain why you haven't answered me back."

Pope frowned and turned off the hose. "I'm sorry. I really tried, but, you know how dad is."

She nodded and grinned a little. "I understand. I'm just really happy you're already."

He smiled back.

"Besides, manual labor looks good on you." Dylan added, her eyes scanning his open button up shirt.

Pope nearly fainted.

Right on time, John and JJ came in on the HMS Pogue. "Well, look who we have here!" John B announced goofily while driving. "We have a safety meeting. Attendance mandatory."

Pope frowned, feeling disappointed. "I can't. My pop's got me on lockdown." He called out.

"DJ?" Said JJ.

Dylan shrugged. "Dad's got me and Braxton helping clean up."

"Come on," he retaliated and mimicked static into his shoulder. "Your dads are pussies, over."

Heyward unfortunately heard. "Oh, I heard that you little bastard." He remarked.

"As did I." Said Logan Jennings, a slight smile on his lips. He sat his hands on his hips. "John B. JJ."

"Hey dad." John B waved with an innocent smile.

JJ formed an embarrassed grin. "Good to see you again, Mr. Jennings."

"We need your son and daughter!"

"Yeah, and island rules: day after hurricane's a free day."

"Who the hell made that up?" Heyward fired.

"Uh, pentagon, I think. We have security clearance. I have a card." JJ remarked sarcastically.

Dylan smacked her forehead.

"Pentagon? You think I'm stupid?" He continued as Pope swore he would finish his work tomorrow.

"Daddy, please?" Dylan pleaded.

Logan shook his head. "Honey, we have to help." He denied.

"I-I'll do it tomorrow. I promise, tomorrow." Pope stammered,  edging closer to the boat.

"You think—no no. Hell no. You're doin it right now!" Heyward retaliated to his son.

"Get in the boat." John B whispered to his friends.

"Make a run for it." Said JJ.

Dylan's eyes shifted between them and the adults before she grabbed Pope's hand and quickly dragged him to the boat.

"Dylan!" Her father shouted.

"Boy, if you get in that boat—"

"Hell yeah, Dyl! That's our girl!" JJ cheered and clapped her on the back.

"Go, go, go!" Pope urged the boat driver.

"Bring your ass back here!"

"Dylan Celeste, get back here!"

"I promise i'll do it tomorrow, dad." Pope said to his father.

"Sorry dad!" Dylan shouted to hers.

John B began driving off, the two teens still apologizing to their fathers. "Y'all best bring my daughter back in one piece!" Logan shouted at them. "John B, I'm serious!"

"Love you,  dad!"  The boy called over his shoulder.

"Can I go next time?" Braxton hollered from beside his dad.

"Sure thing, little dude!" Said JJ while they drifted further away.

"When you get back, you're gonna clean shrimp. You gonna clean fish. You'll clean your dirty ass room!" Heyward started naming off his punishment.

"Love you daddy! Love you Heyward!" Dylan shouted to him with a joyous smile. She wrapped her arms around Pope's. "Well keep him safe!"

Pope laughed nervously. "Love you, pops!"

"And I don't like your friends!"

When they floated far enough away, she went over and wacked both John B and JJ hard on the arm.

John B flinched away. "Ow, Dylan!"

"What the hell, DJ?"

"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" Dylan snapped but she knew they wouldn't take her seriously. "I spent all night hoping you guys would be safe!"

JJ pouted and wrapped his arms around her. "Aww, this is why we love you, DJ." He teased her.

"We're sorry, mama." John B apologized with an amused smirk.

She rolled her eyes. "How do I always get stuck with you idiots?"

"Hey!"

"Besides you, Pope."

"Oh yeah, side with your boyfriend like always."  JJ teased again and wrapped her in a headlock. He pulled her down to the floor of the boat.

"JJ Maybank!" She hollered and the boys burst into laughter.

They met Kiara on the dock. After JJ released her, Dylan shoved his head away from her and she waved her arms, smiling. "Hey. KiKi!"

"Hey, Dyl Dyl!" The girl reciprocated.

"Oh, top of the morning to ya!" John B greeted and drove the boat close to the dock so she could get on.

"Good morning boys." Kiara said back with a happy smile.

"Whatcha got? You got some juice boxes?"

"You know, just some yogurts and carrot sticks."

"How about my kind of juice box?" JJ asked and extended his hand out to help her in.

"Yeah."

"Brace for impact." John B spoke with a low voice.

Kiara gasped and grabbed Dylan's hand, spinning her around. "Well, hello beautiful."

She giggled. "Hello back." She grabbed the end of her T-shirt and pulled it over her head, revealing her white bikini top.

Kiara took hers off as well and they sat down. She took beers out from the cooler and passed them around. "Salud." She held hers up.

"Skoal." JJ recited and they blinked their beers together.

Dylan kicked off her shorts and grabbed her black sunglasses out of the pocket. She took the hair tie from her hair and gathered her curls together, pulling them into a bun at the top of her head.

From where he was sitting, Pope watched her, not being able to help himself as his eyes examined her exposed skin that shined from the sun. He visibly gulped and was more than thankful he had his sunglasses on.

JJ, of course, was the one to notice first. He smirked. "Gettin' a little hot there, Pope?" He teased, pointing to his own face.

The others burst into laughter and Dylan turned around, growing a smile. Pope flipped him off.