𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚ ▌▌▌│▌▌🌊 │▌▌▌│▌▌ ✩°｡⋆⸜
-ˋˏ 𓆩♡𓆪₊ 𐦍༘⋆ ➥ 𝔞 𝔧𝔬𝔥𝔫 𝔟 𝔯𝔬𝔲𝔱𝔩𝔢𝔡𝔤𝔢 𝖋𝖆𝖓𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

⋆˚✿˖° ━━━ "And see that girl over there? The one who looks like she's ready to run away? That's Josette Strauch.

➪ ⋆ ༘˚⋆𐙚 𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐑 ┊ 𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔳𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔰𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔢𝔯

━━━ "Josette Strauch. Her name sounds like something you'd whisper at a fancy gala, doesn't it? But if you asked Kie, she'd tell you she's a 'textbook Kook'—a princess trapped in her golden bubble. Apparently, inheriting golf courses, a luxury hotel chain, and a collection of archaeological and historical museums automatically makes her an arrogant bitch—according to Kie, of course. But me? I think Josette's different."

John B pauses, his gaze resting on the girl in question. She's sitting under a tree, her white dress swaying lightly in the breeze. She looks like the picture of perfection, but there's something about her that seems out of place—like she's in a play she never chose to star in.

"Look at her. She seems kind, doesn't she? And she is. Sure, her parents probably drag her to every charity event and PR stunt to boost the family image, but it's not just that. She actually cares. I've seen her picking up trash on the beach with a genuine smile, or rescuing injured birds after storms. Trust me, your average Kook doesn't do that."

He chuckles softly, recalling a particular moment.

"Oh, and then there are those parties. You know the ones—packed with guys in Polo shirts acting like they own the world. I'm only there sometimes because I help Pope and his dad set up the catering. It's a spectacle, believe me. But Josette? She looks just as out of place as I feel. I always see her with her brother, Kelce—that idiot. Yeah, I used to think Josie was just like him."

"How could I not hate her at first? Years ago, when JJ and I were just kids, her brother Kelce and his friends beat up JJ over some dumb reason. We were just little kids—JJ was six, I was seven. It was brutal, you know? And Josette was there, watching. She didn't do anything. Just stood there like she didn't care. That day, I decided I hated her as much as I hated her brother."

John B crosses his arms, his expression darkened by the memory. But then, his face softens, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"But then something unexpected happened. One day, she showed up at our house with an almond cake she baked herself. It was for JJ. She left it at the door with a little note that said, 'I'm sorry for what my brother did.' JJ almost threw it into the water, but I stopped him. Because, you know what? That cake was really good. And so was her apology."

"From then on, I started to see her differently. Maybe it was the cake, or maybe it was the way she smiled at us on the dock a few days later—like she was saying, 'I want to make things right.' And, well, sometimes I catch myself looking at her more than I should. But please, don't tell Kie, okay? I don't need one of her speeches about how all Kooks are the same."

John B leans back against a weathered surfboard, letting the sound of the waves fill the silence. His eyes wander to Josette again, his expression unreadable yet full of unspoken thoughts.

"She doesn't know I notice when she laughs for real, or when her eyes light up at the sight of a rescued animal. She doesn't know how much it bothers me to see her stuck in a world she so clearly hates. Maybe she'll never know what I really think of her. And maybe that's for the best. But still, I can't help wondering what would happen if Josette Strauch decided, even for a moment, to escape her world and step into ours. Because, you know? I think there's a Pogue spirit hidden somewhere beneath all that shine."

━━━ 𝓳𝓸𝓱𝓷 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓮𝓻 𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓽𝓵𝓮𝓭𝓰𝓮

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