𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐖

The Outer Banks, Paradise on Earth. It's the sort of place where you either have two jobs or two houses. Two tribes, one island.

All right, so this is Figure Eight, the rich side of the island. Home of the Kooks. So, guess where we don't live.

And then this is the south side or the cut. Home of the working class who make a living busing tables, washing yachts, running charters. The natural habitat of... drum roll, please... The Pogues. That's us.

The Pogues, pogies, the throwaway fish. Lowest member of the food chain. Okay. So, the downside of Pogue life is we're ignored and neglected. But the upside of Pogue life? We're ignored and neglected, which means we do whatever we want, whenever we want.

That's JJ, my best friend since the third grade. He's about as local as they come. Lasted in a long line of fishing, drinking, smuggling, vendetta-holding salt-lifers who made their living off the water. One of the best surfers i know, but he doesn't need to know that. Mild kleptomaniac and a future tax cheat. Oh, and he's been deeply in love with Star since the eighth grade, but really it was since the first time he saw the girl, just don't tell him i said that.

That's Kiara, or Kie as we call her. And when she's not saving turtles or listening to Marley, or begging a dolphin tattoo, she hangs out with us. I'm not really sure why though. She's a rich kid, actually. Foot in both world. Her family owns the Wreck, this Outer Banks institution. Total cash cow with the tourists. You know, i'm not really sure how her parents feel about us. And i guess all of us apart from JJ kinda have a thing for her.

And that's Pope, the brains of the operation. Finalist for the Lucas T. Vanderhorst Merit Scholarship. And definitely the smartest person i know. Little bit of a weirdo, but he's cool. And his farther's this legendary character, Heyward. Anything you wanted on the island, Heyward could get it for you. Now, i'm not sure Heyward knew what to make of his oddball son, but it didn't matter, He was a Pogue just like the rest of us.

And that's Star. I met her and JJ in third grade, she's like a little sister to me. Now, i know she may look scary or that she wants to kill you, but in reality, she's a big softy. Don't tell her i said that, or she will kill me. She's probably the most sarcastic and funny person i know, always getting into trouble like her life depended on it. Star actually lives just a few houses down from mine with her dad. Now, Robert Owens or Rob, Robbie, whatever you wanna call him is a total legend, we all love him. He owns the best and only Fish market on the island 'Captains Bounty'. And as much as the girl denies it, i can tell she has a big thing for JJ.

And that's me, John Booker Routledge. And this is where i live. An old fish shack on the marsh. The Château, as my dad used to call it. There's dad He disappeared at seas nice months ago, looking for a shipwreck. Who disappears at seas these days? I miss him. And then there's mom. She split when i was three. Last i heard, she was in Colorado. I think it was Colorado. That's Uncle T. Since dads vanished, she supposedly my legal guardian. At the moment, he's in Mississippi, building houses. Which means, it's juts me right now, on my one hang in' out with my friends.

So, that's my crew. And our mission this summer is to have a good time, all the time.