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⮑0.1⮐

one, hurricanes & secrets . . .
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MOLLY ROUTLEDGE HADN'T SLEEPT ALL NIGHT. Not because of hurricane Agatha well not really because of that, but because she had been out all night. That was what she had been doing for the last three or four months. Sneaking out when she really could just leave out the front door. But then there would be questions and those questions would be unanswerable and therefore, window it was.

The truth was, the night of hurricane Agatha, Molly had said good night to her friends and proceeded to climb out her window, where she then walked a block down the road and hopped into Rafe Cameron's truck. He was her first. First kiss, first fuck, first line of cocaine. All of those things, with a kook, a kook who she was illegally seeing. Not like a rich white boy like Rafe Cameron would get more then a slap on the wrist for sleeping with an underaged girl anyways.

So anyways, Molly stumbled through her window, cursing as she knocked things off her nightstand. Every time she hung out with Rafe, she would get high and drunk and just overall fucked up. When she would get back to chateau, she would be coming down from that high and have to hide it while sipping on warm beers. Molly could hear the footsteps coming towards her room. She quickly kicked off her converse and fell back onto her bed.

"Morning", John B greeted, leaning on the door with a grasp on the handle.

"Hey", Molly greeted back, acting like she hadn't just gotten back.

"You been outside? Agatha sounded pretty bad last night".

"No, I uh just woke up".

"Jd came to my room last night cause of the noise, said that he went to your room first but you weren't there", The brother trailed on, casually trying to get answers.

"I was probably just peeing or something. Plus, he knows that since you've started sleeping in dads room, you have the bigger bed", Molly excused.

"He kicks a lot in his sleep for such a small kid".

"And that's exactly why I always direct him to your room when he has a nightmare", She grinned, trying to hold back a yawn.

John B was half way through a light chuckle before the little blonde boy came running into Molly's room. James Dean hurled himself onto his older sisters bed and shook her violently with both of his small hands on her shoulders.

"Hurricane Agatha blew a bunch of cool stuff into the front yard and some of its from figure 8! I found a golf club and a pool floaty that looks like a dolphin and ", The child rambled excitedly.

"Buddy, I get it! That stuff is trash, do you even know the concept of golf?".

"Yeah, you get that little white ball into the hole and it's like a touch down or whatever", Jd shrugged.

"That's football", John B tilted his head.

"Can I keep the golf club, please? I promise I won't break another window", He pleaded.

"You broke a window?", Molly sat up quickly with her eyebrows furrowed.

"Alright, I will let you deal with that. I'll go take a look at the damage outside", John b cringed, pointing his thumb behind him.

Molly felt her eyelids become heavy as she blinked in disappointment. It was shit like this that she had to deal with every single day. Broken windows, dirty laundry, loose legos scattered across the floors. A heap of messes that Molly felt certain, was a loop hole. She was just so tired.

"You think you can do me a favor, buddy?".

"What?", Jd questioned while pushing the thick glasses up his small nose.

"JJ told me that if I gave him free food at The Wreck last week, he would clean up the couch where he's sleeping. And you know what?", She crinkled her nose.

"Hmm?".

"It's still messy. So I need you to wake up JJ, like you just did crack cocaine, can you do that?".

While James Dean didn't actually know what crack cocaine was, he still liked the idea of jumping on top of the couch until JJ woke up. He nodded his head with a grin on his face and quickly pushed himself off of Molly's bed. Molly reluctantly got up as well, knowing that even though it was summer and she could sleep in for as long as she wanted, there were things to be done.

Molly rubbed the back of her neck as she left her quaint room. The sounds of her little brother running bare foot on the cold hard wood floor could be heard and then there was the sound of him hurling himself onto JJ, who slept on the couch.

"Oof, Watch the crowned jewels little dude", JJ awoke, grimacing at the sudden impact.

The brunette girl stood over the scene with a smirk and her arms crossed. He knew what she was gonna say, he always knew what she was gonna say.

"Clean up your shit or I'll strap him with rocks next time", She joked.

JJ playfully threw the kid over his shoulder as he rose from the couch. James Dean found it fun to rough house with JJ and John B. Never Pope though, Pope was only good for telling him to color inside the lines while Kie was holding her role as the swim and surf coach.

"You know I'll get it done, Molls. Aint no thang but a chicken wang", He grinned back, walking past her and outside to where the wreckage was.

John B stood with his hands on his head, standing in front of a fallen tree that he knew was gonna be bitch to get out of the way. Molly squinted at the rising sun, slowly making her way down the steps of the chateau.

"That's not good. That is not good".

"Well, At least we have a good excuse to not build JD a tree house", Molly shrugged.

"You guys weren't gonna build you a tree house?", JD stepped outside.

"She said it, not me buddy", John B pointed to his sister as he continued to look around the front yard.

"Agatha did some work, huh?", JJ leaned against the porch.

"Yeah, she did".

"What'cha thinkin?", JJ questioned.

JD took his place next to Molly, her hand patting his head. Sometimes Molly was surprised at how well she was raising this child while still being a child herself. Sometimes she got the urge to send a letter to her mom, telling her that she didn't need her and that she was doing a fine job doing it alone. She would do it if she knew where her mother even was.

"I'm thinkin that storm surge pushed all the crabs out on the marsh maze. All those drums are gonna chase the crabs".

"What does that mean?", The little boy questioned.

"Nothing we can't fix, buddy", John B answered, digging through the debris of the storm.

"What about the DCS? Wasn't that today?".

"Nah, they're not gettin on a ferry".

"Is that lady with the suit gonna take us somewhere?", JD once again asked.

The question brought a sense of anxiety to Molly Routledges stomach but she was a good actress. She slung an arm around her little brothers neck and brought him closer into her side, hoping that her older brother had a good answer.

"Hey, you don't have to worry about that, ok? I'm gonna figure it out, I just I need some time. Besides, when was the last time Molls and I let you down?".

"When you said you weren't building me a tree house".

"Oh, shut up", Molly rolled her eyes and jokingly shoved the blonde boys head away.

"Think about it though. It's God tellin us to fish", John B spoke up.

"Ooo, play date with Heyward?", Molly looked down at JD.

"Yay!", The kid cheered, sprinting back into the house.

"Sounds like a plan boys".

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⮑0.1⮐

one, hurricanes & secrets . . .
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A THIN LAYER OF SUNSCREEN SPREAD ACROSS THE BRIDGE OF JAMES DEANS SMALL NOSE. His eyes were glued shut, hoping not to get any in them. Molly massaged the sunblock into his soft, white skin with both of her thumbs. The boy squirmed at her touch and flinched at the contact of her cold hands on his face.

"Stop moving, you're gonna get sunscreen in your eye", She lectured, holding his head still.

"No I wont. I can rub in my own sunscreen now, I know what i'm doing", JD whined.

The HMS Pogue glided smoothly through the water, past the wreckage of Agatha. A yellow tint from dust shaded the sunny sky, yet the humidity was packing serious heat.

"You used half of the bottle last time you tried doing it yourself. Just hold still", Molly gripped his chin and rubbed the paste on his face.

"How old are you now, like nine?", JJ questioned, plopping down next to Molly.

"I'm seven".

Molly raised her brow as she looked over to JJ. The Maybank boy really was just that oblivious. As if he hadn't known JD since he was a literal infant.

"Huh, who would'a thought", He shrugged to the girl.

Molly dabbled a splotch of the sunblock on the tip of JJs nose and watched him try to dodge it, failing miserably.

"Yo, look at this place", John B spoke up.

"Agatha, what'd you do?", JJ whistled.

"She is a crazy lady".

Molly finished her attempts to keep JD from getting a killer sunburn, sliding his glasses back onto his face. Quickly, the boy hopped to sit next to John B. The damage wasn't all that bad, not to Molly at least. She followed JD, the three Routledge siblings now sitting in a row.

"We're gonna be cleaning this all summer".

"That is my worst nightmare".

"How much damage you think the Kooks got?", Molly looked up at JJ.

"Please, one swipe from their trust fund card and all their broken crap is replaced. Pogues buy shit second hand. Where else are you gonna find a toaster with a bumper sticker that says 'I ♥︎ milfs'? ", He answered.

"What's a milf?", JD asked.

"It means uh, my igloo looks funny. Right guys?", Molly discreetly eyed John B and JJ.

"Yup", The two answered.

The small boat pulled slowly toward Heywards dock. Pope cleaned with his father, very obviously not enjoying his new summer activity.

"Well, look who we have here!", JJ greeted.

"We have a safety meeting. Attendance mandatory", John B said into his hand as if talking through a radio.

"I can't, my pops got me on lockdown", Pope sighed.

Heyward approached, ready for two of the most reckless teen boys as they swiftly drove by with what he thought might have been the most hard working fifteen year old girl in the Outerbanks and the sweetest damn boy he had ever had the pleasure of taking care of.

"Your dads a pussy, over".

"Oh, I heard that, you little bastard", The man told JJ.

"We need your son!".

"Here, take this. A fair trade", Molly picked her little brother up and stood him on the edge of the boat, JJ flinging him to the dock where he safely landed on his feet.

"Eye for an eye. Plus, island rules. Day after a hurricane's a free day".

"Who the hell made that up?", Heyward questioned.

"Uh pentagon, I think. We have security clearance. I have a card".

"Have fun, ok?", Molly commented over to JD and tossed over his small backpack, watching as the dock got smaller and the boat rode by.

"Y'all think I'm stupid?".

"I I I'll do it tomorrow. I promise", Pope pleaded.

"No, no, no, no, Hell no. You doin it right now".

"Can we clean up at the park?", JD walked over to the father and son.

"Hold on now James D. Boy, if you get in that boat", The dad warned.

Pope sprinted onto the HMS, the boys rushing from a storm called Heyward. JD waved goodbye, Molly and John B waving back.

"Love you! Thanks Heyward!".

"I'm doin this for James Dean and James Dean only! Oh hey and you best believe he's getting your allowance money from today, Pope!".

"Dad, I promise I'll do it tomorrow, I promise".

"When you get back, you gonna clean shrimp, you gonna clean fish ".

"Love you, pops", John B waved.

"You'll clean your dirty ass room! And I don't like your friends!", Heyward yelled after.

"Well, I still like you Heyward!", Molly nodded with a smile.

A sigh left Heywards lips, his arm wrapping around the child's neck and pulling him into a side embrace. He would never tell Pope this ( due to the basic rules of parenting ) but JD Routledge was the type of son he wished he had. Don't get him wrong, Pope was a well respected and intellectual young boy at James Deans age but he was no fun. JD actually liked to do things that might cause injury, unlike Pope. Which was why the relationship was perfect. Heyward, the dad who wished to try again and JD, the boy who didn't have a present father.

After a few laughs about how similar Popes dad and Sebastian from The Little Mermaid were, the pogues rode by the Carrera dock, where Kiara strolled down. It wasn't that Molly disliked Kie, it was that she got frustrated by the wannabe Pogue who was living the kook life. She would give anything to be able to have extra money for fun things like shoes and clothes, but no. That money went to things like rent and food. Money that Molly happened to be making, by working for Kiaras dad at The Wreck.

"Oh, Top o' the mornin' to ya", JJ greeted.

"Mornings boys Molls", Kie added the name.

"Kiara", Molly nodded in a relaxed notion.

There was a sort of tension between the two girls and none of the three boys could figure out why, nor did they really want to know. The sort of tension that made Molly want to show how shitty it was to be a Pogue by beating her kook ass.

"Whatcha got? Got some juice boxes?", John B asked.

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

"How about my kind of juice boxes?", JJ questioned as he stuck his hand out to help Kie onto the boat.

"Yeah".

Molly grabbed the bag that Kie held out for her to grab and set it down. With her legs criss crossed, she opened it and handed JJ a beer, where he cracked the top off with his teeth. The Routledge girl wasn't much of a drinker, not unless she was with Rafe of course. Despite her father being a drunk and her brother trashing their house with an endless supply of empty beer bottle, Molly really didn't carry the alcoholic trait.

"Salud", Kie tapped her beer against Molly's sprite can.

"Skoal".

It grew closer into mid day, meaning the temperature rose to a solid 95 degrees. Molly kept the badly cut camo shirt John B had given her that covered her secret belly button piercing and discarded her shorts, leaving her bikini bottoms. The juul that JJ had so kindly gifted to Molly was secured on the strap of her bottoms, keeping it close to her hip as she lied back on her elbows. The group chatted away, drifting through funny conversations.

"Let me show you a party trick. Hey, Pope. Can you go a little faster?", JJ announced.

He stepped over Molly and stumbled a little to the edge of the boat

"Oh god, here we go. I'm movin", John B shook his head and stepped behind Pope.

"Yeah me too. Scooch Kie", Molly agreed as she scooted farther away and closer towards Kiara.

"It doesn't work. We've tried this like 6,000 times", Pope spoke.

"I got this. It's gonna work!", JJ assured.

Raising the beer bottle above his head, JJ tilted his head back and let the alcohol pour over his face. The wind blew through his blonde hair and sent droplets of beer into the girls hair. Molly turned away and covered her face with the back of her hand.

"Oh my god, your getting beer in my hair".

John B quickly leaned over and shoved his sunglasses onto his sisters face, falling back into his seat. Her hand left her face but she continued to be weary of beer getting in her eyes.

"Alright alright!", Pope stopped the boy with his hand up.

"What kind of trick is this anyway?", Molly scoffed.

"Alright, you're done".

"Alright, stop!".

A thump hit the HMS Pogue, sending the teens flying and in JJs case, quit literally. Molly flung forward, landing the palms of her hands on the edge of the boat. John Bs sunglasses flew off her face and into the water.

"Shit", She cursed, watching them sink.

"Jesus, Pope!".

"You good J?", Molly looked over to the floating teen.

"I think my heels touched the back of my head", He groaned.

"Molls, Kie, you ok?", John B questioned.

"Yeah. But your sun glasses aren't", Molly cringed.

"Damnit", The brother cursed.

"Pope, what did you do?".

"Sandbar. The channel changed", Pope answered.

Molly felt for her juul on the side of her hip, feeling nothing. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she got on her knees to look. The object came flying back to the boat, a bit wet but not a complete lost cause.

"Heads up", JJ warned.

"Thanks".

He swam back onto the boat, pissy from the current event.

"Ugh, this is probably gonna mess this whole place up".

"Hey, I saved the beer though", JJ cheered, handing it to Molly before he boarded the boat.

She cringed at the wet bottle and poured the lake water out.

"Congrats, JJ",

Pope neared the edge of the boat, looking into the murky water with a questioning look.

"Guys. . . I think there's a boat down there".

╰─ - ̗̀♡ ✎ ( envy speaks...)

Chapter one!!!!  Molly is definitely my favorite oc of mine cause why wouldn't she be. I posted the trailer so go check it out, it's above the prologue chapter i think. Make sure to comment because ghosts readers and people that only vote are worse than sand in the vagina, I said what I said