We're the Pogues, and our mission this summer is to have a good time, all the time.

John B. Routledge stood on the roof of an under construction building as he drank a beer. He held a converse clad foot over the edge as he took a sip of from the can in his hand.

"That's what, a three-story fall to the deck?" Pope Heyward spoke up from below the boy. "I give you about a one-in-three chance of survival.

"I say you jump," Willow Maybank said as she came out of the house, leaving her friend, Kiara, behind.

"I'll shoot you on the way down," Pope said, holding up a power drill.

Willow jumped up and slapped her brothers shoes to get his attention.

"A beer, kind sir," She said in a shitty british accent as she held out her hand.

JJ rolled his eyes before handing her a can.

"They're gonna have japanese toilets with towel warmers," Kiara said as she finally left the house. She walked up to Willow and slapped her lightly on the arm. "You left me in there, asshole."

"I'm sorry but I was bored."

"You know, this used to be turtle habitat," Kie continued after rolling her eyes at Willow. "but who cares about the turtles, I guess."

"I can't have cold towels," JJ said.

"Can you please not kill yourself?" Kie said, looking up at John B.

"Don't tell him that. I get the van if he does, so," Willow lifted her voice from a whisper to a shout as she looked back up at John B. "Do it, John! I believe in you!"

"Don't spill that beer. I'm not giving you another one," JJ told John B. Of course as soon as he said that, the brunette boy dropped the beer.

"Hey, uh, security's here," Pope informed the group. "Lets wrap it up."

"Boys are early today," John B observed.

JJ looked up at him before saying, "Humpty Dumpty, let's roll."

Willow watched as John B and JJ swung down from the scaffolding JJ had been sitting on minutes before. When the two boys had gotten down the group booked it into the house, running down stairs and through big, empty rooms. Willow had gotten ahead of the group and started to run faster as she approached a white fence, gathering enough speed and strength to launch herself over it.

She kept running until she approached the old Volkswagen van that John B had affectionately named The Twinkie. She jumped into the front seat and put the key into the ignition, starting it up. John B had tossed her his keys when she ran past him since he knew she would get there before anyone. Willow pressed on the gas pedal and took off down the road and very soon she drove up to the house, slowing down just enough for everyone to get in, Pope being the last one. She pressed back down on the gas pedal -- hard -- as Gary the guard started to chase the van.

"Check out Gary, gunnin' for a raise," Pope pointed as the group of teens laughed at the mans efforts.

"Come on, Gary," JJ taunted. He turned to Willow in the drivers seat. "Wait. Slow down."

"You're gonna give him a heart attack," Kiara said, the smile never fading from her lips.

"You're so close! You can do it," JJ hung out the door, a can of beer held out to the guard. He tossed the can towards Gary. "There you go. They don't pay you enough, bro."

"JJ, stop. Stop," Kie said, pulling him back into the van by his shirt.

"Oh, come on. That sort of initiative is begging to be punished."

Farther down the road, John B and Willow switched seats. The blonde girl now sat in the passengers seat, wind whipping through her hair from the open windows as John B took her place in driving the old van.

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.

Willow looked out the window as they passed giant houses that had equally as big yards. Well groomed lawns with pristine, almost shiny, green grass. There was never a house smaller than two stories on Figure Eight.

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

They soon drove over the bridge that took them to The Cut. This was their home. Willow couldn't imagine a life where she was rich. This was how her family had lived for generations. She wanted to be the one to end that but she knew there was no escape. She would eventually fall into a life of addiction and die never truly seeing what else the world could offer her just like many before her.

The Cut was filled with houses that were practically decaying, uncut lawns, and broken or barely working cars and boats. People here lived paycheck to paycheck, morning shift straight through the graveyard shift just to feed their families. Some barely got to see their family from how much they worked.

And then, this is the south side or The Cut. Home of the working class who made a living busing tables, cleaning yachts, running charters. The natural habitat of -- drumroll, please -- the Pogues. That's us. Pogues, pogies, throwaway fish. Lowest member of the food chain.

Rudy Pankow

As

JJ Maybank

That's JJ, my best friend since third grade. Him and his sister are about as local as they come. Latest in a long line of fishing, drinking, smuggling, vendetta-holding salt-lifers who made their living off the water. Best surfer I know. Just don't tell him I said that. Mild kleptomaniac and a future tax cheat.

Olivia Scott Welch

As

Willow Maybank

Where do I even start with Willow? She's really smart just a bit clumsy. She has big dreams for getting out of this place. Willow is JJ's younger sister by, like, 5 minutes. They argue all the time over stupid shit but they probably still love each other. They bond over hating their dad and surfing. Weird combination but for them it works. Willow can be a bit dreamy at times, as well. She's all for crystals, which --in her own words --  really enhances the gay in her. I never fully understand her but I still love her.

Madison Bailey

As

Kiara Carrera

And that's Kiara, or Kie, as we call her. When not saving turtles or listening to Marley, or getting a dolphin tattoo, she hangs out with us. I'm not really sure why, though. So, she's a rich kid, actually. Foot in both worlds. 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. We all have a thing for her.

Jonathan Daviss

As

Pope Heyward

And that's Pope, the brains of the operation, finalist for the Lucas T. Vanderhorst Merit Scholarship. And the smartest person I know, right before Willow. Little bit of a weirdo. His father's this legendary character, Heyward. Anything you wanted on the island, Heyward could get 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.

So that's my crew.

Chase Stokes

As

John B. Routledge

And that's me, John Booker Routledge. And this is where I live. An old fish shack on the marsh. The chateau, as my dad used to call it. Dad disappeared at sea nine months ago, looking for a shipwreck. Who disappears at sea 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. Then there's Uncle T. Since Dad vanished, he's supposedly my legal guardian. At the moment, he's in Mississippi , building houses which means it's just me right now, on my own, hangin' out with my friends. Three months after my dad was missing, he was officially presumed dead. I refused to sign the papers. Until I see a body, I'm not giving up.

that's the best i got. didn't like my jj maybank fic but sure we'll do a sarah cameron one :)

quick little dedication
aphroditesrot