INSTEAD OF testing out the drones with my friends I was driving through to Figure Eight to see my mom. I wasn't exactly thrilled to be going, I could think of better things to do with my time but a visit was well overdue now.

I pulled into the Thornton estate, driving down the road that led to the house and I parked up outside. Thanks to the square groupers my bike was going to take a lot more fixing than what I thought it was going to. It wasn't something JJ and I could do like we usually did when one of us broke our bikes, it had to go to a shop instead which bummed.

I got out of my dads SUV and looked around the estate. It didn't even look like Agatha had hit here, there was so sign that anything had been destroyed either. Everything looked as it was before the hurricane.

I walked towards the front door when Topper came out and I whistled lowly, "Well, well, well. I've got a bone to pick with you Thornton."

Topper rolled his eyes and I walked up the white slab porch steps to meet him, "Can't say I care." He replied, "I've got a bone to pick with your friends."

I narrowed my eyes, "Why'd you feel the need to tell my mom I was high at the boneyard the other night?"

"Because you were."

I groaned, "Christ Topper if you think that's what being high looks like you haven't seen anything. I didn't even have two joints."

"You know what?" He asked me, "I don't care." A motorcycle pulled up in front of the house and stopped. The person pulled their helmet off and I saw Rafe Cameron.

"If it isn't the outcast." Rafe mused, "How's that shit-tip you call a home doing, Davis?"

"Yeah, go fuck yourself Rafe." I told him. I glared at Topper before walking away and in through the open doors. Micheal Thornton's house was better than the one my mom, dad and I lived in when we lived together as a family. His was twice as big and not to mention extravagant.

The lights were on, even though they didn't need to be, and I rolled my eyes. They were taking advantage of the power supply and it was beyond irritating — especially when the food in our fridge was going off and all we had was cold water. I walked through the house and towards my moms office on the ground floor. The door was closed but I didn't bother knocking, instead I walked straight in.

My mom looked up from behind her desk, papers nearly stacked in front of her and she rose her brow at me, "Ever heard of knocking?"

I closed the door behind me and walked around her office nonchalantly, "Ever heard of being faithful?" I pressed sarcastically.

She sighed and dropped her papers as I sat down in the leather arm chair opposite her. My mom was arguably the best attorney across the whole of the Outer Banks and Chapel Hill and it was all thanks to her Kook life she lived and loved.

"Your dad told me you were coming yesterday." She told me, "When you didn't show up I assumed you were getting high with those people you call your friends again."

I sat forwards, putting my elbows on to my knees, "Alright mom. One, I fell off my bike yesterday on the way over here I'll have you know.. and two, I wish I was getting high with my friends because it's a lot better than having another one of our monthly face-to-face meet ups."

"Mally." My mother groaned, "I have tried to put things right with you—"

"—You wouldn't of had to put things right with me if you hadn't screwed another man behind dads back." I told her with a pointed smile.

"I'm sorry." She told me and there was nothing apologetic about it, "I'm sorry I left your father but things just didn't work out between us."

I realised this is what we were going to argue about.

"You know mom, I'm glad you decided to leave dad and do him for everything he had because I love my life so much more on the Cut than what I ever would here."

She rolled her eyes, "I doubt that."

"Doubt it." I shrugged, sitting back in my chair, "I don't care."

"I've only ever wanted what was best for you." She told me, "Why can't you see that?"

I shook my head, "No, mom." I told her. I dropped my argumentative stance and softened my voice, "You think handing me everything on a sliver platter is what's best for me. You think getting me a place at the Kook Academy is what's best for me. You think securing me a place at college is what's best for me but it's not. It's not best for me because that's not a life I want, why can't you just accept that?"

She sighed and quite heavily at that, "I just want you to have options Mal." She replied and she too dropped her defensive play, "You're my only child and I love you—"

"—You've got a weird way of showing it." I told her.

She rose a brow at me and I shrugged, letting her continue, "Look, if you're happy with that life than that is something I'll have to deal with. I'll support you—"

I narrowed my eyes, there was something else coming here, "—But?"

"How did you know there was a but?" She asked me, "Your dad used to be good at telling when there was a but."

I shrugged, "I am his daughter."

"Too right your are." She said, "You're everything he is."

"And is that a bad thing?"

She shook her head softly while giving me a small smile, "No. In fact that's the best thing."

I nodded. I hadn't expected her to say that.. maybe she was buttering me up for something, "Mom?" I asked her.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"What were you going to say?" I asked her, "What was the but?"

I noticed her hesitation and it made me nervous, "I... I want you to attend Midsummers with us."

My eyes nearly fell out of my head, "God, why?"

I'd never been to Midsummers since my mom and dad split. I don't think my mom had ever asked me to go to Midsummers, I think she just assumed it'd be a no if she asked me.

"Topper is coming out with his relationship with Sarah Cameron and I thought I'd be nice to have you there." She told me.

"Mom I don't like Topper." I replied, "You know that."

She nodded, "Oh, honey, I know that... but it got me thinking that it would be a nice opportunity for you to meet some new people, you know?"

Was my mom trying to set me up here?

"You mean a good way to meet a boy?" I asked her apprehensively.

She sighed, "Your dad and I came out at Midsummers and I want you to have that coming out opportunity too."

I opened my mouth to reply but I sharply closed it. If I told my mom the boy I fancied she'd scrap the idea of me going to Midsummers all together — or she'd press me to go, "I don't know, mom." I replied, "It sounds like hell to me."

She smiled fondly, "You know that's exactly what your dad said to me when I suggested we come out at Midsummers."

I gave her a half smile and contemplated the thought. If I went to Midsummers I wouldn't be a complete outcast, Kie went to Midsummers too and I knew we'd have a good time together. Eventually I found myself nodding slowly, "All right, I'll go." Her face lit up and I held my finger out, "On one condition."

She nodded, "Go ahead."

"You don't try to set me up with anyone." I told her.

Her face faltered but she nodded, "All right, deal."

"I mean it mom." I pressed, "I kinda.. um.. I kinda like someone."

She rose a brow at me and cocked her head to the side and I found myself sitting back in shock, I did that exact thing whenever I questioned something or someone— mainly JJ. Maybe I was more of my mom than I thought I was.

• • •

When I got home my dad told me my friends were waiting for me down by the beach and that I had to take my surf board. I changed into a bikini and a beach dress and my dad dropped me off. I was hauling my board down the beach when John B saw me. He was sitting on his board on the swallow side while JJ rode a wave. He grinned at me and waved, "Hey Mal, get your ass in here!" John B shouted over at me.

I caught JJ tripping on the wave he was riding after John B shouted. I cringed a little watching his back slap against the water, falling off your board could be painful and that fall looked just that. JJ hardly ever fell off his board so John B shouting must've distracted him.

Regardless I dropped my bag next to the pile my friends had created, slipped out of my sandals and took the beach dress off, dropping it on to the sand and picking up my board. I ran into the water until I got to about hip height and threw my leg over my board, getting on and paddling the rest of the way to my friends.

We watched JJ drag himself back on to his board, soaked in water from his fall and he glared unimpressed at John B who I'd pulled up besides, "What's with the shouting JB?" He yelled over, "You distracted me!"

Kie laughed, "Yeah we all know it wasn't John B who distracted you JJ!" She shouted over. My only female friend in this group turned to look at me and she winked.

I shook my head, fighting the heat trying to rise to my cheeks and before any of my friends could spot it I leaned forwards on my board and started to paddle further into the sea, "Last one to catch a wave sleeps on the porch." I struck before swimming further out.

I spotted a wave forming quite far out but there were a couple of small ones before it and looking over at my friend I could see JJ had his eye on it too. He glanced over and me and grinned as I neared him, "That wave is mine Davis!" He told me.

"In your dreams Maybank." I replied, ducking under a smaller wave that approached me. I continued to swim out, ducking the other waves until the one I was looking for reached the front line. JJ was preparing to ride the wave a couple feet to my left and I caught John B coming up on my right. There was no way the three of us would be able to catch it — one of us would fall and it wouldn't be me.

It looked like it was going to break and I turned around once it got close enough, JJ and John B carried on swimming towards the wave daringly while I hung back. I laid down on my board and started paddling forwards, watching the wave over my shoulder as it started to break, I watched as it took John B under and he fell sideways off his board. It was just JJ and I now.

I felt the wave starting to take me and I stood up, balancing on my board and I turned to look at JJ with a grin. He was riding the wave too a few feet away from me and I looked back towards the shore, grinning at Kie and Pope. When the wave pushed us into the swallow water and we came to a stop I straddled my board and looked at my two friends — John B was swimming towards us, "Shotgun the hammock!" I claimed.

"I am not sleeping on the porch." Kie said determinedly and she swam out, Pope hot on her heels.

They left JJ and I watching them and he turned to me, "Space for one more in the hammock?"

I smiled at him, "As long as you don't hog it."

He smirked, "No promises."

We caught the last couple of waves before the sun started to lower towards the horizon and Pope was the last of us to get up on his board. He was stuck with the sofa on the porch tonight, not that he minded because that's where he usually slept.

By the time the sky had started to change colour we packed up and left, calling by The Wreck for some food before he headed back to John B's place.

We sat outside and watched the sun go down and it was bliss. We weren't stealing or lying to the cops or running from square groupers and I loved it. This was the summer I had in mind, just having a good time.

I was sat on the hammock with JJ my legs laid across his lap while Kie, Pope and John B sat in the chairs around us. We were just chilling in silence when Pope spoke, "You really think it's out there?" He asked, "Like, no bullshit."

"My father thought it was." John B replied.

"But do you?"

"After hearing his voice on that tape." John B said, "I think I do."

"Look, we're gonna find it, you know?" Kie told us, "Even JJ believes."

"Oh my, god. JJ do you really believe?" John B asked.

JJ traced his fingers over over my shin as we lounged in the hammock, "Oh, totally." He said, "Wait, are we talking about the four mil?"

"Four hundred mil, J." I told him with a smile. The moonlight scattered across half of his face and the other half was in the shadows but I saw him grinning back at me.

"You know I think I'm gonna dream about shipwrecks." JJ replied.

I saw Kie get up off her chair, "I think I'm gonna hit the sack." She told us, "Shot gun the pullout."

"Night Kie." I called to her as she walked up towards John B's chateau.

"Night Mal."

"Yeah I think I'm gonna head up too." Pope said, "Night guys."

"Night." JJ, John B and I chimed together as he followed Kiara up to the chateau.

Pope left the three of us out here and we remained in silence until John B stood up, he and JJ did their handshake and he nodded at me, "I'll give you both some space."

"Night JB." I told him.

"G'night Bird!" JJ called after him.

"Night birdshit." John B fired back.

I watched him walk back up to his with a grin and once he was inside I turned to JJ, "Why's he giving us space?" I asked.

"No idea." He replied, "It's John B man, he's like that."

I nodded, "So what'd you do with your day off then?"

"I helped Heyward out with some deliveries." He told me, still tracing patterns on my leg, "Got myself some easy money."

"That's good." I replied, "Invite me next time."

"Yeah I will." He chuckled, "What about you? How was seeing your mom?"

I cringed, "I mean.." I took a deep breath before sighing.

"Yeah, I know." He told me with a small smile. JJ knew what mine and my mother's conversations consisted of, her trying to bribe me over to Figure Eight but she never succeeded.

"But hey, I think she finally accepted I want to stay on the Cut." I told him.

"Really?" He arched a brow, "Never thought I'd see the day."

I chuckled and nodded before I remembered what I'd agreed too.I pressed my lips together before looking to JJ, "I'm going to Midsummers though."

He sat up in the hammock, "Are you serious?" He asked me, his face slack.

"I know." I told him with an eye roll, "But it's Topper and Sarah'a coming out." I mimicked my mother's voice.

He scoffed, "Who cares?"

"Exactly." I agreed, "But she wants me to start mingling in the community apparently." I told him, "Or in other words, she's trying to set me up."

"Your mom is trying to set you up with a Kook?"

I could sense the bitterness in JJ's voice and I sat up. Our legs were next to each other but there was only inches between us. I took his hand, slowly locking my fingers into his, "I told her I wasn't interested." I said, "I couldn't think of anything worse."

He looked up to me, his eyes meeting mine, "Really?"

"Of course." I scoffed, "Dating some stuck up rich boy who has everything because his parents are loaded? I couldn't think of anything worse." JJ chuckled under his breath and I carried on, "Besides I told my mom I had my eye on someone anyways."

"Did you know?" JJ asked and I saw that mischievous grin.

I suddenly felt nervous as he teased me, "Yeah but only to get her off my back, you know? And besides, free bar."

He smirked, "Yeah, you can't pass up a free bar. I don't blame you."

"Exactly." I grinned, "Only reason I'm going.. and they don't even bother with ID at those types of parties anyways."

He chuckled, "Even better."

"Right?" I agreed.

I saw him nodding and he grazed the back of my hand with his thumb, "You know when I told you I heard you and John B talking the other night?" He asked me and I nodded, "I heard everything."

I rose my brows apprehensively, "Everything?"

"Everything." He repeated. He looked down to our hands before back up to me, "I'm still a bit annoyed with him for jumping on your bike the other day and yeah... I care about you Mal, I have done for a while."

"Y'know when John B told me you cared about me I thought he was lying."

"Nah." JJ shook his head, "He wouldn't lie about something like that."

I didn't know what to say, was this the opportunity to tell JJ I liked him? I didn't know how to go about this, I'd never been one for feelings, I'd never really surpassed a friendship level with anyone. Maybe I'd slept with a couple of Tourons and John B but none of it ever meant anything to me.

And I knew that JJ stood in the same circle as I. All he was ever about was his stickiest of ickies as he said himself. It was unfamiliar territory, all we were used to was flirting innocently and having sex with random strangers we'd never see again.

I licked my bottom lip and took a deep breath, "So.."

JJ nodded, "So."

Christ was this just going to make everything awkward?

"I don't want to ruin what we already have JJ." I told him, meeting his blue eyes. I saw a slither of disappointment and I made up my mind, "But I'm not saying I want to stop at friends."

That disappointment was replaced with something else, elation maybe?

He nodded, "I understand."

"Neither of us have ever done anything like this before, right?" I asked him.

"Right, right." He agreed.

"Okay, so we don't exactly know how it works." I said, "I don't have many memories of my parents together so my perception of love and relationships is based solely on fantasy and movies.. and I don't want to follow those expectations incase I'm disappointed that things in movies don't actually happen. Do you get me?" I asked.

JJ chuckled and he turned to look out across the marsh, "No, I get you." He told me, "I don't know the first thing about relationships. I know one night stands and that's about it but I've tried to convince myself that I don't find you attractive, that I don't love it when you walk around in that red bikini you've got. I've tried to convince myself your like a sister to me, that caring about you is wrong—"

"—There's nothing wrong about caring." I told him softly.

JJ nodded, "I guess I've never really had someone to teach me." He told me, "This is all new territory to me."

"It is to me too." I responded, "You're not the only one... but I don't want to start taking steps backwards now instead of forward. I don't want this to make anything awkward between us and if it does I'd rather just stay as friends. I could handle not going further with you and remaining friends but I couldn't handle losing you completely."

He smiled, "I agree."

So we were on the same page.. ish. We both had mutual feelings for each other which was somewhat of a relief to me. I guess we'd take things however they came. We'd do this whole thing our way and not by the way in the movies or in the fantasy books.

Besides, it was never like JJ and I so stick to tradition anyways.

• • •

It was windy the next morning but according to John B it was dead calm — meaning it was perfect weather to go and find the Royal Merchant.

Today we were focused, there was no sharing a beer on the way out or having a joint. We had to be one hundred percent with it for this because it was important. We'd borrowed Pope's dad's boat considering it was bigger then the HMS Pogue and we followed the GPS we'd gotten in the kit with the drone.

Because it was windier than usual today there was a breeze and I knew once we got so far out at sea the breeze would probably be a cold one so I wore a pair of denim wash shorts and one of JJ's long sleeved tops. We hadn't spoke of last night, we just went on how we were going and had been going these past few days.

We stole glances at each other and gave one another the occasional smirk. We had our flirty banter like we usually did but we both knew it actually meant something now. We didn't tell John B, Pope and Kie — everything we'd spoke about was just our secret.

And JJ didn't tell me, but I could he was loving me wearing his top.

It took us around a half hour before John B finally gave some sort of indication, "All right, JJ, pin it here."

"Roger that!" JJ called back, "X marks the spot."

"This it?" I asked John B, my hands on my hips as I looked out to the never ending water through my sun glasses.

"She should be right underneath us." He told me.

I nodded and looked back to Kie, she gave me an excited grin, "Lets get this plan into action." My friend said.

"All right ladies and gentlemen." John B said holding the yellow cord the drone was attached to, "To going full Kook."

I watched him drop the drone into the water and the yellow cord started unraveling as it started to sink. I sat next to Kie at the edge of the boat as she fed it through her hands, the cord in between us. Pope was on drone duty, looking for the ship while John B navigated from the GPS and JJ steered.

"All right, JJ, we're right over it. Ten seconds northwest." John B called to him.

From inside the small roofed space where the steering wheel was JJ called back, "Ten seconds northwest! Got it."

I watched Kie continue to feed the cord through her hands a small red piece of tape wrapped around it marked our first milestone. I noted it down on the side of the boat next to me incase either of us forgot how we'd gotten.

"All right." I called to my friends, "One hundred feet guys."

John B nodded and we carried on feeding the cord down. I looked up to the dark sky above us, it might've of been dead calm but I had a feeling by the looks of the sky things were about to take a sour turn.

Pope gasped behind Kie and I and we turned to look at him as John B rushed over, "What, what, what, what, what?"

"It's nothing." Pope told him and I rolled my eyes even though Pope couldn't see because of my sunglasses. John B groaned and I looked back to the water, "Sorry, I thought—"

"—Don't do that to me man." JJ called through, "Come on bro."

"My bad." Pope apologised, "I just thought I saw..."

"You thought you saw what, Pope?" I asked.

"Two hundred." Kie pointed out to me and I marked a second tally down.

He shook his head at me, telling me it was nothing before looking back to the screen the drone was transferring to, "And to quote The Hobbit, 'down, down, to Goblin Town. Down, down you go my lad'."

"Christ." I muttered, "Pope The Hobbit is the most boring movie ever."

"Yeah, yeah whatever you think Mally." He told me.

I saw the third red marker and dotted it down and it wasn't long before the fourth marker unravelled.

"That's four hundred feet." Kie called out.

I heard thunder rolling in, crackling in the distance and looked down at the waves underneath us, "The tide is turning guys." I told my friends, watching as Kie started unfolding the cord faster and faster.

"Hey JJ?" John B called.

"Yup?"

"Ten seconds easy, right? South-southeast." John B instructed.

"Copy that."

The tide continued to change and Kie looked to me, "Mal you're gonna have to give me a hand." She told me.

I nodded, standing up and grabbing the cord as she passed it to me, "Yeah, no bother." Kie went to the trunk the cord was feeding out of and started unraveling it from there behind me.

"JJ, 20 seconds mid-speed, all right?" John B told him, "South."

"Six hundred feet!" I called, noting the sixth marker as it fed through my hands and into the water.

"Keep a tether out on the prop!" JJ called back to Kie and I.

I put my foot on the side of the boat as the cord started to become harder to handle. It was more running through my hands then I was feeding it down, "I'm trying JJ, all right?"

Thunder rumbled and I looked to see the black clouds nearing us, "JJ keep going!" John B instructed.

The wind started picking up, the waves became choppy and we passed the seven hundred marker, "John B I don't like the look of these clouds." I told him as the boat started to rock.

"It'll be all right." He told me, "Just be careful that close to the edge, yeah?"

I nodded, trying to pull back on the cord as it ran through my fingers. The choppy waves were pulling it further down quicker than what Kie and I could handle. My hands were starting to burn.

"JJ, hold it steady!"

"We're at 900!" I yelled.

"JJ we'll turtle in this storm!" John B called.

"I thought it was supposed to be dead calm?!" I yelled looking up the clouds rolling in above us, "There's nothing calm about this!"

"920!" Kie yelled.

"Crank it north by northwest!" John B yelled, "Ten seconds! Pope how're we doing?"

"Almost there." Pope said.

"John B!" Kie yelled and I started using my foot on the side of the boat to keep the cord taught. It was getting harder to keep a hold of, "There's too much current, we're gonna lose it!"

"South, southwest JJ, hard!" John B yelled.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold this!" I yelled, turning my head a fraction to John B.

He looked at the GPS before back to JJ, "Half speed. Steady at this bearing, JJ."

I was glad we elected JJ to steer, he was the best of us all but the storm continued to roll in and I looked up go see thunder cracking against the dark clouds, if my dad knew I was out in weather like this he'd kill me.

"What'd got Pope?" John B asked desperately, "C'mon man, what do you see?"

"Nothin'." Pope replied, "A whole lot of nothing."

"You should be right above it brother." John B replied.

"Mally?" Kie called to me, her voice sounded strained.

"Yep!" I yelled back.

"You got it?"

"Barley Kie, barely!" I responded, "We're at 970!"

"980!" Kie yelled, "And we're running out!"

"I'm at the bottom, I'm at the bottom!" Pope yelled in excitement.

"Okay, steady here JJ." John B said.

"Tell me you see something Pope." I pleaded.

"Just wait." He responded.

"Come on we should be seeing something." John B said anxiously.

I dropped the cord and walked over to the screen Pope was looking at and peered over his shoulder anxiously, "Come on, baby, come on." I muttered under my breath as he turned the drone in the water.

And then, low and behold..

"Oh my god." John B muttered and I saw the boat come into view.

I cheered in excitement, jumping while pulling onto Pope's side, "Fuck yeah, baby. It's the Royal Merchant!"

JJ cheered and the five of us bounced in excitement, watching the drone navigate through the shipwreck and one step closer to 80 mil richer.

• • •

A/N; I seriously don't know how to end this story when I get to it man, I'm in two minds ://