CHAPTER ONE

paradise on earth.

          It had only been last night that they'd been riding out Agatha at Sadie's house, watching cheesy romance movies trying to ignore the storm brewing outside. Percy was sure she would be cleaning up all summer when she had first seen the destruction the hurricane had left in its wake; twigs and branches lay everywhere she looked, their shop's sign practically ripped apart and scattered along with them.

Even with the warm night air surrounding the Stingers, Percy shivered slightly, the rusty metal underneath her thighs cold to the touch. She took a swig of her beer and smiled as her eyes landed on Sadie sitting across from her. The blonde rolled her eyes, probably at what utter nonsense Brinley was saying.

Brinley had laid down a while ago, sprawled out in the back of her old pickup as she laughed at something Sadie was muttering under her breath. She held the joint between her lips before inhaling and blowing it up into Sadie's face.

"Okay, so, don't you guys dare laugh at me." Brinley began pausing a second to take another swig from her beer. "But do you think sand is called sand because it's between sea and land?"

"God, Brinnie." Sadie laughed as her eyes fell back to Brinley, her fingers playing with the curls that lay sprawled out on her lap. Brinley looked up at Sadie, expecting an actual answer to her absurd question. She turned her head to the side, her gaze now directed to Percy who was trying to hold in her laugh. 

"I don't fucking know," Percy admitted with a shrug before she leaned forward to steal the joint away from Brinley, who more than likely had enough for now as their night was only starting.

"Lightweight." Sadie teased as she looked up at Percy, a laugh escaping from her lips as Percy returned a playful grimace, nose scrunched slightly and barely keeping her smile hidden.

"Guess we've got ourselves a babysitting job for the night, Sadie," Percy added with a shrug, her smile widening at Brinley's annoyed expression and Sadie's grin. Oh, how she loved these girls. They were her entire world.

"Fuck off," Brinley mumbled under her breath as she glared up at the blonde, her eyes hooded and a slight shade of red.

"Brinnie, That's not nice." Sadie pouted as she placed her hands on either side of Brinley's face, bringing her face closer to Brinley's with that stupid smile she couldn't stop thinking of. She could feel

"Neither are you." Brinley retorted, but Sadie just smiled down at her.

"I'll drive." Percy jumped down from the back of the car, dusting off her knees and putting out the joint on the hood of the car. 

          The sun had begun to wither away when the Stingers arrived, leaving only the bonfire in the distance to illuminate the boneyard. Brinley had her feet up on the dashboard the entire ride, windows cracked open and music blasting through the radio. Sadie had been going on and on about her plans for summer, which mostly consisted of the three of them hanging out, partying and occasionally picking up some shifts at The Wreck.

"Ladies!" Percy didn't even need to turn her around to recognize the person hollering at them from the beach; she knew who it was. The inkling she had was confirmed as she turned her head and there he was, his grin widening as their eyes met.

"Close the damn window," Brinley muttered in annoyance at the sight of JJ Maybank slowly jogging towards her car. Her scowl slightly faltered at the sound of Sadie's laughter from the backseat.

"Brinley, great seeing you as always." He added flashing a bright smile before making his way over to Percy, who unfortunately had not been able to close her window in time.

"Percy, just who I was looking for." He added once he'd reached them, leaning against the car door and sticking his head through the window with a slight grin playing on his lips. Percy hadn't even been able to get out of the car before he'd found her.

"Got any weed by chance?"

"I might. You got money to pay for it, Maybank?" Percy questioned. Her back was turned to him as she looked for her backpack in the back of Brinley's car, but the annoyed expression that was more than likely written all over her face was one he'd know blind.

"You're bad for business. Nothing personal, Maybank." She stated, but she knew that even tonight she would eventually give in to him. It shouldn't be personal, it never was. However, with Percy Moore and JJ Maybank, it always seemed to be.

"No money, no weed." She added once she'd placed the worn-down bag in her lap and looked back up at him, her eyebrows raised slightly as she awaited his answer. Just as he was about, to sum up, all the reasons why giving him free weed for the night was a great idea and all the excuses of why he hadn't gotten to paying Percy back, he was interrupted by Sadie.

"Are you a Taurus?" Sadie asked as she leaned between the two front seats, a slight grin playing on her lips. Percy turned towards the blonde, dumbfounded. Brinley snorted as she glanced between JJ and Percy, both baffled

"Am I a what?"

"She's asking about your star sign." Brinley tried to explain, but JJ's frown and look of utter confusion didn't waver one bit. "Just tell her your birthday," 

"May 17th," JJ answered slowly, a bit weary. Sadie slowly started to nod at his answer, as if it had solidified everything, she'd ever need to know about him with that single answer.

"You are! I knew it." Sadie stated with a smile. "It's a gift." 

"I'll pay the difference next time, and I mean it." He reassured pulling a few scrunched-up dollar bills from his back pocket and placing them in her hand when his eyes fell back to Percy and the annoyed look that had overtaken her features once again. He placed his hand over her own with that same grin that always seemed to occupy his lips returning at the sight of Percy rolling her eyes and opening up her backpack.

"I could always pay in other ways." He clicked his tongue behind his teeth, a teasing sound when paired with the slight smirk playing on his lips. Percy grimaced at his words before she rolled her eyes and handed him the few joints that she had left. A bit crooked since they'd been lying at the bottom of her bag for quite some time, but JJ had the right mind not to comment on their misshapen state.

"No need, I prefer cash. And I'd be doing you a favour anyway," Percy stated with a smirk, but she couldn't ignore the way she felt as his fingers brushed against hers when she handed them over. This only caused his grin to widen.

"I'll pay you back, Percy. In cash, I promise," JJ swore again as he lowered his head slightly. He earned a scoff from Percy who just nodded along with his words, a small disbelieving smile forming on her face.

"We'll see about that." Percy challenged. She'd known JJ for years, hated him for years, and grew to tolerate him over a few more. Percy Moore wasn't the same as she used to be and neither was JJ Maybank.

Some way or another this summer would be different, she knew it wasn't the same as it was and so did, he.