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𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆

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There had been times over the summer where a storm out over the Atlantic, hundreds of miles away, would send ripples right over to the Outer Banks...Creating the perfect swell day.

And today just happened to be one of those days.

After their celebration last night, the Pogues ventured back inside to sleep their drunkenness away. Cassie had felt JJ get up in the morning when the weight had shifted on their bed, but she assumed he was just getting up to go to the bathroom.

She assumed wrong when he came running back inside the room, practically jumping on her to shake her awake to tell her they were going to the beach to surf the swells.

It seemed like JJ's defeated mood last night, after finding out about the zoning notice, had changed as soon as he heard about an ideal swell day.

Cassie forced herself out of bed to get ready for their trip to the beach. She pulled on a yellow bikini with a white, see-through coverup thrown over it. Deciding that she hadn't worn her hair in a braid in a while, she tied her hair into a double Dutch braid so it was out of her face while she tried to surf.

She made her way outside to the surf shop, where the others had been getting their boards ready to surf. Kiara had been waxing her board on a stool while John B waxed his board on the floor. Sarah had been watching as she sat on the swingy chair and Emery had been peering over Kiara's shoulder in interest as she sat on the stool behind her.

"Hey, babe, check this out," JJ said once he noticed Cassie. He waved her over, his phone in his hand as he stood next to John B. She went over to him and he showed her the app on his phone that detailed the waves for that day.

"Are those good?" Cassie asked, not as well versed in the topic as JJ had been.

"Yeah, baby, now that's a perfect swell," JJ confirmed and she smiled at his enthusiasm. "It's probably the best of the year." JJ went over to do boards placed against the railing, one yellow with what looked to be lightning bolts and one blue with flowers on it. He pointed to the blue one. "This one's yours. Kie said you could borrow it."

"So, I'm guessing this is another one of my training days?" Cassie pointed out, letting out a low exhale.

On other good swell days that had happened a few times over the summer, JJ had tried teaching Cassie how to surf but she just wasn't picking it up. She'd be able to stand up for a few seconds, but then come crashing down right after without being able to ride the full wave.

She would get so angry every single time. She was supposed to be a Pogue. She was supposed to be able to surf. But here she was, struggling to even stand and it bothered her too much than it should have bothered her.

"I'm feeling like today's the day, baby," JJ spoke optimistically as he grabbed the sides of her arms. "I just sense it."

She gave him a look, pursing her lips. "Oh, really? Today's the day?"

"Yup. You're gonna ride a wave today. I'm making it happen no matter what," he told her.

She rolled her eyes playfully. "We'll see."

Pope walked by with a backpack slung over his shoulder. "Come on, are you guys seriously surfing today?" Pope asked as JJ pulled away from Cassie, grabbing his yellow board.

"Oh, don't. Don't," John B immediately rejected Pope's negative attitude.

"As opposed to what?" Kiara replied in offense.

"Well, I don't wanna sell the million dollars I have in my hand for fifty K, so I'm gonna look into this," Pope explained, waving the amulet up around in the rag it was in.

"Wait, Pope. You just heard me, right? I said it's a perfect swell day," JJ reminded him, pointing to his phone that had the reports.

"Yeah, and there'll be other swell days," Pope countered.

"Wow," Kiara drawled as Sarah scoffed.

"Something tells me that wasn't the right thing for him to say," Emery spoke up, scrunching her nose up.

"Nope," John B confirmed, popping the 'p' at the end.

Cassie shook her head as she muttered, "JJ's gonna lose it in three, two, one..."

"Pope, that's like saying there's other pizza to eat, all right?" JJ compared in offense. "Like, come on, now. Are you serious?"

"Wow. Listen to your Earth Mother, Pope. She's, like, begging you to surf," Kiara told him as she gestured out to the ocean.

"I think my Earth Mother is telling me to maximize our intel," Pope responded as he zipped his backpack up.

"Mine's telling me to maximize the swell," Kiara shot back as she continued to wax her board.

"You wanna maximize a beach day?" John B asked his wife as he looked at her.

"I'm gonna maximize this tan," Sarah shrugged and the girls pointed at her and hummed in agreement.

"I'm gonna maximize this bikini because she was begging to be worn," Cassie piped up as she gestured to her bikini underneath her coverup.

"Thank God for that," she heard JJ mumble behind her and she send him a cheeky grin from over her shoulder.

"And I'm gonna maximize this...script," Emery spoke as she held up the script that was given to her for a play she auditioned for a while back and landed a role.

"Okay, well, everyone, have fun maximizing then," Pope cut in, not getting roped into their subconscious peer pressure.

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Wait, where-where's Cleo?" John B questioned, realizing that he hadn't seen her since last night.

"Oh, yeah, she just texted me. She said that she was on Pogue patrol, and she's looking for bait in The Cut," Pope relayed to them as he read the text she sent him from his phone.

"Lame. Tell her we're closed," Kiara told him.

"I'll text her right now."

"Pope, hey, hey, rule number one, Pope, is no working on a swell day. That's rule number one," JJ tried again, showing him his phone that showed the perfect swells so Pope would be convinced. John B slung his arm over JJ's shoulders, raising his brows at the Heyward boy.

"Okay, hey, somebody's gotta do this. You guys have fun. Catch a nasty one for me, all right?" Pope voiced before he walked away.

"Miss you already!" Sarah called out sweetly.

JJ gave him a look. "Are you gonna meet us there?" He asked, but Pope just kept on walking without giving him an answer. "Hey, Pope! Pope, Pope, Pope!"

Cassie went over and placed a hand on JJ's shoulder. "Just let him go," she spoke dramatically and John B placed a hand to his heart, joining along. "Just let him go."

JJ leaned his head back and groaned as John B and Cassie let him go with a chuckle before JJ turned to Emery, distracting himself with something else. "You need a board, bro?"

Emery shrugged. "Don't think so. I was gonna read my script the whole time."

"You're gonna come to the beach just to read a script?" Kiara laughed. "Boring!"

"So you want me to join you guys in surfing?" Emery questioned, raising her brows at the girl with a faint grin on her lips.

Kiara blinked. "Changed my mind."

Once the Pogues were done waxing their boards and loading up the Twinkie with beach chairs, umbrellas, and a cooler, John B drove the Twinkie down to the beach.

They talked, laughed, and sang the whole drive down to the beach, getting more excited with each mile that John B drove. With everything going on, they needed a relaxing day to themselves where they could just surf and tan to their hearts' content.

When John B parked the Twinkie on an empty spot at the beach, JJ had stepped outside immediately. He stretched his arms, taking in the sights of the perfect waves he had been gushing about before.

Cassie stepped out behind him, watching how the waves crashed down to create white ripples across the water until they reached shore. She could smell the salt air and hear the chirps of seagulls and suddenly, she was brought back to when life was good.

Not that it wasn't good now. She loved her life at the moment. She had a loving boyfriend and the most supportive friends she could ask for. There had just been some issues the past few days she wished didn't exist, like the zoning notice and almost dying issues.

But standing here, her toes in the sand after she kicked off her sandals, she started to forget about all those problems and just wanted to focus on the now.

"Don't you just immediately feel like life is better at the beach?" Kiara rhetorically asked, which brought Cassie out of her trance.

"Yup. Can't argue that," Cassie replied before the two girls did the Pogue handshake with one another.

When Cassie had been strictly friends with Kiara all those years ago, they would always go to the beach together when they were bored. Sometimes they would try to surf, but Kiara knew Cassie wasn't the best at it.

So when they wouldn't be surfing, Kiara would try to look for baby sea turtles. Cassie wasn't sure where that obsession had come from, but she would help the girl nonetheless. They would always come up empty handed, but it was fun to survey the beach with her best friend.

It made Cassie feel...less alone during that time in her life.

The six of them started to take the chairs and umbrellas out of the Twinkie, along with the cooler they packed with drinks.

"Easy with her," JJ warned once John B tossed his beach chair on the sand. "I've had this thing since I was three."

"Maybe you should've spent the last of our money on a new chair then," Cassie sassed as she set up her own chair.

JJ gasped dramatically, holding a hand up to his heart. "Don't say that. She could've heard you," he joked before he propped his chair up, patting it lightly. "It's okay, baby. Papa Jay's got you." Cassie let out a laugh, shaking her head at his antics.

"Papa Jay?" Emery grimaced. "Please don't tell me you call him that, Cassie."

"Bleh! Are you kidding me right now, Em? That's disgusting," Cassie immediately shut her down.

"That's not what you said the other night," JJ muttered with a teasing grin on his face.

Cassie's mouth dropped, her eyes wide. "JJ!" She hissed as the boy snickered. "She's gonna think you're telling the truth."

JJ shrugged. "Whoops."

"You asshole," Cassie insulted.

"You love me," JJ grinned innocently and Cassie couldn't help but let a smile grow on her face at the words.

"Barf," Kiara cut in. "Let us single people breathe."

"Amen to that," Emery agreed and Kiara gave her a quick glance before she started to set up her chair.

John B began to set up the umbrella, almost hitting JJ in the face as he did so which caused Cassie and Sarah to giggle. "Oh God. Half-baked Poguelandia," the Routledge boy voiced.

Sarah laughed, "It's gonna be great."

"This is how you set up an umbrella, JB," Cassie spoke as she opened up the pink umbrella she brought, nice and easy. "Take notes."

John B waved her off. "Yeah, yeah, show-off."

"Let's get these boards off!" JJ announced after they were done setting up their beach chairs and umbrellas.

"I'll help," Cassie said as she followed the boy over to the Twinkie, where their boards were tied on top.

"Oh, boy," John B commented once he noticed large cars driving down the beach, coming in their direction.

"What?" JJ replied as he looked over his shoulder, noticing the expensive cars. He let out a groan, not believing that their relaxing day was about to be interrupted by some Kooks.

"What the hell?" Cassie uttered, squinting her eyes as she watched the car come down the beach as if they were the only people to ever exist.

Sarah exhaled, "You're joking."

"Don't stop," JJ wished as he began to untie the boards with Cassie's help. Cassie would have made a "that's what she said" joke if her mood hadn't been ruined by the sudden appearance of the Kooks.

Kiara shook her head. "Anywhere but here."

They watched as the cars drove past them, the sand kicking up a bit from the large tires. "Look!" Some girl with a pink bandana pointed at them as they rode past.

"Who's that chick?" Sarah gestured over to her with a bored expression.

"Don't stop," JJ repeated, but it seemed like his wish hadn't been granted since the cars stopped just a few yards away from where the Pogues had already set up their things.

If only they had the Blue Crown to wish these stupid Kooks away.

Cassie groaned, leaning her head back as Kiara held her arms out. "Oh, you're joking. Of course they stop here. Why wouldn't they? When there's an entire beach."

"We were here first," Sarah complained.

"You think they care?" Cassie pointed out. "They're obviously doing this on purpose."

"It's a waste of waves if you're asking me," Kiara said.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "So lame."

"I've had enough of these people," Emery voiced, plopping down on her beach chair with her script in hand. Although she hadn't lived in the Outer Banks as long as the others had, she was already done with the Kooks' antics after having to go to school with them.

Cassie handed Kiara and Sarah their boards once the Blake was able to untie them. Sarah carried hers over before she paused once she noticed someone. "Great," she began sarcastically, "my brother's here."

The mention of Rafe Cameron made Cassie look over her shoulder, locking eyes with the boy through his costly shades. She swallowed hard, maintaining eye contact with him with her own eyes narrowed.

The last time she had even been in the mere presence of Rafe Cameron was at the Enduro, where it was obvious he called over his girlfriend to show Cassie he had moved on. And the last time she had ever really spoken to him was when she pushed him off of his boat in Barbados.

It was clear that there was this unspoken tension between the two of them. From Cassie's side, the tension came from her hatred toward him for everything he did to her and the Pogues. From Rafe's side, well, Cassie wasn't sure what he could have thought about her now.

He had been enraged when she pushed him off of his own boat, but he never did anything about it. And now he had a new girlfriend and it had been two years since Rafe tried to "start over" with Cassie.

She hoped that meant he was over this weird obsession he had with her just because she didn't want him back.

JJ noticed the way Cassie had been staring down Rafe. "Cass, don't worry. He ain't gettin' near you. I guarantee that," JJ assured her protectively as he handed her surfboard to her.

"Trust me. I also guarantee that," Cassie replied darkly as she looked back at Rafe again, who had looked away to speak to his girlfriend, Sofia. She wondered if Sofia even knew about all the things he had done.

"Hey, y'all. John B." JJ nodded his head toward the Kooks. "Sunshine's comin'." By sunshine, he meant Topper Thornton, who was making his way over to them. Or what Cassie would continue to call him, Bottom. "What do you think he wants?"

"What does he ever want?" Kiara pointed out.

"Please don't let him antagonize you," Sarah begged her husband.

It had been two years since Sarah cheated on John B with Topper, but now the couple had been happier than ever. However, there was still some bad blood between the two boys for obvious reasons.

"I got him," John B assured Sarah.

"Okay..."

John B began to walk over to the Thornton boy. "I'm gonna be cool."

"I know. I know."

"I got it."

"Okay." Sarah pursed her lips as she watched the two boys near each other, but they had been too far for any of them to overhear their conversation.

Cassie watched them converse with one another, the toxic masculinity radiating off of them but more so from Topper. It was clear Topper had said something that pissed John B, noticing the way John B tensed up.

Cassie let out a sigh as she climbed off the Twinkie with JJ, her surfboard in hand. She wanted nothing more than to hit Topper with it and knock his smug smile off of his stupid face.

He had definitely burnt down the Château no matter how many times he tried to deny it. According to John B, when Cassie and JJ were on their spy mission to save Kiara at Kitty Hawk, Topper had driven to the tarmac.

He started to talk about how he had heard about the Château, the tone in his voice pointing to the fact that he was the one that had burnt it down. Although they had Poguelandia 2.0 now, that Château had meant everything to all of them, especially to John B.

So if Topper really did burn it down, which there was no way he didn't, Cassie wanted to burn him down. If only it wasn't illegal.

Once John B and Topper seemed to be done talking, the five Pogues stripped themselves of their clothes so they were only left in their bathing suits and made their way toward the water.

As soon as Cassie felt the cool water hit her legs, she was determined to finally ride a wave. She and the others swam out on their boards as Emery stayed in her chair, glancing up a few times as she read her script to see how the Pogues were doing on the waves.

JJ, John B, and Kiara rode the larger waves that came by as Cassie and Sarah sat back to watch since they weren't as experienced. It seemed like they were too busy being Kooks all those years ago to really learn how to surf.

It wasn't as encouraged for the girl Kooks to surf, which is why Cassie never got fully into it. When she did try to surf on occasion, she would always end up giving up. But now that she was a Pogue, she really wanted to learn.

JJ came swimming over to Cassie and Sarah after he had ridden a wave, his hair wet and sticking to his forehead. His broad shoulders had already been a bit sunburnt from being out in the sun since he obviously forgot to apply sunscreen.

"Y'all see that? That's surfing, baby!" JJ whooped as Cassie and Sarah bobbed up and down their surfboards.

The girls giggled as Kiara and John B came swimming over, their hair also soaked from riding a wave. "I seriously still don't know how y'all do it," Sarah shook her head. "It's too hard."

"Oh, come on, you got this. You almost stood up on the last one," John B pointed out.

"Yeah, and then I fell off and rolled over under water," Sarah deadpanned, giving her husband a look.

"It happens to the best of us, Sarah," JJ assured her before he looked at his girlfriend. "But the time will come."

"You know, you keep saying that but I'm not sure if I believe it," Cassie told him, tilting her head at him.

"If you don't believe, it's not gonna happen," JJ countered.

"JJ's right, Cece. If you think you can do it, then you will. That's how I taught myself and it worked," Kiara added and JJ pointed at her, humming in agreement.

Cassie released a huff. "Ugh, whatever."

JJ spotted a small enough wave for either Cassie or Sarah to ride. "Ooh, look, look, look. Y'all can definitely take that one."

Cassie and Sarah shared a look. "If you say so," Sarah said in a singsong voice before the two girls swam over to it with their boards.

However, as they tried to ride it, they both fell in the water. This kept happening every single time there was a wave small enough for them to ride and their limbs were starting to ache from trying to get back on their boards only for them to fall off.

Cassie had fallen off the hundredth time at this point and she came back up from underneath the water, angrily hitting her board. "Hey, hey, hey," JJ began as he swam over to his on his board. "Hey, it's okay. You'll get the next one."

She looked up at him, her eyebrows pinched together. "You keep saying that every time, but every time...I fall off."

"It's 'cause you're not believing in yourself," he told her as he got off his board to stand since it was shallow enough to do so. He went closer to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You gotta believe in yourself."

Her bottom lip protruded. "How could I when I keep falling?"

"See, that's exactly it. If you keep thinking that, then you're just gonna keep on falling," JJ said and she pursed her lips to the side. "Look, if it'll help you, I believe in you."

Cassie peered up at him. Although this was about something so small as just riding a wave, the words really did mean something to her. Over two years ago, JJ would've never uttered those words to her, not even if he was held at gunpoint. But now, they had flew from his mouth with ease and it only made her start to fully believe in herself.

JJ looked over to see a wave coming in that was small enough for her to ride. "There's another one coming in. You got this, princess," he spoke before he cupped her cheeks, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "You got this."

Once JJ pulled back, she gave him a resolved nod before she got back on her board and started to swim toward the wave. She could hear the encouraging shouts from JJ and her friends behind her as she neared the wave.

The words of JJ echoed in her brain.

I believe in you.
I believe in you.
I believe in you.

Soon, as she got closer to the wave they morphed into something else.

I believe in myself.
I believe in myself.
I believe in myself.

Cassie got up on her board before the wave could crash down and she stood strong, holding her arms out to balance as the wave took her back to the shore. She smiled wide, blinking at the fact she was actually surfing!

"Yes, Cece!" Kiara called out as she clapped her hands.

"Oh, wow!" She could hear Emery shout from the beach since she had looked up from her script to see her cousin surfing successfully.

"Yeah, Cassie!" John B and Sarah cheered as they jumped up in the water.

"Yeah, that's my girl!" JJ enthused, holding his arms up as he watched his girlfriend ride the wave.

Cassie let out shocked laughs as she continued to ride the wave before it died out, causing her to jump off her board and into the water. She immediately heard the splashing of someone swimming up behind her, but before she could turn around to see who it was, a pair of arms lifted her up.

She didn't even need to see who it was. It was her blonde haired, blue eyed boyfriend who was both cute and hot as ever.

She let out an excited squeal as JJ spun her around, making her board twist in the water since it was still attached to her ankle. "I told you, you could it!" JJ shouted with her in his arms before he set her down back in the water. She turned around, seeing the joyous grin on his face. "I knew today was today. I fuckin' knew it, baby!"

Cassie chuckled as she watched him pump his fist in the air before she enveloped him in a hug, her head pressed on his chest. "I couldn't have done it without you."

JJ dropped his hand and wrapped it around her before she pulled back to look up at him. "Nah, it was all you, baby," he told her. "All you." He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss on her lips.

"Get a room!" Someone shouted a few feet away and they broke apart to see Ruthie in the water with some of her Kook friends snickering.

Cassie scoffed, letting go of JJ. "Excuse me? What-What's your name again?" She questioned as she moved forward in the water.

The laughter died down behind Ruthie, seeing the look on Cassie's face. She clearly wasn't messing around. Ruthie glanced at her friends before she looked back at Cassie. "Ruthie," she answered.

Cassie nodded, giving her a once over. "Ruthie. Right. Topper's girlfriend?"

Ruthie smirked proudly, as if that was even something to be proud of. "Yeah."

"Right, yeah. Sorry that your boyfriend's dick isn't big enough to make you happy that you have to come over here and interrupt us," Cassie insulted and the girls behind her let out some gasps, along with some accidental snorts.

Ruthie blinked at her, scoffing, "W-What?"

"You heard me," Cassie replied and Ruthie glowered at her. "What I think should happen is I should shove you into a room and make sure you never come out, how about that?"

Ruthie raised her brows. "Is that a threat?"

Cassie shrugged. "If you keep talking, it can be."

Ruthie looked around at her friends who had quieted down before she shook her head, stalking back to the beach.

Cassie let out a short laugh before she turned back to JJ, who was smiling proudly. "Surprised you didn't say anything," Cassie spoke.

"I knew you had it handled," JJ told her before he wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer to him. "And besides, why would I want to interrupt you when that was the hottest thing I've ever seen?"

She shook her head, rolling her eyes playfully. "Shut up."

JJ tilted his head. "You can shut me up another way."

She gave him a look before it turned into a smile and she reached up, pressing her lips against his once more as the waves splashed against their bodies.

"Once we get the money from the Blue Crown, we can do this every day," Cassie breathed out once she pulled away, bringing her arms behind his neck as she studied his perfect face.

JJ raised his brows. "Our surf trip?"

Cassie nodded as she confirmed, "Our surf trip."

"I like the sound of that."

authors note!
sorry if this is kinda cringe, i thought
it was cute to include this :( ik it's
like such a small thing that she's not
good at surfing but to cass it means a
lot since at her core, she truly wants to
fit in and being able to surf makes her fit
in with the pogues and now with jj so that's
why she was getting sooo pissed over it. but
now she finally surfed!! also next chapter
is longer than these last two were so be
prepared!