I. wind, drift me out to sea

      The salt air sprays on her skin like a kiss.

Dylan's toes curled into the hot sand as the cold water splashes her ankles. Her brown eyes observe the soft bed of water, watching the rippled waves shine from the sun like diamonds. Seagulls flew above her head in packs. There was nothing more beautiful than the ocean. It gathered her worries and problems and washed them out to sea like a message in a bottle. In daylight, it looks like the sea and sky are painted in watercolor aquamarine, shell swirled brushstrokes and washes of cerulean. At night, Poseidon makes the whole world fade to indigo. Dylan could talk about the ocean forever.

HONKKK. Dylan turned around and saw JJ standing at the top of the hill, waving his arms like a mad man. "DJ, you comin' or what? You can't say no, either!"

She laughed.

Kiara came running and jumped up and down, waving her arms as well, her brown curls flying in the wind. "Dylan, let's go!" She shouted.

Dylan gathered her shoes and took one final look at her safe haven. She jogged through the ran and ran up the hill. Her friends were waiting for her. JJ smiled widely and threw his arm around her. "Meditating again, Dyl Dyl?" He teased.

"It's the only time of day I get away from you."

He gasped sarcastically. "I thought the ocean was suppose to bring you peace and love."

She laughed. "I'm not a hippie, JJ."

"Hey!" Said Kiara.

"Sorry, Kie."

JJ slid open John B's van and the remainder of her friends smiled her way. "DJ, haven't seen you in a while!" John B choked from the drivers seat.

She climbed into the van, which was called the Twinkie for some unknown reason. "You saw me less than 24 hours ago."

"Twenty four hours too long." Said Pope with a smile as she passed by.

"Let's go do illegal shit!" The rambunctious blonde hollered as he slid the door closed.

Dylan's head rested on the open window. The sun blazed on her face. Her arm was hanging out and her fingers twirled in the open air. It was like she just needed to feel. She lived in Kildare her whole life. The ocean, the air, the ground below her, she wanted to feel it all. It was a part of her. She was an island girl for better or for worse.

John B's decision to break into the construction sighting did set well with Pope. It never did. But the houses had a perfect view of the ocean. Dylan couldn't say no, especially when she got to tour inside the homes. She laid on her back against the wooden ledges. Subglasses covered her eyes and she almost fell asleep the seagulls sounds around them.

John B stood on top of the roof with a beer in his hand. He balanced himself on one foot as if to see how long it would take him to fall. Dangerous boy. "That's, what, a three story fall from the deck?" Pope voiced. He held a drill in his right hand. "I give you about a one in three chance of survival."

John B licked his finger and held it in the air, checking the wind direction. "Hmm, should I do it?" He joked.

Dylan laughed. "Please, we all know you're no ballerina, JB." She called out.

Pope laughed. "Yeah, you should jump. I'll shoot you on the way down!" He played along and held up the drill.

"Yu'll shoot me?" John B mocked and started making finger guns at them, pretending to shoot them.

The three stated shooting finger guns at each other, their laughs mixing together. Dylan faked a groan as if a bullet hit her in the chest and she grabbed her chest in pain, making Pope laugh again.

"They're gonna have Japanese toilets with towel warmers." Kiara stated in disbelief when she walked out of the remodeling building.

"Of course they are. Why wouldn't they?" JJ questioned with a sigh in annoyance.

"This used to be a turtle habitat. But who cares about the turtles, I guess."

"I can't have cold towels."

"I'll have you know turtles are my favorite animal!"  Informed Dylan.

"We know, DJ. We know." John B called from the roof.

It got Kiara's attention. She squinted her eyes to look up at him. "Can you please not kill yourself?" She said politely.

Dylan sat up on the wood and lowered her sunglasses. "Do I get the twinkie when you die?"

"There's a reason you have a bike instead of a car, Dyl." Said Pope while looking down at her, a smile on his face.

"Which is crazy considering your parents can afford a car." Said JJ.

Pope shot him an annoyed look. JJ held up his hands. He pointed at John B. "Don't spill that beer. I'm not giving you another one."

He tried to balance himself again on one leg and stumbled. The beer slipping from his grip and onto the deck. "Whoa! Oh, shit."

Dylan was more worried about him. "B, be careful. Idiot!" She hissed as the beer spewed everywhere.

"Of course you did. Like, right when I said." JJ commented dramatically.

"Smooth." Kiara muttered.

"You'd make all the ballerinas jealous." Dylan joked and she high fived a laughing Pope.

"A-plus."

"Hey!"

The pair looked over to see a security guard had arrived. "Hey, uh, security's here." Pope announced and he patted the top of the railing. "Let's wrap it up!"

"Boys are early today." Said John B from the roof as he began to climb down.

"Humpty dumpy, let's roll."

"Time to create some chaos."

Pope grabbed Dylan's hand and helped her off the wood. "Gary, is that you? Gary, good to see you, man!" JJ taunted the security guard.

"Hurry up, John B!" Dylan urged as he climbed down the platform.

"Is it time?"

"Yeah, you're just asking for it." Kiara giggled and the group of friends ran through the remodeling building and down the stairs, cheers erupting from them.

Dylan giggled like a man woman as she tried to keep up with the wild bunch. Pope kept a grip on her hand and he pulled her wherever he went. Her cheeks flushed red from adrenaline and excitement. Joyous hollers echoed as she could hear Gary shouting for them to stop.

JJ slipped on the floor of the building as they ran as fast as they could. His halt caused Gary to grab a hold of him. "Not much a hugger, man!" He said loudly and dodged him.

"JJ, hurry up!" Dylan shouted from over her shoulder and she and Pope ran outside to where the fence was.

"Pope, Dyl, go, go, go!" He hurried them and the three friends swiftly climbed over the wooden roof.

Pope fell to the ground with a thud. "Pope, let's go!" She laughed and quickly helped him up.

"Come on guys. Fatso's coming!"

"Hey! Come here, you little pricks!" Gary hissed from behind the fence.

"Let's see how long it takes him to get over!" Dylan shouted with bright laughter. She grasped Pope's hand in hers and they ran, hearing the honk of John B's van.

"Bus is leaving!" The driver declared.

"Come on boys. Come on, Dylan!" Kiara hollered from inside. "Whoo-Hoo!"

JJ jumped into the van and Dylan and Pope fell in behind him. She collapsed on the floor with heavy breaths. "Holy shit."

John B began driving off and Gary ran after them, still shouting for them to stop.

"Check out Gary. Gunnin' for a raise." Pope joked and they watched the man chase after them.

"Come on Gary! Wait, slow down. Slow down!" JJ said to John B.

"Hey, you little pricks!" Gary hissed when he ran closer to the open entrance of the van.

JJ climbed out the backseat and leaned out of the open exit, holding out a can of beer in Gary's direction.

"Stop guys, you're gonna give him a heart attack." Kiara warned but they ignored her and laughed as he began taunting the security guard.

JJ stuck his body half way of the van and reached forward with the beer. "Come on, you're so close!" He continued to taunt him.

"JJ!" Dylan said through her laughter.

"You can do it! There you go." He stopped and tossed the can of beer at him. "Aw, they don't pay you enough, bro."

"JJ, stop. Stop." Kiara scolded again and shoved his arm.

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

Dylan and Pope only continued their laughter from the other side of the van. "That's probably the most exercise he's gotten in years." She quipped.

The sun turned the sky orange by the time the Pogues crossed the bridge back into the Outer Banks. Dylan climbed to the front seat of the Twinkie. John B looked her way and smiled. "Uh oh, is it that time again?"

"It sure is." She returned and rolled down the window. The others watched her with excitement as she climbed out the window and left the lower half of her body in the van, sitting on the window seal. "WE'RE BACK, BITCHES!" Dylan hollered into open air as they drove by numerous cars.

JJ shouted at the top of her lungs and they went wild.

She released a hysterical laugh and titled her head back, feeling her curly hair whip around her head. "WHOO!"

Pope shook his head and smiled.

The Outer Banks was separated by two tribes. Two tribes, one island. Pogues and Kooks. Rich and poor. They were two opposite sides of the food chain. Dylan rested her arms and head on the top of the van as John B drove through the Figure Eight, where she lived.

Figure Eight was known as the Kook side of the island. Country clubs and yachts. Fancy dinner parties and good tournaments. Dylan moved to the side of the island when she was twelve years old. At first, she thought she was leaving everything behind. John B. Her school. Her freedom. But Dylan still had all of that thanks to her parents, who supported her decision to want to be apart of the Pogues.

But even though she was a Pogue, Dylan still always felt guilty when she drove through the cut. Small houses that resembled shacks and people doing hard work for extra money. The working class people who made a living cleaning boats and working in restaurants. The two islands is what separated her and Kie from the guys. But they would always be Pogues, no matter how much money they bad.

The Pogues were overlooked in Kildare which meant they could do whatever they wanted. Dylan was always running around with them which caused many people to whisper. She was Dylan Jennings, Logan and Ainsley's daughter. What business did she have with those lowlifes? She belonged on Figure Eight with Sarah Cameron and Topper Thornton. Where she couldn't get into trouble.

To them, Dylan said fuck you. She'd rather be young, wild, and free than trapped in a world she didn't belong in.

Besides, she lived on the cut before she moved to Figure Eight. Big John and Logan were best friends in their time, which meant Dylan and John B were destined to be apart of each other's lives. They grew up together. Took baths together. Swam in the marsh together. John B was practically her brother. It didn't matter whether she lived on the cut or not. They were best friends above all.

Then came JJ Maybank, whose affectionate and wild energy stuck with them whether they liked it or not. He was crazy. But he was kind. Protective. He came from a bad home. Luke Maybank was no good. He was rotten and terrible. He didn't deserve JJ. So they took him in as one of their own. A Pogue. Dylan would always protect him so matter what anybody in her life said, even her dad sometimes.

Pope came into her life at the perfect time. He was just a shy boy in her English class who was scared to say a word to her. Dylan loved messing with him. Trying to get him to speak. Watching him blush made her laugh. He was so smart. Scary smart. His intelligence increased as they got older. They were the best of friends. Dylan adored him like no other. He was shy and she was loud. She pulled him out of his shell. Pope was happiness while she was the sun.

It could've been just the four of them. Everything was so great the way it was. But Kiara was the heart and soul of the Pogues. They needed her. Her and Dylan were practically sisters. She was everything Bob Marley and tattoos. A free spirit. She didn't need anybody. But the Pogues were her family. Together, the five of them made each other happy. They were a family. They'd do anything for each other.