Kie's POV:

I was hanging out with Sarah and Lily at the Wreck before it closed for the night. We were all kooks. Lily's mom was a kook and lived on Figure Eight with her mom. Her parents were divorced and her dad was Luke Maybank. Luke was always getting into trouble and the whole town talked shit about him and his son, JJ, who was Lily's brother. They were a year apart. JJ was a grade older than us, so he was a junior and we were sophomores.

I rarely saw JJ and his friends. They lived on the cut, which was the poor side of the island. JJ and Lily weren't really on speaking terms. JJ thought Lily was a stuck-up bitch and Liky thought JJ was a trashy pogue, just like Luke. I tried my best to stay out of their drama.

Anyways, we were eating fries at the Wreck and it was almost time to close when JJ and his friends walked in.

"What do you want, asshole?" Lily asked her brother

"We want food" John B said pulling out his wallet

"Go away, we're closed" Sarah said

"It's fine" I whispered

I went into the kitchen and gathered up all the food that we made too much of and gave it to them. I told them not to worry about it as we were just going throw it away and we were eating it too. The boys left and Lily rolled her eyes.

"He acts just like my father and it's disgusting," Lily said

Sarah and I knew better than to talk about Luke and JJ. We hung out there for a little longer and then we went to Lily's house for a sleepover.

A few weeks later, both Sarah and Lily were out of town for the weekend. I was just getting off work at the Wreck and I saw JJ there. He didn't say anything to me so I said, "Hey"

"Hey" He said still not looking at me

He looked like he just got off work at one of his job at the bait store that was close by. He looked at me and asked, "What are you going to do this weekend without your bitchy friends?"

I chuckled and said, "I'll manage"

He just laughed and looked down and said, "You don't know what to do without them. You couldn't last being a pogue for a single day"

After a little more talking, I was on the back of JJ's bike. I had my arms wrapped tightly around his torso and he almost seemed to be in pain when I held him tight, so I loosened my grip. He brought to John B's place which was called the Chateau. He brought me in and the boys didn't seem to mind that I was there. They tossed me a beer and we sat outside around the fire playing would you rather which was my idea.

Pope left pretty early as he had to work in the morning and John B then went inside. I sat alone with JJ and he asked, "So how is Lily and my mom?"

"They seem good, do you really not talk to them?"

"No, Lily hates me and so haven't spoken to my mom in over ten years"

"What happened?" I asked realizing it was none of my business and quickly told him, "Never mind, don't answer that"

We just casually talked and I was a little drunk so he showed me to the spare room inside and he was sleeping on the couch. The next morning, John B and JJ were going out on their boat and they invited me. I accepted the offer and it was actually a blast. I haven't had this much fun in a long time. Pope joined us after he finished helping his dad.

We spent the evening drinking beer around the fire again and then JJ offered me some weed which I accepted. We were both so high and John B and Pope went inside and left us alone in the hammock we were sharing.

"You know, Lily would murder me if she knew I was hanging out with you" I said laughing

"She doesn't ever have to find out" He said

We talked for probably another hour about random things and I woke up the next morning next to JJ in the hammock. We must have fallen asleep out here. I got up and checked my phone and saw that it was almost noon and Sarah and Lily had texted a bunch of times letting me know they were back in town.

JJ sat up and saw the messages and said, "Guess it's time for you to go back to reality, huh?"

"I guess so, thank you for the most fun weekend that I've had in a really long time"

"Anytime" He said as I got up and left the Chateau and headed to my house

I didn't mention anything to anyone about my weekend with the pogues. I went back to being a kook with Sarah and Lily, but whenever we ran into JJ and his friends, I couldn't help but feel JJ's eyes on me. I tried my best to ignore it, but I found myself at the Chateau the following weekend to hang with the pogues. Of course, they gave me shit for liking the pogue life but I'm okay with that.

I hung out with them all day and I spent the night in the guest room. The next day, I had plans with Lily so I had to go home. It had been almost two weeks since I'd talked to the pogues. It was a Saturday night and I was at Lily's house for a sleepover with her and Sarah.

I was pretty late and Lily had been on her phone texting someone and she looked annoyed.

"All good, girly?" Sarah asked

"My stupid brother is being a dick... He said he needs to talk to me. He probably only wants money"

Sarah and Lily started talking shit and about ten minutes later, there was a knock on her front door. Lily's mom was gone for the weekend which is why we were here. We all went downstairs and Lily opened the door and JJ was there. He looked like he had just gotten in a fight. His hand was bloody and swollen. His shirt was covered in blood and his lip was cut. There were small bruises and blood spots on his face. He was also soaking wet as it was raining pretty hard outside.

"Get the fuck away from us or I'll call the cops" Lily threatened

"Please... I can't go anywhere else" JJ said on the verge of breaking down

"Go hang out with your loser friends"

"He knows I'll be there, Lil, please..." He begged and she shoved him out the door and slammed it

"Gosh, pogues need to learn to stay on their side of the island," Sarah said

I wanted to go run out in the rain and bring him to my house, but my parents were home and there was no way I could sneak him in there. I made some stupid comments about hating JJ to my friends to play it off as we returned to her room. I ended up making up a lame excuse about having awful cramps so I could go home. I got in my car and went home and grabbed blankets and a first aid kit. I had no idea where he'd be, so I headed to the cut and I saw him walking. I pulled over and told him to get in. He was crying and looked hurt. He got in and didn't say a word.

I drove in silence to an abandoned building about ten minutes away and I parked my car and looked at him. The once happy-go-lucky boy was now a total broken mess. I turned the light on in my car and gently cleaned him up and had him apply ice to his hand. He didn't talk and I wasn't going to force it. I wish I had somewhere to take him, but I didn't. He told me to bring him to the Chateau and I did. I told him to text me if he needed anything.

I went home and went to bed and JJ ignored me for the next week. It had been almost two weeks and I was at home tonight when JJ texted me and asked if I could pick him up at the beach and I did. He got in my car and I asked, "Where to?"

"I don't know, but I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me"

"It's no problem, is everything okay?"

"Not really, but whatever" He played it off as I drove to the same abandoned building

I folded my backseats down and made a 'bed' with the blankets I had in here. JJ and I laid in the back of my car and talked for hours. He told me all about his drunk father and how he's been abusive to JJ since his mom left. JJ was five years old and his mom left with Lily and left JJ there with Luke. JJ said he hates his mom for not taking him with and he used to be really close with Lily as a kid. They were close until fifth grade. That was the first time Luke really hurt JJ and he went to Lily for help. She told him to leave her alone and ever since then, they stopped speaking. My heart broke for JJ and I was pissed at Lily and her mom.

"Kie, I need to warn you that you're becoming this safe place that I've never had. I can't lose you as my friend"

"You won't, I promise," I said getting lost in blue eyes

We both slowly leaned in until our lips touched. The kiss was soft and gentle, not what I was expecting. We broke away and he kissed my forehead and whispered, "Goodnight, pogue princess"

I smiled at his nickname for me and we both fell asleep. When I woke up in the morning, JJ was playing with my hair. This was a good sign that the kiss wasn't just a kiss.

"So, that kiss last night...." I said nervously

"Shit... Did I fuck this up?"

"I was going to say that I liked it" I smiled and JJ relaxed as he kissed me again

We went back to our normal lives, except I didn't care what the kooks thought of me. I was openly hanging out with the pogues. Lily and Sarah were passed at me for a long time, but Sarah started hanging out with John B and then Lily with Pope. So it all kinda worked out. They started living the pogue life just like me.

I finally felt free from being a kook. JJ might say that I was the one who saved him, but it was him who saved me.