001. Mouse Genocide

"It's a double out there, guys." John B beamed as he stomped through the mounds of sand and grass.

"Double overhead?" Pope questioned, glancing between the cousins with uncertainty covering his face.

Maliah felt the rain hitting her skin like bullets, she smiled as she looked out into the surge. The waves crashing onto the shore causing a warm and fuzzy feeling to immediately flow through her.

Any sane person knew that a hurricane this size meant boarding up their windows, filling up bathtubs with water, as hoarding as much food as possible. But for the pogues, there was a different idea in mind.

She tightened her grip on her board, running her free hand through her tangled hair as thunder crackled loudly above them.

"Those aren't surfable waves, guys." Pope desperately tried to explain.

Maliah squinted at him and chuckled, "Says who?"

Without a second thought, Maliah turned on her heal, making a run for it towards the ocean, John B following quickly behind her, diving into the water.

Pope shook his head, inhaling deeply, before pushing off the wet sand below his feet toward them.

As the three dove into the bone-chilling water, Maliah steadied herself and watched as the larger waves began to roll in, searching for barrel she could take off.

Eventually, she found one. And another, and then another. But with how choppy and messily the waves crashed in, it was almost impossible to fully catch one. Only getting lucky a couple of times. Each one they took on, seemed to only end up with a complete wipe out from the each of them.

Maliah sat up on the deck of the board, squinting ahead of her as she hoped for at least one clean wave, when, amidst the storm fueled waves, something else caught her eye.

She tilted her head slightly, the harsh rain blurring her vision, but eventually, she was able to make out what seemed to be a boat. Lightning lit up the sky, thunder chasing it with an echo, showing the boat struggling against the waves clearly. She placed a hand over her eyes, attempting to shield them from the rain, but as another waved crashed in, the boat that was once there, was now gone.

Maliah groaned at the sound of a rooster crowing loudly outside her window at the Chateau. She reached up to rub her eyes before rolling over to reach for her phone. The sudden movement immediately bothering someone else from their slumber.

A soft but annoyed, "Prrbt!" came from by Maliah's feet.

"I'm sorry!" Maliah whisper shouted, apologizing to the kitten, before sitting up and extending an arm out to stroke the animals fluffed up grey fur.

When Maliah showed up at the Chateau a year ago, with a fluffy grey kitten in hand, the pogues were, confused, to say the least.

Some—John B—being completely against the idea of having a kitten run around the Chateau, knocking things over and causing chaos. Kiara completely loved the idea. Pope immediately started reading down his mental list of reasons, 'Why the Pogues are NOT responsible enough to take care of any type of pet, other than a fish.' While JJ just clarified the fact that 'He's more of a dog person.'

But after seeing the kitten scratching at her door for food at home, Maliah wouldn't take no for an answer. In the end, Gus stayed. Becoming the first honorary Pogue Pet.

Maliah scratched under his chin, before pulling away and picking up her phone to check over her messages. Which, there were none, as she realized that there was no signal most likely because of the storm.

She crawled out of bed, leaving a chaste kiss on the top of Gus' head, before slipping on her mud-crusted converse and reaching back to pull her hair into a loose-low bun.

Upon entering the cluttered kitchen, muffled voices sounded from outside. She ignored them, stomach grumbling quietly as she made her way into the room. She wrapped her hands around the handle of the fridge, opening it only to find a 24-pack of beers—with a couple missing—an empty carton of milk, and a loaf of bread, covered in green and white mold. She threw her head back and groaned, shutting the door.

She glanced toward the window beside the fridge, seeing John B and JJ assessing the damage to the exterior of the Chateau, outside. Her eyes immediately darting to the gaping hole in the ground that was left by the tree laying beside it.

Maliah turned, reaching for the door of the Chateau, making her way outside, without the two realizing.

She watched as John B tore some loose tangled branches from off of the HMS Pogue, which they had brought into the backyard.

"Agatha did some work, huh?" She sighed loudly, bringing both the boys attention toward her.

JJ quickly tore his eyes off of her, tilting his head back, finishing off the beer in his hand.

"Yeah, she did." John B agreed in defeat.

"Whatcha thinkin'?" Maliah squinted at her cousin, crossing her arms in front on her chest.

John B's lips curled, "I'm thinkin' that storm surge pushed all the crabs out on the marsh maze. All those drum are gonna chase the crab. You in?"

Maliah hummed, "I haven't talked to my dad. 'Think I'm just gonna head back to mine and see what's going on there."

"C'mon, Indie. Think about it." John B groaned, as he picked up a branch off the boat, "It's God tellin' us to fish."

"God, tellin' you guys to fish." She motioned her hand out toward them.

JJ squinted up at John B, fiddling with the empty can in his hand.

"I'll be back later, promise." She smiled, backing up towards her bike.

Thankfully, when Maliah arrived home, there was little to no damage done to her house. As she pulled up on her bike, she found that her father was already outside assessing the damage, seeing the same as her. But, there was plenty of damage done to the houses that Jared worked at.

And before either of them knew it, Jared was directing two yard-workers, as they heaved an obnoxiously large sculpture out of the pool in the Cameron's backyard.

"Be careful with that. Anything happens to it, Rose is kill me or Ward." Jared stated.

As if he was summoned, Ward came around the corner with a woman following directly behind him, "Listen to Jared."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Cameron." One of the workers agreed.

"I don't even wanna know how much it cost." Ward sighed coming up beside Jared, patting him on the shoulder.

"Me neither." Jared stifled a low chuckle as they both watched the sculpture be lifted from the water.

"Dad, the Wi-Fi's not working. I can't post anything."

Ward glanced up towards the voice, "Wheezie, there was a hurricane sweetheart." Jared couldn't help but let out another laugh.

"No. No, no, no!"

Ward shook his head in disbelief, "What- what is your sister doing?" He asked his youngest.

Wheezie glanced back toward where her sister ran around, "Saving mice with Maliah."

And that's exactly what they were doing. Both girls around the grass, frantically swinging tennis rackets at the birds that tried to swoop down at their pray.

"'M sorry, Sarah!" Ward apologized to woman beside him.

"I'm busy!" The blonde yelled, jumping into the air as she swung again.

"One sec!" Maliah added in.

Jared sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

"What are you two doing?" Jared yelled out to the girls, as both fathers made their way over toward them.

"The burrows filled with water from the surge." Sarah explained to them.

"The birds are having a field day!" She yelled out, running after a bird that was attempting to snatch up a mouse.

"The birds have to eat too, girls." Ward tried to reason.

"Maliah, come on up here." Jared spoke next.

"No, it's a mouse genocide out here- No!" The brunette took another swing, just nearly missing the bird.

Ward laughed lowly at the girl's remark, "The cycle of life is what it is, sweetheart. Now, come on."

"I can't be a part of it." Sarah shouted beginning to make her way over toward her father, "First they came for the mice, Daddy."

"Yeah- well, I have an actual, human being, that you might give some help too-"

Sarah reached out her hand to the woman beside her father, "I'm Sarah. And that's Maliah, I'm so sorry."

"Hi," Maliah came up beside Sarah, exhaling deeply, trying to catch her breath, "So, sorry."

Ward placed a hand on Maliah's shoulder, "This is Lana Grubbs, she's Scooter's wife."

"Nice to meet you, Miss." Maliah breathed out, reaching to shake her hand next.

"Now, you were storm prepping with him right?" Ward glanced to Sarah.

Sarah ran her fingers through her hair, "Y-Yeah. He helped me latch the cabin on the Druthers."

"Last night?" Ward asked.

"Yeah."

"And did he go out after that?"

"From here?" Sarah furrowed her brows.

"Yeah."

"No. Are you crazy? There was a hurricane."

"Well, did he say where he was going?" Lana interrupted, "or get a phone call, or mention anything?"

Sarah shook her head softly, "He didn't say anything to me."

Maliah noticed the uneasy look Lana shared with Ward and her father, "Is he okay?"

"He's absolutely okay," Ward placed a hand on Lana's back.

"He's probably just hunkered down somewhere, I'm sure." Jared added.

"We're gonna find him." Ward spoke softly as he guided the woman away from the girls.

"'M so sorry." Sarah sent her an apologetic look, as the two men ushered her away.

Maliah felt a pit form in her stomach. The uncertainty that Scooter possibly wasn't okay, made her feel ill. And she didn't even know the man.

"Hey," Sarah interrupted the silence, before smiling at Maliah, and lifting up her tennis racket, "There's still a mouse genocide happening."

authors note   i felt the need to give u guys the first chapter. BUT im gonna start updating this book again when my winter break starts ok bye! also this is unedited because i didnt feel like going through it again