𝐓 𝐇 𝐈 𝐑 𝐓 𝐘 - 𝐎 𝐍 𝐄
surf trip

"I hate to say this, but you're rubbing off on me," Meredith muttered. "This is becoming our thing."

The pogue watched from behind her, her back pressed to his chest as she sat in between his legs, twirling the rings on his fingers. In his other hand was a joint, smoke bellowing from the end.

"Is that a good thing?" He smirked, watching her fingers fidget with his silver rings that decorated his hand.

"I think?" She giggled when he scoffed, sighing heavily. "Yeah, it is."

"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows mockingly, looking down at her past her shoulder. One of his hands was on the outside of her thigh while his other was in her hand. Even after their first kiss, he couldn't seem to let go of her, wanting to feel her skin against him. "Why's that?"

"I don't know," She chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. JJ watched as she furrowed her brows in thought, hand pausing on his rings. He leaned forward slightly to get a better look at her, his chest firmly against her back.

"What's goin' on in that pretty little head of yours?" He smirked, eyes studying her concentrated expression.

"It's stupid," She shook her head with an airy scoff, immediately shutting down his concern. However, it only interested the blonde even more.

"No, it's not," he frowned. "Come on, tell me."

Finally, she sighed, giving into his urgency. "What're you going to do with your cut of the gold?"

At her words, he blew out a long breath of confliction, eyes scanning the empty area that once harbored energetic people and band instruments. Now, just a little after midnight, there was no longer the serene music dancing around from the festival. If was all simply gone, leaving JJ and Meredith to be swallowed whole by the darkness.

It was like they were the only two left in the world.

"I don't know-" he cut himself off, eyes narrowing in thought. "Actually, have you ever heard of Xcalak?"

"No," She shook her head. "What is it?"

"Jewel of Yucatan," he began, Meredith catching how his eyes twinkled in admiration for his interests. Wanting to show that she was paying attention, she turned around, no longer laying on his chest. Instead, she sat with crossed legs, leaning forward slightly. "A state in Mexico. There's lobsters so thick, mangoes, and absolutely no word for money."

"It sounds nice," She smiled sincerely, draping her legs over his as she sat on the van wall beside him. "So, that's your plan? Go to Yucatan?"

"Once we're rolling in the doe," he nodded triumphly. "That, or I'm just gonna buy a big ass house on Figure Eight and go Full Kook. Get those... those koi ponds and just fill it with a bunch of those fish."

The girl smiled at his enthusiasm, which she rarely ever saw. He was often kept to himself, but when JJ Maybank spoke his mind, the universe stopped to listen.

It even seemed like the stars were listening from above, their gentle twinkle a dance of interest.

"Get a marble statue of myself," the corner of his lip pulled up into a satisfied grin, his words eliciting a laugh from her.

"Oh, God," She chuckled. "I'm never visiting. Ever."

"Well, you wouldn't have to," he caught her eyes, hand finding its home on the inside of her thigh. "'Cause we'd be in Yucatan together."

Meredith suddenly felt as if her heart had pummeled out of her chest, and her limbs had become frozen in place because JJ Maybank was not the affectionate kind. He didn't imagine his future with someone whom he had just met but already knew so much about. And he did not care about someone like he did her.

But, here he sat, considering every future moment with the girl beside him. He wasn't a hopeless romantic, but maybe, if he had wanted her as badly as he thought, he could try for her.

"Yeah?" She smirked. "That's the plan, then? Travel to Yucatan?"

"Yeah," he smiled over at her. "Surf trip. Wherever the world calls, you know?"

The sable-haired girl nodded, eyes falling to his hand on her thigh, thumb caressing her skin softly in soothing patterns. Her whole life, she was sure she would he restricted to the short span of Outer Banks. There wasn't much for her to do here. She would grow up and marry a rich man and become an alcoholic by the time she was thirty. Oh, she would also be a baby-producing machine.

Well, at least that's what she used to think.

Now, there's a kleptomaniac-pogue with a heart of gold and an unhealthy obsession with weed who changed her view on everything.

Nothing was certain. Her future wasn't, nor was the promise of them becoming more. But, she didn't care as long as he was by her side.

"What would you do if surf trip wasn't on the table?" He nudged her leg with the back of his hand, forcing her attention to be caught.

"Well, I think I'd have to know how to surf for it to be an official surf trip," She smiled.

"I'd teach you, obviously," JJ promised. "That's all part of the adventure, princess."

Her lips curled up into a nervous smile, his intimate gaze distracting her from what she wanted to say. It was until she felt him watching her that she finally looked up to speak.

"I'd probably just travel," Meredith mused, the possibility of out running her parents' forced future for her felt exhilarating. But, in reality, she knew she would most likely never get out. She couldn't disobey her parents like that. "But, that's hypothetical."

"How?" He frowned in confusion. "Can't you do that already?" He didn't mean to sound judgemental or resentful, but it was incredibly hard to believe that the island's wealthiest girl couldn't do anything her mind sought out. But, he didn't know that her parents kept her horizons very slim and only allowed her to what they approved. If their prize possession daughter even made one minor mistake, she was scolded for it, and it was hard-wired into her brain to never do it again.

"No..." She whispered, embarrassment overwhelming her. "I mean, technically, if you think about it, yes. I could. It's not that I don't have the money to do it- I obviously do. It's just that my parents would never allow it."

He frowned at her, realizing that the bubble wrap that suffocated her her whole life had just been a means to survival- it was her way of covering up her family and self flaws.

"My dad is traveling constantly, I rarely see him," Meredith swallowed thickly. "But, they want me to stay here for the rest of my life. Who knows, maybe I'll become a raging alcoholic like my mom, or my husband will never be around like my dad." She sighed, and JJ could see the way the topic weighed on her. "It's a never-ending chain."

"You aren't like them, Mer," he tilted his head. "At least, not to me. You don't want them controlling you? So don't let them."

She scoffed, but there was no hint of annoyance. "It's not that easy, JJ."

"Shouldn't it be?" He raised his brows. "I mean, look at it like this- you've got everything handed to you, everything a Kook could ask for. But, then, on the other hand, you've got this life." He motioned to the area around them, and for what felt like forever, Meredith felt cared for. "The life you want. So, you're gonna live a boring and depressing life just to impress them?"

"I don't know," She mumbled, gaze falling tiredly. She had almost forgotten that JJ had lit a joint until he held it up in her line of vision, and she gladly took it from him.

"You've gotta think about yourself for once," he rubbed his thumb back and forth on her skin, and she followed the action. "Do what you want."

"What if I disappoint them?" She looked up, dropping the hand that held the joint in her lap.

"They'll get over it," JJ chuckled. "But, if they really love you, they'll be proud that you made yourself happy."

A thick blanket of comfortable silence swallowed them whole, longing stares being passed every few seconds or the occasion exchange of the joint. It was relatively silent until the blonde spoke again.

"And if that goes to shit," he sighed. "Then you've got us." You've got me. He wanted to say, but he chose not to because he couldn't promise that she would want him forever. He couldn't promise that she wouldn't get bored.

"JJ?" She whispered, passing the joint over to his open hand.

"Hm?" He hummed, joint in between his lips.

"Thank you," Meredith's voice was just below a whisper, but JJ had heard her. He would always be listening, and no matter what, he would find her angelic voice amidst any chaos. "You're sweet for the most part."

"Shut up," he rolled his eyes, but he couldn't contain the smile that crept onto his lips. Without another word, he leaned forward, hand finding her cheek like two puzzle pieces. It was like she attracted him closer because he leaned forward unknowingly, lips finding hers.

Her ebony eyes fluttered shut in serenity, lips moving in sync with his. No matter how many times his skin touched hers, she would react. Whether it was the butterflies that infiltrated the pit of her stomach or the goosebumps that littered her freckled skin- he affected her.

JJ could feel her lips suddenly curve into a smile against his, and before he could register it, she was turning her head and putting the joint in between her lips.

He groaned in agitated, watching as she inhaled the weed with a large puff before turning back to face him. Lust danced behind his cerulean irises as he watched her hollow out her cheeks, lips parting.

However, his frustration with her teasing had dissipated quickly when she leaned forward, angling her head to one side. Her lips ghosted his when she released the smoke from her parted lips, the smoke licking against his cupid's bow.

JJ's eyes flickered shut, taking in the smoke before exhaling it to the side. She was so close, and all he wanted to do was close the gap between them, but he composed himself, letting her take action again.

Meredith took another puff of the weed, the blonde boy pulling the joint out of her mouth and holding it for her. This time, instead of moving towards him, she pulled him closer, hand snaking around his head.

She did the same as last time, exhaling the smoke past her lips. Except, JJ was prepared. He parted his lips, inhaling her exhale slowly, savoring the intoxication of her released smoke.

His ring-clad hand found the small of her back, sliding past her ass and down to the back of her thigh, pulling her leg on the other side of him.

Meredith paused, joint held between her pointer and middle finger as he adjusted his hand on her thighs.

She smiled down at him mischievously before sliding the joint between his lips, and his lips too pulled into a grin.

Even with her red-rimmed eyes and hooded lids, she was still the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and he was sure he would spend the rest of his life reminding himself that this was where he wanted to be.

With Meredith Waters.