𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐍𝐄, 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄
𝟎:𝟎𝟎 - 𝟔:𝟒𝟎
𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜: 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚 »𝙖𝙡𝙩-𝙟

∞

I sit beside JJ on the scaffolding, our legs dangling over the edge while I blow on a cigarette and he drinks a beer peacefully. John B balances precariously on the roof of the half-built house with his arms outstretched. He winks at me when he sees me watching, knowing I am slightly worried about him falling. I roll my eyes and look away.

The Pogues — we're the group of kids on the island that everyone knows but doesn't want to. We have a bad reputation. Running from the police, stealing things from shops and surfing in storms is a Pogue thing, that not many people could grip. We risk our lives almost every day for fun, unlike the Kooks.

The Kooks; the stuck up assholes who think they own the world because their parents have money. They party like crazy behind close doors, but out in the open they're the teachers pets.

"I want to go travel the world." JJ says out of the blue, staring at the ocean that isn't too far away, the ripples pushing small pebbles up onto the beach.

"Right now?" I raise an eyebrow, curving my head round to face him.

"No. God, no. Once I'm free from my Dad." He nods to himself, "It'd be so fun to go surfing in different countries."

"I wanna come." I smirk, pushing my cigarette down into the metal bar, putting it out; something Kiara will kill me for doing.

"Feel free. Imma need company." He chuckles and turns his head to me, our eyes locking, "You'd suit the travelling lifestyle, with your wild-ass ideas and annoying thoughts." He teases, smirking.

I nudge him with my elbow, glaring over at the blonde and before I have the chance to retaliate the childish behaviour, Kiara walks out from the half built house,  "They're gonna have japanese towel warmers." She complains, "This used to be a turtle habitat but who cares about the turtles, I guess?"

"I care about them." I raise my hand lazily.

"Thank you, Ava. Nice to know someone actually cares." Kie glares at the boys, her gaze landing on John B balancing precariously on the roof, "Can you please not kill yourself?"

"Don't spill that beer." JJ warns, pointing up at him.

"I am not giving you another one." I grumble, "Do not waste it."

John B completely ignores our calls, rolling his eyes as he continues to sway back and forth until the bear can slips from his grip, the alcohol inside splattering all over the new decking; causing each of us to glare up at him.

"Of course you did, right when I said." JJ rolls his eyes, throwing his arms up in disbelief.

"You absolute idiot." I mumble at my brother, my head shaking.

He glares at me, head tilted, "It's not my fault."

"Who else's was is then?" I snap, furrowing my eyebrows, "You were the one holding it and then you dropped it. Therefore, it's your fuckin' fault."

His mouth falls open, chuckling in annoyance,"Well, maybe if you didn't distract me, then it wouldn't have fuckin' fallen."

"Hey, uh, security's here." Pope states, cutting our argument short, clapping his hands, "Let's wrap it up."

"They're early today." I mutter before slipping under the scaffolding bars and jumping down onto the deck beside Kie, sending her a nod which she politely returns.

"Did she just jump?" JJ asks no one in particular, while he travels down the ladder, his eyes wide as he watches me sits off my clothes, "Ava, you do know ladders exist, right? They're the safe option."

I sigh, tilting by head at him, "When have you, JJ Maybank, ever cared about the safe option."

He clicks his fingers, biting his lip and hesitating for a moment, attempting to think of a good answer, "Fair point, smart-ass."

We all run into the house, swiftly turning round the corners. I jump down the stairs behind Kiara, gently ushering her to move quickly as we weave between columns and scaffolding, hopping over fallen builders equipment. I smile happily, throwing my head back to see JJ.

Like I said earlier, running from cops isn't new to us. We've been doing it for countless years; yelling angrily at each other to speed up while laughter erupts from our lungs. Much to the other's enjoyment, I've the ones who ended up at the station the most; a lot of the time it's to cover them, or because I was alone, meaning there's less people for the coppers to target. Either way, Shoupe has something against me and I'd rather not go back, ever.

The blonde boy speeds round a corner, smashing into the cop, Gary. Both of them let out a grunt at the contact but JJ manages to squeeze out of his grip, "Not much of a hugger, man." He shouts back, following quickly after me.

"Go, Pope! Go! Go, go, go, go!" I rush as he climbs over the fence. I land beside him in a crouching position while his face is in the dirt, a long groan escaping his lips, causing me to laugh, "You alright there, Pope?" I smirk, holding a hand out.

"Shut up, Ava." He grumbles, smacking his hand against mine, allowing me to pull him up.

  "Come on, guys. Fatso's coming." JJ jokes, running past me, his hand squirming my shoulder as he goes ahead of us.

On the road, the Twinkie slows down, Kiara quickly sliding the back door open, waving for us to get in. "Bus is leaving!" John B declares, rolling down the windows at the front, allowing his shouts to be projected further.

The boys get in first and I jump after, landing on a cushion with a thump, panting and laughing. I rake my hand through my hair, breathing heavily, not managing to get a steady breath due to the constant laughs.

"Check out Gary, gunnin' for a raise." Pope chuckles while Gary attempts to catch up with the bus by running, his hands clutching to his belt, incoherent yells leaving his lips.

"You're gonna give him a heart attack." Kie rolls her eyes while JJ teases the security guard, waving back at him slyly.

"They don't pay you enough, bro!" JJ yells, throwing a bottle beer at the older man, laughing again when he skids to a stop, groaning in annoyance.

"JJ, come on. Stop." I pull him back inside by his shirt, dragging him beside me, shaking my head at his childish attitude but the smirk on my lips refuses to leave.

He turns to me, swallowing, "Oh, come on, Ava. That sort of initiative is just begging to be punished."

"Shut up, you." I roll my eyes, stealing his red hat and laying it on my head, laying back slightly from him, watching as his face contorts.

"Give me that back!" He groans, reaching across for it, his fingers grabbing desperately for the cap.

I take it off my head and hold it away from him, waving it slightly to tease him more, "Make me, playboy."

He tilts his head, running his tongue over his top teeth before reaching his hands down to my waist and starts to fidget his fingers against my skin, tickling me.

I kick him away quickly and throw his cap at him, "Have it back, just never tickle me again."

"I can't promise anything." He winks, laying back on a cushion, his hands resting behind his head, smirking over at me.

~~

An empty beer can smacks into my face and I snap awake, groaning lowly as my eyes travel to the door, noticing my brother stood there, glaring over at me with a smirk, "Get up, lazy bones."

"Why do I have to get up?" I shove my head into my pillow, waving him away, "Let me sleep."

"You're in my room." He snarls, leaning casually against the door frame.

My eyebrows cinch together and I sit up slowly, only to realise that he's right. I roll my eyes at his sly expression, "Don't look so fuckin' smug."

He chuckles, "JJ is in your room, macking on some girl again."

I throw my head back, rolling my eyes while sliding off the bed and standing up, rolling my arms back in a stretch, "It's JJ, when is he none macking on girls."

I rub my eyes and shove past him into the hall, yawning loudly; fully aware that I look like a train wreck. I trudge to my room, pushing the door open lazily with my shoulder, the occupant's eyes flying to me on shock.

"Get out." I grumble, running my fingers through my hair, my eyes still focussing completely on the blonde pair in my bed.

"Who are you?" The girl squeals, shuffling closer to JJ.

It's no rarity to see the blonde Pogue with a girl, especially a touron. JJ's a playboy, everyone knows him as one and I'm honestly not surprised he doesn't have an actual girlfriend; no one wants to date the island's personal fuck boy.

"His girlfriend." I joke, resting against the back wall, trying my hardest to hold in my laugh.

JJ rolls his eyes, shaking his head frantically, "She is not my girlfriend."

"I am." I purse my lips, straightening up and placing my hands in the back pockets of my shorts, "He's lying."

"Ava, shut up." He hisses, his hand rubbing against his smirking lips in an attempt to hide in a laugh.

"Whatever." I shrug, motioning to the open door, "Can both of you get out? You too, J."

"Why should we?" The girl asks rudely, eyeing me up and down.

I glare back at her, my head tilting, "Because this is my room." I spit roughy.

The girl stands up slowly, giving JJ a small wave before scurrying out, shutting the door quickly behind her. I hear John B shout goodbye to her, laughter escaping his lungs immediately after.

"She was a bitch." I state, leanings won to search through my messy draws for some decent clothes.

JJ groans and falls onto his back on the bed, running both hands over his face and through his hair, ruffling it.

"Did you have fun?" I raise an eyebrow, chuckling gently.

"No." He mutters.

"Sorry to hear that." I say sarcastically, moving across the room to open my closet, my back to the blonde boy.

He picks up my pillow and lobs it at me, causing me to laugh and fall forward, my hands clutching at the walls to stop me from going any further.

"Do you wanna be my girlfriend?" He asks, standing up, striding his way over.

My eyes go wide for a second and slowly a grimace forms , "What?"

He walks closer, standing over me while my back is against the wall beside my closet, my palms flat against the wall as I stare up at him in confusion.

"Do wanna be my girlfriend?" He repeats, smirking, "The way you said 'I'm his girlfriend.' earlier seemed genuine." He runs a finger down my arm, resting his hand on my waist, "Do you like me, Ava?"

I scoff, pushing him away, "Someone's horny. This isn't a movie, Maybank. You can't just get a girl by cornering her."

"There is no way that you don't like me." He tilts his head, his hands held together behind his back while he continues to watch me rummage around my messy room.

"There is a way because I do not like you." I snap, refusing to meet his eyes, knowing he's smiling his ass off.

"Not even a tiny bit?"

"Not even a tiny bit." I nod before ushering him out of my room and going into the bathroom to change, sighing heavily.

~~

John B and I are now sat in the child services office side by side, Cheryl's opposite us, the usual notebook resting on her lap.

"John, Ava, it's come to our attention that you are unemancipated minors living on your own." She says, scanning her eyes over the paper sheets on the desk in front of her.

"No." John B and I say in unison, glancing over at each other for a second.

Cheryl averts her challenging gaze over to me, her eyebrows furrowed as she awaits another answer.

I shake my head firmly, "No."

"I need honesty to help you." She sighs, "That's what we both want, right?"

"We're being honest." John B shrugs, looking at me and I hum in agreement, nodding.

"Okay, then when is the last time you spoke to your uncle?" She asks, repositioning herself in her desk chair.

John B looks at his wrist where his invincible watch is, hesitating for a moment, "Uh, 34 minutes ago."

"When was the last time you saw him?" She glances over at me again.

"Two hours and 43 minutes ago." I answer, my eyes flicking up to the round clock on the wall above her head.

"John, Ava, we're gonna come out there tomorrow to talk to your uncle. If he's not there, we're gonna move forward with foster care." She explains, causing the both of us to grimace at the suggestion, "I want to assure you both, we're gonna find you a safe and loving home."

Fuck no.