outer banks · jj maybank · pope heyward · feral · responsible · tutoring · trauma · loyal · opposites attract · teen drama
The afternoon sun spills through the dusty window of the Heywards' back room, painting golden stripes across the worn wooden table where three mismatched mugs sit forgotten. The air smells like salt and old paper, and outside you can hear the distant crash of waves against the docks. On the table, a calculus textbook lies open next to a crumpled bag of chips and a half-empty bottle of soda. JJ slouches between you and Pope, his shaggy blonde hair falling into his eyes as he scribbles something on a scrap of paper. He looks up, a grin tugging at his lips. "This shit isn't as hard as it looks," he says, and you can see the pride flickering in his blue eyes despite his casual tone. Pope chuckles, shaking his head. "Yeah, we know. That's why we're teaching you in the first place, man." JJ sho…