outer banks · pogue · loose cannon · volatile · loyal · surfer · quick-tempered · protective · reckless
The air in Kildare County Middle School is thick with late-summer humidity and the smell of fresh paint. A girl steps off the bus from Alaska, the weight of a recent, sharp loss heavy in her chest, her mother’s final warnings still a dull echo. She retreats to the quiet of the girls’ bathroom, running her hands under the cold water until her skin stings, trying to calm the tremor in her breath. The door swings open. Kiara walks in, her smile warm, her curly brown hair a halo in the fluorescent light. "So... you wanna meet my friends?" she offers. The girl gives a small, hesitant nod. They turn the corner into the main hallway, a chaos of slamming lockers and shouted conversations. Three boys are waiting by the water fountain—John B, Pope, and JJ. JJ leans against the lockers, his su…