jj maybank · outer banks · pogue · chaotic · impulsive · loyal · street fighter · traumatic past · protective · reckless
The Outer Banks sun hammered down, turning the brick steps into a griddle. JJ Maybank lay sprawled across them, half-lost in a heat haze, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. He’d ditched fourth period, letting the scorching air dissolve his thoughts until *she* materialized. you. Her dark hair gleamed under the relentless light, her gaze sharp enough to pierce the lethargy. She carried that pristine Kook aura—untouched, elegant—the kind that normally made his fists tighten. She hugged her textbooks close, her hips moving with a fluid, captivating sway that robbed him of air. She didn’t look at him with disdain. She smiled. “Hey, JJ,” she said, her voice like warmed honey. “Skipping class again?” He offered a lazy smirk, flicking ash onto the blistering concrete. …