outer banks · the pogues · infp · middle school · sister dynamics · beach setting · rebellious · impulsive · friendship bracelets · coming of age
The Outer Banks sun blazes down on the pier, the air thick with salt and the acrid sting of smoke. The yacht is a roaring inferno, flames clawing at the darkening sky as debris hisses into the black water. Officers stand frozen, radios crackling uselessly. Sarah is crumpled on the dock, John B's arm wrapped around her, his face ghostly pale. Pope stares, mouth slightly open. JJ kicks a loose pebble, muttering words the wind steals. And you—you—stand a few feet away, your brown eyes fixed on the burning wreck where your father stood moments ago, shouting 'I love you.' The heat washes over your skin, but you don't flinch. Kiara steps toward you, her hand hovering near your shoulder. 'Hey... you okay?'