ISSUES II outer banks

payback

"You always gain by giving love."

❥

While John B is driving his bus, Kie sits next to him, Pope behind her and JJ and I in the back. "Do you mind if I calm down a bit? It's been a long day, a lot of crazy shit has happened", JJ asks around while raising his joint in the air, "I just want to calm down. Do you want one, too?" "No, thanks", Pope replies. "Do you even know what your problem is? You're not creative. If you were creative, then-"

"Okay, I was wrong about the lighthouse and about many other things as well but I was right about one thing. My dad is really trying to tell me something", John B interrupts their discussion while I accept JJ's offer and take his joint.

"Hey, I didn't ask you." JJ grins at me while Kie watches us with a confused look on her face. "JJ, do whatever you want to do but leave Iz out of it." "Kie, I'm not an angel, okay? And I believe you, John B. Let's see if we find something."

The others can't see it but JJ grabs my waist while also tickling me so I laugh loudly and turn away from him. "Can you two like stop flirting for a second? This can't even be healthy", Kie goes on. "Says the one who puts John B in the friendzone", I retort now because I'm starting to get really annoyed when she plays the big sister. Meanwhile, I take two more puffs of JJ's joint who grins at me proudly. Kie looks surprised about my words and a little hurt but I couldn't care less right now. Plus, JJ makes me forget about her, when he lays his hand on the inner side of my leg.

"No, seriously, guys. What's going on back there? Have you been macking on each other?", John B joins the discussion so I shake my head. "Care about your own business, John B." "Hey, you mentioned us, now I'm talking about you guys. Whatever you're doing, you're doing it in the back of my bus."

"We're just smoking", I reply rolling my eyes and stop the discussion there. Whatever John B is thinking, it's one year too late. Anyways, he kissed my cousin. I'm not going to worry about him, even though his look reminds me of the past.

❥

"John B, what are we doing here?", Kie asks as soon as we enter the graveyard. "Redfield", he answers, "I always thought it's a place but it isn't. It's a person." He stops in front of a certain grave. "My great great grandmother, Olivia Redfield, her maiden name. Help me with the door."

Pope and him try to pull it, JJ joins them until a snake sneaks out of a hole and I immediately stop to breath for a second. If I have to decide about the one thing that I'm most anxious of, it's going to be a snake. And JJ jumps around behind her. I take a step back and bump into John B who stands behind me and instantly takes my hand. "JJ, stop it, be quiet!"

"Wait. Where is one, there can be a dozen." "Can you stop scaring us?", Kie asks him a little annoyed while John B joins her. "Stop barking at the snakes, especially when it scares the girls." While they take a closer look, I calm down and go closer to them again. "I'm just trying to make them go away." "Shut up, now, shut up", Pope says, "John, we won't make it. We should go."

"I can go in there", Kie tells us slowly. "No, into that hole?" "It's about your dad. Honestly, I don't think that it would help but you deserve to find out about the truth." Ah, so I'm the one who's flirting? Now that's Kie right here. "Let's go."

"We have to pull away the limbs", I tell the others so it's easier for Kie. "Ready?" "What are we looking for again?" "You know it when you see it."

❥

JJ and I have promised Pope to help him deliver the bags to Figure Eight on the next day. "Get straight back here when you're done. No fishing. I promised delivery by this afternoon", Heyward tells us and I nod, "Rich folks don't want to wait for you lazy asses. Excuse me, Isabella, I meant the boys. Take care of them please." "Of course", I chuckle. I love how Heyward didn't excuse himself for what he said about kooks as I'm technically born a kook but Heyward knows how important it is to me to be accepted as a pogue. 

❥

As soon as we finish delivering the bags to some of the rich families, JJ jumps around happily looking at all the money that we got. "Don't forget, we have to give it to Pope's dad", I laugh about his enthusiasm.

"No, no, no. You know what we do with the money? No, wait. You know what we'll do with all of the money as soon as we get the millions?", he grins at me and pulls me in his arms, "I'll buy us a big house and anything that you want. You'd get anything from me, Izzy."

"JJ", I giggle, "I already have everything. I'm with you, that's what I want." We stand at the beginning of the island a few hundred meters away from the golf range under a palm tree when JJ comes closer to me, lays his hands on my waist and leads me against the tree so that my back touches the tree and the front of my body is pressed against his.

I let my left hand move through his hair lightly pulling it while I bring his face closer to mine with my right hand in his neck. His eyes are so blue, I could get lost in them. When I look down to his lips and back up to his eyes, only love and affection runs through my body. My heart beats faster when I realize that JJ must feel the same as he looks at me tenderly. We don't even have to kiss or have sex. Moments like these is what I appreciate in our relationship the most. That is what JJ gave to me all this time.

I wish I wouldn't have stopped looking at him but I did and noticed Pope's boat at the pier. "I hate to say this but I think we have to get back", I whisper not even an inch away from his lips. "It's my fault that I chose a girl who's dutiful", JJ jokes again but this time not even as cockily as when we're with the others.

❥

"Pope! You won't believe what just happened to us! Those were the best one hundred dollars that I've ever earned. "How was it for you? Are you alright?" "Pope, what happened to your face?", I whisper as soon as we can see his eye. "Fuck, what happened?"

"Rafe and Topper", Pope answers looking at the sea in front of us but I notice the tear on his cheek, "They said no pogues on their side of the island." It breaks my heart to see him like that. Pope, the one who always does what's best, helps his dad, works for his dreams and helps his friends. He never did anything to the kooks. "What's your plan?"

"They fight us, we fight back", JJ even motivates Pope as stop in front of Topper's boat. Pope jumps off the boat and swims to the other one showing us what he stole. "You really did it. I'm so proud of you man." "JJ, you're not going to tell anyone. Seriously. Neither Kie, nor John B, no one."