𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 | 𝐉𝐉 [edited]

001

The Outer Banks had long been an island divided by two tribes, a tension persisting through generations of its inhabitants. It was typical to find the divide of people to stay consistent with the divide of land. The Pogues lived on the Cut, the Kooks in Figure Eight. It wasn't until the Carrera's gave birth to twin daughters that this war found itself taking place in a single home. A home where the Pogues had claimed one twin but not the other. A home where the fantasy of Kook life was prioritized over facing reality. A home where competition was always ripe, jealousy intoxicated the air, and there was a tension so thick it never ceased.

Although both twins liked to remain under the impression that the side they had chosen, or rather that had chosen them, was the right side, one summer would change everything they had once thought they understood. It was the summer that began with Hurricane Agatha.

The storm had swept through the entire town, not even abiding by the laws of the land and directing its harmful forces only to the Cut and its inhabitants; it swept through Figure Eight as well. Those who had lived in luxury for their entire lives finally received a wake-up call. Riley Carrera awoke the morning after Agatha had hit and took a glance out her window to see the railing encasing her balcony had ripped clean off and only its platform stood standing.

"Shit," a voice mumbled behind Riley and she instantly flinched. Her twin sister stood leaning against her door frame, her entrance to the bedroom going unnoticed until then. Her eyes were fixated beyond Riley and to the balcony, examining the damage outside.

"Have you seen Mom and Dad this morning?" Riley asked, rising from her bed and brushing past Kiara where she headed to the kitchen.

"Yeah. They said they want you to come to The Wreck to help with cleanup," Kiara muttered, following behind her.

"You mean they want us to come to The Wreck to help clean up," Riley corrected, shooting an irritated glance at her sister.

"Yeah, no, just you," Kiara said. "I told them I promised a few neighbors I would help with hurricane cleanup today."

"Right, of course, because I'm sure that's where you're headed," she watched as Kiara opened the fridge, taking out bottles of beer and placing them into the cooler she was holding, "with those." Riley rolled her eyes and stalked over to where Kiara stood. "I mean are you kidding me? Dad's going to think I took those, you know, and I'm going to get in trouble instead of you... how it always goes."

"Please, he won't even notice."

"You just say that because you've never been caught!" Riley huffed. "It's always me!"

Kiara made a b-line towards the back door, heading to the dock as a boat slowly pulled in from a distance. The three boys occupying the boat hollered out her name, making absurd sounds and cheers. They were the Pogues, the infamous Pogues which Kiara had been friends with her entire life and Riley despised with her every being.

"You're seriously just going to pretend you're off helping neighbors and go hang out with your stupid fucking friends?!" Riley yelled as Kiara walked faster and faster down the dock, trying to escape her wrath. "And leave me to clean up The Wreck?"

Kiara only answered by lifting her middle finger in the air, the boat approaching and all three boys curiously listening in on their argument.

"Fuck you!" Riley said, holding up a finger of her own as she turned around and headed back to the house, not before catching the eye of the blonde as he took Kiara's hand and helped her into the boat.

From a distance she couldn't possibly hear from, JJ muttered, "Someone's crabby."

"Someone's always crabby," Kiara grumbled, rolling her eyes.

Riley reluctantly headed back to the house. As much as she would've loved to go push her sister into the water, or at least grab the cooler full of beers in her hand, she didn't feel like having any sort of interaction with the Pogues, most of all JJ Maybank. She hadn't spoken a word to him since the night three months ago.

She could feel his eyes burning into the back of her head as she walked toward the house, and confirmed this suspicion when she turned around to shut the door behind her, locking eyes with him once more. Responding by simply rolling her own, she headed inside to get a bikini on before heading to the Cameron's. She would go to The Wreck later, she decided. At least a little of her help would be enough compared to Kiara's complete disregard for their parent's needs.

"And then she just walked out," Riley tossed her arms up into the air as she paced around the patio, explaining to her friends what had happened earlier that morning. "She just thinks she can do anything she wants."

"That's how they all act," Topper sighed, slinging an arm over his girlfriend's chair. "You know, she could've chosen to be like us."

"Yeah but those dirty Pogues corrupted her or some shit," Kelce nodded.

"She's such a spoiled brat," Riley said, huffing as she plopped down onto the couch beside Kelce. "Those Pogues just couldn't give a shit about anyone besides themselves."

"God if I hear the word Pogue one more time today I think I might explode," Sarah chuckled.

Gathered at the Cameron's house, the core group of friends bathed in the sunlight and humid air that lingered from the storm. Riley had always felt like she belonged here with them, even from a young age, when they had been just shy of their teenage years. With Topper, Kelce, and the recent addition of Sarah to the group, she always had fun, unlike how she had ever felt around the Pogues. There were days in her adolescence before she and Kiara really understood the tribal divisions of the island when Riley attempted to get along with the Pogues. Evidently, it had never worked out.

"I'm thinking of having a party next weekend," Topper said. "My parents are out of town so we'd have the whole house to ourselves."

"Count me in T," Riley smiled at the boy, her best friend.

"Hell yeah," Kelce cheered, and Riley watched Sarah squeeze Topper's hand with a grin on her face. She wished for a love like theirs one day, the hopeless romantic that she was. No one knew this side of her though, she kept it well hidden, settled deep inside of her. Most people thought of her as a cold-hearted bitch, never having been in a single relationship in her life. In reality, she just hadn't found the right person.

"Shit guys," Riley said suddenly, turning her phone around to look at the time displayed on the screen. "I have to go help my parents clean up The Wreck."

"Have so much fun!" Topper called after her to which she responded with a middle finger, which seemed like the only response that would suffice for the entirety of the day.