Don't Forget Where You Belong [JJ Maybank] *COMPLETE* - Chapter 1 - Prologue (2024)

 
Outer Banks was a peculiar place to live. One half was uber rich- multiple houses, 30k boats and memberships at golf club. The other half lived, arguably, in poverty. No power when big surges came through, working two jobs just to get food on the table. You had been both blessed and cursed to have grown up experiencing both.
 
You were born on The Cut. To a single mother as your dad had dipped not long after he figured out what he thought was his summer fling was knocked up. Your childhood was pretty good even though you were poor. Swimming in the marsh near your house and days by the beach playing with your friends. Ah yes, your friends. You distinctly remember the day you met John B. It was first day of second grade as you sat in your assigned seat in the classroom. A curly-haired boy came and sat next you, inspecting your things on your desk. Being the snotty nosed 8-year old you were, you frowned at the boy, pulling your things closer to yourself on the desk and turning to face away from him. He then tapped you on the shoulder.
 
"What?" you asked him (rudely).
 
"Do you like surfing?" he asked abruptly, as any curious young child would.
 
"Yeah," you replied, "My mum takes me on weekends. Why?"
 
"I like surfing too. It means we're best friends now." He said with certainty. And because when you're 8 and someone tells you something, you believed them, you did. You believed John B would be your best friend. Little did you know, 8 years later, he still would be.
 
From that day on he had become your partner in crime, wreaking havoc across the poor neighbour. But how could any of your neighbours hate you when you were both so cute?
 
Your duo became a trio about a year later when you inducted JJ into your group. Even as a young child, the addition of JJ into your friendship circle made your stomach drop: "What if John B doesn't want to be my friend anymore if he's friends with another boy?"
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However all doubts evaporated as the three of you became thick as thieves. The three of you got up to so much mischief in The Cut, and you created a brotherly bond with the two guys.
 
But the fairy tale only lasted a few years. When you were 12 you mother met a man. Nice, well-dressed and full-on kook. Within a year she married him, and your life of borderline poverty was traded for one of luxury. You were forced to move to Figure 8 aka the rich side of the island, leaving behind your two best friends. 
 
You had been in John B's backyard on the day you were moving.
 
"I'll come visit I promise, you'll see me on weekends. We can still go surfing." You said, sadness laced in your voice. You really didn't want to move. You knew it was going to be good for you. Stability, chance at a future, but it nearly tore you apart having to leave your best friends, your family.
 
"Yeah of course," John B said confidently. He moved over to give you a hug after seeing your lower lip turn and begin to shake. You wrapped your arms around him. 
 
"Thanks JB," you separated from your hug and turned to JJ. He was still sitting sullenly, facing the marsh with his arms crossed defiantly across his chest. He refused to even look at you.
 
"JJ," John B began but was cut off but JJ abruptly standing up and stomping his foot.
 
"No! She's going to forget us! She's gonna have a better kook house with better kook friends and a better kook life!" He stormed inside the Chateau, slamming the door. You sighed, as your shoulders dropped.
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"He'll come around," John B said, patting your shoulder comfortingly. 
 
"I hope he does."
 
Turns out it was a lot harder to live the Pogue lifestyle from Figure 8. You were constantly being dressed up and dragged off to lavish parties. You started going to the private school with the rest of the obnoxious rich kids, who had no interest in surfing or fishing or anything you liked. And with your new lifestyle, it was hard to see John B and JJ. It started off well, meeting them every second afternoon after school, but as you grew older, and school got harder and life got busier, trips to The Cut became less and less frequent. 
 
Not all the kooks were terrible though. You became good friends with two girls, Sarah and Kiara. Sarah was nice but you got on much better with Kiara. She liked going to the beach and cared about the environment. So, when Sarah and Kiara had their massive falling out when you were in 10th grade you didn't know what to do. You had been at Sarah's birthday party but left as soon as Kie rang you crying about being left out. By the next Monday at school, you and Kie were outsiders.
 
This eventually led you back to John B and JJ. You and Kie had taken the car your step-dad had bought you for your birthday, and had just been driving aimlessly. You had driven into The Cut and before you knew it you were at The Chateau.
 
"What are we doing here?" Kie asked.
 
To be completely honest, you had no idea what had led you to absentmindedly drive here. But as you got out of the car and ran around the back you knew exactly why. JJ, John B and a third boy you had never met were sat around a bonfire.
 
"Y/N" you heard JJ's voice quaver quizzically. You smiled as you ran towards the two boys who were now sprinting towards you. You jumped into John B's arms as he grabbed you and pulled you up. The three of you emitted melodical laughter as John B put you on the ground and you eyes stared back at JJ's.
 
"Come here," he said hoisting you off the ground and into his arms. You squealed as he spun the two of you around. He set you back down and you took a step back.
 
"What are you doing here?" John B asked as the other boy you hadn't met and Kie joined your group from separate sides.
 
"I don't know," you said tucking a stray piece of hair behind your ear, "We were just driving and ended up here." 
 
"That's all?" John B smirked at you. He knew you too well.
 
"I missed you guys!" you yelled exasperatedly. The two boys laughed as you continued, "The Kook academy is horrible, everyone's so snobby and now they hate me. Well, us."
 
"Us?"
 
"Oh yeah, this is Kiara," you said gesturing to your friend. She smiled sheepishly and waved at the three boys. They all waved back. "She's my friend from school."
 
"Well this is Pope, he's from school too." They said gesturing to the boy standing behind them.
 
"Nice to meet you." You smiled at the boy.
 
"Well," JJ said draping his arm over your shoulder, and pulling you close towards him as he led you towards the bonfire. "Welcome back to the Pogue life."