Strawberry Sunscreen - JJ Maybank - Outer Banks

Chapter 5 : Pilot || Part 5

Elizabeth Thornton kicked up her skateboard and walked towards the small trailer. She grabbed a strand of her dirty blonde hair that had fallen out from her braid, tucking it softly behind her ear as she felt it tingle against her skin.

"What's up, pretty girl," Barry laughed, looking the girl up and down. Elizabeth noticed his eyes trailing down her skin as she walked over, a shiver of discomfort running through her body. "What can I do for you?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Shut up, Barry." The comment only made the brown-haired boy smirk more, his mouth gaping showing his golden tooth on the left side of his mouth. "You hear Kevin got arrested for dealing?"

Kevin and Barry were both known to kooks and pogues alike for their involvement in dealing drugs, but only Barry sold the more intense drugs, like coke. Kevin on the other hand only sold weed to be 'safe.' Kevin had been younger than Barry and therefore also less experienced when it came to undercover cops and vetting his clients. Elizabeth had met Barry on various occasions, but never actually bought from him as his prices were always overcharged.

"I heard, I heard. So much for being the safer dealer, eh?" Barry let out a laugh. "Seriously, girl. What do you want? You don't come down here often anymore."

Elizabeth shrugged, "Kevin's gone, I need weed. Poof, here you come in to save the day." Elizabeth leaned against the doorframe as Barry stood up from his seat, walking over to his closet and rummaging through it.

"Ah, I see. I see. Still trouble at home?" Barry asked the girl. Kevin and Barry had been close friends, so it wasn't unusual for Barry to be present while Elizabeth was buying. Elizabeth and Barry had never gotten closer than a few small conversations in the middle of a deal, but it was no secret that Elizabeth had been experiencing trouble with her family and utilizing drugs was an easier outlet.

"What do you think?" Elizabeth asked rhetorically, sending Barry a look as he raised his hands in defense. "Don't try to be a drug dealer and a therapist, Barry."

"Now I'm just askin' cause I hear you're hangin' with the Cameron's now. Man owes me money," Barry continued, finally finding what he was looking for. He reached underneath a duffle bag, pulling out a ziploc bag filled with weed.

"Ward Cameron owes you money?" Elizabeth asked the boy, unable to imagine Ward as a drug addict. Ward Cameron was one of the richest men on the island along with being one of the snobbiest. He was a gruel for power and manipulated whoever he had to in order to get it-- rumors have it, including his own family. In her small number of sleepovers with Sarah Cameron, Elizabeth had noticed his cold-hearted demeanor towards her along with his children-- especially Rafe.

"Nah, Rafe. Kid's been buying from me like crazy recently," Barry stated. "Kids gonna run me dry."

"You're the one selling to Rafe, huh?" Elizabeth asked, somewhat concerned for the boy. They had become close friends as kids, but seemed to grow apart as Elizabeth got older. For a short while, Topper and Rafe's friendship ceased, causing the two to stop being friends. As soon as Topper and Rafe became best friends, Rafe and Elizabeth's friendship transformed from childhood friendship to a few moments of banter. "Is he selling, too?" She asked, remembering him offering to her the other night.

"Doing, selling, hell I'd say he might be eatin' the shit." Barry tossed the bag onto the table in front of him, the bag rolling forward closer to Elizabeth. The boy grabbed his knees before sitting back on the couch, watching the girl intently.

"Coke is one hell of a drug," Elizabeth laughed. The girl picked up the bag, looking at an amount of weed that could certainly get her into trouble. "Not for me though."

"Well, yeah. You and Kevin were always ones for the light shit," Barry exclaimed. Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the comment. Barry would be the kind of guy that makes fun of people for not doing the harder drugs.