Strawberry Sunscreen - JJ Maybank - Outer Banks

Chapter 17 - The Forbidden Zone || Part 3

After dropping John B off at the chateau, JJ, Pope, and Elizabeth headed back to Pope's. JJ and Elizabeth figured they might as well help the boy with his chores, considering they were the ones who stole him a few days previously.

"You guys get these groceries over to Figure Eight. Get straight back here when you're done. No fishin'," Heyward warned. "I promised delivery by this afternoon. Rich folks don't wanna wait for you lazy sons of-" JJ held out his arms, for Heyward to hand him grocery bags.

"Oh, JJ, thank you," Heyward spoke with fake appreciation, putting the bags into JJ's hands. After loading all of the bags onto the boat, Pope driving and JJ spinning a knife around in his hands.

"Doesn't even look like the storm hit there," Pope pointed out.

"You should have seen my house, somehow it seemed like they made even more money after Hurricane Agatha hit," explained Elizabeth.

"That's because they got generators. We're used to seeing it," said JJ.

"Well, yeah. How else would the likes of Sarah Cameron post their pictures on instagram for everyone to see?" Elizabeth asked sarcastically. "All the kooks hire pogues to do their dirty work. Rose literally yelled at me when I tried to help out the day before the storm."

"And then they say the juice will be out all summer at the cut," said JJ.

"It's nice to be a Kook," stated Pope.

"Lucky bastards," JJ said. "Right, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "I'm not a kook, JJ."

"Guilty by association. You're kooky," joked JJ.

"Oh I'm kooky?" Elizabeth asked the boy, a smile on her face as she repeated his words.

"The kookiest," remarked JJ.

Elizabeth rummaged through her pockets, holding out a folded piece of paper and handing it to JJ, "Well then, consider me potentially unassociated," she stated. JJ unfolded the paper, reading the heading. 'Emancipation of a Legal Minor,' read the paper in bold ink.

"Emancipation, huh?" JJ asked.

"Lizzy, they will never give you emancipation. Plus, don't you need your parents to sign off on it?" asked Pope.

"It's a long shot, but honestly it's more of a kick at my mom," she explained. "She'll freak. Her and Topper can buy as many boats as they want, but it won't change them being bad people. Plus, I'll never know if I don't at least try, right?"

"What are you going to do if they grant you emancipation?" Pope asked.

"Change my last name, go to Yucatan, drink my life away" she joked. "Realistically I'll probably have to find a job to rent a place nearby."

"Welcome to the pogue life, Elizabeth," said JJ. "Isn't it beautiful?" He asked sarcastically.

"Just dandy," She responded. The group split up, Elizabeth deciding to help Pope since he would have the most grocery bags to bring up.

"Hey Pope," she began, grabbing the bags from the boat. JJ had taken his bags and walked the opposite direction a few minutes ago. "What's going on with you?" Elizabeth asked the boy.

"What do you mean?" Pope asked, trying to mask his nervous tone.

"The other night at Kie's restaurant, when Kiara and JB were dancing together," said

Elizabeth. "You were just watching them. And I know it's none of my business, but if you need to talk about anything I'm here for you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Pope said, starting to walk away.