CHAPTER TWO:
MAN OVERBOARD
(episode one: the pilot)

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KIARA CARRERA — MORE FONDLY known as Kie by those closest to her — was Haven Murphy's first official friend and crush in Outer Banks. The two girls met on Haven's first day of school. Haven was ten minutes late to her first class (which wasn't a good look, to say the least) and Kie just so happened to have a free period that morning. She'd gotten to school early to study for an upcoming test when she quite literally ran into Haven and sent them both flying. She immediately apologised, helping Haven pick up her textbooks before showing her where her class was as a peace offering. And at the end of the lesson, Haven left the room to find Kie waiting for her, and the rest quickly became history. 

Kie introduced her to her best friends, Sarah Cameron and Arden Kim. Both were undoubtedly very different to Kie and each other but the trio got along like a house on fire. Kie was strong-minded and passionate about life. She wanted to save sea turtles, and had her own recycling system that Haven, in the thick of her crush on the girl, had also implemented into her own home. Sarah, while just as strong and quick-witted, had the tendency to see money first and the heart beneath later. Still, she adored Haven and the two could often be found scouring fashion magazines during their lunch breaks. Last but certainly not least was Arden Kim. Ever the peace-maker, the equal middle ground, Arden had a huge heart and next to Kie was easily Haven's favourite person. She loved her friends fiercely, and would defend them to the ends of the earth. Haven considered herself lucky to be Arden Kim's friend.

But like all good things Outer Banks had given Haven Murphy, it didn't last. After the party and the car crash that ended her dad's life, Haven's friendships were quick to drift apart, at least for a while. 

Sarah didn't say a word to her about what she had to stop from happening on the dance floor. She also never gave her condolences for Darren Murphy's death. Instead, she watched from Topper Thornton's side as people whispered relentlessly about Haven Murphy, the kook turned pogue. It wasn't so hard now. The two girls could be in the same room without glaring at each other, but there was a lingering resentment in Haven's heart that just wouldn't fade away.

Even Arden was M.I.A for a while in Haven's life. While the girl could understand that her friend was also having a hard time (Arden Kim had recently found herself pregnant to one JJ Maybank, but under the pressure of a controlling mother, had been forced into claiming Rafe Cameron as the baby daddy.) Haven did wish deep down that she was there more. They never spoke about it, though, not as Haven moved into her grandparents' house and left their school behind. Arden still made an effort to speak to her, unlike Sarah. But when the world was in turmoil, not everything could come out in one piece.

The only friendship that didn't really change was Haven and Kie. Kiara was the first person to give her condolences to Haven about her father's death. She was the first and only friend who visited her in the hospital, bringing along a bunch of pink tulips because she knew how much Haven loved them. She helped Haven and Melinda pack up their things, then unpack them in their new home. She even tried to grovel with her dad to hire Haven at their restaurant, though her pleas were met with stubborn denial from Mr Carrera. Kie refused to let her spiral. She didn't know what it felt like to lose a parent, but she could imagine that losing a friendship on top of everything would only make things worse. And because of this, Haven had an unwavering admiration for Kie. While her crush had faded as crushes tended to do, she loved the girl dearly and honestly didn't know where she'd be if she hadn't ran into her on her first day of school.

Speaking of Kie, we fast-forward to the present.

Haven and the boys were pulling up outside her house as the girl in question came bounding down the jetty towards them. She had a cooler in one hand and a beach towel in the other, and her eyes were locked on Haven's figure lingering close to Pope's side.

"Hey, Haven," she beamed at her. "I didn't know you were hanging with us today."

"Neither did I," Haven chuckled. "It kind of happened last minute."

"Never mind that," JJ interrupted with his sights set on Kie's cooler. "What you got there? Some juice boxes?"

Kie snickered. ""Oh, you know, just some yoghurts and carrot sticks."

Haven, despite picking up on her sarcasm, raised a hopeful eyebrow at the girl. "I know you're joking but carrot sticks sound good right now."

"I must've sensed you'd be here then," she smirked. After allowing JJ to help her into the boat, she opened the cooler and pulled out a small plastic tupperware container with carrot sticks inside. "For you, malady."

"Why thank you, madam," Haven simpered before faltering into a laugh. She accepted the outstretched container, sitting back more comfortably now that Kie was there. Don't get her wrong, she didn't hate the boys, but it was nice to have a familiar face around.

Now that all four pogues and Haven were together, they set off on their way to their destination. Haven hadn't even thought to ask just where they were going, but she assumed it had to do with fishing since she knew both JJ and John B had a passion for it.

At some point, Pope changed places with John B, the former driving while the other eagerly opened a beer with JJ and Kie. JJ, despite his initial distrust, had even offered Haven a beer as he stripped off his shirt under the heat of the sun, but Haven declined. Instead, she stole sips from Kie's whenever she was thirsty, also snatching the girl's sunglasses to put over her eyes as the sun rays got a bit too bright.

"Let me show you guys a party trick," JJ announced as he finished one drink and immediately replaced it with another.
 
"Go on then," Haven encouraged, whereas the others groaned knowingly. John B even retreated to the back of the boat to sit behind Pope as JJ saluted his cousin excitedly and bounded onto the front of the boat.

Within a second, he had his beer open and held out in front of his face, the speed sending the drink flying through the air as he tried to catch it in his mouth. Kie and Haven shrieked in disgust as some spilled over them, enough for Haven to shed her tee as it spilled down her front. She retreated back to where Pope was sitting with beer specks on her glasses, shuffling onto the bench beside him just in time for the boat to suddenly shudder to a stop, the force jolting Haven and Pope forward into the steering wheel and JJ off the boat entirely. 

"What the fuck, Pope?" Haven grumbled, easing back into her chair and rubbing the ache in her neck caused by the whiplash. She could see Kie collecting herself off the ground in front of them and John B was cursing to himself as he lifted his head from where it had smacked against her chair. "You good, dude?"

"Yeah," he muttered. He blinked haphazardly at their surroundings before stumbling over to the edge of the boat, frowning as JJ resurfaced with a splutter. "You okay, JJ?"

The blonde in question coughed up a lungful of water before replying. "I think my heels touched the back of my head."

"At least you know you're flexible," Haven shrugged as she joined John B. 

JJ squinted his eyes in her general direction, leaning back so that he was floating on the water's surface. "Thanks, that makes me feel so much better." With another cough of water, he was searching for Pope. "Pope, what did you do?"

"Sandbar. The channel changed."

"No shit."

"Ugh, this is probably gonna mess this whole place up," John B sighed as he looked out at the now murky water.

There was a tap on Haven's arm from Pope before he was shifting past her to stand where JJ had been previously. He was just reaching down to help the boy out of the water when he froze, brows furrowed in confusion.

"What is it?" Haven was the only one to notice his sudden change in demeanour.

"I think there's a boat down there," he murmured, to which John B immediately laughed.

"Shut up."

"No guys, I'm serious," he exclaimed suddenly. At that, Haven pushed her way up beside him, allowing him to grab her hand and point in the general direction she was supposed to look at. It took her a moment before the water cleared up and the unmistakable shadow of a boat appeared.

"He's right," she gasped to John B and Kie. "It's actually there."

"Holy shit," Kie chimed in. She shared a look with John B, the two seemingly communicating with just one glance as both stripped down to their swimsuits. "Let's go."

"Wait, you want to go in?" Haven queried, looking down at the gross marsh water sceptically.

"You don't?" 

"Should I?"

Kie just laughed, gesturing for Haven to take off her shorts to reveal the black two-piece she wore underneath. "Come on, Princess Haven, it's just some water."

With a sigh, she bundled up her clothes beside the steering wheel and carefully placed her glasses in the hatch underneath. Her vision wasn't bad without them, but her optometrist claimed it would only get worse if she didn't wear them, so she just found it easier to listen. Kie called her for again, prompting her to reluctantly follow the trio into the water. Along with JJ, they were already preparing to dive down as far as they could get, eager to see the strange sight that was a sunken boat. Not something you saw often in Outer Banks, especially in the marsh. 

"You think there's a dead body down there?" Pope asked eagerly.

Haven scrunched her nose up in distaste. "I hope not."

She didn't recognise the brand of the boat but it looked relatively new. She wasn't able to stay down there long, her lungs burning in protest, and was one of the first to resurface and paddle her way back over to the pogues' boat. Not far behind her were the others, who spoke with just as much, if not more excitement, than they had before.

"That's a Grady White," she heard JJ declaring. "A new one of those is like 500 Gs, easy."

"Yeah," John B nodded in agreement, sitting down on the boat's edge as the others began to dry themselves off. 

Pope had passed Haven a spare towel, determinedly looking anywhere but at the scar on her torso. It didn't escape Haven's notice, nor that the others were doing the same, and she supposed that she couldn't blame them. She hadn't escaped the car crash unscathed, even she was unable to look at the mark without remembering the way her dad had looked surrounded by shattered glass and crumpled metal, without thinking of the pain shooting up her limbs or the ice cold touch of her dad's hand holding hers. 

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she tuned in just in time to hear John B say, "That's the boat I saw when I surfed the surge. Maybe it hit the jetty or something."

"You what?" she gasped in disbelief. Did this boy have a death wish?

"You surfed the surge?" Kie repeated like she couldn't quite believe it either.

But where they were worried, JJ just laughed and clapped John B on the back. "That's my boy, pogue style!"

"Wait, wait," Pope cut off whatever lecture Kie was preparing to give. Haven wasn't too knowledgeable on the friendship Kie shared with Pope, John B and JJ but even she could recognise that it would only end in an argument. "Do we know whose boat that is?"

"No, but we're about to find out." That confirmed it. John B Routledge had a death wish.

"Dude, it's too deep." Even this seemed too much for JJ, who shared a sceptical glance with the others as they watched John B gather the boat's anchor into his arms and stand up on the edge again. 

"Oh, for the weak and feeble, JJ."

"Alright," he shrugged in defeat. "Well, I'm not resuscitating you, just making that clear up front."

"That's fine."

"John B," Kie chided, the 'are you seriously going to do something so fucking stupid' implied.

"What?" he scoffed, beginning to grow annoyed.

When she didn't say anything, he turned and saluted the boys. "Diver down."

"Yeah, he is," JJ announced. Then, with a cheer, he was shoving his palms against John B's chest and pushing the boy beneath the water with a splash.

"JJ, are you out of your mind?" Haven gasped, rushing over to the edge with Kie and Pope close behind her.

They waited for what felt like forever. The water had gone murky at the impact of a body sinking beneath the surface, forcing them to sit nervously in silence. It shouldn't have taken John B so long to reach the boat, and yet minutes seemed to tick by like sand in an hourglass. 

Finally, when Pope could no longer take it, he asked, "Should we go get him?"

Haven contemplated it. "It has been a while."

However, she barely got the words out before water was splashing and John B's head was coming up for air. 

"Oh my god, that took forever!"

"Any dead bodies?" Typical Pope.

"Nope," John B shook his head, water droplets flying everywhere.

"Looting potential then?" And typical JJ.

"No."

"Then what did you find?" Haven sighed, beginning to wonder if this was all for nothing.

"I found this motel key."

Silence. 

"A key?"

"Yes, a key, Pope," John B rolled his eyes.

"Well, that's just great," JJ sighed, making his way over to where John B had swam over and reaching down to help him into the boat. "We salvaged a motel key."

"How exciting," Haven mumbled to Pope as she followed him back over to the steering wheel. She grabbed her clothes from the seat, tucking her shorts into the hatch where she kept her glasses before drawing he towel around her waist. She groaned at the sight of her beer stained white shirt, already dreading the lecture she'd get from her mother at the scent of liquor on her clothes. "Well, this is gonna be fun to explain to mother dearest." And to make matters worse, she could already feel her pale skin burning. Haven Murphy didn't tan, she burned and peeled. "Ugh, and it's so hot too, I'm gonna look like a tomato."

Pope chuckled at her before searching the ground around them for his shirt, eventually finding it beneath JJ's and making his way back over to Haven. "Here, you can borrow mine. Might look a bit weird if you button it up but it should cover your shoulders and back."

She smiled at him in surprise. "Thanks, Pope."

Ignore it, Haven, she thought to herself as her heart fluttered. He's just being friendly.
Glad it was oversized enough that it would actually fit (Haven had experienced more than enough embarrassing moments in the past of having to deny borrowed clothes because she was too big for them) she tugged the short sleeves up her arms before settling back into the chair with now covered shoulders. Soon enough, they were on their way back to shore, still discussing the grady white and the motel key.

"Guys, we should report the wreck to the coast guard," Kie suggested. "Maybe we'll get a finder's fee."

"Yeah, and not work all summer," JJ cheered. "Thanks, Agatha, ya bitch!"

"At least something good will come from her," Haven piped up.

The blonde nodded in agreement, pointing towards her with a smirk. "I'm beginning to like you, cousin. You're not so bad."

"Thank you?"