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 ''Oh, trust me, it wasn't about the turtles. He didn't give a damn about them. He was pissed because Ruthie almost ran you over.''

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THE BEACH STRETCHED out before us, a sprawling canvas of soft golden sand that sparkled under the sun. The familiar scent of salt and seaweed lingered in the air.

''Yeah, baby, now that's a perfect swell, bro. Probably the best of the year,'' JJ exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the water.

Pope frowned slightly as he glanced between JJ and the ocean. ''Come on. Are you guys seriously surfing today?''

''Oh, don't. Don't,'' John B groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose like he already knew where this conversation was heading.

''As opposed to what?'' Kie chimed in, already siding with JJ.

Pope held up the amulet, its intricate design glinting in the sunlight. ''Well, I don't want to sell the million dollars I have in my hand for fifty grand, so I'm gonna look into this.''

''Wait, Pope, you heard me, right? I said it's a perfect swell day,'' JJ emphasized, gesturing dramatically to the waves.

Pope didn't even blink. ''Yeah, and there'll be other swell days.''

''Wow,'' Kie remarked with a raised brow as Sarah chuckled softly beside her.

JJ shook his head in mock disbelief. ''Pope, that's like saying there's other pizza to eat, all right? Like, come on. Are you serious?''

''Listen to your Earth Mother, Pope,'' Kie teased, throwing a playful smile his way. ''She's, like, begging you to surf.''

''I think my Earth Mother is telling me to maximize our intel,'' Pope countered.

Kie shrugged. ''Mine's telling me to maximize the swell.''

John B turned to Sarah, his arm casually slung over JJ's shoulder. ''You wanna maximize beach day?''

Sarah tipped her sunglasses down slightly, giving him a pointed look. ''I'm gonna maximize this tan.''

''Okay, everyone have fun maximizing,'' Pope quipped dryly, tucking the amulet into his bag and stepping back.

''Wait, wait. Hold on. Where... where's Cleo?'' John B asked, his gaze scanning the horizon like she might appear out of nowhere.

''Oh, yeah, she just texted me,'' Pope replied, pulling out his phone. ''She said she was on Pogue patrol, looking for bait in the Cut.''

Kie wrinkled her nose. ''Lame. Tell her we're closed.''

''I'll text her right now,'' Pope assured, typing quickly.

JJ wasn't letting it go that easily. ''Hey, hey, rule number one, Pope, is no working on a swell day. That's rule number one,'' he declared, waving his phone in the air.

Pope smiled faintly but didn't stop walking. ''You guys have fun. Catch a nasty one for me.''

I couldn't help but pout dramatically. ''Oh, come on, man.''

''Miss you already,'' Sarah called after him, a slight smirk tugging at her lips.

JJ tilted his head, calling out, ''Are you gonna meet us there?'' but Pope kept moving, not even glancing back.

''Dang,'' I mumbled, shaking my head as I grabbed my board.

By the time we reached the beach, the Twinkie had found a decent spot, far enough from the usual crowd to feel like our own territory. John B parked, and we piled out, immediately setting up chairs, umbrellas, and all the essentials for a lazy day in the sun.

''Don't you just immediately feel like life is better at the beach?'' Kie mused, dragging a chair into position.

JJ smirked, holding up an old, battered lawn chair like it was a prized heirloom. ''Easy with her. I've had this thing since I was three.''

I couldn't resist a dig. ''How is it still alive?''

''I take good care of my stuff,'' JJ retorted.

''Funny you said that after shooting John B's teddy bear's guts out.''

Kie nearly dropped her sunscreen from laughing so hard as JJ threw me a betrayed look. ''That was one time, okay? One time!''

As we finished setting up, the distant sound of revving engines caught everyone's attention. We turned to see three cars tearing down the beach, their wheels kicking up sand.

''You're joking,'' Sarah muttered, her shoulders slumping.

''Don't stop,'' JJ mumbled under his breath, though it was clear none of us had much hope.

''Anywhere but here,'' Kie pleaded quietly.

The first car pulled to a stop, Topper at the wheel with his trademark smirk. The other two vehicles followed, with Ashley in the driver seat, parking a few yards away.

''Fucking great,'' I muttered under my breath.

''Oh, you're joking,'' Kie huffed. ''Of course, they stop here. Why wouldn't they? When there's an entire beach.''

''We were here first,'' Sarah pointed out.

''It's a waste of waves, if you're asking me,'' Kie added.

''So lame,'' Sarah muttered, shaking her head.

Her attention shifted as she spotted her brother standing alone with a drink in his hand. ''Great. My brother's here,'' she groaned.

JJ nudged John B with his elbow. ''Sunshine's coming,'' he warned, nodding toward Topper, who was making his way over.

John B sighed, letting go of Sarah's hand. ''I got him.''

The two met in the middle of the sand, their postures tense but not outright hostile—for now.

''What's up?'' Topper greeted, his tone just a little too casual.

''What up?'' John B echoed with a shrug.

Topper gave a thin smile. ''Don't want any trouble out there.''

''Nah, nah. No need for that. I'm just here to surf,'' John B replied evenly.

''Great. Glad we cleared that up,'' Topper said. ''I think. I mean, it's not me who usually starts anything.''

''Mhm, sure,'' I muttered under my breath.

"Right, like, um, when you burnt down my house?" My brother said crossing his arms.

''Ah, dude, I'm... I'm very sorry about that,'' Topper continued, his voice dripping with insincerity. ''I... I had nothing to do with it.''

''Right. Totally,'' John B quipped.

Topper straightened up slightly, his tone shifting to something that almost sounded genuine—if you squinted hard enough. ''Look, I came over here to kind of bury the hatchet with you,'' he explained. John B tilted his head, humming like he didn't quite believe it. ''I got no beef with you, all right? We're just here to surf. We're cool?''

''Totally cool, man. Yeah,'' John B responded.

''Great. Let's call it even, huh?'' Topper pressed, a self-satisfied grin spreading across his face.

John B raised a brow. ''Top, do you... do you really think it's even?''

''I don't know,'' Topper shot back, spreading his hands. ''Let's go down the list. Um... you guys sunk my boat.''

''Allegedly,'' I interjected, stepping up beside John B, the corner of my mouth twitching upward.

''Then you cold-cocked me and put me in the ER, remember that?'' Topper said, his tone growing sharper as he leaned forward slightly.

John B didn't miss a beat. ''Did feel pretty good.''

Topper's jaw tightened, but he kept his composure. ''Oh, it felt good?''

''Yeah, it did,'' John B said evenly.

Topper narrowed his eyes before delivering his favourite line, the one I'd heard too many times. ''Look, I was with her first, bro,'' he said, tilting his head toward Sarah. ''All I'm saying is, if your girl comes to me, if she can't resist... what am I gonna do?''

John B hummed again, his expression blank as I fought hard not to burst out laughing at his face.

''I'm only human,'' Topper added with an exaggerated shrug.

''A very ugly one, but yeah,'' I cut in, smirking at him.

His gaze snapped to me, a glare that probably would've scared anyone else. ''We're just here to surf,'' John B interjected quickly, stepping in before Topper could respond.

''I'm just trying to surf too, pal,'' Topper shot back, his voice tighter now, though he attempted to mask it with another smirk.

The standoff lingered for a moment longer before Topper finally turned on his heel and sauntered back toward his group.

JJ leaned toward me. ''Nice touch with the 'ugly' comment, Mimi.''

I grinned, shrugging. ''What can I say? Some things just need to be said.''

John B chuckled under his breath as he grabbed his board. ''All right, let's hit the water before we waste all the good waves dealing with his crap.''

For now, the waves called, and we managed to focus on what mattered: being in the water, riding the swell, and carving through the salty expanse. JJ stuck close, helping me refine my technique as the afternoon wore on.

Sarah paddled out, her arms slicing through the surf like she'd been doing it her whole life. John B floated nearby on his board, his expression equal parts encouraging and protective as he watched her try to find her balance.

''Come on, Sarah. You got this,'' he called.

''You got this,'' Kie echoed, flashing Sarah a supportive grin as she floated a little farther out.

Sarah steadied herself, her knees wobbling slightly before she pushed up into a standing position. Her face lit up with a grin as she found her footing.

''Oh, my God. Oh, my God!'' she exclaimed.

''Yes, girl!'' I hollered, cupping my hands around my mouth to amplify the sound.

''I'm doing it!'' Sarah yelled, throwing her arms up triumphantly, a laugh escaping her as she rode the wave all the way to shore.

''Yeah, nice swell!'' JJ called.

The group erupted into cheers, our voices mingling with the sound of the waves as Sarah jumped off her board near the sand. 

Back in the water, Kie, John B, and I sat on our boards, letting the gentle sway of the ocean carry us as we scanned the horizon for the next good wave. A few feet away, Topper and Kelce bobbed along on their boards.

JJ paddled over, stopping between John B and Topper, a mischievous grin plastered across his face. ''What up, fools?'' he greeted. He threw a nod at Topper. ''How's it going, sunshine?''

Topper nodded back, a thin smile on his lips. ''What's up, pal?''

JJ smirked. ''Oh, can't complain on a day like this.'' He glanced out at the waves, shielding his eyes with a hand. ''Right?''

Topper's demeanour shifted slightly, his grin becoming more genuine as he responded. ''Yeah, it's getting big out there, huh?''

''Sure is,'' JJ replied, his eyes narrowing on an approaching swell. He tilted his head toward it. ''See that one?''

Topper whistled. ''Oh, yeah, here we go.'' His excitement was evident as he turned to Kelce. ''That's me, baby. Watch this.''

JJ gave a sidelong glance to John B and me, his grin widening. ''Is that you?''

''Yeah, baby, that's all me,'' Topper said confidently, already paddling into position.

''Yeah, that's all you, Top,'' Kelce affirmed.

As the wave approached, Topper dug his arms into the water, his board slicing through the surf. But before he could fully catch the wave, JJ darted in, deliberately bumping Topper's board and sending him flying into the water.

''Hey!'' Topper sputtered as JJ caught the wave effortlessly, his whoops and laughter echoing over the beach.

From the shore, Rafe's voice cut through the air. ''Blatant poach, man!''

''What the hell was that?'' one of the kook girls shouted from the sand.

Kie shook her head. ''So much for keeping the peace.''

Topper paddled back over. ''What the hell, dude?'' he barked, glaring at John B. ''You oughta teach your boy to wait his turn.''

John B mimed holding a phone. ''Yeah, I'll text him real quick. 'Hey, J, can you...?'''

''Classic pogue shit, man,'' Topper scoffed, shaking his head.

''It's not that deep, bro,'' Kie remarked.

Topper narrowed his eyes. ''I thought we were chill.''

I leaned forward on my board, meeting his gaze with a steady look. ''We are chill. It's just a wave, bro. We're not picking a fight.''

''Fucking pogues,'' Topper muttered, his voice low but loud enough to sting as he paddled away with Kelce.

I sighed, glancing back toward the shore. My eyes scanned the beach, lingering on the kooks who had decided to plant themselves too close for comfort. Most weren't paying attention to us—except for Rafe.

He wasn't even in the water, just standing near their setup with his arms crossed. His gaze flicked to me, then darted away just as quickly when he realized I'd caught him staring. My chest tightened. There was something about the way he kept watching that made my stomach twist, but I forced myself to look away, focusing instead on the waves.

JJ paddled back over, grinning like he'd just won a medal. ''Did you see that? Dude, I crushed it!''

John B rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling. ''Yeah, and nearly crushed us in the process.''

I shook my head, unable to stop myself from laughing. ''Only you, JJ.''

The water rocked us gently as we waited for the next wave.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

THE SUN DIPPED lower on the horizon, painting the sky in soft hues of orange and pink as we packed up the Twinkie. The salty breeze played with strands of my hair while I stood on the sand, securing the last surfboard to the roof. John B tugged at a strap, ensuring it was tight, while JJ joked about how he could've done it faster.

Out of nowhere, Kie's voice cut through the chatter. ''Guys, there's a turtle hatch!''

I turned to see her crouching near the dunes, her finger pointing to the sand where tiny, dark shapes were beginning to emerge. My heart leapt at the sight. ''There's a turtle hatch!'' I called out excitedly.

The group immediately gathered around, laughter and awe bubbling from all of us as the baby turtles, no larger than my palm, began their journey toward the water.

''Oh, my God!'' Sarah gasped, her face lighting up as she clasped her hands together. ''They're so little.''

John B crouched next to her, shaking his head with a grin. ''Look at these little nuggets.''

The moment was magical, but I quickly snapped into action as a few of the turtles veered off course. ''Wait, back up,'' I instructed, waving my arms to get everyone to give them space. ''You can't touch them.''

The group immediately shuffled backward, their movements hurried but respectful.

''Clear the way,'' Kie added. ''Sarah, keep the gulls off.''

John B and JJ joined me in smoothing the sand, brushing away footprints and debris to create a clear path. ''Get these footprints out,'' John B muttered, focused on his task.

''I don't see any,'' Sarah noted, her brows furrowed as she scanned the sand.

''Just in case,'' I replied, working alongside them.

We were all talking at once, our voices overlapping as we worked to make the path as safe as possible. The turtles' tiny movements seemed impossibly fragile.

Then, the faint hum of an engine broke through the moment. I turned toward the sound, squinting against the fading light, and my stomach sank. Topper's truck was heading straight for us.

''Hey!'' I shouted, waving my arms above my head to get their attention. ''Hey, stop! There's a hatch!''

''Yo,'' JJ muttered, standing up from the sand as the truck got closer.

''Hey!'' Kie yelled. ''Hey, there's a hatch! Stop!''

The truck didn't slow down. Instead, Ruthie, perched in the driver's seat, seemed intent on driving through.

''Topper, go around!'' John B shouted.

Realizing they weren't going to stop, we scrambled to get out of the way. JJ and John B sprinted to one side, while Sarah and Kie darted to the other. I, however, couldn't move—not with a turtle still struggling in the middle of the path.

''There's a hatch!'' I screamed again, refusing to back down. But as Ruthie pressed on, I dropped to my knees, scooping up the turtle in my hands.

The truck clipped me, its bumper knocking me forward. The world tilted for a moment, my hands bracing the fall as sand scratched at my skin.

''Mavis!'' John B's voice tore through the chaos as he lunged toward me, but it was too late.

Kiara reached me first, kneeling at my side with wide, panicked eyes. ''What the actual fuck?!'' she shouted, her hands gripping my arm to pull me to my feet.

I barely registered the sting in my knee, blood trickling down as shards of glass gleamed in the sand. My focus was on the crushed shells beneath the truck's wheels. ''No, no, no... no!'' I gasped, stumbling toward the wreckage. One of the tiny creatures was still twitching, its shattered shell a horrifying sight.

''Fucking psycho,'' I muttered under my breath, ignoring Kiara's protests as I stormed toward Ruthie and Topper with the lifeless turtle in my hands.

''Look what you did!'' I yelled, holding up the broken creature for them to see. ''Do you think this is okay?''

Ruthie glanced briefly at the broken shells before quickly looking away, her face void of remorse. ''No, look at it!'' I shouted again, thrusting the turtle forward. ''You drove right over a turtle hatch, you idiots!''

Rafe stood nearby, his expression dark as he glared at Ruthie. Topper tried to step in, his hands raised as if to pacify me. ''I understand you're upset, Mavis,'' he started cautiously.

''Upset? I'm more than upset, Topper!'' I snapped, my voice rising.

Ruthie scoffed, her tone dismissive. ''It was only one,'' she argued, shrugging as though that made it better. ''There are so many more of them. You should just throw that to the seagulls—cycle of life, right?''

My jaw dropped, words failing me for a moment before Rafe's voice cut through the silence.

''What the fuck is your problem?'' he snapped, his glare sharp enough to cut glass. ''Did you not see her standing there, telling you to stop?''

Ruthie rolled her eyes. ''Not my problem she just stood there.''

Rafe stepped closer. ''No, it is your problem. You saw them, and you kept going. You could've run her over!''

Topper tried to intervene, raising a hand to calm Rafe down. ''Hey now, Rafe—''

''Shut the fuck up!'' Rafe barked, his voice thunderous as he grabbed Topper by the collar.

''Stop defending that fucking pogue!'' Topper yelled, shoving back.

JJ stormed forward a step, pointing at the Kooks with a trembling hand. ''Come near Mavis again,'' he growled, his voice low and dangerous, ''and I'll kill every single one of you.''

Topper blinked, momentarily caught off guard, while Ruthie smirked, clearly unbothered.

''Big talk, Maybank,'' Topper finally sneered, though his voice wavered slightly. ''You don't scare me.''

''You should be,'' JJ shot back, his tone sharp and unwavering. He stepped closer, and John B grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back. ''JJ, stop,'' John B hissed, but JJ shook him off, his glare fixed on the Topper.

''Touch her again, so much as look at her the wrong way,'' JJ continued, his voice rising, ''and I swear to God, it'll be the last thing you ever do.''

''JJ,'' I interrupted, placing a hand on his arm. ''It's over. Let it go.''

Kiara tugged at my arm, pulling me away from the escalating fight. ''Come on,'' She took the lifeless turtle from my hands, placing it gently on the sand. 

As we retreated, I heard Rafe's voice rise again. ''Control your crazy bitch, Top!''

JJ's fists