Around 7:30 or so the five of us walk to the beach, the boneyard, my only thought is that at least the sand is pretty.

“Tally-ho.”

“Hey-up”

while John B and JJ carry the pony keg, Pope carries the cups, and Kie and I carry the coolers.  Pulling the keg towards a cleared area in the sand we set up. The red solo cups opened and the keg was tapped. “No. Hell, no.” I watched as they filled a cup, Pope declined immediately.

“I'll take it!” I laughed at JJ as he took the foamed up cup, the foam taking over the bottom half of his face. 

After a while kids in clusters start to show up. Now I'd like to pause and explain how parties work in the OBX.

There's us and our friends. Working class fuckups. From The Cut. Then there are the Kooks. The rich second-homers. They're mostly from poncey-ass boarding schools, trustafarian posers. Our natural enemies. And then there are the tourons. sunburned tourist kids, some with northern accents. Literal Deer in the headlights, totally clueless. Here for a week on vacation with their families. Chum for the sharks. Everything was going great, the five of us flying under the radar, being normal and just having a fucking good time. But on this night, I swear on John B's missing father, we were minding our own business. 

The kooks came to us anthats when shit started going down hill. Fast.

Now this party started like any other had in the past. Me and my friends laughing, drinking, and aimlessly flirting with the tourons. After a while i walked away from a brunette touroun who had been following me around for the past 2 hours like a lone lost puppy.  I laughed again and turned trying to get away from this kid. I spot Kiara who was near the keg talking about astrology and shit to a guy that seemed to hang on to her every move, "Virgos are, like, so organized. Like, all my friends that are Virgos are like..." I shake my head as I stifle a laugh knowing the poor guy stood no chance at getting with Kie. Instead of walking towards either of them, I walked towards the beach, passing JJ who was drinking and jumping up on logs yelling, clearly already drunk.  I shake my head and walk past pope and cringe overhearing his conversation with a poor blonde touroun "It's kinda weird when on TV, we see people die, and they just kinda sit there, but in actuality, they would be shitting and farting up a storm." Cringing I walked up from behind them, whispering over his shoulder before hopping on the log they sat on. "well you're not wrong, tell her how they make fake guts and blood."  "I mean everything is fake, fake blood is just corn syrup and red dye," She became interested again, more surprised that it was such a simple concoction.

I smile and shake my head 'God I'll never understand this kid's brain' I only snap out of my thoughts when I see a pissed off Kiara storm past me to John B who's leaning on tree that was brought onto the beach because of the storm. "What the fuck is she doing?" Kie tells John B while looking at Sarah climbing a large red buoy with a broken chain embedded in the sand. I look over and see exactly what Kie sees and without saying anything march over to her and John B "What the hell is she doing here??. I thought you said she wasn't going to be here!" I hiss, at John B who just looks at me with an apologetic smile. I sscoff and stand there watching Sarah with my arms crossed, as scowl on my face as I watch Topper with her.

--------------------------------------------

"Hey, K, Hey Syd" Sarah says looking at us, "Hey." Kie says very flatly, while I nod at Sarah.

"Haven't seen you guys at the regatta lately."

"Not really a regatta girl these days. You know that." I just roll my eyes and walk away from them as they keep the awkward conversation going. JJ spots me and comes over carrying a beer I look at him and smile. "Yo syd, I got this one for you thirsty?"

"Yeah I'll take it, thanks J"

JJ spotting John B walking by, "what're you doing?" JJ smiled holding up the second and third cup with three fingers, "yo, what's up? I got this for you."

"Want it?" I laughed as he held his hand out as JJ shook the cup tauntingly, "for me? Yeah, I'll take a sip.

"Oh hey look its sarah. Oh, wait. Hey, hey. Hey, Sarah! Would you like this drink of mine?" JJ says starting to walk over to Kie and sarah.

"oh god" I mumble under my breath. "JJ, you're drunk, come on" I say following him

"Sarah, can I interest you in a tasty Milwaukee beverage?" I watched her decline,

"No thanks," Sarah says as Topper walks over to us.

"Come on, is it not fancy enough for you?" JJ says looking at her.

"No. We were just leaving." She spoke but was quiet as Topper held his hand out overly nicely, "Hey, you know what? I'll take it. Thank you, man. I appreciate it." He says reaching for the beer. I cringed in my skin, as his eyes flitted over us, landing on me a little longer than the others before looking back at JJ.

"That's nice, but I didn't ask you. "If you said pretty please, maybe, but you didn't so too bad. You can have it, Sarah. Not Topper" JJ says pulling the cup away, taunting him.

I looked between them and my face felt sour, "oh, pretty please." Topper says with mock sweetness and i roll my eyes god he can be such a dick at times i think to my self.

"You know what I'll take it if Sydney wants me to," He says looking at me and smirking. JJ still had a smile on his face until the Topper reached out smacking the cup making it spill everywhere and getting on JJ and me. I glare at him and say "Screw you Topper".

"Look who's talking, the shit brother," JJ says

"I'm the shit brother?" Topper starts getting defensive "Maybe she's the shit slutty sister" JJ looks shocked then lifts his fits to punch Topper but I jump in between them and push him.  Toppers hand hit me in the mouth instead, "the fuck, did you just hit me?" John B pulled JJ away as Kiara looked at my mouth, my tongue had blood on it.

Pushing her hands away I looked at my asshole of a brother and spit a little blood on the sand, "What the fuck?" Wiping my lip I took a step forward as Topper taunted JJ and John B, Pope was pushing JJ away still when I punched Topper. Socking him in the face. "WHAT THE FUCK SYDNEY?" Topper screams grabbing his jaw. It got kind of quiet as he clutched his face standing to look at me.

"I FUCKING HATE YOU!" I scream at Topper. "I FUCKING HATE YOU"

John B comes jogging up "Hey, Hey, Syd calm down"

"We're supposed to be incognito, remember?" Pope grabbed my arm and I pulled off,

"fuck that' shit, he hit me first." I snarl

"Dirty Pouges" Topper yells at me as he steps towards John B gets in front of me and topper shoves John B towards the water.

Topper decided to come up and punch him before kicking him in the water as Sarah tried to get his attention, "babe, babe, babe, babe..." Kiara had my arm in her hand as everything happened so I couldn't move away, "Hey, John B, don't make me drown you like your old man, all right?" He kicked him again and I was stunned.

"Guys chill!" Kie shouts

"The fuck is wrong with you entitled prick?" Topper looked over to us like he was proud, his eyes stuck on my face as everyone chanted. "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

I watched John B get up and tackle Topper, "give it to him!" JJ yelled.

"John B, let it go!" Kiara stood next to me as well, "stop, you guys!" They stood up and Topper was put in a headlock,

"Topper! Stop!" Sarah was yelling. "Come on, John B!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Let go man!" Pope trys to deescalate the situation.

"TOPPER STOP!" I yell at him "GUYS, PLEASE STOP!"

"JOHN B!" I yell again

"COME ON TOPPER!" John B yells as Topper punches him so hard that John B goes down near the tidal pool. Topper drags John B to the water then holds his head under.

"Oh my god" I look at the two of them in shock. I then turn and look and see Sarah yelling

"Topper! Topper stop!"

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" It escalated in a matter of minutes, the next thing I knew Topper flipped him, "John B!""

Topper, stop! No!" He had pushed John B's head underwater and was holding him there, drowning him, "guys?"

"I know."

"TOPPER LET GO OF HIM YOU ASSHOLE" I run over to them yelling. Pope looking extremely worried "He's drowning him!"

"No really? I hadn't noticed" I snapped. I see JJ get to both of them quicker and I see Topper freeze as JJ holds his gun to the back of Topper's head, "yeah, you know what that is. Your move, broski." I watch as my brother terrified holds his hands up and backs up slowly.

Everyone ran from the beach and I ran up to them helping John B out of the water, he was coughing and finding it hard to breathe.

"JJ!" Sarah yells "Stop JJ!" I look at Sarah and she turns on me "Do something!! He's your brother!!" I glare at her and then look back at JJ "JJ, put the gun down!"

"Did you say something, princess" JJ was pissed and freaked out

"Put the gun down now JJ before you get arrested!"

"We're good. We're good." Topper's hands lifted up, palms facing the air, open, "put the gun down!"

"Sydney, Kiara, can you check your psycho friend please!" Sarah shouts at me and Kie. I glare at her again as JJ raises the gun to the sky and yells.

"Okay everyone listen up! GET THE FUCK OFF OUR SIDE OF THE ISLAND!" JJ fires shots into the air and everyone dipped.

"JJ YOU IDIOT!" I yell at him

"Why would you do that?!" Pope shouts at him.

"I was saving his life okay" JJ comes back

"It wasn't worth it!" Kie shouts at JJ as well. I turn and see John B sit up and touch fingertips "Ow!" Just as soon as he had said it  John B blacked out falling back into the water. I run over to him dropping to my knees as  I pulled his head out, "stop fighting and get over here! Come on John B..."