MATILDA! CHAPTER ONE:
BOYS ARE EARLY
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Liddy Hard lived in the outer banks ever since she was young. She lived in a house on the cut with her little sister Ellie and her mother Diane only a few doors down from her first best friend from the cut, John B Routledge. Liddy had met him in the first grade after he protected her from a bully. Ever since they'd been so close and she'd felt so protected. than in the third grade they met the fiery blonde JJ Maybank, after JJ accidentally got gum in her hair, and John B had to hold her back from trying to tackle him. they met Pope Heyward, who was very smart, and Kiara Carrera who was a Kook, unlike the four others who were pogues. Pope had actually corrected JJs grammar and Kiara had met Liddy on the beach surfing. Since than the group never went too long without seeing one another.

JJ was constantly over at either Elizabeth's house or John Bs— but ever since John Bs dad went missing Liddy's mother Diane made sure John B had a place to eat. Liddy's mom ran a small shake shack named 'Outer Shakes' that was pretty popular. Liddy didn't know her father, her mother was very secretive about it. She never knew why.

the group stood on the railing of the new house that was being built in Figure 8. It was the Pogues favorite thing to do. Liddy, Kie, JJ, Pope and John B had beers in their hands— and John B was standing on the roof on one foot, balancing. Liddy stood on the ground with Pope watching as John B pretended to float.

"that's a three story drop, I'd give you a one chance of survival" Pope said

"If that" Liddy scoffed

"Should I do it?" John B asked

"Do it, I'll shoot you on the way down" Pope said, mocking to aim a gun at John B

"You'll shoot me?" John b asked before making a fake gun with his hand. 

Something he did way to often

"There gonna have Japanese toilets with towel warmers" Kiara said, coming out of the toilet.

If there was one thing you needed to know about Kie is that she was an activist for the environment in every situation. You'd never even know she was kook by the way she acted.

"Of course, why wouldn't they?"

"This used to be a turtle habitat but who cares about the turtles I guess"

"I can't have cold towels" JJ said

"Can you please not kill yourself?" Kiara asked John B, looking up at him.

"Don't spill your beer, I ain't giving you another" JJ spoke before a gust of wind made John B lose his balance and drop the can spraying them and Liz let out a howl at the boy.

"Oh shit"

"Of course you did, right when I say it" JJ said before Liz heard a noise of a car and looked over the balcony to see Gary the security guard.

"guys, security's here" Liz told them and one by one they jumped down from the roof "boys are early today"

"Let's go boys"

"Let's roll" Liz smiled as JJ landed beside her after jumping from the roof with ease and the group immediately started to run through the house.

"Hey Gary is that you?" JJ asked

"Get down"

"Gary good to see ya man!"

"Is it time?"

"Yeah, Your just asking for it"

The Five ran through the house dodging the security

"Not much of a hugger man" JJ said before he grabbed Liz to hurry her up

"Go pope! Go, Go, Go!" Before Pope tried to jump over the fence but fell on his face. Liz laughed and easily made her way over the fence— she had climbed the fence when she was younger and ended up with a broken arm.

"Get up" JJ said

"Come here ya little pricks!"

"The bus is leaving!" John B yelled after honking

"Come on guys! Whoooo" Kiara said from the van and they all jumped in laughing and drove away with the security guard Gary chasing after them

"Come on Gary!"

"Hey slow down" JJ said leaning his head out the open door

"Your gonna give him a heart attack" Liz couldn't stop laughing 

"Come on your so close! You can do it!" JJ said before throwing a beer to him

"There you go! They don't pay you enough bro"

"okay, JJ Stop" Liz said pulling him back in the van and he sat beside her

"Hey come on, that sort of initiative is just begging to be punished" JJ laughed and Liz nudged his shoulder slightly

"JJ you are in the best way an asshole"

The next day after sleeping at John Bs, Liz and JJ approached the small yellow beach house with teal shutters on the outside. Liz smiled as she noticed the golden retriever ran the door wagging its tail.

"Maggie!" Liz exclaimed, leaning down to greet the smaller dog— Maggie, their Goldie was 3 years old. Liz cooed over the dog and Maggie greeted JJ. Liz made her way inside and opened the door as JJ and Maggie followed closely.

"Hey Mama" Liz spoke as she saw her mom in the kitchen, Ellie sitting across from the counter. Liz ruffled Ellie's shorter hair.

"Hey Smellie" Liz giggled before Ellie groaned

"That's not my name" Ellie muttered

"Oh hey guys" her mother said

"Hey Mama Hart" JJ waved

"Why are you off so early?" Liz asked

"didn't you hear? There's a huge storm coming tonight Agatha's coming" her mother answered

"That's tonight?" Liz asked before the storm alarms began to go off.