I'm woken up when my brother comes in my room, shaking me awake. I rub the sleep from my eyes looking at him. I was not ready to get up yet.

"Peterkin is here." He says simply.

I get up pulling on some clothes and throwing my hair into a messy bun. I was definitely very hungover. My head hurt so bad and my muscles ached. I walk out, trying my best to hide the hangover, to find my brother and the sheriff talking.

"Good morning, Katarina." Peterkin says.

"Kat." I correct.

"DCS called," she says getting to the point. "They wanted me to check on y'all, see how you're doing. So how are you?"

"Oh- oh, I'm great. Yeah, fantastic." John B says.

"We're fine, yeah. Typical morning besides this visit." I add.

"Yeah, thanks for comin' by." John B tried to get her to leave.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that, John B, but I heard a few things that worried me." She continues. "Let me see if I can remember."

John B shuffles around the house, picking up anything that would make us look bad. For example, the large amount of beer bottles that lay around the house.

I sit down at the dining table, knowing this would be a couple minutes. We weren't fooling Peterkin at all.

"Oh, yeah. One of the things I heard was your Uncle Teddy, your guardian, hasn't been in the state for 3 months."

"Well, where'd you here that? Cause that's not accurate." I tell her.

"You don't have to say anything, I know it's true, I called the school. They said you used to be a good student John B, but now you're failing all your classes."

"No, I'm only failing one, and it's History. Kat has straight A's so I don't know how this applies as evidence."

"I heard there was a fight on the beach yesterday." She says changing the subject again. "And a gun was involved."

"Okay, gun?" John B asks in fake disbelief. "No. Did I get in a dustup? Yes, but was there a gun? No. No way."

"That's okay, I know who it was. I'll get to him."

That's when I get annoyed. She was not about to bother JJ too.

"Really, Sheriff, I don't know where you're getting your information but it's not realistic. We can't even afford a gun, let alone him." I say.

"All I'm worried about right now is makin' sure you're in a safe home."

John B scoffs. "Yeah, super safe. Super sound, sturdy, you know what I mean? And, uncle T's coming so..."

"That what he told you?" Peterkin asks.

"Yeah." We say in unison.

"Well, if he really is coming home, I think you should be allowed to stay."

"Thank you." John B says annoyed.

"But if I stick my neck out for you, you have to help me. Tit for tat."

"What for tat?" I ask.

"Kat, no jokes please."

"You're the one who said it." I counter.

"How can you help me? Oh, I know. So, a body was found in the Marsh yesterday. Were you in the Marsh yesterday?"

"Yeah, we were fishin' for some drum." John B speaks up.

"You catch anything?"

"Nah, we were skunked."

"Strange, fishing's usually good after a storm." I shake my head, that was a shitty lie from my twin. "All sorts of things get stirred up. You come across a wreck yesterday?" She turns to look at me, expecting an answer.

"Don't you think we would've reported it? We're dumb, not cruel. Someone's loved one passed away. We wouldn't just see a wreck and not let that person get closure."

"You kids are skimming just above the surface." She wiggles her finger near her belly button. "Now, down here is Foster Care, Juvie. Pretty big drop for smart kids like you two." She moves her hand up, near her shoulders. "Up here is you and your little friends doing whatever you want."

"Are you trying to threaten us?" I ask.

"Outer Banks... or Foster Care on the main land." John B takes a seat in the chair next to me. "You one inch above the surface. If I was y'all, I'd start flapping my wings. Now you're sure you didn't see a wreck yesterday?"

John B shakes his head. "Yeah, yeah I'm sure."

Peterkin leans into his face. "It's better if you didn't; you understand? I'm gonna look the other way, as long as you stay out of the Marsh." She starts to head for the door before she turns to look at the two of us. "I got dogs livin' better than this. You might wanna think about cleaning up."

"Bye!" I say rushing her out the door.

John B throws an empty beer can across the room, frustrated.

"JB." I say catching his attention. "We're not going anywhere, alright? We'll figure it out. We just have adapt as we go."

He nods pulling me to the mattress beside him. He wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side. I pat his leg before getting up and heading back to my room.

I grab my phone and plug in my earbuds. I press play on some music before laying down and closing my eyes. I let the music calm my nerves.

I knew JJ wasn't gonna give up on the wreck and would only become more curious about it. My brother and I had no family here which only meant we'd end up in the system.

About an hour later, I feel someone climb on my bed and straddle me. JJ pulls the earbuds out of my ears and sets my phone on the table next to my bed.

"Talk to me." He says moving to sit next to me.

"We're gonna go into the system." I say quietly.

"You don't know that. I have a plan." He tells me.

"JJ.. we can't go into the Marsh. If we get caught I'll go into the system and I'll have to move to the Mainland. I won't see you anymore. I'm not risking that, you're the only thing left for me."

"I'm not gonna let that happen. Kids with money don't go into Foster Care. You're not going anywhere, Kat. Just come with us."

"JJ..."

He cups my face on both sides. "Do you trust me?"

I sigh. "Yes."