Astrid spent the entire day with Poppy, Summer and Marlon. It was fun hanging out with them while the others were busy. Bodhi was in a modeling session, Wren and Ari went on a date together meanwhile Baxter was nowhere to be found.

Rebecca stood by the arrivals gate, clutching a small piece of paper with "Astrid Crestmont" written in bold letters. Astrid didn't need it to recognize her sister, she could clearly see the resemblance with her mother and that almost made her cry.

Astrid stepped into view with a backpack that contained a change of clothes, her small notebook and pictures from their parents. They were the only things that the CPS agents could grab in a short amount of time while going to her house.

Rebecca hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward with a smile. "Astrid?" she said, her voice uncertain.

Astrid's grip on her bag tightened. "Hey, sis."

"Welcome home." Astrid almost wanted to laugh. This wasn't home for Astrid, and it would never be. "You look...different."

Astrid forced a smile and nodded. "Well, it's been nine years. People change."

The tension between them was clear, an invisible wall of unspoken words and unresolved emotions. Neither of them knew how to break the silence. Thankfully, the awkward moment was interrupted as a man in a suit approached them.

"Hello, I'm Agent David Lee. I work with Child Protection in Victoria, Australia." he kept a professional yet calm tone. "We will be conducting random visits to your home over the next few months to ensure you're capable of being Astrid's legal guardian." he explained to Rebecca.

The agent continued to explain more things to Rebecca, who was nodding the entire time and writing certain things on her phone.

"Thank you, agent. We'll be in touch." Rebecca said with a smile. "Let's go, we still need to drive to Shorehaven."

The drive back to Rebecca's place was filled with silence. From time to time, Rebecca tried to make small talk but was useless. Astrid just stared out the window, her mind swirling with anger and grief. She wanted to scream, to demand answers, but the words wouldn't come.

"I know this isn't what you wanted. I didn't think this would happen either."

Astrid turned to her, her voice sharp. "Then why did you stop writing back? Why did you just disappear?" Astrid knew that Rebecca wasn't referring to that, but still, she needed to say something after many years without a proper answer.

Rebecca flinched but didn't answer right away. "It's complicated," she finally said. "We'll talk about it later." Astrid scoffed.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." She didn't want to fight, she was too tired.

The rest of the drive was silent.

Rebecca finally pulled into the driveway of a beige coastal house. The place was near the beach, but was still connected to a street with other similar houses. For a moment, it reminded her of home.

"This is my place." Rebecca said, stepping out of the van. "Your room is upstairs. It has a private bathroom and a small closet. My room is downstairs in case you need anything." Astrid followed her inside the house. "We can go to the store tomorrow to buy clothes for you and things to decorate your room."

The house felt cozy, with surf photos and trophies from surf competitions on the wall. There were no pictures of her family or something that could remind her of Outer Banks.

It felt like stepping into a stranger's life.

She went straight to her new room and shut the door behind her. She leaned against the door and in the quiet unfamiliar space, she let the tears fall, the weight of everything finally crashing down on her.

Rebecca stayed in her living room, not knowing what to do next. From the moment she received a call from an unknown number, her whole world went upside down. She was unsure how to approach her, but she knew she had to do something to help Astrid.

The following day, Astrid stayed in her room, refusing to step out. She hadn't spoken to her sister since their small argument the night before, and now the silence between them was heavier.

The day was just getting started but Rebecca couldn't take it anymore. She pulled out her phone and called Manu, her best friend.

When Rebecca first moved to Shorehaven, she stayed with a foster family until she turned eighteen and was able to get her own place. Manu's family has helped her since she was fourteen years old, she even think of them as her second family.

"Hey, Manu." she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I need your help."

"Oh, hey! Wait, your sister arrived yesterday, right? I'm sorry I couldn't be there, I had to prepare everything for the training session for the team." Manu said. "What's going on?" Manu's voice was calm, with just the right amount of concert.

Rebecca glanced to upstairs, then back at her phone. "Yeah, I know it's been a day since she got here but I don't know what to do."

Manu was silent for a moment. "I get it," he said, his tone softening. "She's been through a lot. Moving to a whole new country after your parents died it's difficult to process, especially someone so young."

Rebecca nodded even if he couldn't see it. "I know, and I don't want to push her, but it's almost noon and she hasn't eaten anything. I ordered some stuff for her room and some clothes, but I don't know if she will like it" Manu could feel the desesperation on her voice.

"Maybe she can talk to my sister, Poppy. They are the same age, I think they will get along well. Today is the bonfire, maybe she can go with her." Manu suggested.

Rebecca knew Poppy. She has known her since the moment she arrived in Shorehaven when Poppy was seven years old and was already dominating the waves. Rebecca treated her as her own litter sister, and it felt as a betrayal to Astrid.

This whole process wasn't new to Rebecca. A year ago, Manu and Poppy's mother died and Rebecca went through the same process since their mom always treated her as one of her own.

"Right, the bonfire. I don't think I can go, my job only gave me a week and today is my last day before going back to work." Rebecca sighed.

After graduating college, she began working as a marine veterinarian in order to be able to afford her surf competitions and her place near the beach, since it was located in an expensive and tourist area.

"Don't worry. I will be there to make sure that no one is hungover the following morning." Manu said.

Rebecca hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure if pushing Astrid into a huge party on the beach was the right call, but it seemed like a great opportunity for her. "Alright, let's do it."

Rebecca hung up the phone, letting out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. With a deep sight, she made her way upstairs to Astrid's room, mentally preparing for the conversation ahead.

"Astrid? Are you awake?" Rebecca gently knocked the door.

She stayed there for a couple of seconds but there was no response. She decided to open the door and found Astrid sitting in her bed while seeing the ocean from her window.

"I know you left your phone there. I bought you one, it has my phone number, and the contacts of Poppy and Manu. Manu is my best friend, he is a surfing coach and Poppy is his little sister, she is your age. In case there is an emergency and I'm not around, you can call them." Rebecca said while giving the phone to Astrid.

"Thank you." she muttered. If she had any energy left, she probably would've said something she might regret later.

"There is a bonfire tonight. They do it every year to celebrate the start of the surf season, I mean every day is the perfect day to surf but if you really want to catch amazing waves, the summer is the perfect season to do it." she began to explain. "They don't usually surf, they just dance to some music, thank the ocean and eat a lot of food."

Astrid knew where this was going and she didn't like it. "Are you going?" she asked. Her mouth felt dry and her head hurt after spending the whole night crying.

"I can't. I have to wake up early in the morning to work but Manu and Poppy are going. I think it would be a great opportunity to meet them and get to know Shorehaven."

Astrid hesitated for a moment. "Okay. I will go."

Rebecca smiled wide after hearing it. "Amazing!" her voice was filled with emotion. "I will give you a ride to the bonfire at seven." Rebecca said before leaving the room.

"What a mess." Astrid said before going back to sleep.

The beach was already filled with surfers and locals enjoying the music, laughing and chatting. As they approached the gathering, Rebecca spotted Manu and Poppy standing near the fire. Once they saw them, Rebecca said goodbye and left Astrid alone with them.

"Hey! Nice to meet you, Astrid. Welcome to Shorehaven, the best place to surf in Australia." Manu greeted her. "This is Poppy, my little sister." he said with his arm around his sister's shoulders. Poppy had long brown hair with blonde highlights. She looked exactly as a surfer, strong and confident with tanned skin.

"Hi." Astrid shyly said.

"I'm glad you didn't miss the bonfire. Let me introduce you to some people." Poppy said while grabbing her arm and taking her to a group of people near the bonfire.

"Hey, guys. This is Astrid, she is Rebecca's little sister. She recently moved here from America." Poppy introduced her to the others who smiled and started waving at her.

"Finally another American, I was getting tired of hearing Australian's accent and I just arrived here yesterday! I'm Summer from New York." Summer said with a wide smile. She was almost the same height as Poppy, with dark hair and green highlights. "You arrived just before we were going to start a drink competition." Summer said while holding a cup, that she was pretty sure contained alcohol and not sparkling water.

A tall guy with long blonde hair appeared in front of Astrid. "I'm Ari, I'm just glad that Summer can bother someone else," he joked. "This is my girlfriend, Wren. She is actually from another town in Australia called Queensland." he explained.

Wren had short blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. Her presence was undeniable, her sharp eyes scanning her. She was definitely someone who commanded attention, even if she didn't try to.

"Nice to meet you, I'm glad there is another new person here." Wren smiled. "This is my older brother, Baxter. He likes to flirt a lot, so just ignore him."

The guy named Baxter laughed while getting a little bit closer to Astrid. He had pink hair and blue eyes, he was tall with broad shoulders and a manta ray tattoo on his right arm.

"It's a pleasure." he winked, making everyone roll their eyes. Astrid just stood still without not knowing what to say.

"If you ignore him, he will go away." a new person said. "I'm Marlon. I'm actually from Brazil, so I can also understand how you are feeling now." he smiled.

Marlon was shorter than Baxter and Ari but with a great physique. He had brown hair and shiny light brown eyes.

The last person of the group introduced herself. "I'm Bodhi, it's great to finally meet you." Bodhi said, offering a friendly handshake. She was taller than the other girls, with curly brown hair and big eyes. "What city are you from?"

"I'm from Outer Banks in North Carolina, I live in a small town called Kildare County." Astrid said quietly.

"I heard about that place! It is the best place to surf in America according to many professional surfers. My dream is to surf there. I heard that around August is the best month to surf, right?" Ari exclaimed excitedly.

"I'm not too sure." Astrid lied.

She totally knew that August was the best month to surf with consistent waves and warm weather. Meanwhile, November was the perfect month if you wanted a challenge while avoiding the summer rush. And that of course, May was the worst month to surf.

But she couldn't say that.

"You are not a surfer? Wren asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.

"I used to surf when I was a kid, but I was so bad that I stopped trying. I like the ocean, but I prefer to stay in the sand and read a book." Another lie. Wren smiled, being satisfied with the answer.

"Well, if you ever want to give it another shot, we can teach you." Marlon said. "Poppy teaches surfing to beginners, but everyone here is a surfer so we can all teach you, except Summer."

"Oh, fuck you!" Summer exclaimed. Astrid started to laugh for the first time since she arrived in Australia, the others followed her while continuing to make fun of Summer. "I improved while I was in New York, the waves might have sucked but I managed to make it!" Summer tried to defend herself.

"It's all about having fun with the ocean." Poppy said with a playful grin.

As the night progressed, Astrid found herself laughing at their jokes, especially those from Summer, who seemed to have endless energy. She learned more about her and her crazy adventures from last summer. She even started to get tipsy after trying alcohol for the first time.

She started to get closer to Wren, who kept talking to her the entire night about their favorite movies and songs. She enjoyed her company, and appreciated how Wren's intensity was matched by a friendly, welcoming attitude, making her feel like part of the group even though she was still adjusting to everything.

But deep inside, she couldn't shake the thoughts of JJ and John B. Even in a new place, surrounded by new friends, a piece of her heart remained back home, in the place where everything had once felt right. 

When Astrid opened her eyes, the harsh scent of medicine hit her first. There was a particular smell that hospitals had and she hated it, and now, she was in a hospital room surrounded by a nurse and two unfamiliar faces in suits in front of her.

"How are you feeling?" the nurse asked while checking her vitals. Astrid's heart sank when she remembered why she was there in the first place. She remembered the sound of the ocean waves, the smell of the salty water and her screams while she was desperately trying to find her parents. 

"Where are my parents?" she was afraid to ask, but she had to. She hoped that her parents made it alive and were in another hospital room recovering from it.

"Astrid, I'm Jessica Jones and this is Lucas Walsh. We are from Child Protective Services. We are in charge of your case." Astrid started to feel nauseous. "You and your parents were trapped into the hurricane while surfing in the morning." the woman continued. "The Coast Guards have been trying to find any trace of your parents, but there is not sign of them. We're sorry to inform you that your parents are presumed dead."

The words hit her like a freight train. "How many hours have passed since it happened, why you are declaring them dead? I'm sure not even a day has passed." Her breath caught in her throat, and the room began to spin.

"It's been four hours since the hurricane happened. I know it feels rushed but due to the magnitude of the hurricane, the chances of them being alive are nearly zero." She wanted to scream, to cry, to do anything but feel the unrelenting void that had opened up in her chest.

"They are gone?" she whispered, the words felt foreign in her mouth.

The agent Walsh nodded. "We are aware that you have an older sister, she has been declared your legal guardian. You will be moving to Australia to live with her."

Astrid chest tightened. "My sister? I haven't talked to her in years, she doesn't care about me!" she screamed.

Rebecca, Astrid's older sister, has been living in Australia since nine years ago. She isn't sure where exactly she is located, but she knows that she lives thousands of miles away from her since nine years ago.

Her sister was a surfing prodigy since she was a kid. Everyone in Outer Banks knew her, and everyone loved her.

When she was fourteen years old, she received an invitation to attend a surf camp in Australia to surf with other pro surfers from around the world. At first, it was supposed to only last two months, but it turned into six months then it turned into years and until, she never returned home.

Astrid was only seven years old when she had to say goodbye to her only sister. After she left, she tried to send her letters, but Rebecca never responded, not even to her parents.

She couldn't believe that she was supposed to live with a person who doesn't even care about her anymore.

"I don't feel safe living with her. She is a stranger." both agents exchanged a glance, until one of them spoke.

"I'm afraid that's your only option. You are not eligible for foster care since you have someone who can take care of you. Since you are moving to another country, we contacted Child Protection Services from Australia and they will follow your case closely to make sure you are safe with her." the agent Jones explained.

Astrid scoffed. "We also talked with your sister and she agreed to be your legal guardian." the other agent said.

"I'm pretty sure she didn't have any other option." Astrid murmured. "Listen, I will not abandon my life here in Outer Banks to live with her, it's not fair!" she said firmly, shaking her head.

She wanted to call JJ, but her phone was nowhere to be found and she was sure that the CPS agents would not let her make a call. And even if they let her, she knew that the hurricane messed any sort of communication for those living in The Cut.

"It's the safest option," agent Walsh said, trying to calm her. "You have a family member there, and it's in your best interest—"

"I don't care," she interrupted, her voice shaking with frustration. "I don't want to go with her."

Suddenly, her pulse quickened, her mind racing. Her head was starting to hurt while her mind was only thinking about Australia, she couldn't go there.

But before she could protest further, a nurse stepped in, holding a syringe.

"We're going to need you to calm down, Astrid," the nurse said gently, walking towards her.

"No—" Astrid started, but the needle was already in her arm. Her vision blurred, and she went back to bed.

Astrid woke up disoriented and confused hours later. She realized that she was now on a plane on her way to Australia, her nightmare was just getting started.

She started to think about JJ and John B, wondering about their whereabouts. She knew that after the hurricane, they probably went to fish with Kiara and Pope even if they were not supposed to.

They were probably not even aware of her disappearence or what happened to her parents, or maybe they already were, during their way to her house to pick her up for the party.

She could only hope they wouldn’t do anything reckless once they found out.

Back in the Outer Banks, JJ and John B were just coming back from visiting the motel after finding a  small shipwreck in the marsh after the hurricane.

They never expected to find a shipwreck while trying to fish along with Pope and Kiara. But they were sure that the mystery was just getting started.

John B and JJ were walking towards Astrid's house after a long day. The plan was simple, eat the delicious food that Astrid's mom prepared for them, go to the party located in the other side of the island and return to her house to watch her favorite romcom.

While getting closer to her house, they noticed police cars parked in front of her house and caution tape everywhere. When they reached the back patio of the house, their hearts sank.

Astrid's surfboard lay broken in front of them and there wasn't any sign of her or her parents.

JJ voice's trembled. "This can't be good."

Sheriff Shoupe approached, his expression was serious. "You boys shouldn't be here. There is a police investigation going on." 

"What is going on? Where is Astrid?" John B asked, he was scared of hearing his answer. He suddenly remember when his dad disappeared a couple months ago. Everything felt familiar.

Shoupe hesitated before answering. "According to the police report, they were surfing when the hurricante started. Astrid's parents didn't make it. The Coast Guards are still trying to find them, but many hours have passed since then and they are already presumed dead. This is just part of the routine, but we will close the case in an hour."

The boys couldn't believe what they were hearing. "Where is Astrid?" JJ demanded. "We need to see her!"

"Since both of her parents are dead, her now legal guardian is her older sister. She is flying to Australia to live with her." Shoupe explained.

"She's gone?" JJ repeated, his voice low and shaky.

His mind tried to process everything. John B put a hand on his should, he was trying to stay calm despite the panic rising in his throat.

"I'm sorry, boys. I know she was close to you." Shoupe said. He knew Astrid, he could never understand how a smart and calm kid was hanging out with JJ and John B, who would often get in trouble.

"What the hell kind of plan is that? She doesn't even talk to her sister! Why didn't anyone tell us this was happening?" JJ's voiced cracked. "We could've done something! Helped her or—"

"There's nothing you could've done. She's safe, she is with family now."

JJ shook his head. "Safe? You don't know that. You don't know anything. You are literally sending her to live with a stranger!"

"JJ" John B tried to calm JJ, but he shrugged him off, pacing back and forth.

"She didn't even get to say goodbye, man," JJ muttered. He turned to John B, desperation in his eyes. "We were supposed to celebrate her birthday, remember? I made her that necklace, stole those flowers 'cause she said they were beautiful. I thought—" He broke off, shaking his head.

John B stepped in front of him, forcing JJ to stop moving. "I know, man. I know. But freaking out isn't gonna fix anything. We need to think."

JJ let out a harsh laugh, running a hand through his hair. "Think about what? How we're supposed to magically get to Australia? You got a boat that can make it across the ocean? Huh?"

"JJ," John B said firmly, gripping JJ's shoulder. "We'll figure it out. But right now, we've gotta get our heads straight. Astrid needs us to be solid, not losing it."

After a moment, JJ let out a long breath. "We need to find out how to reach her. Phones are not working right now, at least not for those in The Cut and I don't think she was able to take her phone with her. " JJ sighed. "We need to talk to someone who can tell us where she is. Her sister, CPS, whatever. We can't just leave her alone like this."

"We will," John B promised. "We need to figure out how we wil get in touch with her sister, Rebecca. 

JJ scoffed. "Yeah, the sister she hasn't talked about in years. What if Rebecca doesn't even want her there? What if she's stuck in some crappy situation and can't call us?"

"Then we find a way to get to her," John B said. "There's gotta be a way, we've done crazier things before."

"Like grabbing a bunch of money and a gun from that motel room today." JJ casually said. 

"That was you, man." JJ rolled his eyes.

"You will thank me later."

"Whatever, let's focus. We need information about where exactly in Australia she went." Joh B said. "Shoupe mentioned CPS. They'll have the details."

"Yeah, because they'll just hand that over to a couple of teenagers who show up asking questions." 

JJ was right. "And what about her house? Maybe there's something there, papers, notes, anything her parents might've left that says where Rebecca lives."

The two of them glanced towards the house. The place was filled with police officers, but luckily, they were all focused on the beach. "We need to be careful, we can enter through the front door, there is no one in front of the house. We can't risk getting caught breaking in."

JJ smirked. "When has getting caught ever stopped us before?"

"JJ." John B said warningly.

"Relax. I'll be careful," JJ raises his hands. "But if there's something in that house that'll help us find Astrid, I'm not just gonna sit around waiting."

John B sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, fine." 

"Her parents always kept a spare key under the planter" JJ whispered while going to the front porch.

John B frowned. "You think it's still there?" he followed JJ while making sure that no one was paying attention to them.

"Only one way to find out." JJ reached beneath the planter, grinning when his finger brushed against cold metal. "Got it."

The boys stepped inside. JJ's gaze swept the room, landing on a table near the kitchen. "Check over there" he said, pointing to a small stack of papers and envelopes. 

While John B was busy trying to find anything, JJ was looking at the flowers he gave her. "There is nothing useful, here. Just bills and receipt."  He continue to look until a yellow envelope caught his attention. "Check this, this is a notice of eviction. Someone was trying to close their shop." John B frowned while reading the paper.

"I guess it doesn't matter anymore." JJ muttered. Suddenly, a letter caught his eye. "Wait, this is..."

"It is from her mom," John B grabbed it. 

Rebecca,

Today is Astrid's birthday. She is turning sixteen, and we hope you might reconsider calling or writing to her. I found on her closet letters for you, she misses you more than she will admit. I know things have been complicated, but if you ever want to reconnect, our door is always open.

We are still at the same place, but if you need to reach us, here are our phone number and address.

With love,

Mom. 

"Check this address, that's gotta be where she is" John B said while reading an address from Australia. "Astrid's mom probably was going to send this letter after surfing."

JJ snatched the letter and scanned it, his jaw thigtening. "So she hasn't even been in touch? And now Astrid is stuck with her? She deserves better than this."

"We don't know what their deal is." John B said. "But at least we have their address. We can try sending her letters."

JJ scoffed. "I just can't with this. We don't know if she will receive the letters, Astrid has never received any letter from her sister, what makes you think she will be able to receive our letters?"

"We will continue to send her letters until she sends us letters. We need to try it at least" John B said calmly. 

"Who cares, she is gone now." 

JJ left the house, going straight to the party, where no one had any idea about what had happened to her.

JJ went rogue and no one could stop him.

NEXT CHAPTER >