The Least Favorite Cameron

Chapter Eight

"No, no way!" John B. says to me as I show him the text.

"John B. I have to go," I say as I show JJ and Pope the message as well.

"Rafe is such a little bitch for that bro," JJ says.

"John B. I have to go home. If I don't it will just make things worse. Can you please take me home?" I say as I grab his hand.

"Rafe lost his shit tonight, I don't want him to hurt you," He says, the worry present in his voice.

"He won't hurt me. Yeah he lost his shit but I'm still his little sister, he won't do anything," I say.

"I don't know if that's a very convincing argument and I would like to raise a few red flags of concern," Pope says.

"When aren't you concerned Pope?" I said to him.

"Gracie, just tell him you're staying with Kie tonight and that you'll be home in the morning," John B. says.

"I need to go home. Once I talk to my dad and explain what Rafe did, it will be fine. But if I don't go, I let Rafe create a story about what happened and then I am in deep trouble," I say as I open the passenger seat of the Twinkie and sit inside waiting for him to drive me.

"You call us if anything happens okay?" JJ says to me with a concerned look.

"I will, I promise." I say as John B. gets in the van and we head over to Tannyhill.

"So are you going to fill in the guys on you know... us?" I say shyly.

"Do you want me to?"

"They're your best friends, of course you can tell them whatever you want."

"I probably will tell them a little, but some stuff is just for you and me," He says with a smile.

"I really like you John B." I say as I grab his hand.

" I really like you too Gracie, which is why I need you to call me after you talk to your dad so I know everything is okay," He says as moves his thumb back and forth over my hand, soothing my nerves.

We pull into my long driveway, seeing as there's no point now in being discreet about us being together. We say our goodbyes and I head into the house. I immediately go into Dad's office since that's where he usually was. He was sitting on the couch with a scotch reading a book, his glasses hanging off the edge of his nose and when he hears me come in, he immediately points his attention to me.

"Are you okay?" He says in a worried voice as he embraces me in a hug, his Ralph Lauren cologne encompassing me.

"Uh yeah, I'm fine," I say in a confused tone as I was expecting more anger from him.

"Rafe told me that John B. started a fight with him? That the Pogues came to Kelce's house and started a fight with them and that you encouraged it?"

"No Dad-" I was cut off by him continuing talking.

"Just let me finish. Now I have a feeling Rafe left out several details of this fight and that you most likely did not encourage it. Am I right?"

I nodded in response.

"Now he also told me that you and John B. are dating, is that true?"

"Yes, and he's amazing Dad, please don't be mad!" I said as I started crying and hoping that things weren't falling apart.

He placed his hand on my shoulder and shushed me.

"Gracie, I'm not mad at you. I would like a few more details on what happened tonight but I'm not mad. John B. has always been respectful wherever he's at work here and I have no reason to believe he's any worse than another teenage boy. It's okay Grace." He said as he pulled me into a hug.

I told him how Rafe freaked out at the party and started the fight and how Topper and Kelce were being assholes to us. I even told him a little about John B. He listened with his full attention and assured me that Rafe would back off but I was not convinced.

I went upstairs to go to my room and saw Sarah's light was on so I lightly tapped on the door to which I heard her reply "come in".

"Hey are you okay?" She says as I walk in.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you okay? What happened after we left?" I say sitting down on the edge of her bed as she props herself up in bed with a pillow.

"Well I yelled at them for being such dicks but it's not like they cared. Topper gave me some half-assed apology and I just left. Rafe was here for a little but he left right before you came home to go hangout with the guys."

"That was insane. I can't believe Rafe!" I said to her and was surprised when she responded with a smirk.

"What?" I asked confused.

"I knew it!" She exclaimed. "I knew you and John B. were together!" She was giggling now like we were both school girls on the playground and I started to laugh too. Not because anything was funny but because of how crazy the night had been and it felt good to just sit and laugh with my sister. It felt good to have a normal moment where her and I could just be sisters and talk about boys.

"I want details!" She said as we stopped laughing.

"I don't know dude I guess I had always felt something for him that was more than friendship but it just seemed so ridiculous. Then one day it was just him and I and we went surfing and had lunch together, we layed in the hammock at his house together and it just kinda started. It suddenly felt like this was how it was supposed to be." It was the first time I had actually talked to someone about it. It felt good to talk about it with her and be able to show people how much I cared about John B. We hadn't said it yet to each other so I didn't want to tell Sarah till I told him, but I loved him. I would do anything for that boy and I think he felt the same way.

"I wish I could talk about Topper like that. I feel like he just wants me to be this perfect Kook girl that likes to go to parties and do fancy things with him but I don't know that doesn't feel like me. The idea of his perfect girl doesn't feel like it fits me," She said in a sad voice.

"Sarah, if Topper isn't head over heels for the real you, then dump his ass. You deserve the very best. " I said to her as I squeezed her hand.

"Thanks Gracie, love you" Sarah said and I got up and gave her a hug before heading to my room to go to bed.

"Love you too Sis," I said as I shut her bedroom door.

I called John B. and filled him in on what happened and he was relieved both because the conversation with my Dad went well and because Rafe wasn't home. I wasn't sure if he'd come home tonight at all but I locked my door so as to avoid any unwanted argument between him and I. I got ready for bed and changed into my pajama shorts and a sweatshirt and sat on my window seat that faced the front yard and the street. I opened my window and let the cool breeze fill my room mixing with the lavender essential oil I had put in my diffuser next to my bed. I sat there thinking of when we were all kids and we didn't care who was a Pogue or a Kook and before Rafe got addicted to drugs and addicted to looking for our Dad's approval. Before things got complicated. When we were all little and would spend our days building sand castles and eating popsicles on the beach. Playing in the ocean and crying when Rafe would get saltwater in my eyes. I stare at my wall of photographs I've taken over the years honing on the different moments I captured. The time Kiara and I saved baby sea turtles at five in the morning, the Halloween party we had last year when JJ and I forced everyone to wear costumes. I loved to take pictures to capture the different moments of my life, of all our lives. It's so easy to forget the simple moments, the happy moments, that I like to make it a point to keep the moment forever.

I pull one picture out of my nightstand that I kept hidden there and took a picture frame that I had kept empty in my closet and put the picture inside. The photo shows John B. kissing my cheek as we laid on the hammock that first day and place it on my nightstand. Relieved that I can finally show how happy I am with him. I got into bed, leaving my window open for the breeze, and think about how excited I was for the day tomorrow. There was a hurricane about to hit the island which meant that we were all gonna hunker down at John B's house and I couldn't wait.