ROUTLEDGE | rafe cameron

- • TWO • -

"Yeah, Kie. I'll be there in like twenty." I assured her over the phone, I was driving back to the chateau after cashing my check, going to grab a swimsuit to meet them at the beach. "Ew." She muttered, "what?" I laughed, "John B is checking Sarah Cameron out, I don't like it." Kie laughed, I could practically picture her eyes rolling. "She's nice." I shrugged, although she couldn't see me, "ugh, when she wants to be." Kie snapped, I pulled the phone away from my ear, shocked by her sudden harshness. "You done?" I teased, putting my car in park before climbing out, "I guess so, just hurry up and get here before I flip." The line went dead and I chuckled, poor Kie, see, we all thought she liked my brother, but he made a move and she totally didn't reciprocate. So I'm not sure why she's really so jealous over him, but sometimes she's like that about the other two boys as well, so maybe she's just unsure of what she wants.

"The party has arrived!" I called sashaying my way over to the group, well part of the group, Pope and John B were out surfing, Kie and JJ sitting out in the sand drinking a couple of beers. "Looking good, Lizzie." JJ smirked, giving me a once over. I rolled my eyes, "nice try, Maybank." I laughed sitting down beside him in the sand, I'm not implying that I thought I looked bad, I was very confident despite what people assumed based on my body type. I was definitely full figured, plus size, curvy, whatever the hell you decide to call me. But people assumed just because I had stretch marks, or I didn't have a perfectly smooth stomach, that I hated myself, or I'm unhealthy. Which is far from it, I've got a perfectly clean bill of health, I'm just naturally bigger. Yet of course, people also see John B and look at me like I can't be related to him, it's pathetic really, to assume such things. Back to my main point, JJ caught me once, shaming myself in the mirror, it was a weak spot, I had just gotten dumped by who I thought was someone who loved me for me, so ever since then, he's taken every chance to tell me he thinks I look pretty, which is a very cute gesture on his part. I appreciate what he's trying to do. "Catch any good waves yet?" I asked looking between the two of them, Kie nodded, "yeah, I wiped out one to many times and decided to take a break." She shrugged, leaning back on her elbows, shutting her eyes as the sun shined in her face. I looked to JJ who shrugged, I noticed he still had a tank top on, and I frowned, "it's alright, J." I nudged his shoulder softly, breaking the odd silence between us. "I know." He smiled softly, holding a hand out, I took it and squeezed it gently. "Rock paper scissors?" I asked like a little girl, I laughed as he moved to sit cross legged in front of me, "you're on, Routledge." He smirked, laying one hand out flat, his fist hovering over it, I mimicked his actions. "Going down, JJ."

"That's not fair, you cheated." JJ pouted after I had one ten rounds, Kie had began watching us with a laugh due to his whining, "how could I have cheated?" I quipped, raising a brow to the blonde boy, he crossed his arms in a childlike manner, "I don't know." He mumbled, looking away, I chuckled, "did I hurt your feelings?" I asked with a pout. He nodded looking towards me, "awe the poor little baby." I teased, patting his knee, "whatever." He muttered getting up and walking away towards the water, going about knee deep. Kie and I shared a laugh at his antics, beginning to catch up over all the little things. She told me about work, and how there was this creepy guy that kept coming in, and how she kept refusing to serve him, I told her about tutoring Wheezie Cameron, she was shocked to say the least. The first thing she did was warm me about staying away from Rafe, I just gave her a pointed look, she didn't have to remind me. Right? I could simply follow one rule. That's what I told myself, thinking back to getting to possibly see him again on Thursday, stop, Lizzie, I can't think like that.

"How was work?" John B called as he approached us, water dripping from his hair and into the sand, "good." I answered simply, still kind of frustrated with him from this morning, but I won't let that get in the way of him and our friends. "Cool." He muttered, taking the towel and rubbing it over his hair, I shot him a glare, it was my towel. "Whoops." He laughed tossing the now wet towel onto me, "jerk." I sighed, throwing it off of me and onto his things. "But you love me." He teased, "debatable." I responded, standing up, taking JJ's empty beer cans with me, heading towards the recycling bin. I sighed, pushing them through the lid, bending over to pick up the ones that other people hadn't cared to properly dispose of, "assholes." I rolled my eyes, mumbling to myself, throwing the cans in there. "No need for that type of language." Rafe teased beside me, throwing a plastic bottle in there before I shut the lid, shocking. "Says the worst speaker of all." I retorted, I have over heard him talking with his friends, and he definitely has a mouth on him. I crossed my arms as he looked over me, his sunglasses hid everything but the tip of his head as he scanned me. "I should be going." I sighed, beginning to walk away from him. "Hey, you coming to Topper's party tonight?" He called before I got out of earshot, I glanced back at him, making Kie's jaw drop. "Why would I do that? A pogue showing up at a kook party doesn't sound like a good idea." I responded, he looked away for a second, "guess your right, well if you start missing me too much, you know where to find me." He smirked, clicking his tongue as he walked away, I bit the inside of my lip as I walked towards my friends, my brother glaring at me like I just sold my soul to the devil. "Close your mouth, Booker." I quipped, sitting myself back down on the sand with them, everyone staring at me, including a very confused Pope. "Why were you talking to him?" JJ spoke first, followed by a bunch of humming in agreement. "He asked me if I was going to Topper's party tonight, I said no, that's all." I explained, confused as to why they were reacting like this. "It looked like you said a lot more than no." Pope pointed out, I shot him a glare, "aren't you supposed to be on my side?" I quipped. Pope was almost always agreeing with me. "I'm just stating the facts." He put his hands up in defense, "you're over reacting." I gave them all a pointed look, deciding on ignoring their antics, I pushed my sunglasses on to cover my eyes, blocking out their awkward stares. The fact that they didn't want me to be around him, made me want to even more, despite the fact that he was such a trouble maker. A little fun can't hurt right?