CHAPTER ONE
"the birds are having a field day!"
( episode one ━━ pilot )
HURRICANES REALLY WERE A BITCH... well at least they were for those living on the cut, something Scarlett couldn't relate to.
Over there, the Pogues may have to live without the internet for the rest of the summer, but for the Kooks, it was only slowed service which was a minor inconvenience (well, maybe not to Sarah's sister Whezzie who was whining about not being able to post a photo for the past ten minutes) that was annoying, but liveable.
Yeah, it sure was nice to be a Kook, and Scarlett meant that honestly. No sarcasm at all.
And so here she sat, in her best friend's backyard trying her best to hold back her laughter as she sat and watched her best friend attempt to scare away birds, chasing them away with only a tennis racket. She leans back against the tree behind her and continues texting her current fling.
wish i could be with you right now...
Scarlett bites her lip as she reads the text over before pressing send. Was this relationship (no... even calling it that in her head made her feel like gagging) wise? No, absolutely not. Would people get hurt? Maybe, but at long as it wasn't her, she didn't care.
Honestly, it helped keep her mind off the one person she knew that she could never have. She knows it was wrong to use people like this, but she really didn't care. Anything to help her get over that pain and heartbreak was okay in her books.
"You could help me, you know." Sarah grunts as she continues to swing at the birds.
Scarlett doesn't even bother to look up from her phone as she answers her friend. "Yeah, I'll be up in a second."
"Scar, c'mon!"
Scarlett continues to ignore her as she reads her newest incoming texts from Rafe. Luckily, a voice yells out Sarah's name before she has a chance to scold her friend again. Scarlett finally looks up from her phone for the first time in half an hour and sees Ward and a woman she didn't recognize walking over to them.
"I'm busy!" Sarah shouts back.
Ward turns up his face and looks over to Scarlett, hoping to get an explanation. "What is she doing?"
"Beats me, she's been like this for fifteen minutes." Scarlett answers the man and looks back down, continuing to text.
"The burrows filled with water from the surge." Sarah explains as she chases the animals away. "The birds are having a field day!"
Ward sighs at his daughter's actions as he continues to walk closer to her. "The birds have to eat too, Sarah."
"No, it's a mouse genocide out here." Sarah swings the tennis racket and misses. "No!"
"The cycle of life is what it is, sweetheart." Ward says, finally catching up to her. "Now, come on."
"I can't be a part of it. First they came for the mice, Daddy." Sarah looks over to her father and sees him standing with a woman she didn't know, immediately feeling guilty for not realizing why her father was trying to get her attention. "Oh, my God."
Ward waves over to the blonde girl, still sitting by the tree. "Scarlett could you come over here as well, I have a human being you two might help."
"Hi. I'm Sarah." Sarah extends her hand over to the woman. "I'm so sorry."
Scarlett quickly rushes over and introduces herself as well, shaking the woman's hand after Sarah. She had no idea what her possible involvement may be here, but the situation looked serious enough for her to be nervous.
"This is Lana, Scooter's wife." Ward explains as he looks between the two teenagers. "The two of you were storm prepping with him, right?"
"Yeah. He helped us latch the cabin on the Druthers." Sarah says.
"Last night?" Ward asks, wanting to make sure.
Scarlett nods her head and Ward takes that as all confirmation he needs, continuing on with his questions. "And did he go out after that?"
"From here?"
"Yeah."
"No. Are you crazy?" Scarlett scoffs. "There was a hurricane."
"Well, did he say where he was going? Get a phone call or mention anything?" Lana chimes into the conversation, desperately hoping the two girls could help her find her husband.
"He didn't say anything to me." Scarlett informs her.
"Me either." Sarah looks at the woman sadly, feeling a lot of sympathy for her. "I'm so sorry, is he okay?"
"He's absolutely okay." Ward presumes. "He's hunkered down somewhere. We'll find him."
"Sorry." Sarah apologizes again as Lana and her father begin to leave.
Lana nods and thanks the girl as Ward continues to usher her away, going on about places her husband could be. "He's hunkered down somewhere with a six-pack..."
"God that's terrible, I hope they find him soon." Sarah expresses her concerns.
"He'll be okay." Scarlett tries her best to reassure the girl. "There's no way anything bad happened to him."
Getting more worried and not wanting to talk about Scooter anymore, Sarah decides to change the subject, asking her friend a question that's been on her mind all day. "Who were you texting that's got you all smiley."
Scarlett grins and purses her lips, trying to think of a good way to deflect. "I'd tell you, but you'd just get grossed out."
"Ew, are you still doing my brother?" Sarah groans, wishing she never questioned anything.
"I thought you didn't want to talk about it." She says as the two begin walking up to Sarah's house. "You were the one that said you would rather act like it wasn't happening."
"Hard to act like it's not happening, when 50% of the time, it's happening in my own home."
Scarlett shrugs and chuckles lightly. "I didn't tell you to have a hot brother."
"Oh my god." Sarah turns up her nose in disgust. "Just be careful. I don't want you getting hurt."
"Please, it's not like we're dating. Him and I are just having fun." Scarlett reminds her. "I have the same amount of fun with Kelce, and any other boy who catches my eye."
"I don't even want to think of you and my brother dating." Sarah admits, not wanting to even really imagine it.
"Who knows, maybe we will." Scarlett laughs. "Maybe one day, Rafe will propose and you and I really will be sisters."
Sarah rolls her eyes. "That will never happen."
"You're right. Who says that Rafe will be the one to propose, it could be me." Scarlett looks up, almost visualizing the idea of her and Rafe together for real. "It's 2020 so that's socially acceptable."
Sarah sighs and stops walking, upset that her initial point went right over her friend's head. "No, that's not what I meant and you know it."
The blonde girl pauses and immediately starts internally panicking. Ever since their fall out with Kiara, Sarah had tried her best to get Scarlett talking about a subject the girl would rather keep buried and never acknowledge it again."I have no idea what you are talking about." She lies.
"Scarlett, it's okay. Like you just said, it's 2020, it's socially acceptable." Sarah starts. "No one cares if—"
"Sarah, I love you." Scarlett cuts her off. "So I'm going to respectfully ask you to mind your own damn business, and stay out of mine."
"I'm s—"
"I'm not going to ask you again." Scarlett declares sternly, looking Sarah in the eye to make sure her point was getting across.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit a nerve." Sarah apologizes, feeling guilty for trying to get her friend to talk about something she wasn't ready to yet.
"It's okay." Scarlett accepts her apology and begins to feel guilty for getting angry so quickly. "Sorry for getting snappy."
"It's my fault, but hey, listen to me." Sarah grabs her shoulders, looking down at the shorter girl. "Whenever you are ready to talk to me, I'll be here, always."
Scarlett coughs awkwardly and slowly removes Sarah's hands from her body. "Thank you, much appreciated, but there's no need for that. I'm fine." She turns around and starts walking away, spinning back around and shouting one last thing before disappearing. "Now it's time for me to go. Another Cameron is in need of my services."
"You're disgusting!"
☆
"Hey babe, where have you been?"
Sarah, sitting on the front porch of her house, is pulled out of her trance as she watches her boyfriend Topper walk closer to her. "What?"
Topper sits down next to Sarah, concerned seeing her so zoned out and her face blank. "I've been texting and calling you all day, and you never responded. Just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Sorry, my bad." She apologizes. "I've been with Scarlett all afternoon."
Topper looks around, wondering where the blonde girl went. "Where is she now?"
Sarah rolls her eyes before responding. "Ditched me for my brother. Now they're god knows where, doing god knows what."
"Damn." Topper pauses. "That's going to break Kelce's heart, he was finally getting ready to ask her out for real."
Sarah scoffs, finding the idea terrible yet amusing. "Yeah, well that's on him. He knows she doesn't do relationships."
It was true. Her entire life the Hall girl had never once been in a real relationship. Most people would feel upset at that, but Scarlett didn't care. She preferred it that way, especially being by Sarah's side with all the relationships she's been in, seeing the way guys would treat her friend sometimes, yeah she was good.
"Still, a guy can dream, right?" Topper tries his best to defend his friend.
He didn't get it, he never did. By now, Sarah was just used to that.
"Sure." Sarah says sarcastically, not wanting to fight with her boyfriend on the topic any longer.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that Sarah's head was somewhere else, clearly not really listening nor caring to a word Topper was saying. "Why do you look so down?"
"It's nothing, just girl stuff with Scarlett." She says. "You wouldn't get it."
He didn't like having secrets with Sarah, he preferred it if they shared everything with each other, not realizing how unrealistic that was. "Try me."
"Topper, seriously, don't."
"What?" Topper tries to keep his voice calm, trying his best not to sound offended and start an argument. "I just thought 'cause I'm your boyfriend, you'd be able to tell me anything. I guess I thought wrong."
Sarah resists the urge to roll her eyes, annoyed Topper was making this whole situation about himself. "No, that's not it."
"Well, then what is it Sarah?" He raises his voice slightly.
"Topper! When the hell did you get here?"
The couple whips their head around and sees Scarlett exiting the front door of the Cameron house. Sarah was relieved, her friend could not have picked a better time to barge in.
"A few minutes ago, where have you been?" Topper asks.
"Here, there, everywhere." Scarlett sits down in front of her two 'friends' (to be clear, Topper was not her friend, she only tolerated him to please her Sarah, her real friend). "How's my... favourite couple doing today?"
Sarah and Topper both exchange a glance, but remain silent, neither of them answering her question. Scarlett could obviously sense the tension between the two of them after that.
"Oh, my bad." She cringes. "Trouble in paradise?"
Please say yes, please say yes. Scarlett secretly thought. It didn't take a genius to realize that this man, who unfortunately had the pleasure of calling himself Sarah Cameron's boyfriend, was the worst.
She's not saying that she wishes for them to break up... but she wishes for them to break up. Every night.
"No, everything's all good." Topper throws his arm around Sarah. "I was just coming over here to let the two of you know there's going to be a kegger later. I wanted to see if you two were interested in going."
Scarlett laughs. "If I'm interested in going? I'm wounded Topper, it's like you don't even know me."
Sarah stays silent, thinking about all the parties she's gone to over the past couple years. Always with Scarlett by her side, promising her that she won't get too crazy this time, only for her to be blackout before midnight. Sarah would never admit it, but just once she'd like to go to a party and enjoy herself, something she knew she couldn't do if Scarlett was around.
"Sarah? Hello?"
Sarah snaps out of her trance, for the second time today, so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't even realize Scarlett was trying to get her attention.
"Sorry, what?" She apologizes.
"Geez, you're really out of it today." Topper comments on her behaviour.
Sarah shrugs her shoulders, not wanting to have another repeat of their conversation from a few moments ago, especially if Scarlett was there this time. "Just have a lot on my mind."
"I was asking if you were down to accompany me to the kegger. You know I can't go without you, please." Scarlett begs.
Sarah scans her friend's face, watching as Scarlett pouts her lip in an attempt to get Sarah to do what she wants. She chuckles lightly, figuring it wasn't a bad idea after all. "Fine, why not?"
"Yes! Let's go upstairs and pick out outfits." Scarlett stands up, grabbing Sarah's hand and waving goodbye to the boy. "Bye Topper."
"What? I can't stay?" Topper asks, almost offended.
Scarlett sighs and turns around dramatically, facing Topper. "Do you really want to watch me rummage through your girlfriend's closet and complain about how I look terrible in everything, so then I get upset and cry and Sar—"
"Nevermind." He cuts her off. "I got the picture. I'll see you two later."
Topper stands up to leave, kissing Sarah on the forehead before walking away. When he was far enough out of earshot, Sarah turned to her friend with a confused look on her face.
"Freaking out and stressing over clothes? You never do that."
"I know, but it got rid of him, didn't it?"
author's note.
i love scarlett so much already and i hope yall so too <33