word count: 2.7k
warning(s): jarah doesn't exist & kie and sarah never fell out in this. angsty but happy ending!
summary: in which miscommunication tears you & sarah apart. a night stranded on a boat allows for true confessions to be made.
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The boneyard was packed with pogues, tourons, and even kooks; each group being able to push all the drama aside to have a good time for the night.
And if there was anything that could get your mind off things, it was a kegger. Kiara suggested the idea after the stressful few days the group had been through, and it was a relief to feel your worries slip away.
Approaching John B and JJ, you stuck your head in between theirs and threw your arms around their shoulders. You laughed as they jumped at the unexpected contact.
"Jeez, Y/n. Don't sneak up on us like that." JJ warned, clutching his chest dramatically.
When John B didn't say anything, you turned to face his concentrated expression and followed his line of vision. Straight to the one you despised most— Sarah Cameron.
"What the hell is she doing here?"
"We're wondering the same thing." The brown haired boy mumbled as the three of you watched Topper pick up his girlfriend and spin her around.
You pretended to gag in your mouth as she gave him a kiss. "I think I might barf."
"No kidding. Isn't that our beloved frosted tips?" JJ inquired, referring to Sarah's new beau.
"Who? Topper?" You answered.
"Yeah. I didn't know if it was him or not. A lot of the kooks look like living and breathing Ken dolls." JJ quipped, taking a sip of his beer.
"Looks like he's found his very own fake Barbie to match."
"Ooouu, do I sense some tension?" John B teased at your jab to the blonde girl. "I thought you guys were friends?"
"Yeah. We were." You emphasized. "As in past-tense."
"What happened with you two anyway?" JJ asked.
A sigh fell from your lips before you swallowed the last bit of beer in your solo cup. "Sarah Cameron isn't all she's cracked up to be."
-
After stating your opinion of the kook princess, you presumed your distaste for the girl was clear. Perhaps not clear enough, given the sight in front of you as you neared the Chateau's porch in the hot afternoon sun.
Only to be met with her in your favorite spot on the couch.
"Care to explain what the hell she's doing here?" You began, shooting each of the pogues' glares as you waited impatiently for someone to explain.
"Nice to see you too, Y/n." Sarah muttered, eyebrows raising and lips pulling into a sarcastic, tight-lipped smile.
"We need her help." John B informed hesitantly.
"Her help? What could we possibly need her help with?"
"Sarah got me into the Chapel Hill archives the other day. We did some research and we're close to mapping a location for the gold."
"What?" You queried incredulously. "Are you joking? You let her in on this?" Your eyes scanned the group for more answers, pinching the bridge of your nose as you tried to make sense of it all.
"All I care about is that her cut comes out of your share." JJ shrugged, pointing to John B.
"What is going on?" You asked once again.
John B let out a sigh. "Sarah's gonna help us. I know you guys aren't on the best terms right now but-"
"That didn't seem to stop you. You still invited her here." You interjected. "So is this.. are you two like a thing now?"
"No." They both answered in unison. "Look, Sarah and I are just friends. Okay? I mean I've been working at Tannyhill for a while now, and we get along great."
"You've been friends with her? You know what, that's almost betraying me just as much as she did! I already warned you about her. She's no good, John B. I don't know why you can't just believe me on this one."
"That's rich coming from you." Sarah debated.
"Then go back to your precious mansion if you're too good to be around me." You sneered. "No one, other than John B anyway, wants you here."
She scoffed, getting up despite John B's attempt to make her stay. "Fine. If that's how you feel, then I will. I'll talk to you later, guys." She told the rest of the pogues, making her way to her black Volvo.
"Y/n, what was that?" John B questioned.
"No, John B. You don't get to ask me anything. What the hell is wrong with you? Do you need your head examined? What are you thinking?" You lashed out.
"Maybe you're the problem, Y/n. You know I love you but damn— aren't you the one always talking about how holding grudges is ridiculous?"
"I don't hold any grudges. That doesn't mean I trust Sarah, though." You explained matter-of-factly. "And you know what else I say, John B? Once someone shows you who they are, believe them. I'll never trust her again."
"Come on, Y/n. I need you to be on board with this so we can work together." John B pleaded.
"I am on board!" You reiterated. "As long as Sarah jumps off. I'm not working with her."
"Whatever, Y/n. You're being dramatic."
"I'm reacting how anyone would if they had just been ambushed." You stated. "Nobody was gonna give me a heads up at the very least?"
"To be honest... that is pretty unfair." Pope added in your defense, to which you nodded in acknowledgment.
"I'm sorry for that, Y/n. But I knew you wouldn't have shown up if I told you in advance."
You sighed, plopping down on one of the patio chairs, closing your eyes in agony while letting your head rest on the wall behind you. "I would've rather you brought Rafe home."
-
From the uncomfortable surprise reunion at the Chateau, now you were sure that your position on where you stood with Sarah was crystal clear.
The next evening, your phone pinged with a text from Pope telling you to meet him at your dock when you received the message. So you did, sighing as you changed quickly and made your way down to the water.
"Good evening, Y/n/n."
"Hi, Pope. What's the urgency?"
"John B and JJ are stuck out on the marsh and need a tow." He clarified.
"So.. I'm here, why?"
"Uhh, mechanical." He cleared his throat to punctuate the statement. "We need you for mechanical. Kie's stuck at the Wreck tonight. Restaurant's too busy for her to take off right now."
"Ok. Let's make this quick."
-
JJ waved his arms in the air to greet you as your boat came close to theirs.
"What's the issue?" You asked, taking JJ's hand as he helped you onto the boat.
"Uhh, try checking the plugs. We haven't tried that yet, have we John B?"
"No. I don't think we have." He answered, walking to the edge and jumping off along with JJ.
"Guys? Everything is fine!" You announced, only to turn your head over your shoulder and find them on the boat you just came from. "Where are y'all going? I need to go back home!"
The voice coming through the door of a compartment below you began to yell, just before the surface flipped up and revealed the distressed person previously trapped. Both of your expressions dropped upon seeing one another as you and Sarah started your expressions of rage towards the boys.
"John B! You can't just leave me here, you dick!" Sarah spat.
"You don't know what's coming for you, Routledge! I'm gonna get you back for this shit!" You all but screamed.
"Sorry, ladies! You two have some issues to work out, a night stranded should do you some good!" John B mocked.
"There's food in the cabin and JJ rolled a blunt!" Pope informed. "Try not to kill each other, please!"
"Oh, we will!" You shot back, flipping them off. They sped away, and you watched them until they were completely out of sight, the sun eventually disappearing with them.
-
You wasted no time in lighting the blunt packed by JJ, hitting it and exhaling slowly. "Well, this is gonna be a long night." You passed the blunt to her, watching her hit it hesitantly before erupting into a fit of coughs. "First time?"
"Shut up." She grumbled.
The two of you laid in your respective spots, staring up at the stars in silence. A long silence, one that felt like forever but more realistically lasted an hour. "Hey, Y/n?" She muttered.
"What?"
"Why aren't we friends anymore?" She drew out slowly.
"What do you mean? You were the one who didn't wanna be friends anymore."
"Did I, though? Because that's not how I remember it. You started pulling back first, actually."
"What other choice did you give me, Sarah?" You asked, both of you sitting up to face each other. "You led me on."
"Excuse me if I thought you meant it when you told me it was a mistake." She pointed out.
"Of course I didn't think it was a mistake."
"Then what did you mean, Y/n? Damn, can you just explain it to me already? I'm sick of not knowing why you hate me so much. What did I ever do to you?"
You sighed heavily, eyes fluttering shut as you recollected, ready to be vulnerable if that's what it took. Anything to move past this. "Remember when we snuck beers from your dad's fridge that one night? And stayed up until sunrise watching chick flicks?"
"Mhm." She confirmed, smiling softly as the memory came back to her as well.
"Do you remember the part where you kissed me?"
"Yeah. I do."
"I thought we were on the same page. I thought it meant something. Only to see you making out with Topper a few days later." Her eyes scattered in confusion, soon reaching yours in disbelief. "Yeah. I saw you guys at the movies. When you told me you couldn't see me because you were too busy studying."
"Y/n, I-"
"Let me finish." You gulped, moving on with your story. "I was so upset, Sarah. I swear I cried that whole night because I didn't know what to think. So, when I came over the next day to give you back that shirt I borrowed, I just never bothered to come back again."
« "So.. are you good for midterms?" You asked Sarah.
"O-oh, yeah. I'm sure I'll do fine."
"I wish we could've studied together." You admitted disappointedly, clutching the shirt of hers you held in your hands behind your back. One she had loaned to you because you felt uncomfortable at the beach one day. That gesture meant a lot, though it was only something a friend would do for a friend.
"Yeah. Maybe next time. But um- I kind of wanted to talk to you about something."
"Oh, sure. What is it?"
"You know our kiss the other day?" She mentioned, staring down at her feet but glancing back up to your eyes momentarily. Hers filled with worry and a hint of regret, your stomach swirling with the same hurt it did the previous night.
"Oh." You started. "Don't worry about it. We were both pretty drunk, right?"
"Yeah." She let out, relieved but disappointed. "I was hoping it wouldn't make anything awkward between us."
"Of course not. Mistakes happen." You reassured, heart panging as you said it.
"Okay. I'm glad we're on the same page then." She nodded, giving you a smile. "Do you wanna stay for dinner? I have a lot to catch you up on and Rose is making your favorite!" Sarah exaggerated with a hopeful look on her face.
Meanwhile you blinked back a few tears, shaking your head in objection to her offer. "No thank you. I'm not staying." You pulled the shirt from behind your back. "I saw this in my laundry and figured I'd return it."
Truthfully, you knew exactly where that damn shirt was, but it reminded you of Sarah so you didn't mind holding onto it. Until being reminded of Sarah wasn't so ideal anymore. Seeing her so happy with Topper— when she had just kissed you not even a week before— made jealousy course through your veins.
"Oh, you don't have to. You wear it better than me, anyway." She complimented.
"No, really. Take it back." You insisted, placing the shirt in her hands. "I should get going."
"Oh, okay." She followed your rather fast trail through the home and down the spiral staircase to the door as she always did. Instead of turning around to hug her like normal, you shortened the moment to a small peering halfway over your shoulder, bidding her goodbye sorrowfully.
"I'll see you around, Sarah." »
Tears pricked your eyes at reflecting on that morning, looking at Sarah whose jaw slightly hung open as she couldn't find the words to say. "I'm sorry, Y/n. I should've told you about Topper."
You continued to look down at your hands, ignoring the burning feeling that twitched in your nose to the point of bringing on more tears. "It's alright. Everything's over now."
"But I need to tell you that kissing you wasn't a mistake."
"You agreed with me that it was, Sarah. You don't have to backtrack now."
"Did you like me?" She blurted, disregarding your comments. "Is that why you were so upset?"
"Why are you asking?"
"I'm asking because I've seen the way you look at me. Before we fell off. Please, be honest."
Her eyes wore a pleading look that you couldn't help but give into. No thanks to the blunt you'd smoked, definitely allowing you to be more open than usual.
"Yeah. I did. But you didn't like me back, Sarah."
"How are you so sure of that?"
"Because you've never shown any interest in me beyond friendship!" You snapped. "Besides kissing me but you were drunk. That doesn't fucking count."
"It did to me, Y/n." Sarah confessed. I went for it because it felt right, because I genuinely wanted to. And when I did, I felt something a whole lot more than friendship."
"I couldn't tell." You muttered.
"When I realized it, I got scared and I ran. I couldn't deal with it normally, so I ran to Topper because it was easy. And as time went on, I couldn't stop thinking about you, Y/n. A-and it just got worse. I needed you, my best friend. And I'm pretty sure I needed even more than that in you, too. Because everytime I remembered you weren't around I kept thinking I might cry."
You drew in a breath of fresh air, trying to keep your tears at bay. "Okay."
"Okay? That's it?"
"I don't know what else to say, Sarah. I miss you, though." You gave her a soft smile to which she gave one back.
She reached over and wrapped her arms around your neck, pulling you into a soothing hug. "I miss you, too."
You rested your foreheads together before her lips were hovering over yours, only for you to pull away.
"What about Topper?"
"What about him? We broke up." She stated with a grin, eyes lighting up at the smile now spreading across your face.
You leaned in and kissed her, with far more passion than any of the other times. It took Sarah no time to reciprocate, indulging in the long awaited moment. Pulling away for air, you pulled each other a little closer before lying comfortably under the stars.
"I don't wanna rush into this, Sarah. I want to be with you but we need to work on some things."
"Okay. As long as we're together, I don't care. I'll be here for however long it takes."
-
The sun rose sooner than you would've liked, and as a result you had to unravel yourself from the blankets and Sarah's arms. The boys didn't waste much time in coming to get you, anxious to see if you and Sarah made any progress.
"Rise and shine!" John B sang cheerfully. You and Sarah stood at the edge, grimaces displayed on your faces as you looked at the boys.
"Uh, oh. This can't be good." JJ piped up.
"So.. you guys didn't kill each other. That's a plus." John B acknowledged with a shrug.
"Did you guys work it out? Are you friends again?" Pope asked, reaching his arm out for you to step back on the boat. You and Sarah smiled at each other and winked, everyone anticipating your answer.
"Something like that."