I CANNOT BELIEVE MY last day of summer vacation is going to be spent trying not to kill a Cameron.
The last I saw of Rafe he was yelling profanities at a party Adrien had invited me to. One I didn't feel welcomed in, even with Sarah complimenting my new septum ring. He was smoking weed and drinking so much alcohol I'm surprised he's not dead.
My mom is a good person, not that the best but she tries. She never makes me to pretend to be someone I'm not but when Ward Cameron is in the house, I need to be the best version of me. She knows my thoughts about Ward. How he gives me hardcore Republican vibes.
I watch as my mom and the boys rush around to get the dinner table ready. It's almost embarrassing to watch.
"You sure you don't need help?" I ask, leaning against a chair.
"No, no. It's fine."
I roll my eyes at my frantic mother. "You're going to drive yourself mad over—"
"Don't say nothing. This is something." She pats her turtle neck down and sighs in victory at the table in front her. It did look nice but for what? I'll never know unless it's in her damn will. "This pasta looks amazing Justin!" Brandon exclaims.
It smells good.
Too bad I'd feel guilty eating it with Rafe Cameron across the table from me.
Just as I'm about to make a slick comment there's
a loud knock at the door.
Here we fucking go.
My mom rushes over to answer it and when she does, the island's most well known family is greeted with hugs and polite hi's. Them being in my house makes me uneasy.
First came in Ward then Rose then Wheezie who is stuck in her phone and then Rafe.
Rafe looks evil even with his fucking polo on.
The next is Sarah who instantly meets me with a smile, pushing past her family to give me an unexpected hug.
I'm getting a lot of those today.
I hug her back because I actually feel okay with her. Being forced to know someone as children can do that to you. "Hi Sam! How are you?" She smiles at me.
I return it back to her,"I'm fine. How about—"
Suddenly a gasp comes from her and she points upstairs. I throw a confused look at her but still go with her. I should be used to her weird behavior by now but I don't think she's used to mine. Sarah looks around us to make sure we were far enough away from everyone.
"Your fist. What happened?" It's the question of the day. That's why she gasped. I completely forgot how bad it looks to others.
"I got in a fight." My fist stings, reminding me of who I fought.
"Clearly—but with you?" Sarah looks genuinely concerned which makes me want to tell her but as much as I appreciate her being nice to me, she is a Kook. In technicalities, so I am. Sure as hell never feels like it.
"Someone I didn't like. Clearly." I put my fist up and examine it. There's even more bruising than before but I ignored the soreness with weed.
"Clearly." Sarah scoffs,"Your room?" She points to mine at the end of the hall and leads me to my own room.
My room, like most things when I compare myself to Sarah, is much different than hers. The dark green walls compared to her white walls really speaks to our personalities.
Kie always says that the blonde isn't as pure as everyone thought and of course no one is pure but we never got the full story from Kie to understand why she's so bad. So I just went with my gut feeling, Sarah is nice. Sarah can be trusted—to an extent. I never fully trust people now unless it's the Pogues anyway.
I sit on my bed as Sarah examines my room like she usually does. "New rocks?" She points at my shelf of rocks which does indeed have one new one. Just a normal quartz though.
"Yeah! The quartz. JJ got it for me."
"Here. I bought a pink rock for you."
JJ handed me a rock which I knew immediately was a quartz. Of course he didn't. He called them by colors because he never got into that stuff.
"Bought or borrowed?" I giggled as he placed the rock in my hands. "Hmmm....it fits in my pocket."
"If it fits in my pocket, why would I buy it?"
She picks up the quartz for a second and puts it down. "Y'know what they say when someone gives you quartz right?" I roll my eyes at her. Of course I know it. That quartz is supposed to attract someone to you or make them attached.
"JJ doesn't even know what that crystal is called so there's no way in hell he knows what it does."
"Uh, huh. I heard he's slick. He might be lying." She sits down next to me and I shift so she has more room. Sarah got really comfortable with me really quickly but to be fair most people do. It's not the energy I want to radiate but it somehow just happens.
"Doubtful. Anyway, is anything going on with you?" I wiggle my eyebrows at her.
She rolls her eyes and flops next to me on my bed,"Nothing official but boys just annoy me. They always think I owe them something. Plus Topper, my brother's friend, keeps flirting with me."
Topper.
I've always been iffy on him considering his best friends. When he's not around them he's a bit nicer but very manipulative. Always made me feel like no matter what I told him he would try to gaslight me into thinking the opposite.
"Do you like him flirting?" Sarah shrugs her shoulders at my question just picking at the lint on my bed sheets.
"I don't think I even want to be with anyone right now. I like not having a label and just talking to talk."
"Sounds like commitment issues—" My thoughts speak out loud and I immediately stop myself and look towards Sarah for her reaction.
"I—was just telling the truth because I went through that too—" Sarah puts her hand on my thigh, making my eyes widen. "It's okay because I know you're right. Even my 12 year old sister said the same."
She smiles at me. Okay, cool, didn't offend her.
I didn't want to offend Sarah, I unexpectedly like being around Sarah all these years. I just hope she isn't going behind my back and talking shit. Kie's voice calling her a snake at every chance.
Suddenly, my door swings open with no knock and there stood Wheezie.
"Dinner?" I ask her.
"Yup! Sit next to me. I know Rafe is a bitch to you." We both gasp at her words but while I'm laughing, Sarah yells at her for cursing.
Walking into the dining room is enough to want me to puke. Rafe is talking to Ward about something. "Sam! You left before I could even say hi!" Rose struts over to me. I'm pretty neutral about Rose. Nothing strikes me as bad. "Hi Rose, how are you?"
"I'm fine. I bought apple pie because your mom mentioned you like pie."
Rafe snorts behind me at his step-mom's words. I bite my lip to keep my mouth shut, thank Rose and go to my seat in between Sarah and Wheezie.
The boys and my mom ask all the Cameron kids about school and life while Rafe answers so politely it makes me itch knowing how shitty he is. Of course my mom and the boys are aware because of how much I complain but they have to put on a friendly face. My brother keeps glancing at me everytime Rafe opens his mouth and I nod with forced reassurance each time.
I want to be with The Pogues right now. I'll see them at school tomorrow—as long as JJ gets up—but I want it to be boneyard party day already even if it might be awkward with Bailey. I pull out my phone under the table and text the group chat.
"i'm so bored."
pope: ditch
jb: come to the chateau
jj: ^^^
kie: kill the cameron's.
i'm not going to the chateau tonight but thanks for the offer.
I shut my phone with a quiet sigh. I move my food around with my fork trying to avoid eating the ham. Rafe would glare at me every so often. I feel like he's waiting for an opportunity to remember something to make fun of me for later.
"Sam—" Ward calls my name "—Have you figured out college?"
The age old question for kids in eleventh grade that they dread. I have no plans really, not even a major.
"Nah, I'm just letting myself relax. Maybe something in the arts." Which makes Rafe laugh under his breath and I send him a glare.
"Art is hard to make a career with." Ward comments as he eats ham.
"I am fully aware." I have been told my whole life this so a rich guy who does real estate telling me it is no surprise.
"Rafe still doesn't know what to do so he's taking a gap year."
"Well it won't be art, so" Rafe smiles at his own comment that makes everyone look at him.
I suck in my cheek, literally bite my tongue but all I see is Rafe being so happy with himself.
Annoyance boils in me,"Someone's mad their only talent is golf, might I mention you're not even good." I insult him.
Rafe drops the fork in his hand,"Didn't you quit volleyball because the captain of it kissed your boyfriend?"
Adrenaline runs through my body but before I can say anything Ward sends Rafe out of the room. Rafe curses but listens to his dad. Brandon sends me a sympathetic look but I just push myself out of my chair and march up to my room. I know Sarah follows me because I heard her chair push out. I'm more surprised Rafe said that in front of our family's rather than what he said. Rafe's vile words did anything but surprise me.
I flop on my bed and scream into my pillow. I'm so embarrassed. I sit-up and rub my face even with makeup on it. I'll just fix it later.
"Sam?" Sarah opens the door to my room and softly lands on my bed next to me.
"I'm sorry about Rafe—"
"Not your fault Sarah. I'm used to it."
The urge to be sat next to one of the Pogues while they try to convince JJ and I that ghosts aren't real. Pope would be the only one to agree. Anywhere rather than in the same house as Rafe Cameron.
"He's such a dick to everyone, don't take it personal." Sarah wraps her arm around me and I lean into her touch. Someone that isn't one of the Pogues or one of the boys or my mom, it's so weird to me but I still accept it.
A knock on my door makes us both look towards it. "Come in?"
The door almost opens eerily slow. When it's open—my stomach drops.
"You have the nerve to show up to my room!" Rafe stands in front of me so nonchalantly. "My dad forced me to. I literally don't care what your—" He stares me up and down "—cut up arms have to say or feel." We both gasp and the adrenaline is back. I feel my hand slightly raise but Sarah comes to my side and grabs it before I could do anything. "My cut up arms? You're so fucked in the head! You have no empathy whatsoever!" I scream in his face. Rafe has no reaction. All he does is rub his chin and laugh.
"No, I don't have empathy or whatever for girls like you who don't and will never fit. in. Hell, I don't even like Adrien and Amelia picked wrong but—even Adrien agreed that you'll never be one of us so he picked one of us."
My head hurts from the anger,"You're such a piece of shit! You're a fuck up and have been since elementary school. You're crazy!" Tears well up in my eyes but I'm not sad, I'm livid. That snaps something in him and his eyes look crazy. He steps into my room making me backup.
"Rafe! Rafe, leave the room!" Sarah shouts at her older brother. "I'm not crazy! You're just a fatass with some obsession with your ex." He isn't shouting, he's just whispering but with so much anger it might as well be yelling. Once again my hand raises but Sarah jumps in front of us.
"Rafe. Leave." Sarah shoves her brother out of my room. I don't know if she's more scared of what I'll or he'll do but either way he leaves, Sarah says bye and I slam my door.
I just want to be with The Pogues but the thought of sitting on the roof with one of them keep enticing me.
A/N; hi i just wanted to thank you guys for almost 100 views n also to let you guys know, i have a tik tok where i edit this book n my other one.
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