Outer Banks, Cameron's house
July 7th, 2020
4:23 am
I woke up surrounded by the darkness, to the feeling of the mattress bending next to me. I feared to turn around and face a stranger, or anyone too drunk to even realise they were in an occupied room, so I just stayed still for a few seconds. I felt an hand softly touching my shoulder and turned around at its contact, my eyes laying on Sarah's features.
"You scared me," I laughed, eying the alarm clock to check the time.
"Sorry," she whispered, resting her head on my shoulder. "I needed to talk"
I raised my eyebrows in a frown and rested my head on hers gently, giving her the space I assumed she needed. She sighed and I caressed her hair trying to comfort and reassure her a little about whatever she was about to confess, which looked serious.
"Topper really wanted tonight to be special, and so he tried to do things I was sure I wanted as well," she paused. "But I freaked out and I pushed him away"
"There's nothing wrong with waiting for the right time," I reassured softly.
"But it still feels wrong, because everyone around me has done it," she muttered, as she started playing with her fingers. "Even Topper thinks I'm a prude now"
I sighed, remembering how Topper liked to call me a whore when he had learnt I had done my first time, last year. It almost looked like he was jealous I had done it at a younger age than him, and so it drove him insane. When I called him out for it, he liked to pretend he just didn't trust the Pogue or whatever, but we both knew he was just envy. So Topper not being a good partner for her first time didn't really surprise me, but not everyone knew a boy like JJ Maybank.
JJ had been perfect, last summer, and I knew I'd be forever grateful I had done it with someone that cared about me this much. So Sarah being with someone who only loved her for her body and pressured her, broke my heart, and it shattered it even more knowing he was my brother. "Just dump him Sarah," I groaned. "If you don't do it I will"
"You'll dump my boyfriend?" she giggled.
I nodded and we laughed in synch, as she playfully slapped my arm, giggling more. Our chuckles then subsided and we slowly drifted off to sleep, both genuinely hoping our next day would be better.
(...)
Outer Banks, Heyward's shop
July 7th, 2020
1:12pm
"Hey boys," I greeted as I walked in the fish shop and gave Heyward a quick hug.
Not that seeing JJ after what had happened between us seemed exciting, but as I couldn't avoid him forever, when Pope had asked me what I was up to, I decided to just join them and not make a big deal out of whatever happened. "Oh Tess, right on time," Pope stated.
I smiled. "Oh yeah?"
"We're going to Figure-Eight for the deliveries," the boy added. "And we need your strong arms to lift those bags"
"I'll help you," I hissed, a smile on my lips.
Pope's father rubbed my back gently, before kissing my head just like my own father would, and so I smiled more. The man had always been nice to me and welcomed me home when I wanted to spend time with Pope.
I smiled as I looked over at my two best friends who were in the back of the shop, but only Pope smiled back, while JJ just ignored me. The blue eyed boy grabbed two plastic bags filled with food and drinks and as he walked closer to me, instead of asking me to step aside, he shoved his shoulder against mine. I raised my brows up in a frown and looked at Pope, who seemed confused. "What's wrong with you?" I argued.
JJ didn't respond, he kept ignoring me childishly, bringing the bags outside with so much anger dripping off his eyes I started to wonder if our kiss was really the only reason why he refused to talk to me. I clenched my teeth, fighting the urge to slap or punch him, and I played cool. We finished loading the delivery bags on the boat silently, before Pope took over the wheel and guided us through the marsh. All of us stayed silent for a few minutes, an awkward atmosphere making it's way on the small boat, not sure why though. I finally made my way to JJ and sat next to him, as he focused on the iron lighter that was in between his fingers.
"Can we talk?" I asked him, and he didn't respond, which annoyed me. "Please"
"What is there to talk about?" he snapped, shoving the lighter in his shorts pocket before looking at me. "I think it's pretty clear for both of us what's going on"
I sighed, and threw my head back in defeat, not knowing how to deal with this delicate situation. JJ started playing with his own fingers, staring at me in the corner of his eye sometimes, as I pretended I didn't notice. "JJ, it was a mistake, I was drunk," I stated, very frustrated.
"You can't kiss me and run away," he muttered, getting up. "It's not fair Tessa"
I got up too and followed him as he made his way to the bow and grabbed it, tightening the knot at the end of it since the Country-Club's dock was now really close from us. He held the bowline firmly, his fingers clenched around it, like it could help him unleashing the anger or whatever he felt towards me in this moment.
"Yeah, it's not fair that you blame it on me now," I laughed ironically.
JJ kept quiet as our other friend docked the boat and he tied the rope, probably pretending he couldn't hear us when we both knew he did. The blonde boy grabbed a few bags and jumped on the dock, rotating to glance at Pope and Pope only. "I think we should split. You and Tess can go to the golf area and I'll go that way," he spoke, pointing at TannyHill with his finger.
"Yeah good idea," I stuttered making my way out of the boat before helping Pope out. "Then we can just meet at the boat"
Pope didn't discuss, he simply nodded as he gave each of us a few plastic bags before grabbing some himself. He then adverted me to follow him with a head tilt and we walked away from the boat and JJ simultaneously. We kept quiet for lasting seconds, both of us trying to act normal, as my eyes threw him fast corner glances he soon noticed. "Stop looking at me like I was going to yell at you," he scoffed.
"Oh yeah sorry," I mumbled.
We walked along the alleys of the Country Club for a little while, until we reached the huge golf area I had been at quite a few times in my life. Topper took me there when I was younger and bored at home, back when he didn't hate me for not being as Kook-ish as him, but especially back when I didn't know surfing was better than holding a club. Sarah didn't really like coming here, so she often dissuaded me to go, and so I had eventually stopped golfing.
The grass looked even greener than nature could possibly green it, and I rolled eyes at the amount of money those Kooks must have spent to install the synthetic grass field that was right next to us, which didn't exist a few months earlier. "More than killing nature, now they replace it," I sighed.
"Those rich assholes," Pope snickered, wrapping an arm around my shoulder to let me know his words weren't directed to me, and I laughed.
My laugh subsided almost immediately since I caught sight of two people I would have rather avoided, especially in this moment. "Pope, code red," I whispered.
Rafe and Topper walked closer from us, golf clubs in their hands, cornering us fast enough for the two of us to be stuck. I looked at my brother with a threatening gaze but he avoided it as they both seemed to have other plans in their stupid mind. I gazed at Pope who looked terrified, to the idea of being behind enemy lines with only plastic bags to protect himself.
"Hey," Rafe drawled, a stupid smile on his lips as his eyes laid on my friend. "How much for those beers?"
"They're not for sale," Pope responded.
Rafe's gaze then laid on me, as Topper placed his golf club in front of Pope to obstruct his way. "Come on princess, you can give us one of them," he said, showing my bags with his finger.
"No, but why don't you just order some?" I asked, smiling. "Oh right, it's a bit tough financially for you, those days"
He clenched his jaw and looked away, his fingers tightening their grip around the golf club like he was going to hit me with it, but we both knew he wouldn't, for many reasons. First of all, he never hit me first, or rarely, second of all, he wouldn't dare to throw the first punch in front of my brother, just by fear our parents learned. "Get the hell out of our way," I added.
"Don't think so," Rafe scoffed, looking at Topper who smiled as well. "They're probably stolen, right?"
Topper ripped the bag open with his club as Rafe tried to grab a beer in one of my bags, which earned him a punch on the arm. I threw a rapid glance at Pope as all his beers dropped on the ground and his eyes widened. A gasp escaped my mouth as I already pictured him getting yelled at by his father, because of those two assholes who could afford thousands of those beers, easily. "What the hell?" Pope screamed at my brother's face.
Rafe left me and made his way to my friend, ripping another bag, which caused more beers to crash and explode on the ground. "You owe me for that!" my friend screamed at his face.
"I don't owe you shit, Pogue," Rafe breathed, as Pope firmly pressed both of his hands on his chest.
Rafe jumped on my friend, as Topper also walked in the fight, not sure whether it was to calm things down or hurt Pope even more, but it didn't matter to me since all I heard were my friend's groans. I jumped on my brother's back and kicked him with my legs and fists, which caused him to let go of Pope and throw his head back, hitting my nose with it. I fell and my back hit the ground so hard I screamed in pain, sure my spine or cervical was broken but since I didn't die I eventually realised it wasn't. They both kept beating up Pope with their golf clubs, so I crawled to Rafe and grabbed his leg, which led him to fall on the ground just like I had earlier.
"Let go of him!" I cried, as Rafe got back up and laid his eyes on me.
"Top' get your sister!" he shouted as Topper held out his hand for me to get up but I ignored it and got up by myself.
The Cameron boy kept beating up Pope who was now not even fighting against him anymore, and I felt tears falling down my cheeks. I wanted to interfere again but Topper held me back, making of me a witness. "Stay off Figure-Eight," he firmly threatened.
"Let's go Rafe!" Topper shouted from behind me, as he let go of me, finally.
I rushed to Pope, and as I was about to kneel and make sure he was alive, Rafe got up and placed his fingers under my chin, lifting my face up. "Your nose is bleeding Tessa," he said.
I wiped the blood off my face with my left forearm and slapped his hands off me as Topper kept screaming at him to hurry and leave before people saw them, which was very Topper of him. My nose did hurt pretty bad, but I was sure Pope suffered a hundred times more, which kept me from crying my pain out.
"I don't care, now leave," I ordered.
"Rafe! Let's go I said!" Topper screamed louder, frightened, I could hear it.
"Give us a second!" Rafe yelled. "Leave if you're gonna be a pussy!" he added, releasing a bit his grip on me.
I enjoyed those quick instants of freedom to rush over to Pope and kneel next to him, placing his neck on my legs and cupping his face with my fingers. I placed my ear closer to his mouth and soon felt a warm breath on my skin, which reassured me a lot. "Pope stay with me, JJ will come get us okay? I'll call him," I reassured, quickly grabbing my phone.
Rafe came from behind me and lifted me up with both of his arms around my waist, as we heard Topper's footsteps drawing away. "Get off me! Bastard!" I screamed.
"You're not calling anyone and I'm taking you home," he ordered, pulling me back against my will. "Let's go now"
I fought against his grip, screaming, punching, but he didn't let go and as I watched Pope's figure slowly becoming a mirage. Once we reached his Jeep, he threw me on the passenger seat and locked the door making sure I wouldn't escape. "You're a psychopath Rafe," I complained as he made his way behind the steering wheel and started the engine.
"Me? A psychopath?" he scoffed. "I'm not a Pogue"
"So?" I argued, almost screaming. "Money doesn't make you more sane, apparently it's even the opposite on this shitty island!"
I instantly regretted calling the Outer Banks a shitty island since there was no place on Earth I loved more than it, but the whole Kook-Pogue battle really started to tire me. Rafe left out a small laugh, as he confidently drove through the streets of Figure-Eight. I kept thinking of what my friends would think, once they'd all learn I had given up on Pope, as he was almost unconscious on the ground. What type of friend did that make of me?
"You're so fucking stubborn, Thornton," Rafe snickered, biting his lower lip.
"Well, I like you more when you're high," I softly mumbled and he bursted out in laugh.
"So you like me, even just sometimes?" he asked, throwing me a rapid curious glance I avoided. "That's surprising"
"I didn't mean like, like... like," I denied.
"Then how did you mean it?" he asked, raising his eyebrows up in somewhat of a frown.
"Just um.." I took a few seconds to think of an answer, until I gave up. "Just shut up"
The boy laughed and shook his head, staring at the road with his squinted and amused eyes. We arrived near my house and Rafe parked but as I was about to thank him for the ride, even though I wished he he didn't take me home, he got out of the car too. He slammed the door and as he noticed my confused facial features, he shrugged. "I gotta say hi to your parents," he said.
"Don't act polite just for them to like you," I laughed. "They already do anyways"
Rafe chuckled as I opened the front door and he slapped my arm playfully, causing me to giggle more. I immediately felt guilty for, even just for a few seconds, laughing with who had just hit my best friend and made of our lives a living hell every single time we crossed his way. I really despised everything about him, I hated how he looked so damn hot, how he smelled so good and made me laugh sometimes, but the reality was, he did, and I couldn't deny it. So we both made our way to the dining-room, my parents both drinking a glass of champagne around our large table. As they saw us, their looks lightened and my mother got up.
"Well hey," Rafe greeted.
My mother opened her arms, and as I thought she was about to hug me, she made her way to Rafe and gave him a warm hug. I found almost ridiculous how my parents loved him as if he was their son, and treated him better than they treated Topper, sometimes. My father stared at them with an amused glance, blowing me a kiss, reminding me how loved I was in this family. "It's nice to see you, Rafe," my mother said. "Make yourself at home, go put your jacket in Tessa or Topper's room"
"Is it not nice to see your own daughter?" I asked, as she pulled away from the boy's embrace and laughed softly.
"I'm sorry honey," she kissed my cheek and replaced a strand of my blonde hair behind my ear. "You look prettier everyday"
I laughed softly. "Thank you"
Rafe cleared his throat and my mother wrapped an arm around my shoulder as she focused back on him. He must've been almost five inches taller than her, but her confidence made her look superior and he knew he couldn't act with her the way he acted with me, which made him look like a good boy, for once in his life. "Why don't you stay here and have dinner with us? Topper should be here any minute," she offered, a smile on her lips.
"Hum.." the boy stared at me and then at her, before grinning. "Yeah sure," he agreed.