midsummers
🎶 only angel - harry styles
Aubrie heard laughter coming from her dad's office and decided to investigate. Of course, she did not expect to walk in and be met with the sight of her sister and John B Routledge, who had a huge scar across his stomach.
"Oh? Hello?" Aubrie said.
"Hey?" John B replied hesitantly.
"Please don't tell dad." Sarah pleaded. "Or Topper."
"If you go missing, I know who to interrogate." She threatened. "I'm not gonna ask any questions, I'm just gonna walk away. But please remember that our father sits on that couch."
"Get out!" Sarah fussed, throwing a pillow at her.
"Yes m'am." Aubrie replied, walking away.
It was the weirdest thing she'd ever seen. Just the other day Sarah hated John B. But today he's shirtless in her house? Made no sense.
However, Aubrie was choosing to mind her own business. That was, until it came time for the outdoor movie night Sarah was supposed to go with Aubrie too. She still hadn't returned home, and Aubrie grew concerned about her sister's whereabouts.
She had decided to go anyway with her friends because there wasn't much else to do that night and she was bored.
Before the movie started, she noticed Rafe was talking to Kie and Olivia, and she thought it was the perfect time to question Pope and JJ about their little friend and what he had done with her sister. She walked up to the boys and she noticed that they were nervous at her arrival. "Hey boys." She smiled.
"Um- hi." Pope replied nervously.
JJ straightened his posture and put on a confident face. "What can we do for you today, my lady?"
"One, don't talk like that you sound like a total dork. Two, where's John B?" She questioned.
He shrugged. "I don't know, when you find him can you tell him I'm kinda pissed I was forced to come to this kook shit and he didn't have to."
Aubrie rolled her eyes. "So you have no idea where John B is?"
"That's what I said." He replied.
"Pope?"
He shook his head nervously. "Nope."
"What's wrong with you two?" She questioned. "Why are you so jumpy?"
"Nothing, princess." He responded, noticing Kie and Liv were coming their way with angry looks. "If I were you I'd leave before they get here." He suggested.
"I'm watching you." She threatened.
"That's creepy!" He quipped as she walked away.
She returned to her group of friends and Topper approached her. "What was that all about?"
Aubrie knew better then to tell on her sister. "Nothing." She denied. "Just asking about Heyward's business. I was interested."
"Stay away from them." He warned. "They're up to some shady shit."
That put a pit in Aubrie's stomach. What had her sister gotten into with John B and what shady shit was going on with the pouges?
Later on, it had gotten dark, the movie was getting good, and Aubrie had almost forgotten about Sarah and John B when she watched nervously as Topper and Kelce got up and walked off behind the screen. They probably just had to pee. That's what she told herself.
She was fine until a couple minutes went by and suddenly the entire screen was set on fire. Everyone stood up in shock, and behind the burnt screen Aubrie could make out the figures of her 'friends' and the pouges. "Shit." She cursed, marching over.
She met up with Rafe, Topper, and Kelce who had quickly moved to the car to avoid getting caught for the burned screen. "Rafe? What was that?"
He laughed, a laugh that scared Aubrie. "Topper almost killed him!" He was like a kid on Christmas, enjoying their suffering way too much.
"Topper? Seriously?" She scoffed. "What is wrong with you? Do you want to go to jail?"
Suddenly, Rafe got very defensive. "Hey, if anyone deserves to go to jail it's those sons of bitches that held a gun to his head. He deserved a taste of it."
At this point, Rafe was in Aubrie's face. "You're insane." She scorned. "You're fucking insane. I'm leaving."
"Wait." Topper said. "Wait! Sarah would kill
me if I let you walk home, Aubrie stop!"
She stopped. "I'm not getting in a car with him."
"He came on his bike." Topper explained. "Just let me drive you home."
Aubrie was hesitant, but quite frankly she didn't feel like walking all the way back to her house. "Fine." She sighed. "But Kelce's going home on the back of Rafe's bike because I'm not going anywhere near him either."
She got in the car, and was quiet for most of the ride until Topper broke the silence. "So, where's Sarah?"
Aubrie shook her head. "I don't know."
"She was supposed to come tonight." He added.
"I know." Aubrie replied. "But I haven't seen her today."
"That's weird." Topper said.
"It is." Aubrie nodded. "I'm sure she'll be there when I get home."
"Right." He nodded as he stopped the car in front of her house.
"Thanks for the ride." She said as she got out the car.
"No problem." He replied, watching her shut the door and walk off into the house.
Aubrie walked in and saw her father sitting in the kitchen. "Hey Aubrie. How was the movie?" He asked.
"It was good." She smiled softly.
"Where's Rafe and Sarah? I thought they went with you." He asked.
"Um, Rafe went there on his bike and I'm not sure where Sarah is." She replied.
"Well she went shopping earlier and you know your sister, I'm sure she just got carried away." He got up, kissing Aubrie's forehead. "Goodnight."
"Night, dad." She returned, before heading upstairs.
-
Sarah strolled into her room the next morning and when Aubrie heard, she stormed over to her bedroom.
"Where the hell have you been?" She asked, standing in her sisters doorway. "And where did that dress come from?"
Sarah's jaw clenched. "I was out."
"Sarah you have five seconds to tell me everything or I swear I'm going downstairs and telling dad that you were gone all night with God knows who doing God knows what while I had to cover for you." She threatened.
Sarah sighed. "Fine. Close the door."
Aubrie sat on Sarah's bed and that's when she explained everything. The gold, the kiss, everything.
"So you cheated on Topper?" Aubrie said.
"Yes." Sarah nodded. "But I'm breaking up with him tomorrow night I swear."
Aubrie shook her head. "I want to be involved."
"What?" Sarah replied.
"I don't want you in this crazy treasure hunt with these people you barely know without me." Aubrie said. "And I don't really care if you want me there or not because like I said I will happily walk downstairs and tell dad everything."
"Fine." Sarah groaned. "But I have to convince John B first, considering I don't think his friends will be too happy about either one of us being a part of this."
Aubrie smiled. "Fine by me. Let me know when the hunt begins." With that, she happily strolled back to her room.
-
Sarah was sitting in the kitchen when Aubrie came in. "What are you doing? Why aren't you dressed?"
"I'm not going." Sarah huffed.
"It's Midsummers, you've been talking about Midsummers since the last Midsummers. Just because your new boyfriend isn't going to be there doesn't mean you don't have to come." Aubrie scolded.
Rose and Wheezie came in, looking surprised at Sarah who still wasn't dressed. "She says she's not going." Aubrie explained.
"The hell she isn't." Rose scoffed. "Your father is being coronated as Guardian of Knights of the Rhododendron. You're going"
"You're not my mother so I don't have to do what you tell me to." Sarah sassed.
"Whatever." Rose rolled her eyes. "You're daughter says she's not going."
"She's off Topper." Wheezie said.
Sarah looked at Wheezie with a look of anger. "Wheezie, please, go." Ward directed. "Thank you very much. What's going on?"
Aubrie sat, sipping her water and watching the show. "I just, don't feel like Topper is my splinter bean." Sarah explained.
"I don't know exactly what that means but it sounds to me like you should probably dump his ass? Maybe, huh?" He suggested.
Sarah nodded. "Probably."
"Maybe just not tonight, though." He advised.
"I just don't wanna go with him." Sarah argued.
"I know, I know." Ward replied. "What if you just paste on a smile and you go, and we all have a good time? All right, and you deal with your love life mañana?" He said. "Please."
-
Aubrie was at the party, and had already received a healthy number of dirty looks from Kiara and not so subtle advances from Kelce. She was starting to wish she had fought with Sarah to stay home. She was hoping to find some alcohol to steal, but instead she found a familiar blonde haired boy who must definitely didn't belong here.
"JJ?" She questioned as she saw him.
"Hey there princess." He smiled. "Looking pretty in your royal gown tonight."
"Very funny." She replied. "What are you doing here?"
"Working." He replied, gesturing to the suit.
"Nice try." She said. "They don't hire minors to bartend these events."
He cursed himself silently. "You caught me princess. I'm here to deliver a message."
"To who?" She questioned.
"Your sister, actually." He answered.
"Would this message happen to be about your little treasure hunt?" She asked.
His face fell. "You know about that?"
"I do." She nodded. "Don't worry, your secrets safe with me."
"I mean, it's treasure hunt adjacent." He said.
"Oh so it's about Sarah and John B's forbidden romance." She said.
"You know about that too?" JJ asked.
"Sure do." She smiled. "I'll go ahead and give her that note, though."
He sighed, handing her the note. "Tell her it's from Vlad."
"Vlad?" She laughed.
"Not funny." He said. "This is serious business."
"Got it." She nodded. "See you later, Indiana Jones."
"See ya, princess." He waved.
Aubrie made her way into the dance floor, bringing Sarah the note. "What's this?" She asked.
"It's from Vlad, your lover." Aubrie teased. Sarah smiled. "I see you blushing."
"Shut up I am not." Sarah quipped.
"Just a little." Aubrie giggled. She looked up to see JJ surrounded by Rafe, Kelce, and some of their friends. "Shit." She mumbled. "I gotta go."
Aubrie tried her best to be quiet as she chased after the boys in an effort to save JJ from them. She wasn't sure why she was trying to save him, it just felt like the right thing to do. She followed them into the men's locker room, and was met with several old men fussing. "Sorry! Sorry!" She whispered at them as she watched from around the corner. Kelce had JJ in a chokehold and it didn't look good for him.
Aubrie stepped out from behind the corner. "Hey." She waved. "Sorry, thought this was the ladies room, what are you boys up to? Looks fun."
Suddenly, one of the event guards came in. "Gentlemen, is there a problem."
"Pardon me officer there's not and issue it's just-" JJ stopped. "Actually yes, there is an issue. Uh, we got a criminal trespass in progress here. Beep! Call in in right? Blatant disrespect for private property, I'm in violation of all kinds of shit sir, but these young gentlemen-"
"Don't touch my shit." Kelce scorned as JJ straightened out his shirt.
"Uh, they caught me sir and they were about to take me away, and that's what you should do." He said, holding up his hands. "Escort me out of here, you got me." The man came over and grabbed JJ. "Fix that tie son." He teased. "You're looking spiffy too, you powerpuff girls have fun."
"Tell Kiara she looks pretty hot for a pouge!" Rafe yelled back at him, to which JJ threw himself at Rafe, fighting his hardest against the man.
"Do you think I'm afraid of you bro?" He huffed as the man dragged him away.
"Safe travels back to the cut!" Rafe said.
"You're a real asshole Rafe, you know that?" Aubrie scoffed, storming out of the locker room.
She watched as JJ was dragged out and cringed as he made a huge scene. "It's okay everybody! Do not panic! Leave it to the men and women in uniform, huh, let's hear it for them." He yelled, clapping to himself. He pointed out Aubrie's stepmother. "Rose! You look like lady liberty! Good to see you again."
"Let go of him!" Kiara said, very loudly. "You can't just boot him!"
"Excuse me m'am?" The guard asked.
"I invited him here." She defended. "I'm a member of this club-"
Kiara parents shushed her as JJ pushed away the guard. "Sorry about that." He said. "Hey, mandatory power hour at Rixton's, Kie!" He announced. "Pope, you as well alright? Rixton's cove, let's roll. Kie come on! Workers of the world unite, throw off your chains!"
She watched in awe as Pope, JJ, and Kie ran into John B and Olivia's waiting arms and she realized that that's what has been missing for her. That's what she's been longing for. A sense of unity, of family.
the kooks watching the pogues run away