July 10th, 2021.
OuterBanks, North Carolina.
𓇼 𓇼 𓇼 𓇼 𓇼
Music by Jack Johnson played throughout the bedroom as Sarah and I stood beside another, putting makeup on in the large bathroom mirror. Kiara stood on the other side of Sarah, brushing her hair up into a bun using a thick brush to get rid of any frizziness. I brushed my eyelashes upwards after I curled them. I sat the mascara back down into the makeup bag once I was finished with it. "Do you have a curling iron?" I asked Sarah and turned to her with the full face of makeup that I worn on special occasions. She nodded her head while brushing a large brush against her cheek to blend in her blush she put on. "Go down the hall to the bathroom, and it should be on the counter." She spoke as she kept brushing the brush in an upward motion to get the pink blush blended into her tan skin. I nodded my head, stepping out of the bathroom and down into the hallway from Sarah's bedroom. My feet stepped against the wooden floorboards as I headed into the guest bathroom at the end of hallway. Bedrooms lined the hallway, the white doors shut and hidden from the rest of the house. I pushed the guest bathroom door open to see the curling iron sitting on the counter top. My fingers grasped against the curling iron, turning around with the iron in my hand. The noise of a door creaked open as I walked down back the hallway towards Sarah's room. I hurried into Sarah's room to avoid any issues from walking around a house that wasn't mine.
Stepping back into Sarah's room, I headed back into her bathroom. She scooted herself over while Kiara sat on the bed with her head buried into her phone. I plugged in the curling iron, allowing it to heat up before I would use it on my hair. My hand reached for her brush and brushed through the long wavy hair against my back. "Kie, want to curl my hair?" I leaned out of the bathroom and looked at her. She lifted her brown eyes away from her phone with a smile against her face. "Sure!" She said and threw her phone off to the side, getting up from the bed where she walked into the bathroom. She stood behind me, hovering over my small body while she parted my hair within sections. She lifted the iron up to my hair, wrapping a thick strand around it while she stared at me in the mirror. She counted to twenty before she let the curl fall off of the iron. She kept repeating the same pattern over and over again on the first layer before she separated the last layer in half. Throughout the sections, she would spray some hair spray that was gentle on my hair.
Kiara was one of the bestest friends I was ever able to have in life. She was caring, hardheaded, stubborn when it came to things that she didn't agree with but she meant the world to me. In elementary school, we promised one another that whenever we get married — we'll be each others maid of honor. As well as when we decided to have children, we would be the god parents of each others children. I couldn't see my life without Kiara in it even though we had huge disagreements but we would always come back to another at the end. Nothing could ever separate us for long. We would have sleep overs every Friday after school. Dancing around in my old bed room with another and talking about JJ due to him being at my house almost every other day to bond with my father. The only issue that had separated Kiara and I was that I was a year ahead of her and the rest of our friends. It was hard because we sometimes couldn't find another at school due to classes being separated from different grades but we would always end up with another at the end of the day. I wouldn't ever let my friendship with Kiara end, it would be too painful.
Kiara finished on my hair, giving my hair a last final spray of hair spray before grasping her long hands against my shoulders and resting her head on the right shoulder. "You look so grown up, I'm going to cry." She said and rested her head in a tilted position. Kiara and I would do everything with another no matter what. If I wanted to move to a different state, she would pack her bags and move which I would do the same for her. I smiled at her in the mirror while Sarah moved over to rest her head beside Kiara. All of us became one group even though Kiara and Sarah didn't get along with another at first. "Next thing will be you getting a boyfriend, then getting married and having kids." She said again as tears stared to form a glaze against the brown eyes. Sarah had frowned slightly seeing Kiara start tearing up in the mirror while she looked at me. "Don't cry, I'll start crying and it'll ruin my makeup." I laughed at her and raised my hand, laying it against her hand in a loving mannerism. Kiara and Sarah started giggling at my response as it quickly took away the sadness from Kiara's eyes. "Promise us that you won't leave OuterBanks." Sarah spoke and took her head away from Kiara's. She leaned against the large counter top, staring at the both of us with love forming in her brown eyes. I nodded my head and smiled. "I promise." I said as Sarah held out her pinky. I held my pinky off to the side and intertwined mine with Sarah's.
"Okay! Let's get this dress on." Kiara spoke as she lifted her head and hands away from my shoulders. I nodded my head again and turned towards the hook that Sarah hung my dress up on. I grasped it up in my hands and headed back into the bathroom. Sarah and Kiara sat on the bed, waiting to see the dress reveal on me. I slipped the skin tight crop top off of my chest alongside the denim shorts I had worn. Dropping them on the floor, I took the dress off the hanger and unzipped the side. I pulled the dress up over my hips and upwards to my shoulders. The dress covered my curves almost perfectly, gripped against my waist flatteringly. My curled hair laid against my back while I zipped up side. My hands ran on top of the soft surface of the clothing to flatten any bumps. I stared at myself and smiled. I opened the bathroom door to reveal myself to my friends that's sat on the bed, waiting to see my outfit. I twirled around as they stared at me with a large smile forming on their faces. I smiled and stopped twirling, showing them the dress and the small details that it had on the surface.
Kiara and Sarah had stared at me almost like they were in disbelief. The dress was beautiful but I didn't think it was jaw-dropping beautiful on me. I was by no means a model, nonetheless the prettiest girl in OuterBanks because I always thought that Sarah and Kiara were. "You look so perfect!" Sarah spoke and smiled as she stared at the detailing on the dress. "She's going to pick up men in this dress." Kiara joked as she looked at the dress like Sarah had been doing. I shook my head and leaned against the door frame. "About that." I told them in nervousness about telling them Rafe and I. I didn't know how they would react but I also couldn't keep lying to them much longer. Sarah and Kiara narrowed their eyebrows in confusion and stared back up towards my green eyes. "I have a date." I said with a small smile forming against my face, showing them the dimples that were engraved into my cheeks. Kiara looked at me with disbelief forming in her eyes. "Who?" Kiara asked in an attempt to make me spill the secret much faster. "You both can't get upset with me okay?" I asked them and tried to avoid them becoming angry with me by any means. I couldn't stand fighting with them and didn't want that to come to that.
Sarah nodded her head in understandable relief. Kiara furrowed her brown eyebrows and looked at me. "You know I'll support you but I don't want to tell you 'I told you so' either." She spoke and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. I shook my head at her. "Rafe asked me to be his date to midsummers." I told them as Sarah sighed in relief. Kiara widened her eyes. "Huh?" She asked out loud as she stared at me in pure confusion. "That's not it though. Rafe and I started dating a couple days ago with the intentions of hiding it for a while but JJ pulled it out of me. I couldn't hide it from you guys anymore either." I explained as Sarah and Kiara widened both of their eyes in disbelief once again. I bit the inside of my cheek and thought about what to say. "But! I didn't want to date him unless he promised to leave all of my friends alone. That's why he fought topper the other day." I explained again. Sarah shook her head as she turned to look at Kiara, forming a smile on her face. "How much do you want to bet that I'll be an aunt before you?" Sarah laughed as she bumped Kiara with her elbow. Kiara shook her head and tried to avoid laughing at Sarah's comment.
"I saw this coming because only you rebel against what everyone doesn't like." Kiara laughed lightly and shook her head at me again. "You aren't mad at me?" I asked the both of them, furrowing my eyebrows while crossing my arms over another. Sarah shook her head. "No because I noticed you walk towards Rafe's car after he fought Topper. I had a feeling." She explained and laid her hands in her lap. In pure disbelief, I didn't think that they would've seen it coming but they did. I had formed a smile against my tan face as I looked at them with happiness. "I'm happy for you but if he does something wrong, don't be surprised if I do in fact kill him." Kiara stated sternly as Sarah had nodded her head in agreement. I shook my head and leaned my head against the door frame of the bathroom. My eyes met with both of their brown eyes that were full of love and happiness. "Thank you guys. I love you." I told them as they stood up and wrapped their arms around me. My left arm wrapped around Kiara's waist while my other had wrapped around Sarah's. Sarah laid her hand against my back with gentleness while Kiara had her head against my shoulder before we all pulled away from another. "We love you too, Iz." Kiara spoke in response to what I had told them.
I nodded at them in response. "I better run home to grab the flower crowns that my mom made all of us." I expressed as I picked up the clothes I had dropped on the bathroom floor into my arms. Sarah nodded her head. I grasped ahold of the makeup bag and slipped on the Birkenstocks that I wore over. Leaving my heels at the side of Sarah's bed where she put them. "I'll be back." I said and headed out of her bedroom, walking down the hallway towards the wooden staircase. My feet stepped against the wood while my hands were full of what I had brought. I headed down the stairs swiftly in order to hurry, however I had ran into my own boyfriend at the end of the stairs. He stared down at me with love forming in his blue eyes. My heart pounded gently in my chest while I felt a sense of relief fall away from my shoulders, nothing weighed me down any more after I confessed to my friends about what I was hiding from them. Rafe put his hands against my waist in order to make sure that I wouldn't fall off the last step. We slightly made eye level from me being on a three foot staircase. "You look incredible." He spoke with a husky voice like he had done when he was being meaningful. I smiled at him, fluttering my long eyelashes at the sight of him. His hands were gentle against my waist. "You're so sweet." I told him and looked into both of his eyes. His pupils grew when he had looked at me, almost like he changed into a completely different person when he saw me.
Rafe stood in front of me with his back to the front door. He had put on his light blue suit that I had picked out to match my dress. He slicked back his blonde hair, looking dapper than he had before. He still reminded me of old money by the way that he dressed on a normal basis but even more so now because of his suit. "You look awfully handsome too." I mentioned as I rested my hand against his soft cheek. My thumb ran against the skin while he stared at me with love growing in his pupils. "I couldn't have done it without you." He smiled. He placed his grip onto the lowest part of my hip. His fingers sat on top of the soft fabric of my dress while he felt around at the curves that were hidden by the dress. "Are you ready?" He asked and tilted his head to the side with his hands still on me. I nodded my head at him, thinking about kissing him every time I glanced down at his pink lips that waited longingly to be kissed. "I can't wait to show you off, beautiful." He spoke again. I smiled once more to show the dimples against my cheeks while they heated up from his flirtatious comment that made butterflies form in my stomach. "How did I become so lucky?" I asked him and sat down the items against the staircase. I wrapped my free arms around his neck, touching the collar of his suit in order to straighten it out. He flashed a bright smile at me.
"I don't know, I think I'm the lucky one." He spoke in response to my question that I asked. His hands rummaged against my waist almost like he couldn't keep his hands to himself. "Do you mind grabbing my heels upstairs?" I asked him and tilted my head to the side in a flirty gesture. He nodded his head. "Of course." He said without a hesitation. I grasped against my clothing and makeup bag that sat on the end of the staircase. I held it in my hands while I kissed his cheek, thanking him for being so sweet. "Meet me outside. Want to take the Branco?" I asked him. He nodded his head. "Will do and that's fine with me, I want to drive though." He smirked as he let go of my waist and stood up on the staircase. I nodded my head at him and bit the bottom of my full lips. I headed towards the front door, opening it and walking out into the outside porch that faced the large dock that they owned. I held up my dress with my free hand to make sure that the dress wouldn't drag against the ground beneath me. I headed back towards my house in the same direction that I took to come to the Cameron's house. Watching my father come out of the door with his best suit on. He had worn khakis alongside a sage green suit top that matched his eye color. He pushed his hands in his pocket and looked around outside like he was looking for someone in particular. I walked across the Cameron's grass to get over to my yard that was trimmed perfectly.
I narrowed my eyes as my father had started to walk towards the driveway. I made my way towards the house, ignoring that my father had went to the back of the house which made me think that someone had came by the house to see him. I held the clothing in my hands while I pushed the back door open to see my mother getting herself ready to leave. Meanwhile, Kaia had been dressed in an adorable yellow floral dress that my mother bought her the other day when they went into town. Kaia curled her hair and sat her very own flower crown against her head. She looked elegant and beautiful. My mother had placed her flower crown against her head while she flattened down her dress she was wearing. The dress was long and a sage green color that matched with my father's top coat. She had worn a pair of white heels that made her a couple inches taller than me but seemed to look elegant and perfect. "Hey beautiful!" My mother said as she caught a glimpse of me with the items in my hands. I smiled at her and sat down the items on the table. She handed me my flower crown, smiling widely in excitement. "These flower crowns look beautiful." I mentioned to her as I took the crown out of her hand. I placed it against the top of my head.
She smiled gently. "Thank you, honey. You look so grown up." She commented as she stared at me. She moved towards me and grasped my face in the palm of her hands. "My little girl has her first boyfriend and now her first midsummers." She said as she kissed my forehead with love in her eyes. My mother never wanted any of her children to grow up. She wished that we stayed small and ran around like rambunctious children all day long. Although, she had Kaia — she didn't want to see her first born grown up just yet. "Rafe is coming over right now if you want to take a photo of us." I commented as she took her hands away from my cheeks, stepping back to where Kaia sat at the table on her iPad. She nodded and walked towards her phone that sat on the counter screen facing down. Rafe had started heading over to the house while he dangled my heels in his hands. "He looks so handsome!" She said as I had stared at him walk across the lawn with a huge smile forming against my face. Nodding my head, I opened the door him as he got closer. "I did good didn't I?" I laughed as my mother nodded her head in agreement. He had a smirk forming against his face while he walked with pure confidence. He made it up to the concrete area of the home with my shoes in his large hands. He handed my shoes to me while he had stepped inside the home quickly to say hello to my mother and Kaia. "Hi Mrs.Madison." He spoke with gentleness in his voice while he pushed his hands into the pockets of his nice pants.
My mother smiled at him and stood behind Kaia as she was infatuated with her ipad. "Hey Rafe! How are you?" She asked him while holding her phone within her petite hands. He smiled as he watched me slip off my Birkenstocks and push on the small white mule heels that matched the dress beautifully. I stood an inch taller than I was before, standing beside him while he still towered over me with his height. "I'm great! How are you doing?" He asked while he grasped his hand around my waist to be a gentleman. His large hand rested against my hip. "I'm doing just fine! I want to get a picture of you kids outside if that is okay with you." She spoke while she tapped Kaia on her back to get her to turn off her iPad. Kaia looked up and turned her iPad off, standing up from the table. "Hey Kaia! How are you kiddo?" He asked my little sister as he made eye contact with the small girl that stood in shyness whenever she didn't know someone well. She smiled gently. "Hi. I'm good." She responded and blushed slightly at him talking to her. Rafe and I nodded as we started to head out of the door once again into the warm summer breeze. My fathers voice was heard chatting with someone else. Kaia and my mother came out behind us while my mom held Kiara and Sarah's flower crowns with her as well.
Rafe kept his arm around my waist almost like he was guiding me to walk beside him in sync. Kaia walked behind us and stared at the back of Rafe, intrigued by him because she didn't know him much like she had known JJ. I walked beside him in sync while he held me with gentleness and comfort. We walked to where the cars had been sitting, only to see the view of the Twinkie in the driveway while JJ and John B stood outside the car with Sarah and Kiara. I assumed that Pope was with his father since he was working with him at the event tonight. Kiara and Sarah glanced their eyes at me with a forming smile on their face to see Rafe and I walking with another. Them looking at me caused JJ and John B to look over in confusion. My father glanced towards us with a large smile growing on his face at the sight of his first born and her boyfriend with another. "Hi Mr.Madison, how are you?" Rafe asked as he held his hand out to shake my fathers hand. My father smiled and shook his hand. "Hey Kid! I'm doing great and yourself?" He spoke while pushing his hands back into the pockets of his khakis. JJ leaned himself against the Twinkie beside John B.
He had worn a waiters suit that was like a tux without the overcoat. He stared at Rafe and I with his jaw clenched almost like he was instantly angry. His hair was slightly slicked back and his arms crossed over his chest. John B wore a pair of black slacks with a creme colored shirt tucked into his pants. He wore a creme colored over coat and his hair had been gently curled. Sarah stood beside him with a long creme colored dress with a pair of white sandals. Kiara wore a purple dress with gold heels that matched another perfectly. My mother smiled at the sight of everyone and went along, hugging all of my friends with open arms. Once she got to Kiara, she placed the flower crown on her head before hugging her. She repeated the same thing to Sarah, who had hugged her with happiness to have a flower crown. "You are so lovely, Lisa." Kiara said as she fixed her crown to sit on top of her bun. My mother smiled while she headed back to where my father had been standing with Kaia. Rafe had his arm still around my waist, JJ had avoided to even look towards us. "Thank you Kie!" My mom said with her enthusiastic tone that made everyone smile from her happiness that shined through. "Okay, sweetheart. I want you and Rafe to stand over here so I can get your guys' photo!" She spoke while pointing towards a large flower patch that she had planted before we moved in. The flowers were different varieties and all big in bloom. Rafe nodded his head as his hand didn't leave my waist, pulling me gently with him so that we could stand beside each other.
I wrapped my arm around Rafe's back and put my left hand against his chest. I stood up straight and flashed a bright smile at my mom who held the phone up towards us. Rafe smiled at the camera, his blue eyes flashing in the sunshine that shined against us. Kiara stared at JJ. He had stared at me place my hand against Rafe's chest as sadness formed into his eyes. Rafe and I looked at another while my mom kept snapping photos of us with each other. "Okay perfect! Let me get JJ, John B, and Iz." She spoke as she had glanced towards JJ and JB to get their attention. John B nodded his head and smiled brightly while Rafe walked away from me. He stood beside Kaia. Kaia laid her head on Rafe's arm and smiled. "Look at you!" John B spoke as he opened his arms wide open to hug me. I smiled and hugged him back. JJ walked to us without smiling almost like he was unhappy even being around us. "You look so adult." JB told me while laughing to lighten the mood. "Are you calling me old JB?" I asked him as I stood in the middle of the both of them. JJ wrapped his arm where Rafe had his hand much earlier meanwhile John B put his arm above JJ's. I intertwined my arms under their arms and smiled at the camera, tilting my head more towards JJ.
My mom snapped the photos. She nodded her head at all of us, before turning to Kiara and Sarah that stared at us with happiness forming in their eyes. "Now Iz and the girls, then we can do a big group photo!" My mom called out as JJ and John B moved away from the area to head back to where the Twinkie had been. Sarah and Kiara ran over me to me. We did the hugging pose that most girls did, where I was still in the middle but their arms wrapped around me. Sarah and Kiara smiled towards my mothers camera. I smiled at the same time as she took the photograph of all of us. Kaia stared at me with happiness forming in her blue eyes. She turned to Rafe, asking him to pick her up. He nodded his head and picked up the petite girl while placing her on his hip. My mom turned to see him holding her and was so pleased to see them bonding with another. My father smiled and nodded his head at me. "We can't take a group photo without Pope!" I said as Sarah and Kiara stopped hugging me. My mom glanced back over towards us and narrowed her eyebrows. "We'll take it there then! Let's get a picture of you, Rafe, and Kaia." My mom spoke as Sarah and Kiara moved away. Sarah and Kiara smiled as they watched Rafe hold my little sister.
It pleased me that he wanted to do anything that he could to show that he wanted me. He held Kaia while he walked himself over towards me with a growing smile against his tan skin. John B smiled and leaned across the Twinkie while JJ talked to my father about family related issues. I intertwined my arm underneath my boyfriends arm while he held my little sister on his hip. He laid his hand against my hip once again. He flashed a large smile beside my little sister and I while my mom took the photo. "We're good to go!" My mom said as my dad took the keys out of his pocket, dangling them within his hands. "Okay Kiddo, I'll see you at midsummers." He spoke to Kaia while looking at her directly in her blue eyes. She nodded her head and hugged him with her small hands wrapped around his neck. He smiled as she hugged him, making him feel wanted in this family. He sat her down on the ground and watched her run to my father, putting her arms around him playfully. "Well JJ, you can take up the guest room tonight if you want. I don't want you going home if your father is being evicted." My father spoke to JJ in pure sincerity while laying his hand against his shoulder. JJ hugged my father, wrapping his arms around him in thankfulness that my father always wanted to protect him and help him out.
"Let me go grab my keys!" I said and turned away from my boyfriend and friends that waited. I had walked swiftly into the house to find my keys that belonged to the old car. My dress hung against my waist, swinging around whenever I moved to walk. I walked with my heels clicking against the wooden floor while walking down the hallway to my bedroom. Hearing voices from the kitchen made me narrow my eyebrows in confusion as to why someone followed me inside. I pushed my door open and turned to the bedside table that sat underneath my keys. Bending over, I grasped my keys within my hands. I dangled the keys in my hand while turning back towards the door and headed out into the hallway again. "Dude, I don't know what she sees in him. I want her so bad and I just don't get it." I heard JJ speak from the kitchen. I narrowed my eyebrows and leaned against the hallway entrance in confusion. I had eavesdropped with me placed up on the wall to listen to him speak to someone. "JJ, don't act like that. You may want her but you never tried to peruse her so you lost your opportunity." John B spoke in annoyance while the both of them stood in the kitchen. "I know, I fucked up on that one but the look of her so happy with another guy really hurts me." He expressed to his best friend. I furrowed my eyebrows again and listened to the full conversation that really shocked me during that moment of eavesdropping. "I don't know what else to tell you, all you can do is wait. She's happy and you should be happy that she is." John B spoke again before hearing their feet click against the wooden floor that was throughout the whole house. I heard them shut the door behind them. I pushed myself away from the hallway wall and started heading out into the kitchen with what JJ had said on my mind and heart.
Although he expressed how he felt towards me, I didn't want to break the Pogue rule. I found someone that wanted me without limitations. The limitation between JJ and I was that we were best friends. As much as we had feelings for each other, we understood that we couldn't be with each other unless we were much older. Even at that, I was happy with Rafe and I wanted to try being with him because he is my first relationship. I walked through the kitchen and headed towards the door, pulling the door open while I dangled keys between my pointer and middle finger. The warm breeze flowed through my dress as I stepped onto the concrete once again. I shut the door behind me, locking it with my keys while seeing Rafe standing against the outside wall with his hands pushed into his pockets. I pulled the keys out of the door and headed towards the sweet boy that smiled at me. Smiling back at him, I handed him my keys which he pulled out his left hand for. He took his right hand and placed it against my hip like he did much earlier. JJ, Sarah, John B, and Kiara stood outside of the Twinkie while my parents were getting into my mothers car.
I smiled at my friends, looking towards JJ to get his approval. He refused to look at me and instead looked towards Kiara who stared at Rafe's hand against my waist. "I'll see you guys there!" I told them with excitement in my voice as JB and Sarah nodded their head at me. I went to the passenger side of the Bronco, while I heard JJ slam open the sliding door to the Twinkie. Rafe followed behind me and opened the door to be a gentleman. I smiled at him and climbed up into the large Branco. Kiara and Sarah got into the Volkswagen bus. Rafe shut the door for me once I sat down against the leather seat. He had walked across the other side of the door, waving goodbye to his sister and my friends with a smile on his face. I laid my hands inside my lap while I looked at him get into the car.
The commute to the golf courses that my father had owned and kept up with were peaceful. Rafe and I talked to another with gentleness. His large hands grasped against the steering wheel of my old car that he seemingly loved. We listened to the slightest bit of music that played on the radio.
Once we arrived to the golf courses, Rafe pulled the keys out of the ignition. He got out and walked to my side to open the door. He reached his hand out for me while I stepped down from the large Branco. Our hands held into another as he locked the car and placed the keys into his pocket. His large hand grasped around my waist while we walked into the Country Club golf course that people already arrived at. My friends parked their car beside mine, getting out with laughter erupting from their mouths. I smiled at the sound of hearing them but walked at the same pace with Rafe to make it inside. The sound of music played while the party atmosphere started. The Country Club was set up with the most elegant decorations, besides the trees that were wrapped in lights. Light were strung across the large patio meanwhile there were huge floral arrangements placed throughout the whole venue.
Turning to Rafe, I smiled at him. "Thank you for being my date." I told him as I stood with my back straight and elegant. He looked down towards me with a large smile forming on his face. He bent down and kissed my lips with the same smile on his face. "I wouldn't want another date." He spoke with gentleness while his hand stayed against my waist. Looking back into the direction of the golf course, I caught eye contact with familiar eyes that I loved. I smiled at the sight of Pope standing with his dad. He looked at me with his eyes furrowed since he didn't know that Rafe and I were together. Looking back up at Rafe, I opened my mouth to speak. "Can you go get us a drink while I go say hi to Pope?" I smiled at him. He nodded his head and took his hand off of my hip. Free from his grasp, I walked swiftly over to Pope while my hands held up my dress to avoid stepping on it. "Pope!" I smiled at him as he opened his arms, jumping into them while he spun me around in his grasp. "You look amazing!" I told him and looked up towards him while he had stood slightly higher than I did. His dad was prepping the food which filled up the air with mixtures of Cajun seasoning. "Thank you, you look beautiful Iz." He smiled while he looked at me with love forming in his eyes.
Pope and I met his freshman year of high school. I met him through JJ, who brought him around. He stuck with us and became the brains of all of our operations. He was loving, open minded, smart, and sometimes different. He was always so sweet to me even though Kiara and I made fun of him in a loving mannerism. "So.. anything to inform me on?" He asked and narrowed his brows before he started smiling his bright smile again. "About that." I mentioned and looked down at my feet, my hands lifted my dress slightly to that it didn't drag on the concrete. "We started dating. It was spontaneous and I didn't want to tell you guys at first but JJ pulled it out of me almost a week ago." I told him as he nodded his head. "That's why he hasn't messed with JJ and I in a while huh?" He questioned while he placed his hands against his hips. I nodded my head at him and looked up into his brown eyes. "I told him I would date him on one condition, that one condition was protecting you guys." I told him. He looked at me and then behind me. I turned my head to see what he was looking at. "How is JJ taking that information? He told me you guys kissed." Pope responded as we both stared at JJ interacting with guests while he had his waiter information on. Turning back to Pope, I shook my head at him and bit the inside of my cheek. "Not taking it very well at all. He refuses to even look at me." I told him while looking up at my friend with sadness in my eyes.
"He'll get over it and you know it. I'm happy for you, Iz and you know we all have your back no matter what." He responded and laid his hand on my shoulder. Frowning slightly as I took him back into a hug I told him,"That's all I wanted to hear Pope. Thank you." He nodded his head while his arms wrapped around me. "You got this. Go dance the night away!" He smiled at me while we had parted away from another. "Love you Pope!" I smiled as I started to walk away from him and back towards where I had stood with Rafe. JJ walked around with a large plate that held a bunch of mixed cocktails. He avoided me while Rafe came back with two drinks in his hands. "I didn't get you anything alcoholic because of what happened last time you drank." He laughed as he handed me a mixed mocktail that was one of the drinks my father offered on a daily basis.
I shook my head and laughed slightly at his joke that he made. Remembering me of the night that JJ had been allowing a girl to grind against him. It made something in my blood boil, but I started to let it go because I knew I had someone that wanted me. I knew that JJ deserved someone that could keep up with him and make him happy. Not only that, I was happy with Rafe and wanted to see what the future stored for the both of us. "Thank you." I told him and brought the drink up to my mouth, coating my tongue with a sweet liquid that was an orange flavor. "How was talking to Pope?" Rafe asked him. I looked in the direction of JJ, he passed around drinks still while John B, Sarah, and Kiara started to visit with Pope. Pope seemed annoyed because he was trying to work but our friends loved to be with another. "It was good. He told me that he's happy for the both of us." I explained to him and took another sip of the sweet mocktail. He nodded his head at me and drank his alcoholic drink of whiskey and coke. The scent of the alcohol had been powerful enough to make me feel nauseous.
"JJ still seems upset with you." He mentioned and pushed one of his hands into the pocket of his blue pants. I nodded my head while looking at him with a smile forming against my tan skin. "I heard him in the kitchen telling John B that he was hurt." I responded to him. He sipped the beverage while he gazed over towards the direction of JJ. His eyes directed at him, staring him up and down while JJ interacted with rich Kooks that made him angry being around. "Well he missed his opportunity on a gorgeous girl." He smiled and kissed the top of my head. "Don't worry about it. He'll get used to it over time." He reassured while he stared back down at me. I nodded my head and swirled the drink around by using my hand in a circle. The ice clanked against the glass cup that was full with the sweet drink. "I won't. I know he'll get over it." I responded to him and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear to get the hair away from my face. The beaming sun hit against our skin. "Let's dance." He spoke and took the cup out of my hands, sitting his drink beside mine on a nearby table that was seated for us by my father. He placed names on cards that sat in a small plate to show a seating arrangement. I took his hand and smiled, walking to the dance floor that was full of people.
I followed behind him until we made it on the dance floor. Angels by Jack Johnson played from the beautiful playlist that my father allowed JJ to create in preparation for the Midsummer event. More and more people showed up but in that moment, it was just Rafe and I. No one else had mattered in that moment. I rested my hands on his shoulders and swayed to the music while he laid his hands against my waist with gentleness. I smiled up at him and stared into his blue eyes. He smiled down at me and kissed the top of my head. "Beautiful." He spoke. I felt out of the world in that moment. I felt like the only girl in the world because of him. It felt unreal to have him but I was more than lucky to have him.
We slow danced with another in comfort. We rocked side by side while John B dragged Sarah onto the dance floor with him a couple feet away from us. Glancing over to the side, I saw JJ watching us from afar. He clenched his jaw and dropped a glass cup on the floor from his anger. I pretended that I didn't see him drop the glass as he walked away back into the golf course to grab something to clean up the mess.
I don't understand why he was so angry at me?
We made a pact and we talked about what we could have in the future, but right now I wanted to live in the moment and experience things.
I started to feel sadness as I thought that I did something wrong. That's all I could think about instead of enjoying the evening. What did I do to make him feel so much anger?