Midsummer's had come to an end, the celebration fading into the darkness of the night. Myra dragged her tired feet around the venue picking up glasses, yawning every now and then. Mostly all of the guests had left by now. The ones that remained were scattered around, saying their goodbyes to their fellow kook friends before getting their coats from the closet. Myra had watched her brother leave earlier in the evening, by force. She wasn't sure what had happened, or what he had done this time, she hadn't had the time to talk to him yet. All she knew was that he had been a clear beacon for destruction since birth and a security guard had now escorted him out of the large venue right before him and his friends had taken off, Kiara running into his open arms. Much to her parents dismay. Myra wasn't sure if there was something going on between the two of them, but she had made a mental note to talk to her brother about it later.
As Myra looked up from a table her eyes landed on the tall kook prince once more. The one who always seemed to show up wherever she went nowadays. She was sure that she had seen him leave with his friends earlier, but now here he was again. He was stood a few feet away, his right shoulder leaned up against a white painted wooden pillar. He had a drink in his hand, a thick heavy glass with some whiskey at the bottom of it. He swirled the drink around slowly as he looked at her, the twinkling fairy lights that hung above them illuminating the strong features on his handsome face. She disliked him, but she couldn't deny how stereotypically good looking he was, in a kook kind of way. He looked calm Myra though, but drunk nevertheless. His eyes were a little darker than usual and his cheeks were a little flushed.
He didn't say anything, he just watched her walk around and pick up glasses. She ignored him, pretending to not see the way he was so obviously staring at her. He barely moved, the weight of his body relying on the pillar next to him. Myra filled her tray with glasses, refusing to make eye contact until the very last glass was picked up from the table before her. Their eyes met as she looked up, about to walk away with her tray, as Rafe quickly raised his glass as to toast her before downing the rest of the alcohol left in it.
"Are you done with that?" Myra asked a little cold, nodding her head towards the now empty glass. "This?" Rafe asked, his gaze flickering towards it, "yeah, yeah I'm done... I'm done with it". He was slurring his words ever so slightly as he pushed himself off of the pillar, striding slowly towards her. "There you go" he hummed, placing the glass down on her tray with a light thud. She sensed a hint of amusement radiating off of him. "Mhm" she muttered back, turning on her heels to walk away. She didn't thank him, yet again she didn't feel the need to, she was doing him a favour not the other way around.
Myra left the tray of dirty glasses in the kitchen before going back out to the floor. The place was now almost completely empty, only staff remaining. All the party guests had finally left. The low chatter had died out and the never ending clicking of high heels was finally over. Myra looked around to see what else needed to be done before she could go home after the long and dreadful shift she had endured amongst every kook good enough to belong to the island club around her. She saw Rafe sitting by a table in the back corner, his shoulders slumped and his head hung low. "Hey, are you alright?" she asked as she made her way over to him. He didn't look okay, she assumed that he had downed a shot or two too many. "Uhm, yeah yeah" Rafe answered lowly, glancing up at her with his eyes dazed and seemingly a little lost. The faint amusement from before was gone. She sighed as she walked off again, sensing the lie within his words.
Rafe was lost in his own thoughts, the echo of everything he should be but wasn't bouncing around in his head. All the things he wanted, all the things he needed, all the things he knew he would never become. He profoundly denied it, pushing it away as another wave of nausea hit him. Everything around him was unclear. The twinkling lights were blurry, his hands felt tingly and his bottom lip was numb. His bubble of a drunken haze soon burst as he heard something right in front of him, a light thud. He looked up slowly to see a glass of water that had been placed only a few inches away from his hands. He gazed up a little further, seeing the pouge girl standing by the corner of the table. He let his eyes wander over her blonde waves and blue eyes for a moment. She was looking at him too. "What is this?" he asked her lowly, his gaze flickering in between her and the glass before him. "It's just water" Myra clarified, "now drink it, you look like you need it"
Rafe huffed a little. He didn't need anything, especially not water to wash away the state of his mind and body. The feeling alcohol and drugs gave him was freeing, like a breath of fresh air. It was a blessing, not some wild curse that needed to be splashed away with plain water. If he could, he would live in this haze forever. Besides, he didn't like to be told what to do. Not from a kook but especially not from a pouge. Therefore he sat quiet for a moment, fighting the sudden strong urge he had to throw up. He didn't touch the water, but Myra didn't force him to either. She stood by the table quiet, gazing around, like she didn't care if he drank it or not.
"Can I ask you a question?" Rafe asked as she began to walk off. She turned around, gazing at him a little uncertain as she stopped, "yeah sure, what is it?". Rafe nodded his head towards the empty chair stood opposite of him. "Sit down" he instructed, reaching for the glass of water. Myra remained still, standing on her two feet, an empty tray tucked underneath her right arm. Rafe looked at her, nodding his head forward again, "I asked you to sit down". Myra sighed, raising her eyebrows a little. She was tense, Rafe took notice of that even though he wasn't in his right mind. "I heard you" Myra spoke confidently, "but a please wouldn't hurt, you know"
"I don't say please"
Rafe, who had been raised to believe he could have anything he wanted in life, wasn't fully accustomed to words such as please and thank you. He mostly used them in situations where he needed to come of as polite, whenever he needed to manipulate someone to get his way. "I figured" Myra muttered, rolling her eyes before he spun around on her heels to walk away again. Rafe watched as she took a few hasty steps, the tray still firmly pressed underneath her arm. He suddenly was more aware of the way his heart felt in his chest. He could feel every hard thud against his ribs, he could feel the vibrations of every beat tickle underneath his skin. He parted his lips to speak, once more seeing the girl before him stop in her tracks, "please, sit down with me"
Myra did so without speaking another word. She didn't sigh, she didn't mutter, she barely breathed loudly enough for him to hear. She just walked over to the chair opposite of the kook boy and she sat down. She watched Rafe down a few sips of the water, waiting for him to speak. Seconds passed, the air between the two of them filling with some kind of awkward anticipation. He didn't say a word, he just looked straight at her, so she felt compelled to break the silence. "You wanted to ask me a question" she stated, watching Rafe sit up a little straighter. "Yeah" he huffed. "Okay..." she trailed, putting the empty tray down on the table, "so what is it?"
Rafe cleared his throat, running his hands through his neatly styled hair. "What's your name?" he then croaked out. "That's your question?" she asked, a little surprised. "Mhm" he mumbled as a response, leaning forward a little, "what's your name?". Myra blinked her eyes, resting her forearms on the wooden table. "Why do you wanna know so badly?" she asked curiously. A hollow kind of silence fell upon Rafe as he gazed down at his hands, fiddling with the corner of his left thumb nail. "I asked you earlier" he spoke softly, now looking up again, "you didn't tell me"
"I know" Myra's voice rang out into the late night air, "but then again, why do you wanna know?"
The clock must've been at least two o'clock by now. The staff was going home one after one, Myra saw them leave. "I don't know" Rafe shrugged, his once soft drunk demeanour now switching to something seemingly more agitated as he sat up a little more. He glanced at her, his eyes growing a little darker. She could sense him tense up, perhaps more than she had been before. "You know what?" he suddenly asked, his hostile gaze locked onto her, "it doesn't matter anyway, I just wanted to know who I was talking to, but who cares? You're just some pouge anyways"
She hadn't given him what he wanted, and this seemed to piss the young man off. Myra snickered to herself a little, feeling some sense of amusement in his sudden annoyance. She didn't understand him, and he felt the same way about her. Their brains had been programmed in two so separate ways, the almighty kook and the poor pouge. She drew in a calming breath, slowly, keeping the air in her lungs for just a moment before releasing it again. Rafe looked away, clenching his jaw, his agitation only growing. Their interactions were turning into some kind of game, and she was curious to see where it was going to take her next. She had always held a certain kind of interest for unknown mysteries. So she leaned in a little closer to him, her voice coming out almost as a whisper, "it's Myra"
Rafe looked up, taking notice of the amused look upon the pouge girl's face as she spoke again, "my name is Myra". I know, Rafe thought to himself, about to say it out loud. The two short words laid on the tip of his tongue, but he managed to hold them back just a second before they spilled out. "Myra" Rafe repeated, like it was the first time he had ever heard the name, "well it's nice to meet you Myra". She scoffed a little, barely believing Rafe's sudden nice act. He had radiated impatience only a minute ago, so she hardly believed this sudden politeness to be genuine. Rafe didn't seem to care as he went on, reaching his hand out towards her, like he had done earlier in the evening too, "I'm Rafe Cameron"
"I know"
She shook his hand swiftly, feeling a weird kind of warmth cling to her skin. It sent shivers along her spine and tingles through her bones. She pulled away a little sooner than what was probably considered polite, but she didn't want the feeling to linger, just in case it was some kind of a infectious kook disease. Rafe didn't question her sudden movement, he sat calmly. "You do?" he asked, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. She was aware that he wasn't surprised by her knowing who he is, she could sense it. It was like he enjoyed it, being well known and recognized, hence the smile. "Well yeah" Myra shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal at all, "everyone knows who you are, besides you told me like a few hours ago, remember?"
"Not really" Rafe blurted out honestly. Myra guessed that most of what he had said to her during the party had been forgotten by now, the alcohol washing it away from his mind. "You're drunk" she pointed out with a giggle, seeing him ease up a little. "Yeah" he laughed back, "yeah I am"
The two of them laughed together for a short moment, like they weren't supposed to be enemies. Like their differences stopped existing for just a short while. Then it mellowed down, reality settling into the situation again, once more dividing the kook and the pouge sitting opposite each other in the middle of the dark night. "Is there a last name to Myra?" Rafe then asked, his drunken blue eyes wandering over her curiously. "Maybank" Myra answered him quickly, not knowing what had taken place between the kook boy sat in front of her and another blonde haired pouge carrying the same last name as her only a few hours ago.
"Maybank?" Rafe asked, pulling his eyebrows together a little as he leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table separating them. "Like..." he trailed, watching Myra intently as she scratched the back of her head. He knew what she would answer, he already knew the truth, he just wanted her to clarify it for him.
"...like JJ Maybank yes"
Rafe nodded slowly as Myra's words mixed with the breezy summer air. The sun had set long ago now and the ocean breeze was coming it, sweeping into the once warm air. "Your brother?" Rafe asked, even though he already knew it to be so. "Yeah" Myra mumbled, nodding her head gently, "he's my older brother"
Rafe sat quiet, not knowing what else to say. He knew her name, he knew she was a pouge from the cut, he knew that she was the younger sister to his sworn enemy JJ Maybank. He knew all of that, yet he asked, trying to play it off like he had no clue. Like it didn't matter to him, like it hadn't crossed his mind, not even once. "Do you smoke?" Rafe then asked, chanting the subject completely. It made Myra raise her eyebrows a little, seemingly surprised by his question. "No" she answered, the tone of her voice coming off a little unsure. "Not like cigarettes..." Rafe went on, blinking his eyes, "I mean weed and shit like that, I know JJ does right?". Myra sighed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah I suppose he does" she muttered, not wanting to completely out her own brother. "Yeah, so do you?" Rafe asked quickly, leaning in even a little closer, "smoke I mean"
Once more there was a question slipping past Rafe's lips that he already knew the answer to. He had seen the joint in between her small fingers back at Barry's place. He remembered the look in her eyes, he recognized it all too well.
"Every now and then" Myra replied, shrugging her shoulders like it wasn't a big deal, gazing at the kook sat before her, "do you?". Rafe shook his head, a faint smirk growing upon his lips once again, but this time a little cockier. "No, no" he huffed as he kept on shaking his head, "not that much at least, there's more effective things out there". This sparked Myra's curiosity. She knew that smoking from time to time wasn't ideal, everyone knew that. The effects it could have on her body and mind, it was a grey zone to say the least. It wasn't healthy no, but she needed a release when things got too heavy and she knew no other way. A habit she had picked up from her father somewhere along the lines without even realizing it. Her brother was the same way.
"Like what?" Myra then asked, having heard rumours about the party drugs going around figure eight. Barry talked about it quite a lot whenever she was over there. The kids that live out on the kook side have money, he had told her, real money. They enjoyed ecstasy, ketamine and cocaine. And they would pay whatever price Barry set just to get their hands on it. Whatever was trendy at the time. Rafe was one of the kooks often seen out on the party scene, she knew that, so she was sure that this was what he was talking about.
"I'll leave that up to your imagination" Rafe teased, now much closer to her than before. Myra could feel his hot breath tickle her skin as he spoke, "do you have anything on you?". Myra blinked her eyes, "like weed?" she clarified, to which Rafe gently nodded his head. "No" she spoke with certainty, shaking her head "no not here, look around... this is kook headquarters, if I brought that shit with me here I'd surely be fired, everything is so nauseatingly nice and correct around here". Her words seemed to amuse Rafe once more, who laughed out faintly. "That's what you think about us? We're nice and correct?" he asked, raising his eyebrows a little. The same kind of stupid smirk from before was returning to his lips. "Pretty much, I mean aren't you?" Myra questioned, crossing her arms before her chest. "Yeah that's definitely not the whole truth" Rafe laughed again, "but my life's pretty great, yeah thanks"
Something felt off in the way Rafe spoke. It was a little too overly confident Myra thought, like he was trying to compensate for something. Like he wanted, or almost needed, her to believe him. To believe that his life was great in every single way. Like nothing was ever wrong. She felt an odd vibe coming from him, but she didn't ask why. She just kept her lips pushed together as she gazed off, feeling herself getting tired.
"How about that drink with me now?" Rafe then asked, his eyes gleaming towards her. "Oh so that you remember?" she questioned, not able to hold back a smile. "Bits and pieces" the kook boy said, leaning in even a little closer. Myra could smell the stench of alcohol on his breath, making her stop for a moment. "Not tonight" she hummed, pushing the glass of water into his hands, "I think this will do for now"
"That's not a no" Rafe spoke, blinking his eyes. Myra laughed. She had been vague, which she rarely was other than to tease her friends, but he wasn't her friend so she was unsure as to why she hadn't just said no. There was something in the air making her want the conversation to keep going. She didn't want to sink into his trap, she just simply wanted to keep the door of possibilities slightly ajar. "Just drink your water" she said, shutting whatever weird though he had gained in his mind out. Rafe didn't say another word, he just sat back up and gulped down the rest of the water in the glass before he placed it down on the table again. "Good" Myra said lowly, glancing around. The place was now completely empty besides the two of them, and dark.
"We should probably get going" she said to Rafe, grabbing the glass before getting up. She waited for him to stand up, but he didn't move. "Wait here" she urged before she took off, quickly rushing into the kitchen to leave his empty glass. When she came back he was sitting in the same position as before, staring off into the distance. "You should probably head home now" Myra murmured, standing by the table. Rafe gazed up at her, the drunken gaze still clear in his eyes. "Where?" he asked. "Home" she clarified, "to where you live"
"Tannyhill"
"Yeah that's it" Myra nodded, "come on, let's go". Rafe didn't move, forcing Myra to make a decision. She reached her right hand out towards him, making him turn to look at her. A moment of silence found it's way in between the two teenagers yet again as Rafe looked at her hand. He took it, the same feeling as before returning to the both of them. Myra helped pull him up from the chair he was sat in, guiding him trough the darkness of the room, still holding his hand.
When they got out onto the street she let go, crossing her arms over her chest. None of them spoke, unsure what happens next. Rafe still couldn't feel his fingertips or his bottom lip. If he turned his head too quickly, the world would spin out of control. He knew where he lived, he just didn't know which way to go. Besides, he wasn't in any kind of a rush. "Goodnight Rafe" Myra spoke quietly, rolling on her feet, wanting to go home. "Wait..." Rafe trailed, trying to focus his gaze on her in the darkness, "you're going home?"
Myra checked the clock, 03:24. "Yes, it's almost three thirty in the morning" she answered, longing for her comfortable bed. Rafe gazed around a little, his eyes scanning the stars upon the night sky before landing on her yet again. The look upon his face was curious, like he had just thought of the best idea ever in his drunken state. Then he spoke something that seemingly broke the barrier between the two, "that means it's almost sunrise, I wanna see the sun rise, yeah... do you wanna see the sunrise with me Myra Maybank?"