𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗡𝗘
the attempted murder of jj maybank
MATILDA SHOUPE'S MIND RESEMBLED a broken vinyl, endlessly repeating the same tracks of her past, present, and future. It spun relentlessly, 24 hours a day, with a dreadful tune that refused to fade away. Her mind wandered aimlessly, entangled within the labyrinth of her own thoughts. She just wanted one day where she could be herself again, but even that seemed unattainable.
Standing on her balcony, she felt the gentle breeze caressing her damp skin, the thin material of her robe allowing the cool air to easily pass through effortlessly. Water trickled down her back from her dampened hair, and the scent of the ocean filled her senses as she leaned against the balcony railing. Lost in her thoughts, the world around her seemed to fade away.
"Are you trying to give everyone a show or something?" Rafe Cameron's voice shattered her reverie. His words instinctively brought a smile to her lips as she turned to face the two boys sitting on her bed as if it were their own.
Rafe had been her best friend for as long as she could remember. They had met when she was just six years old, Rafe finding a lonely Matilda sitting on a park bench. He had been her only true friend for the longest time. She couldn't even count the number of girls who had befriended her just to get closer to Rafe.
However, their friendship was unconventionally co-dependent, and nobody could seem to penetrate it— until Charlie Hudson. Charlie was the first person who wanted to be her friend, and she wasn't going to just let that go.
Matilda remembered Rafe not being thrilled about the idea of it; it was bad enough sharing her with his sisters— let alone another boy. Rafe gave the boy the cold shoulder for months until Charlie managed to win him over with their shared love for football. Rafe claimed he could tolerate the boy, and that was enough for Matilda.
"I bet creepy Paul would enjoy that," Charlie remarked, sprawled out on his back with a blunt between his fingers.
Matilda made a disgusted noise at the comment, plopping herself down on the edge of the bed. Paul was her elderly neighbour who had a habit of watching everything that went on and eagerly reporting it back to her stepfather.
"I have ways of getting rid of him. Just say the word," Rafe joked.
Charlie commented, exhaling a cloud of smoke into the room,, "What give him a heart attack by showing him your dick?"
"No, Rafe has connections," she teased, causing the boy to roll his eyes. Matilda reached out for the joint in Charlie's hand, only to have her hand slapped away by Rafe. She turned to the older boy with a glare and retaliated by hitting his hand. He swiftly grabbed her wrist and pulled her down onto the bed, holding her tightly in his arms. "Hey, I'm stressed!"
"Stressed about what?" Rafe chuckled.
"Uh, have you both forgotten what's happening tonight? It's going to be a complete disaster," she replied, her tone tinged with resignation.
She was referring to the party their parents were hosting tonight. They threw one every year, and it wasn't just any ordinary gathering like Midsummers. This event was grander and attracted elites from outside of Kildare County. It was a pretentious display of wealth, achievements, and a big show for the men to attempt striking up business deals. And the fact that they were hosting it just two days before a storm spoke volumes.
"We made it through the last one," Rafe reminded her, his voice filled with reassurance.
"Barely. Took me three months to recover from that one. I don't know why our families insist on getting together and playing happy all the time. None of them actually like each other."
"And let's not forget while you were away at college, we had to deal with family brunches every month," Charlie scoffed. "I think he had it easy. What do you reckon?" he asked, glancing at Matilda, who dramatically nodded in agreement as she gracefully rose from the bed and headed towards the closet.
Rafe rolled his eyes playfully at the pair, "Hey, Ward will be going on and on about how much of a disappointment his son is tonight so you are both safe," Rafe voiced, tinged with pure bitterness.
Matilda pushed by the closet door, offering Rafe a comforting smile. "My bags are ready to go whenever you are," she joked, even though they had talked about it; countless of times.
"Count me in," Charlie declared. .
As Matilda rummaged through her closet, selecting her outfit for the day, her fingers grazed over the sweaters hanging there. She paused momentarily, fixating on the faded grey surfboard co hoodie, before grabbing a thin blue sweatshirt from the hanger.
"Hey, my mom said to wear that black dress you got the other week tonight," Charlie called out from the room after a few minutes.
Matilda poked her head out of the closet, wearing a disapproving frown. "Seriously? Have you seen that thing?" she quipped, struggling to pull her shorts up her legs without stumbling. The dress resembled something straight out of a 60s funeral.
She swiftly pulled the sweatshirt over her head and brushed her hair away from her face. Her gaze landed on Rafe, who was casually leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. "What's up?" she inquired.
He grinned and straightened up, quickly glancing over his shoulder before stepping further into the walk-in closet. "Nothing. Can't I just miss my best friend?" he playfully teased.
"Well, it does seem a bit suspicious, but I suppose you can. She probably missed you too," she replied, mocking him while smiling up at the boy.
"Oh, right," he clicked his tongue, trying to suppress a smile. "Probably isn't very convincing?"
"You know I missed you too, Rafael, but hey, who cares about me?" Charlie dramatically called out from outside the closet.
The two exchanged amused glances as Matilda nudged Rafe to move, following closely behind him as they walked out of the closet. "Aw, Charlie, did you want cuddle?" she pouted mockingly, stepping closer to the bed.
His expression fell as he noticed the mischievous look on her face, his eyes slowly shifting to Rafe, who wore a matching expression. "Don't you dare," he warned.
_____________
MATILDA WATLZED INTO the kitchen and greeted her father and step-sister, who were already seated at the breakfast bar, with a mumbled good morning.
Her father inquired, "Did Rafe spend the night?"
"No, he arrived at the crack of dawn," she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"That's considerate of him," he remarked, glancing up from his tablet.
Her relationship with her father exceeded the traditional father-daughter relationship. He was more than just a father, but a friend. On the rarest occasion that her father was serious about something, you could safely assume trouble was on the horizon.
Undoubtedly, James Shoupe was an exceptional father, except for those two years when he was absent from their lives. Yet, she held no resentment against him for that, not now anyway.
Similar to his father and the generations before him, James had succumbed to alcoholism as if it were ingrained in his DNA. With work and alcohol consuming his life, it felt like he was never truly present. During those two years, Lana Grubbs, the family's nanny, and her uncle had stepped up to take care of Matilda.
It was Victor Shoupe, his younger brother, who rescued him from the depths of despair. Victor sought help for James at a prestigious rehab center in Boston. Matilda welcomed him back with open arms, as if he had never been gone. She was just a kid and didn't know any better. But as she got older, she never resorted to blaming him— even if she was disappointed in the things he missed out on. But somewhere along the lines, her feelings turned into anger and resentment, all directed towards the one person who caused all of it— her mother.
Nadia Limbery, a notorious figure in town, was always a topic of gossip. Luke Maybank even dubbed her "Satan in Prada" to Matilda's face on several occasions after unfornate run-ins with the man. Born into a wealthy family, she grew up on Figure 8 alongside her twin sister, who fueled her jealous and envious nature.
The first time Nadia crossed path with James was in high school, although they belonged to different social classes.
Born on the Cut, James had to endure the absence of his mother and the abuse inflicted by his uncaring father. James embodied the epitome of every girl's fantasy—a rebellious summer romance with the boy from the wrong side of the tracks.
James had blindly fallen head over heels for the girl. She possessed an irresistible charm, a sweetness that captivated him. Little did he know, she was also a master manipulator. When summer came to an end, she vanished from his life as if he had never existed. Naturally, he moved on. He worked hard, earning money in his small town to put himself through college. Ten years later, he had established himself as a renowned writer, known as the boy from The Cut.
Unexpectedly, Nadia reappeared in his life, confessing that she had longed for him all those years since their fateful summer. Silly of him to not consider the coincidental timing off her confession, no more sillier than him staying married to someone who had betrayed him by sleeping with her tennis coach four years into their marriage. However, he endured the marriage for the sake of his daughter, the greatest joy in his life. He refused to repeat the mistakes of his father.
And so when Nadia abruptly ran off, leaving with news intended to break James' heart, proceeded to send divorce papers in the mail, and then marry some billionaire collector— James should have felt relieved, even celebrated his freedom from the leech who had drained him emotionally and financially. Yet, the years of psychological abuse took their toll, and he found solace in a bottle of bourbon.
Matilda had not seen her mother in eight months after she randomly appeared back in the Outerbanks, asking her daughter for money. The woman made it easy for her own daughter to turn against her, but unfortunately, as much as Matilda tried, she still cared and fell into the trap of helping her.
"Where's Marcus?" Matilda inquired about her step-father's whereabouts.
"He's in Boston with Chuck for business. They'll be back this afternoon before the party," James replied.
"Charlie was here last night, we fell asleep studying." she informed her father as she walked to the fridge to pour a glass of orange juice.
"Oh right. I didn't see him sneaking in at exactly 6:39 in the morning," he said sarcastically. "He's not doing drugs, right?" he asked, his mouth forming a thin line.
"Charlie?" she clarified, receiving a nod from her father in response. "No, dad," she sighed.
"So what exactly are you covering for?" he probed.
The two shared everything with each other, to a certain extent. She definitely told him white lies every now and then, like any teenager does with their parents. That was how James got roped into covering for the boy if Chuck Hudson happened to ask about his son's whereabouts, especially when her dad was in town. And over the past few months, the amount of time Charlie spent there as a cover story had significantly increased, hiding where he actually was.
"He's just doing stuff," Matilda answered with a shrug, acting as if it didn't really matter where he was because it didn't.
"Stuff is a concerning choice of word," James insisted, his full attention now on his daughter. She could tell his fatherly instinct was kicking in, one he had developed for the boy.
She grinned at her father and leaned against the countertop. "Classified insider information, you didn't hear it from me, but he may or may not be seeing someone who isn't his amazing, funny, sexy, dad-approved girlfriend," she mused, pretending it was some big secret as she dramatically whispered it across the room.
James shook his head at her antics, reminiscent of his own. She was a mirror image of his younger self. "You know, Chuck is talking about your future together quite a lot. I think you two need to start planning on ending this relationship," he said.
Charlie and her do not have anything figured out. The two had been pretending to date for a whole five months after his dad caught him sneaking in one night. And of course, the first person who came to his head when his dad asked who he had to sneak out to see, besides the actual person, was her. And naturally, for the first time, Chuck Hudson approved of his son's choice and the lie just built up from there.
Surprisingly, their little charade was working out quite well. Charlie enjoyed the freedom of not having his father constantly breathing down his neck, although his father always found alternative ways to pressure him, like his future with Matilda
"We'll figure it out. Don't worry, you're already starting to go gray," she nonchalantly dismissed, resorting to humor.
His hands instinctively flew to his hair, "No, I'm not," he defended.
She chuckled at her father, finding amusement in the horrified expression on his face. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that a 42-year-old man could be so childish. Then again, she realized that she would probably be the same way when she reached his age.
"Charlie will be leaving for college next year, so I think we'll naturally drift apart."
"Sounds like you'll be engaged and ready to marry as soon as he returns, huh?"
"Who is Tilly marrying?" Lucy's voice chimed in, her curious eyes peered over the magazine she held in front of her.
At just eight years old, Lucy possessed a level of maturity that made her seem older. Matilda couldn't help but recall the amount of times when Lucy had come home from school and claimed she has 'tea' to share, or the time she innocently asked about the meaning of "sex," causing Matilda to nearly faint in shock. It was as if this new generation of children were mutated beyond their years, because when she was Lucy's age, she played mermaids with Sarah Cameron in the bathtub.
"Charlie," her father responded nonchalantly, causing Matilda to shoot him an annoyed look.
Lucy turned her attention towards Matilda, her eyebrows furrowed and her face adorably scrunched up. "I thought you were marrying Rafe," she commented, her confusion evident.
"Hmm, is that so?" James hummed, his tone filled with amusement.
Matilda gave them both a look, asserting, "I'm not marrying anyone, ever."
"But you have to get married so we can have a baby. Macey's little sister is so cute, I want one too. Dad says I'm too young, so it's all on you until I can marry my prince when I'm...," Lucy ranted, pausing momentarily before looking towards James for confirmation. Matilda couldn't help but find it endearing.
"Thirty-five," he replied.
Lucy nodded, repeating, "When I'm 35."
Matilda took a sip of orange juice from her glass, encouraging Lucy further. "And who is this prince you are marrying?"
"JJ," Lucy confidently replied, her grin showcasing her missing front tooth.
The liquid nearly escaped Matilda's mouth as a loud, inhuman noise escaped her lips.
"Good choice, sweetheart," James praised the little girl, his voice filled with warmth.
"He will be as gray as dad and have a beer belly bigger than Santa's by the time you're thirty five," Matilda playfully teased the little girl.
Lucy gasped and shot her sister a disapproving glare. Her bottom lip jutted out as she defiantly crossed her arms over her chest. "No he won't! Don't talk to me," she defended, hastily grabbing her magazine and using it as a shield to hide her face.
James shook his head at the older sister's antics, but the amusement was evident on his face "Speaking of Jesse, I spoke to him yesterday," James began.
Forget anything she had previously said about her father, and not that she was being overly dramatic or anything, James Shoupe did have one notable flaw— his soft spot for JJ freaking Maybank. James was too kind for his own good— using every opportunity possible to help the boy who reminded him of himself.
Over the last two months, her father had offered him a job— and by job, he literally paid him to sit around and annoy Matilda. And no, she wasn't exaggerating at all. When JJ wasn't occupied with odd jobs like mowing the lawn or fixing up the boat, he was being a pain in the ass behind closed doors.
James even went as far as buying a 1969 Ford Bronco that he wanted to restore, but never seemed to find the time. So, he came up with the brilliant idea of enlisting JJ's help. It was slightly disturbing to think that they considered each other friends, but that was the reality.
"And?" Matilda impatiently interrupted, shoving a granola bar into her mouth aggressively as soon as she heard the boy's name, her body becoming tense.
"He said you tried to kill him," James revealed, causing her to pause mid-bite.
"Kill him? If I tried to kill him, he'd be six feet under. I don't miss," Matilda confidently replied to her dad, flashing an overly sweet smile.
Lucy chimed in from behind her magazine, unable to resist adding her two cents. "You kicked the ball straight at his head."
In her defence, it was actually an accident. She was too busy gawking, not that she wanted to admit that aloud.
Matilda flashed a mischievous grin at Lucy, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "You know what, Lucy? I've got a craving for some ice cream after school. What do you say?"
"He got in the way of the ball," Lucy glanced at James and shrugged her shoulders innocently.
"Stop bribing your sister," James interjected, "Would it pay you to be nicer?"
"You know what dad? I am really insulted that your first instinct to believe it was intentional," she voiced, placing a hand over her heart with an exaggerated expression of hurt.
"That's because I know you."
"You're an evil man, James Joshua Shoupe." she playfully accused.
"Dad," he corrected her. "You—"
Matilda glanced at the clock dramatically, pretending to be late. "Would you look at the time? I have to go meet Sarah."
With a hint of sarcasm, she added, "I sincerely hope he doesn't have another accident tomorrow. The universe doesn't tolerate snitches. Hopefully he doesn't trip over his own feet or something." Ignoring her father's shouts, she backed out of the door, leaving him behind.
One day, she might be grateful for her father's unworldly interference, but right now she was not. Because if anyone found out— aside from her father who would probably dance in joy—that she had a soft spot for JJ— hell would freeze over.
&&. NOTE
james shoupe >>> everyone else.
Rafe and Tilly's friendship is very dear to me, even though I am building it up to break it down but we don't talk about that just yet. but when those rose coloured glasses come off, boy oh boy.
I'm not sure if anyone has picked up on in just from the intro and this chapter, what Charlie has been up to. Tilly and him have a talk about it in a few chapters, and it is so sweet. I love Charlie and I think he deserves his own book at this point. I will easily be tempted.
I miss JJ (: he will be around a lot more as things move in season one