no one asked you
the shower was running when I woke up, and as I feel for the boy next to me I realize he was already up. as soon as I swing my legs off the side of the bed, I get a head rush.
my legs feel like they're made of lead as I walk to the bathroom and give the door a light tap. "Rafe, I'm coming in." I warn before pushing the door open and going over to the sink. "let's keep it pg in here." when I turn on the sink I hear a yelp come from behind the curtain causing me to laugh.
"hey! you made it go up to a thousand degrees!" Rafe whines as he pokes his head out from the steam. I try not to blush at the fact that water is dripping down his face and neck, and his lips were equally as wet. Dammit. "what? is there soap on my face?"
"no, I just didn't realize how ugly you were in the mornings." before I know it, the bar of soap is flying at me. "oh Rafey boy you dropped the soap!"
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I walk around the truck to the passenger side as Rafe climbs opens the driver door, and immediately the heat inside the vehicle hits me like a tidal wave. once I'm buckled I quickly rose my window down to get the breeze going. "please don't tell me you're going to stick your head out the window like a dog, Lyv."
"y'know what, just to spite you." as the truck picks up speed on the main road I do just as he predicted and lean out the window. it isn't so bad, up until a tree branch smacks my cheek. "fucking fuck."
Rafe pulls me in the truck by my waist all while he laughs his ass off. I rub my cheek to hopefully help the pain and reach over to smack his arm. "you're the one who wanted to act like an idiot!" he says as he still chuckles.
"it was fun! maybe you should try it, but make sure there's a tree nearby."
pretty soon we pull into the Cameron's driveway and I see Sarah walking to their pool in her bikini. making sure there's no foliage around, I lean out the window and whistle. "hey losers! get your swimsuits and come on!" she hollers with a half smile on her face.
when I catch a glimpse of Topper in the pool, I scowl in disappointment. "do you really not like Topper that much?" Rafe asks me as he parks the truck.
"it's not that I don't like Topper, I just don't like Topper and Sarah." my explanation sounded shitty, but in my head it made sense. Topper was basically her bitch, and Sarah was oblivious to it. "it's all just a little too mushy for me."
"well you try being mushy with someone and maybe you'll find you like it." Rafe opens the door for me and helps me out as I shove my sunglasses up to the top of my head. part of me wants to be my usual self with him, but after what he said last night I'm too weirded out by the idea of requesting a piggy back ride.
"is that an invitation, Rafey boy?" I tease and stick my tongue out at him. he rolls his eyes but I catch the slight redness forming on his ears from embarrassment.
this should be a fun day.
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meanwhile, on the chateau, the pogues sit by the marsh smoking and drinking the day away.
"so you're telling me if you won the lottery, you wouldn't go full kook?" John B raises an eyebrow at Pope, who waves his hands in the air.
"college tuition my friend, it's a bitch." Pope tells his friend. none of the group really understood his ambition to attend college and get scholarships, but they were supportive nonetheless. "plus books."
"I would start a conservation project to protect all fish, big or small." Kiara takes a swig from her beer before raising it towards the water.
"pretty sure that's already a thing, Kie." JJ chuckles while taking a hit from his blunt.
the blond boy had been thinking a lot about the figure 8 lately. more importantly, the life he could have if he just grew up on the other side of the island, or the life he wants to have in the future. but you don't get to the figure 8 from being in the working class, it's something you have to be born into.
"hey, has anyone talked to Olyvia Jones since her dad died?" Kie questions, and all the guys shake their heads.
when Kiara had her kook year she had grown close to Olyvia, mostly through the shared friendship with Sarah. after her falling out with the Cameron girl, Kiara kept in touch with Olyvia, and they found they had a bit in common. they invited the girl to hang with the pogues every now and then, and while it was rare for her to actually join, it was always a fun time with her around.
"what do we care about Olyvia anyways? we haven't seen her since she became Rafe Cameron's girl." JJ scoffs at the idea of the girl coming around again. sure she was scrappy and could hold her own, but down to the core she was a kook. truthfully, he had never seen a girl her size handle tequila so well, much less enjoy it.
"her dad died JJ, it's gotta be hard. even for a kook." John B thinks of his own father, who was still vanished. he knew the pain of losing someone you loved, even if his dad wasn't truly dead like hers. "maybe we should stop by to see her sometime, offer her a beer or something."
Pope quickly shakes his head in protest. "no can do. remember what the death squad says every time they see us close to their territory: stay off the cut."
JJ continues to think about kook life, and now his thoughts are accompanied by a picture of a girl with wild hair and bottle of tequila in her hand.
————
while Sarah disappears inside to go get us something to drink, I float around the pool on a giant watermelon slice floaty and let the sun kiss my skin.
"man, you're so whipped." I hear Rafe tell Topper and I almost want to laugh, but decide to stay quiet so I can eavesdrop. "my sister has you wrapped around her finger and there's nothing you can do about it.
"that's not true." Topper argues and I hear a bottle being opened at the same time. "I'm my own man, she's just Sarah." part of me wants to leap up and threaten to whoop his ass for saying that. Sarah has the biggest heart out of anyone I know, even if people had labeled her a princess.
"Top can you come help me!" Sarah hell's from inside the house. Topper's chair scrapes the patio as he stands up quickly.
"you're officially her bitch." Rafe jokes, causing Topper to sigh as he walks inside. I continue to stay quiet after he's gone, until I hear Rafe get out as well. "you awake over the, Lyv?"
"wide awake, heard every word you said."
he laughs as he climbs into the water before swimming up next to me and draping his arms draped over the side of the float. I start to feel him draw on my arm with wet fingers, so I push my sunglasses up to look at what he's doing.
a star. a smiley face. a heart.
"do you want to get out and go grab some food? all this swimming has made me hungry?" I ask him, rubbing my stomach for dramatics. as he continues drawing I let my lower lip pout, trying to emphasize my need for food. "please, Rafe?"
"you know I'm weak for the pouty face." he mumbles but starts to pull the float the stairs of the pool. "I'll get Topper and Sarah while you dry off."
I get out of the pool before he does, and I don't fail to miss the way he looks at my body as I walk for my towel. "I saw that. you just checked me out."
he shrugs but let's a grin cross his face. "wasn't the first time and won't be the last."
as he goes inside, I work on drying off as much as possible before pulling on my tank top and shorts over my bathing suit. my skin felt terrible from the chlorine, so I started to apply some bum bum cream to my arms and legs at least to help with the feeling.
Sarah and Topper practically skip out of the house holding hands, and I crinkle my nose in disdain. yeah, he was her bitch that was for sure. "ready to go?" Rafe asks, and I give him a nod while standing up. "you smell amazing."
"why thank you, kind sir." I tip an imaginary hat at him, causing us both to laugh. "not so much of a dictator today are we?"
"what did I say about calling me that?"
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when we arrive at the wake, Sarah and Topper walk ahead to go get a table while Rafe and I take our time. "do you think he'll ever get his head out of her ass?" I joke but at the same time I truly wonder.
"either he'll remove it or Sarah will remove it herself and break his heart." Rafe says and I nod as well. we start walking into the wake and immediately I'm regretting our decision to get food.
Topper and John B stand toe to toe in the back of the restaurant, exchanging words about french fries of all things. "you're such a dirty pogue." Topper snaps while Sarah grabs his arm trying to pull him back.
I see Kiara grabbing John B as well, both girls trying to stop an impending fight. my mind wonders where Kiara's dad was at the moment. that man can be very intimidating. "Topper, cut the shit." I growl as I go to step between the two boys. "we're not here to fight, I'm fucking hungry."
"while I enjoy a good fight, I really don't look forward to seeing Lyv get taken out when she's standing between you two." Rafe shocks me by now getting between me and Topper, pushing him back slightly. I figured he would be the first one to throw the punch, especially at a pogue.
"John B, lets go back to our seats." Kiara pleads, pulling on the boy's arm. "we can fight somewhere else another time, not in my dads restaurant."
"hi Kie." I murmur, catching her attention. none of the kooks hear me as the start to walk away, but I give Kiara a small wave and smile. she returns the favor, making my worry go away. I did miss the pogues.
"Lyvia, come on!" Rafe shouts from table, so I turn and walk away from my past friends.
"can't even enjoy my meal without scum from the cut ruining it." Topped mutters while taking a drink. "god I wanted to bash his face in."
"shove a sock in it Topper." I was surprised at the words that left Sarah's mouth, and even Rafe and Topper were as well. maybe she was tired of him being glued to her hip, I don't know. I wouldn't blame her.
"can we just eat then go? I'm tired from the sun and want to take a nap." I sigh as a waitress comes to take out order. while
I'm listening to everyone give their orders, I catch a glimpse of Pope sitting down next to Kiara, and right behind him comes in JJ Maybank.
there goes my appetite.
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