Royals - Rafe Cameron

Chapter Five - The Box in the Chair

This one is a little shorter, but I'm trying to work on the storyline more than launching into a relationship between the characters at this point

Enjoy 1.3K of my bullshit. 

That night, Rafe entertained her with stories of the Kook Academy (somewhere El refused to believe actually existed). He spoke of family vacations abroad and his dads wickedly expensive boat. If the story was entertaining, he was going to tell it.

It was pleasantly nice, having Rafe there to charm her with stories. The working night didn't seem so long. El got off the clock five minutes early and walked out of The Wreck, Rafe beside her.

"Where to now?" He asked, perfectly content to just walk.

El couldn't yet bring herself to fully trust him, this guy he had become. The Rafe she knew from the parties was much too different from the perfect guy stood beside her. But, then again, the Rafe she knew from the parties was always high out of his mind and ready to start a fight.

"I promised the rest of the Pogues I'd get them some 'sorry for accidentally bailing on movie night snacks'," she said and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "From the diner."

Rafe bit his lip. "Thats a long walk, Maybank."

"I know, but I promised them."

The walk to the diner was draped in a comfortable silence. Rafe, it seemed, had run out of interesting stories and El was exhausted from her shift. They made quite the pair.

The Cut was a terrifying place in the dark. Filled with sounds, malicious laughter, trash cans being knocked over, babies crying, guns being fired. It was why El spent so much of her time at The Château, away from all of it.

Eyes were on her as she walked down the street. To the men in The Cut, Eleanor Maybank was something of a spectacle. Somewhat smart, pretty and hardworking. It was hard to come by around that part of the OBX. She stepped closer to Rafe.

"You okay there?" He asked without much emotion. Walking around The Cut was just as terrifying for him as it was for El. These people hated him and his family, maybe even wanted them dead.

The pair sped up their walk.

***

They are at The Château, the food from the diner was in Els hands, yet Rafe wasn't leaving.

"You've been great company and really helped me with the stuff from the diner. But, seriously, get out of here."

"Why?" He pushed, puffing out his chest.

"Because my brother is in a seriously bad mood and he will try to kill you. And, you know what? I won't try to stop him."

Rafe laughed and placed the remaining boxes from the diner in Els arms. "That was cold, Maybank." He took a few steps back, hands in his pockets. "I'll see you soon!"

"Will you be okay getting back to Figure Eight?"

But he was gone. And the door behind her was open. And her brother was looking at her like she was crazy. "Who are you talking to, El?" He asked like she was some wounded child.

"Fuck off, JJ." She marched past her brother and into the room where the rest of their group dwelled.

They were gathered around a piece of shit television, watching an old movie El had never heard of. John B was an old movie guy, liked sword fights and daring adventures with the special affects of the 70's. "Come and get your breakfast foods," El said through a yawn. She placed the boxes on the counter and trudged through The Château.

"JB, do you mind if I get changed in your room?"

"Go for it," he called over he shoulder as they sorted through the food from the diner.

El shuffled into John B's room and pushed the door shut behind her. She sat on his bed, pulled off her shoes and just laid back, exhaustion taking over.

It was maybe an hour later when the Pogues finally decided to check on her. JJ got up from his seat and slowly walked towards the door. "El," he whispered and rapped his knuckles against the wood. "You still in there?"

But she was fast asleep, drooling on John B's pillow. JJ pulled the door shut and moved over to the rest of the Pogues. "How is she?" Kie enquired. Before Sarah had joined the group, Kie was a little much. She made the point of being the only girl, claiming El didn't count because she was family. All she did was go on and on and on about the turtles and the plastic in the sea. Which really was a crisis JJ cared about. But when she wasn't smoking weed, Kie was a bit much. With Sarah around (and their friendship rekindled) she seemed to chill out.

"Sleeping," JJ said and sat himself before John B. He grinned and lazily held his finger to his lips.

***

Waking up in The Château was one of Els favourite things. The chickens outside would cluck away and there was just enough noise to be woken up gently.

But her surroundings weren't entirely familiar. She was used to the spare room or the pull out, but not this. Groaning, she pulled herself from the bed and trudged out of the bedroom. "JB!" She shouted, combing her fingers through her matted hair. "Sorry I kinda kicked you out last night!"

John B only smiled and waved her off.

With that, El went to sit out on the porch. The sun was still rising, only expanding the beauty of the morning. It was breath taking, the only good thing out in The Cut were the gorgeous views.

As soon as El sat in the first available chair (the rest of the Pogues already taking up the outside couch) El leapt up with a yelp. "John B, what the fuck is in your chair?!" She shouted and spun on her heel.

Yup, there was definitely something pointy in seat cushion. And badly sewn stitches along the cushion. Frowning, El turned towards her brother. "Go and get me a knife," she said and he raised his eyebrows. "Or scissors. Just something sharp to cut with."

She tried tearing at it with her fingers, but to no avail. One of the boys tapped her on the shoulder and passed her the scissors. El cut the seat cushion and pulled out a small silver box, almost like a jewellery box. Intricate carvings were on the top and the sides. "Anybody recognise this?"

The moment she held it up, John B snatched it from her fingers. "No way," he whispered under his breath and marched towards the kitchen. "No fucking way."

"What is it?" El followed him, scissors still in her hand. "JB?"

He turned to them, his eyes wide. "This belonged to my dad."

***

El never expected to be having coffee with Rafe Cameron. She didn't think she'd be willingly sat in a cafe on Figure Eight, drinking coffee and laughing with him. 

"You guys seriously jump from roofs at your Kook parties?" She asked and wrapped her hands around her coffee mug. It was just a way to forget about what had happened this morning, to relax before John B took them on some wild and crazy adventure. 

Rafe nodded and drank his own coffee. "Kook parties get a little crazy." He was staring down at the place mat in front of him. "Did nobody jump off the roof at the parties you've been to?"

"No, Rafe. And I'm pretty sure that's considered suicide." 

He only laughed and had some more coffee. "You've never been to a party with Topper."

"And I'm beginning to think that's a good thing."

When El left The Chateau this morning, the boys were trying to pull the lid off of the little silver box. Each of the Pogues had given it a go. El had tried at least three times before Rafe texted her and invited her out for coffee. She was more than happy to give up and go, flipping the others off as she stepped out the door. 

Her phone buzzed in her pocket as Rafe finished his coffee. She pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. We got it open! Get back to The Chateau