It ends with you (Rafe Cameron)

𝚡. 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗

"JJ, what the hell?"

The blonde boy was bruised and beaten. Rafe really had done a number on him; black eye, cut open lip, but the knuckles on his hands were ripped open just as much as Rafe's had been, so Rue couldn't really look at him and feel sorry, especially not after she'd learned JJ had been the one to pull out a gun in the middle of a party.

"What, Rue?" He sat on the front porch of the Chateau, the others were there as well. Sarah seated in John B's lap, Kie and Pope focussed on a game of chess before Rue barged in.

"Please tell me you didn't bring a gun to a party on Figure Eight," she begged, hoping Topper had for some reason made all of it up but JJ just shrugged.

"What about it?"

"Have you lost your damn mind?!" She shouted and John B rose from his seat as he saw how JJ's face twisted in rising anger.

"Hey, let's all calm down for a sec, shall we?"

The two ignored him. "Why the fuck were you at Taneyhill anyway?" JJ spit. "Rafe Cameron? Fuck, Rue. How low can you fall?"

She raised a brow. "I told you from the start I'm not gonna be picking sides. You have a problem with that, you talk to me. You don't go around swinging guns," she yelled and JJ just rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that fucking attitude. You could've gotten arrested, you moron."

"We came down to save your ass," JJ countered.

"My ass didn't need saving!" Rue yelled back.

"JJ, maybe we--" Sarah tried to calm things down but JJ obviously wasn't having it.

"Stay out of this, princess," he growled, raising his hand, and John B scowled at him.

"JJ, come on man..."

"No, John B. Fuck are we all going to start defending those Kooks now? They caved my fucking face in, right? And I was fucking fine with it because I thought I was helping you out," he turned to Rue. "But guess I got beaten down for fucking nothing 'cause here you're defending them like you're one of them."

Rue felt the tenseness disappear from her nerves. She realized fighting with JJ would bring her nowhere. "And what if I am?" she asked.

"What?"

"I live on Figure Eight, I'm friends with some of them, I go to their parties, I drink champagne and wine on the weekends. You don't want me anymore because of that? It's fine if you don't, just say so, so I can stop wasting my bloody time trying to right a friendship that's not worth fighting for."

"Rue..." JJ trailed, his facials expressions softening.

"No, say it JJ. Tell me I'm just a stupid Kook and I should leave and then I'll go. You won't see me again. But if you want me to stay, that's what I'll do. I'll be your friend. Just don't make me pick a damn side."

The porch had gotten quiet, all eyes on them and Rue took a deep breath as JJ ran a hand through his hair. He looked down at his lap for a second and Rue had almost turned around with a sigh when he looked up at her and smiled.

"Fine, you can stay. But don't expect me to cozy up with a Kook like John B did."

✖

They kicked back on the HMS Pogue. Rue had her feet prompted up on the border, a beer in her hand as she peered through her sunglasses at Pope and JJ playfighting.

"You heard anything from Rafe yet?" Sarah asked as she sat down next to Rue.

Rue slowly nodded. "I went back to your house on Friday," she admitted. "Found your brother high as fuck in his room."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Christ, he's such a drama queen," she breathed and Rue looked at her in utter disbelief.

"I'm sorry?"

"He just does it to get attention."

"He snorts coke alone in his room when everyone has left the party for attention?" Sarah stayed quiet. "You ever thought that maybe it was a cry for help?"

"I think you're reading too much into it, Rue. Maybe he's just a guy who likes to let loose sometimes."

"Maybe," Rue hummed. She'd thought the same about her brother. She'd told herself that it was just one time and later on that it was just when he was with a certain friend group, just when he went out, just on weekends. And then all of the sudden "just" turned into often, too much, too many times. Until just turned into never again.

"Speaking off..." Sarah trailed her words and Rue snapped her eyes to where the blonde girl next to her was looking. Rafe came walking up the dock, a grey polo shirt thrown over his shoulders. 

"Yo, Rue!" he shouted. "I need a word with you."

"Get lost, Cameron!" JJ shouted back.

"I'm not fucking talking to you, you fucking Pogue!"

"You wanna bring that big mouth of yours up here? I can go for round 2."

Rue was up and in JJ's face before he could jump off the boat and do something stupid. "JJ, for the love of God, let it go," she growled as she pressed her hands against his chest.

"Rue!" Rafe shouted her name again.

"I'm coming!" she yelled back and then whispered under her breath, "for fuck sake." She jumped off the boat and headed towards Rafe. He grabbed her arm and pulled her aside, so they were out of hearing range from the other Pogues and Rue just knew JJ would only allow them a few minutes of privacy before he would come barging onto the dock and would start another fight.

"I need you to come to an event with me tonight," Rafe quickly said, his eyes looking everywhere but at her face.

"An event?" He nodded, running a nervous thumb over his bottom lip. He seemed agitated. "Aren't you mad at me?"

"I am."

"But you're still asking me on a date?"

His eyes snapped up at her. "It's not a date," he mumbled. "It's a, it's a job. I'll give you a hundred bucks if you go with me."

"What kind of job?" She crossed her arms over her chest,  her brows furrowed. He was acting weird.

"Just a job, Rue, Christ. You gonna help me out or not?" She didn't know what kind of business it was Rafe wanted to get her involved in, but she nodded her head nonetheless. "Great, I'll pick you up at 8." He stepped away from her. "Wear something cute." And he was gone.