One morning Andy, a kook, wakes up and finds herself in a unfamiliar place. She finds herself entangled in a mystery, people are keeping things from her and she is determined to find out what. But what happens when she realizes that while uncovering...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The air of that beautiful Outer Banks morning was warm and sticky, which only added to my discomfort. I sheepishly opened the passenger door of Topper's car and placed myself inside, yearning to be anywhere else. While I waited for him to enter the driver's side , I crossed my arms and slowly sank into the seat hoping that somehow it would hide me from the awkwardness. Ever since our fight last night, Topper and I had not said a word to each other— I felt bad for the way I talked to him in my drunken state but in my defense, he was being really annoying.
The constant Pogue vs Kook rivalry had only gotten worse since John B and Sarah Cameron started dating. I thought that they would be the bridge between the two worlds that would finally end this extensive war but I couldn't have been any more wrong. Hatred for pogues radiated through every Kook's body once they found out that John B had stolen Topper's girl. He puts on an angry and intimidating mask but underneath there is just a heartbroken and jealous boy.
Looking through Topper's perspective, I can see where he is coming from— he doesn't want to lose me to the pogues the same way he lost Sarah. I sometimes catch glances at him in his most vulnerable state, when he looks at Sarah, and I can't help but feel a wave of pity wash over me. Of course I do not condone the violent way Topper and his friends dispatch their loathings but I somewhat understand.
I fixed my gaze out the car window as I heard the sound of the driver's side door open and slam shut. My stomach dropped and my heart started to beat fast due to the awkward atmosphere suffocating us. I could feel Topper's eyes landing on me and he sighed as if he was contemplating saying something--but when he saw I was not going to give in to him, he shifted his vision to the front. Both his hands were placed on the wheel and nervously rubbing its sides.
My head was still turned to the outside as well as my arms folded across my body--I refused to move so I wouldn't feel obligated to talk to him. I heard Topper take an annoyed huff before driving the car onto the main road. I witnessed thousands of details pass by me in a blurr, and normally I would embrace all these little things but my mind was too focused on the intimidating ambience of the car.
The tension was so strong you could cut it with a knife. After about three minutes of uncomfortable silence, I finally caved and took a quick glance at Topper. To my dismay he looked right back at me, his head slightly rocking due to the unevenness of the road. Fuck. I felt a pit in my stomach start to form and I was overwhelmed with guilt. I broke eye contact, aggressively jerking my body so my back was slightly turned to him, "I'm sorry" I mumbled
I was barely audible and my tone was laced in shame. Shame for what? I don't know--guilt for yelling at him or for the fact that I was weak and couldn't handle the silent treatment any longer? At my small apology, Topper let out a long sigh, still keeping his eyes glued to the road. I watched his facial expressions soften a little but his eyes were laced with grievance. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, it seemed like his own thoughts were tossing and turning. Topper being silent after I extended an olive branch made my chest tighten in anticipation, with every second that passed the tension grew and grew.
My eyes were burning holes into his head and I was hoping that this would make him eventually crack--I was right.
"I'm sorry too" Topper started. His body language became tense and restless, adjusting himself in his seat and gripping the wheel rather tightly--I could tell that a rant was rising within him, "It's just, look, it's just that I get so angry everytime I see them. I don't expect you to understand but everytime I look at their faces it's like—" he paused and took a breath to calm himself before he continued, "like a different, more aggressive person comes out--especially when I'm drunk so I'm sorry. But you need to listen to me about them, they are nothing but trouble"
I crossed my arms in my seat and my eyebrows furrowed together. I looked out the window again, refusing to make eye contact. Yes I understand him, kind of, but at the end of the day they are still my friends so him talking negatively about them always inflamed my temper. Since I was not intoxicated though, the monster didn't quite come out and I calmly said "Stop, just stop"
I felt Topper's eyes fall on me and his eyes were narrowed with disbelief, he scoffed and turned back so he could watch the road. "I don't understand you Andy. How can you defend them when they left you?!"
I'm not going to lie, those words stung me--mainly because I knew that he was right. I did not want to talk about my friend problems right now, especially with Topper, so I quickly changed the subject, "What was that all about this morning with Rafe?"
I fixed my posture and turned my body slightly, so that he would know that I was actually curious. "Oh uhh, Rafe's dad left him in charge of a key and now he can't find it" Topper explained, "he thinks that someone took it"
I rolled my eyes because I knew who they thought it was, the pogues. This information was new to me and my mind was racing with a million questions. I kept my cool though so that I wouldn't come off as too excited, "What does the key open, do you know?"
"No idea" Topper casually replied, "I know that it opens a safe but I don't know what's in it--probably family keepsakes or something" He shrugged his shoulders as he adjusted the radio station, twisting the knob to find something more upbeat.
As the music played in my ear, my train of thought was on an endless track of conspiracy. I thought of all the possibilities why John B and Pope were in Rafes room and my common sense led me to believe they were looking for the key. I mean, they obviously didn't find it because I interrupted their task but why would they want it? If it was just the Cameron's own personal belongings why would they be interested in it and why didn't they just ask Sarah to open it?
I was so engulfed in my own thoughts and curiosities that I didn't even realize that Topper was pulling into my driveway. He cleared his throat and that's when I quickly registered that I was home. I gave him a quick smile and thanked him before I walked back into my house, still trying to process the events of the last 24 hours. The thing was, I knew this drama wasn't over because Midsummers was tonight.
