Outer Banks Imagines

Rafe- "But I'm your best friend"

Requested
Description: You are best friends with Rafe and in the last few weeks he has become more and more distant. He is not acting like the person you knew.
Warnings: swearing

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I leant against the bar as I sent off another text to my best friend Rafe, he was supposed to meet me here and there was still no sign of him, it had been over an hour. I let out a sigh placing my phone on the bar. This wasn't the first time Rafe had stood me up within the last couple of weeks. I had confronted him about it the other day, he apologised and said he wouldn't do it again but deep down I knew he would. I had no idea what was up with him lately, he had been so distant. At first, I just put it down to the fact that his sister Sarah was missing, presumed dead. That wasn't it though, he wasn't upset, he didn't seem to be grieving. I rested my head in my hand as I stared down at my phone waiting for it to light up.
"Is this seat taken?" I turned to see Topper looking at the empty chair next to me.
"Not at the moment, and probably won't be" I moved my phone as I spoke.
"What's wrong?" Topper turned to look at me, his whole body practically facing me.
"Have you noticed anything off with Rafe?" I turned to fully face him. I could tell that he wasn't expecting my question.
"Not really, I haven't spent much time with him" Topper shrugged as he spoke. I guess that could be true but who knows.
"He's been so distant. I don't know what's going on with him" I sighed. Topper didn't say anything he just nodded. Silence fell over the two of us. We hadn't spoken much since Sarah had disappeared, or really since they broke up and she started dating John B. I was stuck in the middle of both of them, I was friends with Sarah, she was my best friends sister, while Topper was also a good friend of mine.
"Hey, Topper you joining!" Both Topper and I turned to look at the person that had spoken, there sat Kelce at a table with two other kooks.
"You want to join?" Topper turned back to me.
"No, I'm good. I'm just gonna finish my drink then leave" Just after I spoke I picked up my glass and started to drink it. Topper nodded and got up.
"See ya around y/n" I nodded as Topper started to walk towards Kelce and the others. I finished my drink and put it back on the bar before standing up. I stayed sat at the bar as I sent off a message to Rafe telling him I was leaving in ten minutes so to either get here before then or not bother.

"Shut up!" JJ's voice drew my attention, I quickly turned to where he was. I wasn't that surprised to see him saying that to Kelce, ever since Peterkin had died everyone had it out for John B. He was the one that witnesses said shot her, while the Pogues attested that it was someone else.
"Listen-" "Shut up, Top!" Topper had started to speak but JJ quickly cut the boy off. "JJ just walk away. It's not the time" Topper started again, in a Topper way he was trying to de-escalate the situation but he was not going about it the right way.
"I don't think we were talking to you, Pogue" Kelce butted in as soon as Topper had stopped speaking. JJ picked up a glass of water and a fork and started to tap against the glass grabbing everyone's attention.
"Can I have everybody's attention, please? I have a little announcement to make!" JJ started still holding the cup in his hand. "My best friend, John B, did not kill Sheriff Peterkin!" JJ declared turning as he spoke. "Rafe Cameron killed and shot the sheriff in cold blood!" JJ carried on. I looked away from the table and down at the ground. This wasn't the first time I had heard the Pogues claim this. Just after it went down, I bumped into Kie and she told me what had happened, what they say happened. Rafe and everyone else that was there that day said something else. Rafe was my best friend, I knew him better than anyone and I would like to say he wouldn't do that, he wouldn't kill someone. The Pogues were so adamant that it wasn't John B, that it was Rafe but at the same time they weren't on the tarmac, how could they have known what went down. Everyone around me scoffed as JJ continued to talk. "That is what happened"
"Wow" I heard Kelce say as JJ finished.
"Is that so hard for you to believe Kelce?" JJ turned questioning Kelce.
"It is actually hard for me to believe because it's always the...the kook's fault" Kelce stood up taking a step closer to JJ. "It's never the Pogues fault" JJ picked up the vase of water and threw it in Kelce's face. Topper quickly stood up as the pair started to fight, Topper pulling at JJ.
"Come on, stop it" Topper tried to get in between the two but was struggling till another bystander got involved. "I told you it wasn't the time man" Topper said as JJ walked away pulling at his apron.
"JJ!" Another voice called, the manager.
"Yeah, I know Raz, I know" JJ pulled the apron off. "I'm fired" He shoved the apron against the manager's chest and quickly walked away. Everyone sat in quiet for a few seconds.
"Have a safe ride back to the cut!" "Look what you did!" "Go back to the cut!" People called as JJ walked out.