Free Bird || outer banks ||

Midsummers

The day of Midsummers had arrived and Claire wasn't sure if it were possible to be any unhappier about the event. She was sitting on her bed, scrolling through the pictures she had taken with John B at Chapel Hill, offering a little brightness to the day.

"Claire, why aren't you getting ready?" Henry looked at his daughter with bunched eyebrows. He was already dressed in a black suit, paired with a pail yellow tie.

"Do I have to go?"

"Absolutely," he said sternly. "Rafe Cameron said he'd be more than happy to accompany you."

Claire's eyes widened. "Dad, why would you do that?"

He flattened his lips into a straight line. "Because Rafe is a nice boy. Not to mention he hangs around a lot of nice people," his tone was so condescending, it was sickening. "You should get to know them."

"Get to know anyone other than the friends I already have, you mean?"

Ignoring his daughter's disdain, he sighed. "We're leaving in an hour."

The only bearable thing about Midsummers was that Kie and Pope would be forced to be there too, so they could revel in the misery of being surrounded by people who cared more about the money in their wallets than anything else, together.

However, since she was expected to appear with Rafe, there was no telling just how 'bearable' the night could be.

Henry Wilson was all about appearances. He loved his kids, no doubt, but he wasn't always the best at showing it. Claire wasn't oblivious to the way that word traveled around Figure Eight, or the looks she got for hanging out with the 'no good Pogues'. Henry hated the looks, but Claire couldn't care less.

In her closet hung a blush pink dress that was bought specifically for Midsummers. The color was her mother's favorite, so it was a bit of an homage to her for the event. As humble as Grace Wilson was, she adored Midsummers. Mingling and making friends was what made her who she was.

Claire curled her hair into a simple up-do and accented the look with a flower crown that Kie had made for her while she made her own.

A knock came at her door as she finished her makeup. In the reflection of her mirror, she saw her father looking at her from the door. "You look beautiful." His smile met his misty eyes. He cleared his throat, keeping his gaze steady on hers. "Are you ready?"

She nodded a response, though she wasn't sure just how ready she was. When they arrived at the country club, she could feel her chest start to tighten.

Relief came when she spotted Kie standing next to Pope. It didn't appear that the Cameron's had arrived yet, so she could at least avoid that mishap for some time. "Thank God, people who aren't having a pissing contest about who has a bigger boat," Claire groaned. "I mean, seriously, just on the walk over here from the car, I heard at least four boat-off's."

"Where the hell have you been?" Kie's voice was filled with concern. "I haven't heard from you since you left my house yesterday. What happened?"

"So much," Claire admitted. "We went to Chapel Hill and-," she cut herself off, looking around at their surroundings. "This isn't really the place for that conversation."

Pope raised his eyebrows. "We? Like, you and John B?"

Claire's throat tightened at the mention of their friend. She hadn't talked to him since their kiss, and she was beginning to think that there might be a reason for that. Her eyes darted to the floor, as she nodded.

"Well, JJ got arrested," Kie sighed. "Rafe and his motley-crew jumped Pope again at the movie, last night."

"Wait, again?" Claire's eyes widened.