The Least Favorite Cameron

Chapter Six

I run over to where John B. had parked the van at the end of the driveway just behind the wall that circled the property.

"Hey gorgeous" He says and hops out of the car to pick me up and hug me. He kisses me quickly but sweetly and puts me back on the ground.

"What are you doing here? Have you been waiting all night?" I ask him.

"I promised you I would pick you up so I got here like an hour ago. I didn't want you to have to hang around and wait so I wanted to be ready when you texted me which you never did" He said in a fake angry voice.

"I was going to but Rafe took my phone as a way to stop me from leaving so I was just going to ride my bike to your place" I say as I open up the back of the van and throw my bag inside.

"Are you okay?" He asks as he gets close to me pressing me up against the van.

"I am now." I say as I kiss him softly. "I just hate how controlling he is. He's worse than my dad."

"Yeah I know but-" John B. was cut off by the sound of someone yelling.

"Gracie is that you?" It was Wheezie.

"Um yeah. I'm going out Wheez I'll see ya later okay?" If Wheezie saw me kissing John B. she could totally spill to Rafe or Sarah if they really pushed her so I just had to pray she didn't see anything. This also meant we had to get out of here as soon as possible before Rafe or my dad heard Wheezie yelling and they came to see what was going on.

"John B. we gotta go like now" I say as I go to slide shut the back door of the van. I hop into the front passenger seat and John B. starts the Twinkie and drives off.

"You look amazing, in case that wasn't obvious" He says as he shifts his focus from the road to me.

"Thank you but pay attention to the road not me babe" I say with a small giggle.

We pull up to the chateau where JJ and Pope are shotgunning two beers by the fire.

"Oh so it's that kind of night?" I yell over to them as I hop out of the car.

"Well look at you dressed up all nice princess" JJ says to me and I see John B. look slightly annoyed at JJ's comment.

"What have you guys been doing all day?" I ask trying to change the subject.

"Pope and I were at work all day" JJ says as he takes a hit of his nicotine pen.

"Lucky you, I was having dinner with the biggest Kooks ever and getting interrogated for half the time" I say as John B. and I head over to the fire pit.

"Where's Kie at?" John B. asks.

"She had to work at the restaurant tonight" Pope says and I get a sense of sadness from him as he says it.

"You guys wanna watch a movie or something?" I ask.

"I have an even better idea, apparently Kelce is throwing a huge party tonight. It's gonna be a total Kook takeover but they have free booze" JJ says with his mischievous smirk.

"J, I don't know if that's the best idea. Why can't we just chill?" I say as I look at John B hoping he'll be able to talk JJ out of his dumb idea. We've gone to Kook parties before but with how Rafe's been acting lately, I don't want to take the chance that something bad would happen.

"We won't be there long right?" John B. says to JJ and I know that I will not be winning this argument.

We pull up in the twinkie to Kelce's house and it is overflowing with people. I see Rafe's bike parked outside by some of the others and I feel a pit in my stomach start to form. JJ slides open the back door of the van and he and Pope hop out. John B. is about to get out of the driver's seat when he sees I haven't moved.

"Gracie, it'll be fine. We'll go in, mingle a little, get some drinks and be out within an hour," He said as he gave me an encouraging smile which I did not return.

"I have a bad feeling about this. Last night Rafe and I were arguing and again today. And last night he saw me in your sweatshirt and he knew it wasn't mine. He's going to figure it out and when he does he'll freak out," I say to him hoping he'll turn the van around and we can head home.

"Babe, it's going to be okay. It's just a party," He says as he gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and hops out.

I get out of the van and follow the boys inside wishing Kiara was with us. There's loud music playing that sounds like it should be played in a club instead of Kelce's living room. Several people say hi to me and the guys while others give us dirty looks. Kooks don't like sharing their parties with Pogues but always show up when we have parties. We make our way over to a beer pong table in the backyard that no one was at and we start playing. My anxiety alleviates slightly as we play and I actually start to have a little fun.

John B. goes and gets some drinks for he and I with JJ while Pope and I practice doing different trick shots on the table. Pope makes it in the cup with his eyes closed and we're celebrating as I see Sarah step into the backyard with Topper and my heart sinks. Where there's Topper, there's Rafe. Sarah spots me and waves and the others follow her gaze and spot me and follow her over. Pope comes and stands by me as I scan the crowd for John B. and JJ.

"Well ,well, well look who finally made an appearance," Topper says in a playful manner.

"Topper don't" Sarah says with a warning in her voice.

"What? She never hangs with us, she's always with them" He says and nods his head toward Pope.

"You got something you wanna say?" Pope says and steps forward but I push him back as both Kelce and Topper step forward as well.

"Stop! We just came to chill, what's the problem?" I say as I face my brother who has been unusually quiet this whole time.

"Oh you're more than welcome to stay Gracie but, the pogues, they gotta go," Kelce says.

"Are you serious?" Sarah and I say in unison.

"Kelce's house, his rules," Rafe finally says as we all stand there in silence, the tension building.

"You guys are such assholes" I say as I try to push past them.

"Where ya going? We just said you could stay," Topper says as they block our path to get through.

"Topper, knock it off!" Sarah yells at him.

"Come on Gracie, just stay here," Rafe says to me and it doesn't sound like a suggestion, more like a demand. Before I can respond I see John B. and JJ coming our way with drinks in hand. I would have been relieved to see them if it wasn't for what John B. was wearing, he was wearing the same sweatshirt Rafe saw me in the other night. I make a move to run over to him and tell him to go before Rafe connects the dots but it's too late. I see Rafe connect the dots and before I can go to John B. Rafe grabs my arm and pulls me back.

"Are you fucking a Pogue, Gracie?" He yells at me and the others all stop to look at us.