𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 | 𝐣𝐣 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤

- 5 -

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it took me literally 30 minutes to do my hair and pick out my jewelry. so, i was stuck in my room for the rest of the time before 6, on my phone, doing nothing. great timing mom!

when the clock finally struck 6:00, i went downstairs to find my mom and dad getting ready to open the door and leave. i followed them out, and we got in one of the luxury SUV's that my dad had gotten my mom for one of her birthdays. i was sitting on the backseat, on my phone again, when my mom started an interesting conversation.

"y/n, do you know that rafe cameron will be there tonight?" she asked, touching up her makeup in the passenger seat window. i sighed. of course she would have to mention this to me.

"i figured. why are you bringing this up?"

"i just think that it would be adorable if you two got together. maybe you can finally stop spending so much time with those pogues. what do you think, jackson?" she turned to my dad to input his opinion into this.

"hahaha i don't think it would be adorable. i don't like rafe, and i never have." i said, finalizing my feelings about him to them.

my mom rolled her eyes, which is whatever she does when she finds me being unagreeable.

so this was the reason that i was being dragged along to this dinner? because she wanted to matchmake with me and rafe? this is literally so typical of her.

by the time we had made it to the cameron's estate, i was already in an annoyed mood. i swear, if she pulls anything tonight.

i pulled out my phone and shot a quick text to john b, asking if i could spend another night there tonight. i already knew he would say yes, but i needed something to keep me busy. i was for sure not going to be sleeping at my house.

while ward and rose were talking to my parents, i was talking a bit with sarah, catching up with her. i noticed that rafe wasn't here, so hopefully he wouldn't be here at all tonight. we wandered inside to the dining room, and i saw rafe walk in.

oh perfect. now's my mom's chance.

and she took that chance.

"hi, rafe, how are you doing?" she started off a private conversation with him, so i couldn't see the rest. what i did see was the glances he kept making to me, but that might've been just because maybe my mom was talking about me?

the rest of the night went along strangely smoothly. rafe didn't try to talk to me, as usual, but i did end up talking with sarah a little more than i regularly did. she was actually really nice for a kook.

at one point, i was just counting down the minutes until we could leave until someone came up to me.

"hey, y/n." i looked up to see rafe standing in front of me, a smug smirk written on his face.

"uh... hi rafe?" i couldn't hide the confusion from my voice. why was he talking to me? especially since he's never spoken to me a day of his life.

"how are you doing?"

"i'm fine..."

he looked to somewhere behind me for a second and then made eye contact with me.

"i was wondering if you wanted to go to a party with me this friday?"

WHAT. WHAT. how random can this get? right now i'm feeling like: dskojdsdllkanls. because WHAT.

"umm... sure, why not?" i replied. i mean, it would make my mom happy, even though i wasn't feeling the best about her right now. i do know that he is a total bitch to everyone, but i mean, i need to give him a chance, right?

his face spread out into a smile. okay, i'll admit it. he has a cute smile. there! i said it.

okay, yeah he is attractive, but i need to focus on how terrible of a person he is. but he's cute...

he finished up telling me the details about this party on friday, and then my parents and i left. i wanted to go home and get my car to drive back to the chateau, as i've had way too much kook interaction today.

when i got home, i immediately walked inside to grab my keys and then walked my way back out. my parents already knew where i was headed, so they didn't even have to say anything. i didn't even bother changing out of the dress i had on.

i made it back to the chateau, which i saw the outdoor lights on and the pogues inside the living room, probably still working on whatever they were working on this afternoon when i left.

i just stayed in my car for a little, watching them. yes, i know that sounds creepy, but if you put it in a different perspective, i was just observing what they were doing. or what a certain person was doing.

i shook out of my thoughts, got out of my car, and walked inside of the chateau.

"um, what are you guys doing?" i say, quietly closing the screen door.

"we are building a canoe!" john b yelled. i didn't know why he had to yell, as the only sound was a hammer, but whatever works.

jj took a drink of his beer and looked over to me for the first time. i kept watching him and seeing his reaction to what i was wearing. his eyes quickly dragged up my body, and then looked away when he noticed that i'd caught that.

i mean, i guess it was a nice dress? i don't see why he would be embarrassed about looking at me.

"um, you guys, i'm going to go get another beer." he said, turning his body around to go get a beer from the kitchen.

weird.