sunburn - rafe cameron (outerbanks)

12 - hard to get*

chapter 12
hard to get

** TRIGGER WARNING**

evangeline hadn't always played hard to get. in fact, there were a few people she'd been open to dating—three, to be exact.

her first date was with andrew mcdonald. she was fourteen, and he'd asked her to the school dance. he was the first boy with enough courage to approach her, though he expected her to laugh in his face. andrew liked her—everyone did. she was the hottest girl in school, and he had nothing to lose after his friend promised him his prized lord of the rings chess set if he'd just ask. so he did, and to his and everyone else's surprise, angie said yes.

two weeks later, they walked hand-in-hand into the dance, and she felt a quiet kind of excitement. andrew was sweet, with his thick-rimmed glasses and curly blonde hair falling over them. he was smart too, president of the chess club, but society didn't quite approve of them as a match. nor was she his type as it turned out—he came out as gay a year later. but she still didn't regret saying yes.

angie's second date was a step up the social ladder. mike foley, a grade above her, was a lacrosse player with a loud laugh and an even louder entrance. he asked her out one morning before class, approaching her with a swagger that immediately put her on guard. sarah, who was standing by her locker, looked starstruck at the sight of a tenth grader coming over.

"movies friday? it's on me." he threw his arm around her shoulder in a way that made her tense up.

"uh, i think we have plans, right, sarah?" angie replied, her smile tight.

but sarah, with cheeks blushing, quickly replied, "no, we can just do it next week."

this was all mike needed, a broad grin spreading across his face. "great. i'll pick you up."

he sauntered off to his friends, who erupted in whoops as he returned with his "catch." as they did, angie turned to sarah, a smirk barely hidden.

"seriously?"

"what? you can't say he isn't hot," sarah laughed, just as the bell cut off their bickering.

the date came faster than angie expected, and to her surprise, mike's company wasn't terrible. he was unexpectedly polite, holding doors, paying for her ticket, even offering her candy before she declined. they watched spiderman—his choice—and she was grateful that he was too absorbed in the film to try anything. she had no interest in becoming "one of those teenagers." afterward, he drove her home, walked her to her front door, and politely asked for a kiss. she didn't decline. it was a nice ending to a nice night. they dated for two months after that; until mike kissed a touron at a beach party. it ended abruptly after that.

her third and final date, however, changed everything. it was the date that haunted her—lucas bolding, a senior, captain of the football team, he was maddie's age. they met at a party maddie threw while their parents were out of town. leaving maddie in charge was never a good idea. a typical night of chaos was a chance for maddie to throw the best party their school had ever seen.

as the house filled up that friday, angie and sarah escaped to her bedroom, shutting out the booming music with gossip girl. after a while their popcorn tasted like pure salt, without a soda to wash it down, so angie volunteered to grab them both a drink.

"coke?" she asked as she rose from the bed.

sarah nodded. "yes, please."

angie left the room, and stepping into the party felt like stepping into another world. the house was so packed with bodies, she barely recognized it. weaving through the crowd, she reached the kitchen and was digging out two red cans from the fridge when someone spoke behind her.