Pretty When You Cry ୨୧ Rafe Cameron

eighteen

John B and Sarah had been presumed dead for a month. There were funerals. Memorials. Obituaries.

Somehow, life continued. Isla, Pope, Kiara, and JJ sat around a fire smoking a blunt. Tomorrow was the first day of school for the year, so they were taking in their last night as free people.

It felt normal somehow, her brother and Sarah being absent was the only difference. The nightmares Isla had of Rafe shooting Peterkin over and over again were new too. Occasionally she evened dreamed of him killing her— snapping her neck in that hotel bed, taking advantage while she was high in his car, stabbing her in her own kitchen. She didn't know why she had such graphic dreams about it, why it still lingered in her head. But that trauma was tattooed into her mind, she just hoped not forever.

But they sat around the fire like how they used to, it was nice. The Chateau was so peaceful at night. Cicadas making noise and the crackling fire were the only sounds.

'Let's play never have I ever,' JJ suggested.

'Seriously JJ?' Pope rolled his eyes.

'Hell yeah,' JJ said.

'I'm down,'  Kiara laughed.

'Me too,' Isla agreed.

'Alright then, first question. Never have I ever got so drunk I did something insane— like totally out of pocket,' JJ said, raising his own hand. Everyone raised their hand except Pope.

'Of course good boy over here hasn't,' Kiara nudged Pope, 'alright, never have I ever kissed a Kook.'

JJ and Isla raised their hands, JJ proudly and Isla hesitantly. She remembered kissing Rafe, the only definite Kook she'd ever kissed. She hated herself for missing that feeling she felt when that happened, his soft lips against hers, but she blamed it on the fact she was high.

'Hold up— which Kook did you kiss?' Isla asked.

'Emma Jones, Kirsten Montgomery,' JJ chuckled.

'How the fuck did you pull them?' Kiara teased.

'Well I almost pulled her so,' JJ laughed, gesturing to Isla. 'Almost.'

'That's— yeah,' Isla replied embarrassed.

'Never have I ever actually tried in school,' Pope said.

'Come on man,' JJ laughed. Pope was the only one raising his hand.

'You had to ask such a nerdy ass question,' Isla grinned.

'I'm just saying, starts tomorrow, if you ever wanna get into college you all need to up your game this year,' Pope elaborated.

'Fuck college,' JJ stated.

'Yeah no college is definely not my thing,' Kiara added.

Isla hadn't thought that far ahead. She never had. She was a live in the moment type of person, but Pope got her thinking. What did she wanna do with her life?

'Yeah I'm not sure yet,' Isla said.

'Ok I'm literally yawning. Next question,' JJ said, putting his finger to his chin to show he's thinking, 'who here has— done the deed if you know what I'm sayin'?'

They all raised their hands, Pope and Kiara especially reluctantly. Isla did it out of instinct, she forgot that she'd have to explain herself.

'Hold on, when the hell did Pope get at it?' Isla laughed. She knew about Kiara's first time, and that JJ had done it quite a few, but she couldn't recall Pope ever even having a girlfriend.

He and Kiara both blushed as JJ started talking, 'this is lowkey crazy buttttt— the two of them you know..' JJ made the inappropriate diagram with his fingers.