One Of The Girls-Rafe Cameron

Chapter One

Standing in front of Tannyhill, I stared up at the horror house disguised by victorian architecture. I was waiting for my little sister, Alice. It was a good way to stay busy after what happened. Just a few weeks after the gold hunting drama died down with John B and Sarah disappearing at sea, the world was uncomfortably settled. It was as if the island had moved on already, except the pogues, of course. We all lost a good friend, pogue or kook, but figure-eight seemed...flustered, rather than in a state of grief.

We all had our suspicions of the story, but I was caught between two sides. My cousin, Kiara, and her friends claim that Rafe Cameron shot the gun that killed Sheriff Peterkin. The rest of our family, and all of figure-eight, trusts the word of Ward Cameron. Ward told the police that John B killed Peterkin, and that's what drove him to flee the island. I don't know what to believe. John B was always a good guy, Rafe has a different history. I wouldn't paint him as a cop-killer, but if one of them were crazy, Rafe would be the most convincing.

I do trust Sarah's dad, I've always had a good feeling from Ward. Being friends with Sarah gave me a window into her life. He seemed like a caring and understanding father, but I'd never assume the best without knowing the whole truth. I feel that I need to sympathize with him given the circumstances. Sarah and I were friends for years, and I've been a reck since that night.

I had spent the previous time of summer break trying to get in touch with her, but after mid-july she was like a ghost. The last I heard from her was midsummers. I tried to be there for the Cameron's as much as I could. Driving Wheezie around with my sister, trying to distract her, I couldn't imagine what Wheezie was going through. With her dad and step-mom also in pain, I worried that she wasn't getting enough recognition. I tried to be there for my cousin as much as I could too, but she spent the majority of her time with JJ and Pope.

I was never 'cool' enough for Kiara to be close with. Our moms made us hang out occasionally, but besides forced proximity we weren't very friendly. She left the Kildare Private High School after her fallout with Sarah, that's when she really stopped liking me. After that she labeled me 'just another kook'.

Unlike my 'kook' house, I was leaning against the starter car that my parents bought me when I turned 17. It was an early 2010's sedan, nothing outrageous.

Alice was really taking her time. She knew very well that I was here waiting for her. A few shouts caught my ear, hopefully to cure my boredom. Leaning towards the noise, I saw Ward and Rafe talking in the yard. It looked heated, not uncommon for them. It was when he started walking in my direction that my nerves acted up. I never knew what it was about Rafe Cameron that had me nervous. Not that he ever really talked to me, I'm pretty sure I've always been invisible to him.

He turned the corner and stood in front of me, stopping in his tracks when he noticed me and my car. His hands were holding his head, like he was in irritating thought, and I noticed the unrecovered cuts on his jaw. "What are you doing here?", he asked with a suspicious expression. It was clear that he thought I was here for him, fueling my curiosity. "Uh-I'm picking Alice up. She was hanging with Wheeze."

Rafe let out a 'hm' and walked through the glass doors, into his house. My eyes followed him as long as they could before he disappeared. Something was off, even for Rafe. My creepy observing over the years has led me to have somewhat accurate understanding of his body language. He was a senior when I was a freshman, and he was one of those guys that obviously had a screw knocked loose at some point. He made for entertaining people-watching.

To end my delusions, Alice finally came out, texting on her phone. "What took you so long?", I asked with annoyance. She just shrugged, ignoring me like always.