The tension in the room was thick as you sat on the couch, heart pounding in your chest. The Pogues were gathered at John B's place, the familiar chaos of laughter and chatter completely absent. Instead, there was an argument brewing, one that you'd been dreading for a while now.
It started small, a disagreement between Rafe and JJ over something trivial, but it quickly escalated. You had been hoping to avoid this exact situation, where you'd be stuck between the Pogues—your closest friends—and Rafe, your boyfriend. You could feel the air grow heavier as the two of them exchanged heated words, neither willing to back down.
"You've got some nerve showing up here, Rafe," JJ snapped, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "This is Pogue territory. You don't belong here."
Rafe stood his ground, his jaw clenched and hands balled into fists at his sides. "I'm here because she invited me," he shot back, his voice low and dangerous. "You got a problem with that?"
Your stomach twisted at his words. You hadn't meant for this to happen. You just wanted to have a normal night with your friends, and Rafe was supposed to be part of that now. But it was clear that things weren't as simple as you thought.
"Why are you even with him?" Kie chimed in, her voice filled with frustration. "He's not one of us, and he never will be."
You felt your face flush with heat, caught in the crossfire of their anger. You wanted to defend Rafe, but you also didn't want to turn your back on your friends. You were stuck, paralyzed by the weight of the situation.
Rafe turned to you then, his eyes filled with something that made your stomach drop even further—manipulation. "Tell them," he said, his voice soft but firm, "tell them why you're with me. Tell them that you chose me."
Your heart raced as the words left his mouth, the pressure mounting. Rafe wasn't just asking for support—he was demanding it. He was forcing you into a corner, making you pick a side, and you hated it.
"I—" you stammered, glancing between your friends and Rafe. The Pogues were staring at you, waiting for your answer, and Rafe's eyes were burning into yours, silently daring you to say the wrong thing.
"Come on, say it," Rafe pushed, his voice harder now. "Tell them I'm right."
You felt trapped. If you sided with Rafe, you'd alienate your friends. But if you stood with the Pogues, Rafe would see it as a betrayal, and you knew how that would end.
"I don't want to do this," you whispered, feeling the tears prick at the corners of your eyes. "I don't want to choose."
But Rafe didn't relent. "You have to," he said coldly. "It's either them or me."
The words hung in the air like a knife, cutting through the silence. You could feel the weight of everyone's eyes on you, waiting for your response. Your heart was in your throat, your mind racing. This wasn't fair. You shouldn't have to choose between your friends and your boyfriend.
"I can't," you finally said, your voice shaky. "I can't do that."
Rafe's face hardened, and he took a step back, the coldness in his eyes replaced by anger. "So that's how it is?" he spat. "You'd rather be with them?"
"That's not what I'm saying," you tried to explain, but Rafe wasn't listening anymore. He turned on his heel, storming out of the house without another word, leaving you standing there, heartbroken and torn.
The Pogues were silent for a moment, watching him leave before JJ spoke up, his voice softer than before. "You okay?"
You swallowed the lump in your throat and nodded, even though you weren't sure if that was true. You were stuck between the people you cared about and the boy you loved, and it felt like there was no winning.
"I'll be fine," you said quietly, though the words felt hollow. The truth was, you didn't know what you were going to do. You didn't know how to fix this. All you knew was that Rafe had just made things a lot more complicated, and you were the one caught in the middle.
