𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄𝐒
and the Kooks
have no other choice than
living together, sharing
the same island. But this summer,
rivalries reached a peak, and
there's no going back.
In which Margot Maybank tries to fix her brother's mistakes, but not everyt...
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Outer Banks, Figure-Eight August 9th, 2020 4:03am
I woke up, unsettled by strange sounds from across the room. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when I glanced over and saw Rafe's spot empty beside me, I frowned. I sat up, squinting until I found him at the desk, muttering words too low for me to make out. At first, I thought he might be on the phone, but when I noticed one of the plastic bags I'd brought him clutched in his hand, I realized what he was actually doing.
"Rafe?" I whispered.
"Mhm." He turned briefly, throwing me a quick glance before refocusing on the white powder in front of him.
"Are you really getting high right now?" I sighed, and he groaned.
"I am, just go back to sleep and give me some space," he snapped back.
I hated that he reminded me how much of an asshole he was sometimes, and that he was a drug addict just like my dad. I sighed again, laying back down, as he got up from the chair he had been sitting on and got closer from me. He sat near me on the mattress and as he began to rub my cheek, I removed his hand from my face.
"What's wrong?" he asked me.
"I thought you wanted space," I snapped.
"Jeez, chill out Island girl, I didn't mean it that way," he expressed, laughing at me.
"It doesn't matter, just don't overdose because I'm not calling 911," I replied dryly.
"I said relax. If you can't, I know something that might help you," he smiled, ignoring the attitude I was giving him because he was just so confident and I admired him for that.
"Are you really offering me drugs?" I asked, startled.
"No I'm not," he laughed. "I was talking about this"
He pressed a few gentle kisses on my cheek and down my neck, which I appreciated, but I pushed him off me, giggling. "No thank you, I'd rather sleep, I'm tired," I told him.
He nodded, smirking, then got up and went back to wrecking his brain with drugs while I slowly drifted back to sleep. I hated how ambivalent Rafe could be; I struggled to figure him out. One moment he was the biggest asshole to all the Pogues; the next, he was taking care of me. One moment he was friends with Barry; the next, he despised him. One moment he seemed like the luckiest guy on the island; the next, he was doing drugs at four in the morning.
(...)
Outer Banks, the beach August 9th, 2020 6:12pm
Pope and I caught the same wave, paddling in sync and popping up on our boards, cheering loudly, until we realized we were about to collide, which only made us laugh harder. Afternoons at the beach with my friends had always been my favorite, but I'd never experienced them with someone occupying space in the back of my mind. Every time I thought about Rafe's kisses, I felt my cheeks warm up, but thankfully, with the hot sun, nobody noticed.
We kept surfing for what felt like hours, until the sun started to set and we all gathered on the sand. Sitting on our boards, sharing beers, life felt so easy—almost as if we weren't being blackmailed by Barry. John B sat down beside me and nudged me gently with his elbow.
"I need to talk to you," he said.
"Me?" I asked.
"Yeah, but don't tell the others," he whispered, and I frowned.
I glanced quickly at the others, but they were so wrapped up in planning our next fishing trip, it was like they'd forgotten we were even there.
"Okay, I promise," I replied.
He took a deep breath, scratching the back of his head, his face turning a little red before he even started. I wasn't used to seeing John B like this; usually, he was so confident we'd even started calling him our leader. I smiled softly to encourage him, and just as I began to brace for something serious, he finally spoke.
"I think I lo-like Sarah Cameron," he said.
"You what?" I gasped, loudly but not enough to draw attention from the others.
"Shh!" He pressed a finger to his lips.
"Yeah, sorry. I just didn't think you'd go full Kook," I whispered.
He laughed at that, shaking his head, reminding me he was still a Pogue, despite his heart being set on a Kook. His words stirred something familiar in me, but I was too confused to sort out my feelings for Rafe, or even decide if I had any.
"She likes me too. We've been meeting in secret for weeks now," he admitted.
"No way, I'm so happy for you," I said, my smile growing.
He chuckled, then pulled me into a gentle hug, rubbing my back. I felt grateful that he trusted me with this; Maybanks weren't exactly the ones people confided in about Kook secrets. "I knew you'd be happy for me, that's why I told you," he said.
"Guys!" Kiara suddenly cut in, making us pull apart. "Can we please be included?"
She got up and wrapped her arms around us, then waved for the others to join. Pope and JJ shook their heads.
"Nah, I'm not doing this," JJ declined.
"Come on!" Kiara insisted.
"This is too weird. Nobody does group hugs," Pope retorted.
"You guys are no fun," Kiara sighed.
She pulled us closer, making us laugh even more. We went on drinking and joking for hours. As night fell and the chill set in, Kiara headed home, and the guys decided to stay together at the Chateau. I went home, tired, my mind filled with good memories, a smile tugging at my lips. A smile which was soon removed from my face, because as soon as I arrived home, my father reminded me what my life was supposed to look like.
I wasn't meant to sleep in fancy places like I had the night before. I wasn't meant to be loved, raised as I was without ever knowing it. His punches hurt more than they ever had, and even before he started screaming insults, I already knew why he was being so violent.
"So you're a thief now? Stealing from your own father?" he screamed.
"Dad, stop!" I tried to protect my face.
"I gave you everything! And this is how you thank me? After all the sacrifices I made for you and your brother?" he yelled, shoving me so that my head hit the wall.
"I didn't do anything," I sobbed.
"I saw you at Barry's, Margot. You can't hide from me. I know this is all your fault, and you're going to give me back what's mine," he threatened, making me cry harder.
He kept hurting me until he finally decided he was done and stormed out, leaving me there on the floor, bloodied and in tears. I would have dealt with it alone if I could have stood up without feeling like my legs would give out, but this time, I grabbed my phone. My fingers were shaking as I dialed, and each ring felt like it lasted forever.
"Rafe, hi," I whispered.
"Margot? What time is it? You good?" he asked, and I realized I'd woken him up.
"Can you please come over?" I asked, a sob breaking through, and he sighed.
"Shit," was all he said.
I looked down at the blood on my hands, gently touching my nose, wondering if it was broken since I could barely feel it anymore. Just as I thought he'd fallen back asleep, I heard Rafe getting on his bike and starting the engine. I ended the call and put my phone aside, trying not to focus on the pain radiating through my body, even though every part of me ached.
