Sunset games. Rafe Cameron

nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN
[19]
"tumblr girls" g- eazy, christoph andersoon

Olivia lingered at the kitchen table, talking with her parents as she finished her breakfast. It was the usual light conversation, but she could feel their underlying hope that she'd really moved on from the Pogues. As she took her last bite of toast, Olivia smiled at them, nodding along, trying to keep things simple.

Once she was done, she excused herself and headed to her room. She didn't have any plans for the day, but she figured she'd get ready anyway, just in case. Picking out her favorite white top with a soft blue pattern and pairing it with white shorts, she slipped on her beloved Golden Goose sneakers, feeling just the right mix of relaxed and put-together.

Settling down at her vanity, she began her makeup, just a touch to highlight her eyes and a little shimmer on her cheeks. But, as if on cue, her phone buzzed, and she rolled her eyes playfully, feeling like she was always getting interrupted. Checking the screen, her smile widened; it was Topper.

TOPPER
Cleaning the beach with everyone today, Wanna come? I'll pick you up in my boat.

The idea of being out on the water, with her old friends, felt like a warm echo from the past. She didn't hesitate as she typed back.

OLIVIA
"Yeah sure. See you in 10."

Hurrying to finish up, she gave her makeup one last look, satisfied, before grabbing her bag and heading downstairs. She waved goodbye to her parents, letting them know she'd be out for a bit, and went outside just in time to see Topper waiting on his boat at the dock.

Topper smiled and opened his arms for a quick hug. "Ready?" he asked, his eyes bright with excitement.

"Ready," Olivia replied, smiling back. She climbed onto the boat, settling in as Topper started the engine. The wind caught her hair as they picked up speed, and she closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself get lost in the warmth of the sun and the salty breeze.

But the peace didn't last long. In the distance, she spotted another boat-their boat. Her face tightened instinctively as she recognized the Pogues. Her heart dropped, and she muttered, "Great."

Topper glanced over, catching her shift in mood.
"You alright, Liv?" he asked, concerned.

Olivia forced a small smile. "Yeah, don't worry, Top," she replied, hoping to brush it off. She tried to ignore them, to look anywhere else, but then she heard it, loud and clear.

"Don't act like you don't see us, bitch!" Kiara's voice cut through the sound of the waves.

Olivia's jaw clenched, her calm gone in an instant. Her fingers curled around the side of the boat as she fought the urge to yell something back. But instead, she just looked over at them, gave Kiara a sharp, defiant smile, and raised her middle finger high in the air. Kiara's face turned red with anger, and Olivia's smirk only grew. She didn't care if Kiara was mad-she was done letting them push her around.

With a satisfied sigh, she turned back to face Topper. Soon, the Pogues boat was out of sight, and her pulse began to settle. The tension from before faded as they finally reached the beach.

Olivia and Topper walked through the sand.
Olivia's mind was still buzzing, mostly from frustration over the Pogues. "I literally can't with Kiara," she groaned to Topper. "She's acting like she's the victim."

Topper just shook his head, giving her a smirk. "I told you she was fake, but you didn't listen."

Olivia nudged him, rolling her eyes, but a laugh slipped out. "Alright, alright, you were right."

They finally reached the group, and the minute Leah spotted Olivia, she broke into a big smile.
"Olivia!" she called, practically bouncing over to hug her. Olivia grinned, hugging her back, and felt a sense of warmth settle over her. It was like nothing else mattered here.

Kelce was nearby, holding up a weird-looking bottle. "Are you guys thirsty?" he asked, a mischievous look on his face.

"What do we have here?" Topper grabbed the bottle, sniffing it and making a dramatic face before taking a sip. "It's... not terrible?" he said, laughing as he handed it to Olivia .

Olivia scrunched her nose, giving the bottle a quick sniff. "What did you put in this?" she asked, laughing as she took a sip. The taste was horrible, but she couldn't help but laugh anyway, her face twisting at the taste.

As they laughed, Olivia leaned over to Leah and asked, "Is Rafe coming?"

Leah grinned, glancing over Olivia's shoulder.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Olivia turned, and her face lit up when she saw Rafe approaching. His usual cool, distant look was softened by a relaxed smile. He looked like he was actually happy to be there, and it sent a strange flutter through her.

"Hey guys," Rafe greeted everyone, then his gaze landed on her. "Hey, Vi!"

"Hey, Rafe," she replied, unable to stop the smile spreading across her face.

Topper grabbed the bottle off the ground and handed it to him. Rafe took a generous drink as everyone settled into a loose circle in the sand.
The bottle passed around again, and soon, they were all laughing harder, their conversations tangling and overlapping. Olivia and Leah giggled over nothing, leaning into each other, while Rafe and Topper started joking about everything from the weird bottle to how bad they were at beach clean-ups.

The whole "cleaning the beach" part was forgotten, but it didn't matter. Right now, they were just a bunch of kids, laughing in the sun, feeling like they owned the beach. There was something electric in the air, like they all knew this was a day they'd remember.

As the afternoon wore on, Olivia's face ached from smiling so much. They were still laughing when the clean-up organiser wandered over, eyeing the scattered cans and piles of sand they'd kicked around. "You guys got it under control?" he asked, crossing his arms.

Topper, clearly holding back a laugh, nodded.
"Yeah, of course!"

Rafe's smirk grew wider as he added, "It's looking great, sir." And with a last little chuckle, he slipped his arm around Olivia's shoulders, his grin contagious.

"Hey," he murmured, looking down at her with a familiar warmth.

"Hey," Olivia replied, laughing softly.

The sun dipped lower as the moment they'd been waiting for finally arrived: the release of the sea turtles. All of them gathered in a circle, holding hands and listening to the clean-up organiser speech.

*Just a moment, friends, to acknowledge our blessings,* he began, his voice serious. "To the big kahuna, thank you for this opportunity to come out here and restore Masonborough to its virgin glory."

Olivia caught Rafe's eye and struggled to keep a straight face. They were both holding in laughter, and when he leaned in to whisper, "That guy does not like us," she couldn't help the laugh that escaped.

He put his arm around her shoulders again, his presence warm and easy. They looked out at the ocean as the sun set in brilliant shades of pink and gold, the light sparkling on the water and casting a soft glow on their faces. Standing there, holding hands with her friends and watching the turtles find their way to the waves, Olivia felt her heart swell. The world felt bigger, and the future brighter. They were just kids, maybe, but this - this feeling - was everything.

In that moment, Olivia realized she didn't want to be anywhere else.