P4L | Outer Banks | JJ Maybank

The Plan

Cory and Kiara sat on the bed in their matching pajama sets, their hands intertwined.

"I have to," Kie sighed.

Cory grimaced. "Are you sure?"

Kiara nodded. "There's no way we can get out of here, or the others can get in here. Not with all of this security."

Cory sighed. "Fine. Be careful."

Kie nodded, pulling herself off of the bed. Cory followed behind her.

"Go in the bathroom," Kiara instructed, glancing at the sleeping Rafe Cameron on the floor. "Hole up in there until I get back."

Cory nodded. The girls squeezed each others hands supportively before going their separate ways.

Cory stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her as she heard Kiara's voice begin to whisper softly. She slid down against it, holding it shut despite the lack of lock on the handle.

She could hear Kiara in the room, attempting to get the attention of a guard. Then she heard Rafe get up, beginning to argue with her. But then a moment later, the door had opened and closed, and the arguing was gone. Kie had gotten out of the room.

But not long after, Cory could hear Kiara yelling downstairs. The voice was getting closer and closer.

Cory stood, risking pulling the door open and having to see Rafe, but she had to do it. For Kiara.

As she stepped into the room, Kie was being escorted back inside.

"Kie?" Cory said softly, leading her friend to the bed. They sat down next to each other.

"What happened?" Rafe asked from his spot several feet away.

Cory glared up at him, turning back to comfort Kie silently.

"You're gonna have to talk to me at some point, okay?" Rafe snapped.

"Do I have to remind you of everything you've done?" Kie asked, glaring up at him. Rafe sighed in disbelief. "You killed Peterkin. Y-you kidnapped Cory several times. And everything you've put Sarah through."

"Peterkin, I was protecting my father," Rafe began rambling, approaching them quickly, only for Cory to scoot back away from him instinctually. "I did what I had to, so... don't."

Rafe stepped back, finding a seat at the edge of the room.

"I'm as much a victim as she is," Rafe said suddenly. Both of the girls glared up at him. "No? Think about it. What did I get from shooting Peterkin, huh? Nothing, okay? I had nothing against her. I-I-I mean, I liked her. You think I wanted to make that choice, huh?"

Slowly, Kie and Cory could feel themselves feeling less and less safe. They'd rather be in the room alone with their actual captor than the boy they had both once been "friends" with.

"What I did was a gift from me to my father for... for him, and I got screwed because of it, okay?" Rafe continued. "So don't get that look when I say I'm a victim, alright? I am!"

Silence settled over the room. The girls remained silent, though everything in Cory was itching to just get up and punch him in the face.

"I will admit, though, what I... what I did to Sarah..." Rafe's face grew red. "What I tried to do, um... what I tried to do to Sarah, I admit that was wrong." Rafe stood, and tears began streaming down his face. Cory forced herself to look up at him, watching his descent further into his self-absorbed rambling. "I know that. So you don't have to remind me."