PROMISE-ME ☼ outerbanks

chapter 4

The boneyard. You can't understand the Outer Banks without understanding the boneyard. It's kind of like a three-layer burrito.

First, there's us and our friends, the working-class derelicts.

I watched as JJ chugged a beer with some blonde chick, and Kie talked to some guys around the bonfire. Probably going on about saving our planet or astrology.

Then, there are the Kooks, the rich second-homers. They're mostly from poncey-ass boarding schools, just rich trustafarian posers.

Our natural enemies.

But Rafe is just a different story, after the first time we met, he kept coming back to the restaurant and without his friends or to just quickly say hi. Kie questioned it a few times but I promised her there was nothing going on. I wasn't lying because then we had nothing but a hi-bye relationship. The kooks were just assholes to us, we tried to have as less contact with them as possible.

Lastly, we have the Tourons. Totally clueless, here for a week with their families on vacation.

Chum for the sharks, as we say.

JJ poured me up a beer, slinging his arm around me as we walked to our friends. "Dude! did you see the blonde" He gushed to John B. "Yeah and so did her boyfriend JJ" he laughed, "Just cause there's a goalie doesn't mean you can't score" JJ smirked, "JJ chill, he's a kook" I grabbed his arm, turning his attention to me.

"Sarah! Sarah be careful, okay?" we heard turning to see Topper and Sarah Cameron, Kook princess. JB worked on her dad's boat at one point, so we've seen her around when we'd visit him.

She was Kiara's best-friend in the ninth grade, then worst enemy in the tenth grade. She doesn't really like to talk about what happened between them two and we don't pressure her to. We respect the hatred and ignore them.

Her not so pleasant boyfriend, Topper, actually thinks Pogues were bred to mow lawns. Asshole.

"What is she doing here?" Kie rolled her eyes, "let's not worry about them, we're here to lay low and have fun" I smiled, handing her my cup. "I second that" Pope said giving me knuckles.

"Hey JB, got you a beer" JJ slurred bring it over to the group, "for me? Yeah, I'll take a sip" he said. "Oh, wait. Hey, Hey Sarah! Can I interest you in a tasty Milwaukee beverage?" "No, thanks." She spoke, grabbing Topper's hand. "Is it not fancy enough for you?" JJ spoke, "No. We were just leaving" She said, going to turn away.

Topper spoke up instead, "Hey, you know what? I'll take it." "Thank you, man. I appreciate it." "That's nice but I didn't ask you." JJ teased, "now If you said pretty please, maybe, but you didn't" he laughed.

"J stop now" I stepped in going to grab the beer from him, "Oh pretty please" Topper sarcastically said from behind me, "Here Sarah" JJ continued, "Okay" She went to grab the beer. Topper mumbled a no, no and tried taking it from JJ, the beer cup crushed, getting all over us. "You're so funny, man" JJ grunted glaring at Topper. I moved off to the side, wiping my face and fixing my now- wet hair.

John B stepped in and tried getting JJ away from Topper, "Dirty Pogues!" Topper yelled, JB let out a breath turning around hitting Topper square in the jaw. That's when the fight broke out. "Holy shit, John B" "We're supposed to be incognito remember??" Pope yelled over the fight. "Babe, babe, babe" Sarah yelled at Topper, "Stop it now, JJ, leave it be, its not worth it" I said pulling JJ back.

Rafe ran into the circle forming, "dude chill out" I heard him yell to Topper but didn't want to get in the middle of it.

"Hey, John B, don't make me drown you like your old man, all right?" Topper yelled, "you bitch" I screamed. The crowd forming chanted "fight, fight, fight" as everyone watched JB get his ass kicked basically. Topper's girlfriend yelled for him to stop and Rafe tried pulling him off JB, finally. I watched as Topper held John B's head underwater, "No stop" I yelled, running towards them. I tried my best to punch him in the rib to get him to let go of John. I was hitting Topper at this point, "Get off Chloe" he grunted, pulling his elbow up and hitting me in the mouth. I dropped down into the water, tears forming in my eyes, the crowd "ooo-ing" at the contact.

Through the tears I saw Rafe run over to me. I saw JJ pull the gun up to Topper's head, the crowd immediately screamed and ran. "Kie get your psycho friend" Sarah yelled. "Yeah you know what that is broski" JJ yelled, pushing the gun harder into Topp's temple.

Once J dropped the gun from Top he turned to the remaining people, "Everyone listen up! Get the hell off our side of the island!" JJ yelled, shooting two rounds into the night sky. Everyone ran as the shots rang out, "You idiot! Why would you do that" Pope screamed, "Stupid" Kie yelled at JJ pushing him.

I left with Rafe through all the commotion, I held one of his shirts to my mouth as it was bleeding. He was pissed to say the least, "I'm going to beat his ass" he said, speeding through the roads. "Can you slow down" I whispered, the last thing I needed was to get in an accident and be found with him. Once we got to his house, I sat on the counter in his bathroom. "I'm sorry" I should have stopped you when I saw you run over; I didn't think he was going to do anything" "Ow" I hissed as he cleaned my busted lip. "It's not your fault, I ran over, even when JJ pulled me back" I said through tears, I don't know why I started crying. He wiped the tears going down my cheeks.

Kie was calling me freaking out over where I was and if I was okay. "I'm fine, Kie. I'm with my cousin, she's helping me since I can't go home to mine. I might sleep over hers." I said into the phone, "No yeah, he elbowed me" She asked about the whole Rafe thing, "I don't know but he was nice enough to help me" She went on about how It was weird and wasn't like Rafe to do that, especially to a Pogue.

"She's a dumbass, why would she go in house" I said, hiding behind the blanket. "It's just a movie" Rafe laughed, pulling the blanket down from my grasp. "Stopp, I'm scared" I shut my eyes, immediately.

We got bored and watched some random shows on Netflix, he laid his head on my chest, while I played with his hair. He fell asleep before me, but I was hungry, so I walked out to his kitchen looking for something to eat. "Hey Chloe" a voice spoke from the doorway, "Oh hii Sarah" I dragged out, well fuck what do I do now. "There's pizza in the freezer, I'm kinda hungry also" I was caught off guard, why wasn't she questioning why I was here.

After a few minutes of silence between us;

"I know about you and Rafe" She blurted as she took the pizza out the oven, "he say something?" I asked, "security cameras" she handed me a plate, my eyes widened, "don't worry, only outside the house. I saw him teaching you to play golf" She laughed, I felt like my face was on fire. "You won't say anything right?" we sat on the couch, "no, regardless of what y'all think, I don't really mind the pogues. Y'all have just as much right to live here as we do" I gave her a small smile; I was genuinely surprised I thought she'd jump at the chance to blackmail me over this. "Sorry about tonight, JJ was just in the moment trying to protect us" "sorry about Topper, he's an asshole sometimes" she rolled her eyes.

Sarah wasn't all to bad, we ate our food and talked about life. I refrained from asking her about the Kie drama, so I kept quiet. "You know you guys are pretty cute, he's been way nicer with you in his life" She said, I smiled playing with the necklace he gave me. It's a habit now, I guess. "Just be careful around the others, they might not take it as well as me" she warned, "I know."

authors note;

another chapter, thanks to all who are reading. hope this is up to pare.
bye xx