𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐀 𝐏𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 // 𝘫𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘣

𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗

Affinity's afternoon seemed to drag on painfully. With each passing second she spent with her mother, she felt as if a million knives were penetrating her heart. She was honestly surprised she had kept it together as long as she did. Every part of her wanted to scream and storm away, but she knew she couldn't, not when she could get them closer to finding the Royal Merchant. She never really understood why she had suddenly become so involved with this so called 'treasure hunt'. Affinity could only assume that it was the only thing she could focus on that wasn't her parents' crippling marriage. She couldn't do anything about that, but she could do something about this.

And now she felt like she owed it to John B and the Pogues. This was their way out. Their way out of broken up families, the DCS, restitution, suffocating parents, and society's expectations. It was a group battle, and they were going to win it.

Affinity slipped on what had felt like the hundredth dress her mom had made her try on. She had to admit, her mother had good taste but was extremely over the top. But out of all of the other dresses, this one was her favorite. The dress was shorter in the front but reached her ankles in the back. Lace covered her waist and the thin-strapped top fitted her tightly.

She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment, feeling the draining emotions come rushing back to her. All she could see was her supposed picture-perfect family staring back at her, her father's smile, her mother's adoring eyes falling upon the man she used to love more than life. And at that moment, Affinity collapsed into the white, cushioned chair that was positioned behind her. She clamped her hand over her mouth, doing her best to contain the painful, burning sobs that desperately tried to escape the emotional wall she had been trying to block them with. All the strength she had mustered for so long had suddenly disappeared.

Affinity brought her knees closer to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, feeling herself slowly succumb to the crushing weight, sinking deeper into her own arms. Her shoulders shook with every sob, yet she made no sound, which only made it more painful.

A few more minutes passed, giving her eyes a chance to dry and her mind to gradually build up again. A light knocking on the door sounded throughout the dressing room.

"You almost done, Finny?"

Affinity stood up quickly, whipping away any remaining tears, and reached to open the door. She forced a closed-lipped smile and raised her arms out from where they rested at her side. Her mother cupped both of her hands over her mouth as if she were on the verge of tears.

"Oh, my sweet girl, aren't you just the most beautiful thing this world has ever seen!" She squeaked.

This woman really knew how to play the game. It still astonished Affinity how she could act as if she didn't completely ruin their life and proceed to blame it on her innocent, pure-hearted father.

"Then I guess this is it then."

<<<>>>

John B hopped out the side of the Pogue and started to pull it up onto the shore with the help of JJ pushing. Dusk had now entered the sky, creating a purple hue in the atmosphere with silvery clouds scattered above. The sounds of waves lapping intermixed with the murmurs of Midsummer's Eve and the faint sound of the band playing in the background. It was the most favorite night of Figure 8 life and almost every kook on the island would attend.