#also still trying to figure out why rafe is so popular

[sandwich2451]

silly, those aren't police lights, that's bisexual lighting!

[twinklelilstarkey]

Good Girl [HC] - Part 2

Words: 1.4k+

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol consumption. Rafe is a protective mess. Kinda Rafe vs JJ.  

  DO NOT REPOST, REWRITE OR TRANSLATE ANY OF MY WORK!

Part 1

Your first date would start with a simple dinner out;

And end with a small walk on the beach;

Rafe would hold your hand as you two would walk silently through the empty beach that circled the island;

And not even with a complete second date, you two would start dating;

Your relationship, right off the bat, would be sooo envied by everyone in your school;

Like, you two are absolute perfection;

The island’s good girl and the island’s bad boy?

Now that’s movie worthy;

As your relationship evolved, the love you two share grew insanely;

You two would have everyday activities that were done so many times that became routines;

Rafe would always pick you up to go to school and to go home;

You two would hang out every afternoon together;

His nights would usually be reserved for his boys;

Who, by the way, love you like a sister;

Whenever Rafe couldn’t go to school, for any reason, they would hang out with you the whole day so you wouldn’t be alone;

Even though you still had your other friends;

Have lunch with you in the cafeteria or even take you out to lunch;

Those boys would always make sure you’re happy;

Once your relationship with Rafe reached a few months, he was finally able to take you to a party;

And you hate that he was able to do it;

Your parents were shocked when you asked them to go to a party at a Friday night;

And since it’s so rare, they let you go;

Rafe would pick you up and take you to the kook’s house that would end up trashed at the end of the night;

Whoever was sober enough was in shock when they saw you in there;

Like, 5 whole minutes of staring at you in shock;

Rafe would have his arm over your shoulders the whole time;

And it took you a while to actually start enjoying the party;

Since the first few minutes were filled with seeing people grinding on each other and smoking into other’s faces;

Topper would be the one grabbing drinks for everyone and he even got you one;

Rafe was the one that actually talked your way into taking a small sip to finally try alcohol;

Topper was nice enough to get you a sweet drink but the after taste of the alcoholic drink made you cringe at Rafe;

He laughed with you the whole night;

Even more when you decided to ignore the aftertaste and just enjoy the drink;

Bad way to find that you’re a light weight in your first time;

But even though it was hilarious to him, he still took care of you;

You had a good time;

You danced with some girls that you met through Topper and they also were one of the reasons why it was so much fun;

A lot of friendships started that night;

And as it got later, you started running out of energy;

Leaning onto Rafe’s chest as he talked to his friend, his hand running through your back in a comforting way;

You had to admit, it was hard not to fall asleep right there;

Rafe didn’t take you home that night since he didn’t want to make you do the silent walk of shame through the house that would surely end up in your parents waking up;

So he took you to his;

The headache on the next day wasn’t as fun;

For you at least;

Rafe finally understood why you would laugh when he was suffering in the mornings;

After that night you started going to parties more frequently;

You would still, sometimes, stay home to finish homework or just to watch a show;

But Rafe’s friends started to ask him many times when were you going to come party with them again, so that was one of the reasons why you went a second, a third and a tenth time to a party with them;

Your parents were slightly worried in the beginning but since they trusted Rafe, it was easier for them to see you walk out of the house on a Friday night;

The only night Rafe didn’t have as much fun was in a party between the Cut and Figure Eight, where the two rivals of the island joined in for a beach party;

He still doesn’t know why the party still happens on a monthly basis, since it’s just a simple, and sometimes boring, bonfire party that would always end with fights;

Quite hypocritical of Rafe, since he would usually be involved in them (when you weren’t with him);

And he disliked it more on your first time in one of these parties;

He had decided to stay (mostly) sober for the night, just in case something would go down;

You hanged out with his group most of the night, but as soon as you started talking to Kiara Carrera, Rafe tensed up;

The Pogues had no idea who you were when Kie brought you to their group, including who you were dating, since they don’t go to the Kook Academy;

And even though Kiara does go to that school, she never cared enough to check who the popular kids were dating;

So yes, this is just the perfect opportunity for all to turn shit;

“Hey Rafe, where’s Y/N?”

As soon as that girl would ask him that, as he talked to Topper, Rafe woke up to reality to notice that you weren’t meters away from him anymore;

He looked around the party to find you talking to Kiara and... JJ;

He was pissed;

But Kelce stopped him before he could go attack the pogues and snatch you away;

So, he offered to do the extraction;

Rafe stayed back as his best friend walked past the huge bonfire and kicked sand on his way to you;

If anything were to go south, Rafe, and, now also, Topper would be right there to run in;

“Hey, Y/N!” Kelce called out as he was close enough, making you end the conversation and look at your boyfriend’s friend;

“What could you want from her, Kelce?” JJ asked back;

You obviously didn’t feel the tense air building up, but everyone else from the group surely did;

As the two boys would bicker, you sipped your drink calmly and stayed lost in your thoughts;

“Rafe is looking for you, Y/N. Let’s go” Kelce would say, almost pleading;

Oh oh

That annoyed the crap out of the Pogues;

“Does he own her or something?” and “Last time I checked she’s free to be wherever she wants to be!” were just examples of what Kelce got as answers;

As soon as the tense atmosphere was more evident, Topper walked past Rafe and walked over there to try and help out his friend to not start a fight;

Leaving an annoyed and a overthinking Rafe with himself;

“Wow, does Rafe want to call any more reinforcements to get a girl?” JJ would bicker, making John B laugh at him;

“If she’s not leaving, it might mean that she doesn’t want to go hang out with your little leader, guys. Go annoy some other girl” Kie would add;

Pope would honestly just stand back and watch everything silently with you;

As they bickered the minutes away, you pat your pockets for your phone and you can’t find it;

Alcohol already affecting your mind enough to not acknowledge the argument in front of you, as well as why they’re arguing, you take a step back from the commotion;

“Wow, you guys really know how to scare a girl away” Kie would say to the Kook boys;

Both Topper and Kelce haven’t been able to say anything that would explain why they needed you to go back to the Kook’s side (example A: Rafe’s dating you), but it’s not like they didn’t try;

JJ would honestly not let them talk;

Same thing with Kie;

“Y/N, can we please go?” Topper would ask you, ignoring the girl beside him;

“Yeah, I don’t know where my phone is” You would murmur over the commotion;

“He has it!” Kelce would yell over JJ’s voice;

Everyone quiets down and you look over to the other side of the party to find Rafe glaring towards you;

You frown at him and walk away from everyone, drunkenly stumbling in the air as you made your way towards your boyfriend;

As he extends his hand towards you, you take it and lean in close to his body;

And that shocked everyone from the Pogue’s group;

Topper and Kelce would look at them in annoyance almost as if they would trying to say “We were trying to tell you this” with just their eyes;

JJ and Rafe share glares as his friends walk back to their side;

And as Rafe throws his arm over your shoulder to pull you in closer to his chest, JJ clenches his jaw and looks away;

Rafe, now satisfied, plants a kiss over your forehead and rests his chin on top of your head as you snuggle close to him;

This will be fun to explain to you in the morning.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Oh, I’m a sucker for rivalry between Rafe and JJ. Don’t judge me. 

(You can request more BadGuy!Rafe vs JJ moments if you would like to see that) Or just ask for more Good Girl x Bad boy.

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[tweedlydumbtweedlydoo]

Not Perfect (JJ Maybank x reader) pt. 2

Summary: JJ Maybank is the one who makes sure your kook lawn is immaculate. Your family may look perfect just like the lawn from someone looking from the outside in, but it turns out you and JJ have more in common than you thought.

Previous Part: Part 1 

!!warning: This story talks about abuse through out, so if that’s triggering please don’t read. This is strictly fiction.

A/N: Had not expected this to get as much attention as it did! I’m glad you all liked the first part :) Hope you enjoy the second xx 

Tag list is at the end. Let me know if you want to be added xx

**MASTERLIST**

Requests: {OPEN} CLOSED

I am currently taking requests for:

The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

Elijah Mikaelson

Damon Salvatore

Criminal Minds:

Spencer Reid

Derek Morgan

Supernatural (I’m only up to season 2, so please don’t request something with spoilers)**

Sam Winchester

Dean Winchester

Outer Banks (Netflix):

John B Routledge

JJ Maybank

Rafe Cameron

********************************************************************************************NOT MY GIF, CREDIT TO OWNERS

It was Thursday night, JJ’s night to work at the country club. He was clearing off a table when he saw your family walking in, dressed head to toe in fancy clothes. Multiple people greeted your father, shaking his hand. He was a well-known man around the island, just like the Cameron’s. Your family was up on the popular pole with the Cameron’s, fighting for the richest and best family on the island. He thought your two families were in a feud for power over the island, but he wasn’t sure.

He watched as your dad put his hand on your back, pulling you closer, so he could introduce you. Your body tensed up at the touch and he watched you force a smile and shake the other man’s hand. Your eyes darted around and met JJ’s. He blushed because you had caught him staring. You gave a genuine smile and a wave. He smiled and started to wave back but the look your dad gave him made him think otherwise. He hung his head and continued clearing off the table. Out of the corner of his eye he watched your dad grab your arm and pull you inside the club.

You weren’t sure if it was the shadow from the outside lights, but it looked like his eye was bruised. You were pulled from your thoughts when your dad guided you into the country club.

~

JJ had stepped out to clean off another table when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around he was surprised to see you.

“Hey.” You smiled.

“Hey.” He wipes his hand on the black rag and smiles at you.

“I didn’t know you worked here too?” You take a second to look over his features. His right eye was for sure bruised and there was a cut under his eye, looked like from a ring. It wasn’t a secret around the island that his dad was abusive. Everyone knew of it, but there wasn’t much for people to do, especially the kooks, so everyone minded their business. Especially, if it dealt with the people on the cut, also known as the pogues.  

He nods, “Yeah I alternate between helping Pope, here and then landscaping.”

“You’re just a man of many talents, aren’t you?”

“I guess you could say that.” He chuckles and you laugh in return. He knows you’re staring at his black eye. He’d come home from hanging out with the pogues and had a run in with his dad. He wasn’t too happy about JJ showing up and interrupting one of his shows.

“what’d you do, Maybank? Run into a pole?” You motion up to his eye.

“I-uh..” he chuckles, playing it off, “Yeah. Was messing around John B and he got me good.”

You nod. Someone with a mean right hook. You weren’t a stranger to those. “Well, he’s got a mean right hook.”

JJ nods, “Yeah…” He clears his throat, hoping to change the subject, and motions to your dress, “You look pretty.”

You blush, glancing down at your dress and then at him, “You think? I think I look like a lemon.”

“A very pretty lemon.” He adds. Both of you laugh and it quietly dies down. He contemplates asking you if you’ll be at the boneyard tomorrow, but he’s interrupted by your dad yet again.

“Y/n. Let’s go.” His eyes are sending daggers JJ’s way.

You and JJ turn around, “Okay. Just one more minute. I’ll meet you in car?”

Your dad shakes his head, “No. Now, young lady.”

You give a nod before turning around to JJ, giving him a soft smile, “I’ll see you in the morning?”

He nods, “Yeah of course.” He watches as you walk away from him once more. Even after you have walked by your dad, he’s still glaring at JJ and takes a sip from his drink before turning away and heading after you. What was this guy’s problem?

~

The next morning when he arrived at your house, he could hear you and your dad yelling inside the house but tried to ignore it. It wasn’t his business. He heard the door slam closed and looked up from the lawn mower. You stormed out of the house and across the lawn, your dad now outside as well, “Y/n, you get back here right now!”

You ignored him and got into your car, your dad following close, but you had already closed and locked the door.

JJ flinched when he watched your dad bang on your window, “Don’t you dare leave!”

You started the car and pulled away as quickly as you could, leaving your dad standing in the dust. When your dad turned around, JJ was staring from the lawn mower, “What are you looking at, boy?! Get back to work!”

JJ quickly nodded, “Yes, sir.” He turned around and started the mower as your dad stormed back inside.

~

“There’s the perfect kook.” Kie rolled her eyes.

JJ turned around to see you had arrived, heading to the keg. You hugged a few girls and a couple of the guys, grabbing a drink from one of the guys and chugging it.

“Damn.” John B says, noticing. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her drink.”

JJ glances at John B then back at you, “I haven’t either.” You were the good girl, the one who didn’t drink or do drugs. You came and hung out at the Boneyard, had fun but never engaged in such activities. He decided then and there, he’d keep an eye on you, and it’s a good thing he did.

Usually, he wasn’t one to get into people’s business, especially kook business, but the way your demeanor was around your dad, it mirrored his own and his mind wondered if there was something more behind your perfect family. The perfect family and perfect life he wanted but would never have. You didn’t live like him though, did your dad really do the same thing his shitty pogue father did to him? No, there’s no way. Your life was perfect. Your life was one he’d never have, you had a family he’d never have, a loving father that he didn’t have or never would have. He was jealous of your perfect life, so why did he feel the need to protect you?

~

Two hours later, you are upside down on the keg as people yell “Chug! Chug! Chug!”

“Dude… she just beat the record.” Pope says, eyes wide, “And she’s never drank before.”

Taking a sip of his red solo cup he watches you get down, throwing your hands in the air as people cheer around you. This wasn’t you, but who was he to judge?

He watched from a far. He’d kept a watchful eye on you all night, ready to step in if something went wrong. You were dancing with a few girls and a guy, who had his hands all over you. You were stumbling and he knew it was time to step in, especially once the guy started to lead you toward the woods.

“Hey hey!” He hurried after you and the guy, “No you don’t.” He grabs the guy by the shoulders, making him face JJ, “What the hell are you doing?”

The guy looked at JJ, “Dude, what are you doing? Back off! She’s the one who wanted to go back here.”

JJ looks at your figure, the guys practically holding you up as you sway, “Yeah, I doubt that. Fuck off before I beat your ass.”

The guy rolls his eyes, dropping his hands, “Whatever.”

JJ catches you as you start to fall, “Alright… I think it’s time to head home.” He picks you up bridal style and heads toward the pogues.

“hey! You’re JJ!” You giggle.

JJ can’t help but laugh and nods, “Yeah I am. And you’re y/n y/l/n.”

You giggle again, “My daddy doesn’t like you.”

He looks down at you but is interrupted by Kie. Is that why your dad was always staring at him, giving him evil eyes?

“She okay?” Kie asks standing.

JJ nods, “Some guy was trying to head to the woods with her. I’m going to take her to the Chateau, she’s plastered.”

John B nods, handing him the keys, “We’ll be back soon.”

JJ carries you to the van and lays you down in the back as you mumble incoherently about needing to be a good perfect girl. You can’t do no wrong. You have to be perfect. Before he could close the door, you leaned out of the van and vomited, before falling back into the van.

“Lovely.” JJ mumbles, scrunching up his nose in disgust. You had luckily missed his feet but had managed to get some on your shirt. Sighing, he closes the door to the van.

~

When he arrives at the chateau, he picks you up bridal style and carries you inside. He thought you had passed out, but your head swung forward, looking up at him, “Why do people think my family is so perfect?” You slur.

JJ gently sets you on his spare bed, “Because you guys are perfect. Your house and yard are always clean. You guys are always a happy little family.” He grabs one of his t shirts, “I need to change you, you’ve got vomit all over your shirt.”

You nod, but then shake your head, swaying back and forth on the bed, “They wouldn’t think we’re perfect if they knew the truth….”

He carefully helps you out of your dirty one and then the clean one over your head, “Oh yeah?” He’s letting you ramble on as he grabs the trashcan and sets it by the bed. He’s taken back by your next statement. Your voice was slurred and mumbling but he heard you perfectly, loud and clear.

“If they only knew what Mr. y/l/n does to his daughter behind closed doors.”

When he looks up at you, you’re passed out on the bed. What he does to his daughter behind closed doors? Is that what he thinks it means? He gently picks up your legs and tucks you into the bed, leaving a glass of water by the bed. As he steps out of the room, he turns around to see your sleeping figure on the bed, suddenly looking so small in his spare bed. You’re a kook, a part of this perfect family, living in a perfect house, on the perfect side of the island, yet you’re living a life just like he is?

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*If your name is crossed out then tumblr is being stupid and won’t let me tag you :(

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[lovelymaybankk]

full kook - jj maybank

req- reader x jj (can you tell i’m a jj stan?) where the reader is full on kook but unlike sarah jj hates her and doesn’t want her to be a part of pouge life where she fits in and he’s constantly bullying her to where even sarah has to say something but it’s to late because now she’s full kook again until midsummer where she helps him out with topper and they become bf and gf

a/n- i love this rq... sm. also out of order, sarah befriends the pogues before the midsummer party. also y/n is kinda a bitch in this at the beginning srry

w/c- 4.704 (oops...)

tw- swears, rafe and topper being dicks.. thats it i think idrk

sarah cameron and y/n y/l/n were kook princesses. they took orders from nobody, and were definitely the two most popular girls on the island. they had been best friends since birth, and nothing could separate them.

well, except for a group of pogues. y/n never understood sarah's infatuation with them, though to an extent, she did. they could do whatever they want without fear of disappointing their parents. thats all y/n cared about. her parents. not money, of course sarah but other than that.. she didn’t need anybody. 

“sarah, you’re crazy.” y/n huffed, legs crossed. one eyebrow was raised, but other than that y/n looked immensely bored. sarah had gone mia yesterday, and it turned out she was hanging out with a group of poges. “topper will kill you,” the girl sang, a smug look on her face. 

“i don’t care what he thinks! with him i’m.. free.” sarah said dreamily, falling beside y/n on the bed.

“with him you’re a crackie,” y/n snorted, standing up. “i’m just saying, they do nothing all day. how is that entertaining?” her arms folded over her chest, sarah sitting up as she said that.

“they go on boat rides. they drink. i know you like that,” sarah winked, catching y/ns attention. “you’d fit right in. you love all the stuff they do, drinking, drugs, surfing..” she rambled. 

“even if i were to meet them, which i will not, they wouldn’t like me. my reputation is worse than yours,” y/n chuckled, sitting on the hardwood floor to slide on a pair of sandals. “anyway, theres no chance kiara would want me there.”

it was true, kiara and y/n ended on the same note kiara and sarah did. 

“kie and i made up,” sarah mumbled.

“oh she’s kie now? thats convenient.” y/n rolled her eyes, standing and grabbing her bag. “you know, as much as i hate being a kook.. i wouldn’t just switch up like that.” she was mad, venom in her words. who knew if sarah would leave her for the pogues? whos to say she doesn’t?

“just. one day? i’ll bring you tomorrow and i’ll show you what it’s like.” sarah begged, grabbing y/ns hand and she closed the pocket in the bag. y/n rolled her eyes.

“fine. i’ll be here at 10.” y/n pulled her arm away quickly, leaving the room and going downstairs to start her short walk home.

y/n woke up around 8, taking a quick shower and brushing her teeth. as her hair dried, she dried her body and changed out of her pajamas into a pair of light-wash jean shorts and a cropped tee. she sat at her bureau, applying light mascara and chapstick. by the time 9:30 rolled around, y/n left her house and started her walk to sarah's house. she knocked on the door, getting met with rafe’s face. 

“oh, goodmorning.” rafe opened the door wider, getting stopped by sarah.

“you’re gonna let bugs in,” sarah muttered, leading y/n to her car where they started their drive to the cut. 

“do they know im coming?” y/n’s lips pursed, turning to look at her blonde best friend. sarah nodded, stopping the car once they came to the chateau. 

“john b and kie do.. jj and pope don’t.” sarah clarified, stepping out of the car and leading y/n with her. she opened the door, showing y/n the tight room.

y/n looked around, heart suddenly speeding up. they stepped onto the porch, conversations cutting short suddenly. everybody looked from sarah to y/n, making both girls suddenly uncomfortable. 

“oh good. two kooks,” jj muttered, not quietly. john b slapped his arm, finally standing and offering a smile at the girl. he took y/n’s hand, shaking it firmly. 

“i’m john b. sarahs, um. boyfriend,” john b smiled, trying to be friendly. 

“oh, you’re john b. sarah has good taste.” y/n smirked, giving him a sly wink before looking towards her best friend who was now flushed a light pink. 

“anyway,” sarah cut them off before anything could happen. “thats pope, hes smart, thats kiara, who you know and.. thats jj.” she didn’t have anything to say about jj, who was leaned back with his arms cross. he tsked, sitting up.

“so what does another kook princess want? here to spy?” jj spoke with venom, eyes raking up and down the girl.

y/n shrugged, taking a seat beside, but still a distance away from kiara. “sarah here says you guys are more fun than you seem, and i don’t believe her.” her arms crossed around her chest, leaning back in the way jj had done before.

“well, before this escalates,” pope cut the two off from an argument being sprung up, “i’d say we’re pretty fun. you like boat rides? surfing?” he was guessing in his head both of these would be a no, looking at kiara who seemed uneasy at the thought of having another one of her ex-best friends here. he rested his hand on her thigh, making her smile carefully.

“i surf sometimes. not as much as i used to when i was younger, i’d say twice or three times a month.” y/n shrugged, legs crossing. this got everybody's attention, asking her about surfing and what else she does.

everybody except jj.

-

months led on and y/n had soon slowly joined the group on their daily shenanigans. she hung out with them almost everyday, but still spent time with her family and just sarah alone. it was obvious y/n fit it. jj never came around to the thought of y/n, even though she seemed to be very interested in him.

sarah and y/n were laying on y/ns bed, talking mindlessly about whatever. 

“so like, why does jj hate me?” y/n wondered out loud, turning so she was laying on her side, facing sarah. sarah shrugged, facing y/n on her side.

“i don’t know. i think you’re to hot for him,” sarah giggled, punching the girls shoulder.

y/n laughed, face heating up. “to hot for him? i mean, come on. look at him,” she let out a breathy sigh, falling onto her back again. her arm was laid over her chest lazily, eyes closing.

“why do you ask? do you like him?” sarah teased, sitting up and fixing her hair. y/n stayed quiet. sarah gasped, suddenly freaking out. “holy shit! you do!!” she squealed, pulling y/n up and hugging her so tight y/n forgot how to breathe.

“look, it isn’t that big. i’ll get over it soon.” y/n shrugged away from the girl, standing up and stretching. “lets head to the chateau now, yeah?” she helped pull sarah up, who nodded quietly and they both slid on their shoes. 

the pair walked out to sarah’s white jeep, driving to the chateau in the midst of summer. “so, y/n.” sarah broke the silence, rolling down the windows. the fresh air from figure 8 filled the car, which smelt solely like suntan lotion and salt water. “you going to the midsummer?” she asked, steering the car slowly into the cut.

y/n groaned at the mention of it, rolling her eyes. “wish i wasn’t. but it’s fine, it’s in two weeks.” she shrugged, trying to shake off the thought of it. they pulled into the driveway, stepping out at the same time and entering the small space. they spoke about whatever came to mind, conversation cutting short as they stepped onto the porch. “hey guys,” y/n greeted, a warm smile on her face.

she had changed since she had met the group, now not turning a cold shoulder whenever she met a pogue when she was walking.

“hey girls,” pope grinned, holding a red solo cup. his legs were crossed, kie taking the seat that jj normally sat in. sarah waved, moving quickly to sit beside her boyfriend. this left jj and y/n. y/n watched jj’s face contort with disgust, moving closer to the arm.

“somebody wanna switch seats?” jj muttered, making y/n roll her eyes.

“good to see you too, buttercup.” y/n popped the p, sitting down as far away from jj as possible.

“don’t call me that,” jj hissed, not even facing the girl as he spoke. “i’d rather not sit next to the bitch,” he mumbled that one more quiet, catching y/n off guard. sure, jj always made fun of her but he never called her anything.

kie cleared her throat, before y/n could stand up to jj. “boat ride today?” she smiled awkwardly at y/n, who’s eyebrows were currently furrowed. the group let a chorus of ‘yes’ and ‘sure’s out. they grabbed their cooler, y/n stopping jj before he could get onto the boat.

“can we talk?” y/n’s arms crossed, putting her weight more on one of her feet than the other.  jj nodded, rolling his eyes as he followed the girl closer to the house. “why do you hate me?” she questioned, looking the taller up-and-down. 

“because,” jj scoffed, like it was obvious, “you’re a bitch. you’re insanely bossy, you’re rude and expect everything to be handed to you. you can’t do shit alone, yet everybody still bows down to you. you’re a fucking kook.” he snapped, walking past the girl and pushing her shoulder roughly to make her fall.

y/n fell onto her ass, wincing as a rock went into the back of her thigh. “motherfucker,” she hissed, catching the boy’s attention. “you’re a bitch, you’re just mad that i won’t sleep with you.”

jj stopped, turning and facing the girl. “oh yeah? thats why. keep telling yourself that.” he smirked, turning and continuing his walk.

“tell sarah i won’t be joining you.” y/n yelled, wiping her eye as she pulled the rock out of her thigh. she stood, turning and stomping away. jj didn't stop her. he stepped onto the boat, obviously pissed.

“she left,” jj sunk into his seat, reaching into the cooler to grab a beer. the group stopped talking, facing jj. he shrugged, rolling his eyes. “she was being bitchy so she left.”

“what’d you say?” sarah’s face turned a light red as she started to get angry, using one hand to shield her eyes from the sun. 

“she asked why i hated her so i was honest. told her she was a bitch,” jj spoke with ease, leaning back and ignoring the burning stares from his friends.

-

it had been two weeks since the group, except sarah, had seen y/n. they all were worried, but at least knowing she was alive from sarah made them feel better. it was two days before the midsummer party, and sarah came knocking loudly on the y/l/n home. opening the door was y/n, hair curled as she wore a short skirt and a white crop-top to match. a kook outfit.

“y/n? is that you?” sarah joked, stepping into the house. y/n quirked an eyebrow, looking the girl up and down.

“well? what do you need?” y/n spoke in a monotone voice, arms crossed as they usually were. under the outfit she wore a bikini, eyes glancing at the surfboard behind sarah.

“oh, i was gonna ask if you wanted to join me and..” sarah trailed off, still speaking but y/n cut her off.

“no.” y/n shrugged, now pushing past the blonde to grab her surfboard. she dusted off some sand from it, hearing it land on the tiled flooring. she kicked some of it away, picking up the board under her arm. “look, im flattered you want me there,” she teased, leading herself out the door and soon sarah followed. “but i’m wear i should be. figure 8. a kook,” y/n shrugged, walking down the sidewalk towards the beach.

“y/n-” sarah chased the girl down the sidewalk, grabbing her shoulder rough enough to make her stop. “we miss you,” she spoke softly, careful not to provoke the girl even more. though that failed.

“okay, i don’t really care. look, i’m meet somebody i have to go,” y/n hissed, turning a cold shoulder quickly.

“who?” sarah continued following y/n, making her groan and turn again.

“holy shit. topper? okay? is that alright if i have friends, ms. kook?” y/n yelled, dropping the board on the ground. “you never gave a shit when jj was talking shit about me to my fucking face, why do you care now? huh?” 

sarah wasn’t used to these outbursts, taking a step back with her hand close to her chest.

y/n scoffed, turning and rolling her eyes. “just what i thought,” she muttered, grabbing the board again and continuing her walk to the beach. this time, sarah didn’t chase her. she just watched in silence, wondering when her best friend became a kook. 

y/n made her way to the beach, sliding off the sandals she wore and looking around for the kook boy. she waited for around an hour, surfing in the water to keep her calm. by the time the sky had become golden, she knew she got stood up.

marching her way back to her house, y/n held her head high until she slammed her bedroom door shut. sobs raked the girls body, tears running down her cheeks onto her shirt until it was thoroughly soaked. she held her face in her hands, wondering how in the span of two weeks she managed to get her heartbroken by the guy she had been hung up on for months, and then by a rich asshat.

sulking to her bed, y/n flopped down and shut her eyes. hoping that if she slept, by the time midsummer came around she would be to numb to care.

-

y/n slipped the tight, yellow dress, over her hips and smiled to herself. the buttercup color paired flawlessly with her skin, hair pulled back into a low bun. she only wore mascara and lipgloss, and a pair of white sandals as her shoes. 

y/n entered the car with her family, staying silent during the ride. she knew sarah and kie would be there, but she didn’t have to enter with a date unlike sarah. she slipped out of the car, quickly leaving her parents behind her as she made her way through the crowd. she disappeared into the back yard, looking for topper to give him a piece of her mind,

kiara noticed y/n first, biting the inside of her cheek before going towards her. she put her hand on y/n’s shoulder, making the girl jump. she turned, facing kiara and her stomach dropped.

“oh, hey..” y/n muttered, scratching the back of her neck as awkwardness settled in the air between the two. 

“hey. how you been?” kiara asked, hands on her hips now. y/n rolled her eyes, suddenly gaining her confidence back.

“good. great actually, y’know?” y/n sarcastically smiled turning and cutting the conversation short. kiara scoffed, turning and going back to where sarah and pope were. 

“she’s acting like a kook,” kie complained, rolling her eyes. sarah bit the inside of her cheek, staying quiet. “what?” kie noticed the look on her face, turning and looking at the girl.

“i was afraid she was gonna do this. every time somebody says something to her about acting to much like a pogue she freaks out.” sarah muttered, leaving the group in search of the girl.

instead, sarah bumped into jj, who was dressed as a waiter. he smiled, offering the girl a drink. “um, vlad?” jj grinned, trying to blend in. “john b told me to give you this,” the boy whispered, trying to be discreet. even though sarah and john b saw each other daily, he still had jj do his work for him. sarah took the note and took jj’s hand, muttering a quiet ‘come with me’. 

the two went to the back porch, where sarah blew up. “are you shittting me?” she hissed, pushing the boy back and catching her off guard. 

“woah mama, chill.” jj joked, but stopped smiling once he saw the look on her face. “what? what’d i do?” now he was confused and concerned, not even fully knowing what he did. 

“oh you never know.” sarah hissed, rubbing her hands onto her dress. her eyes caught toppers, both of them standing still as she stared into the eyes of her ex. she finally pulled away, sighing at jj. “y/n has gone full kook again,”

“damn, thats crazy. let me uh.. oh yeah. i don’t care.” jj shrugged, pushing past sarah. he ignored her calls, walking through the crowd. he bumped shoulders with y/n both giving each other a cold glare before continuing their walk. neither of them could help the butterflies in their stomach as they touched, but they pushed them down and continued their (mild, on y/n’s part) hatred for each other. 

y/n finally found topper, grabbing his arm with a pinch. he hissed, noticing who was holding his arm. “oh, y/n.” topper muttered, a bit confused on why she had suddenly dragged him through the crowd. y/n drug the boy into a somewhat empty room, except for a couple of parents mingling around.

“really?” y/n let his arm go, crossing her arms over her chest. topper shrugged, not knowing what she was talking about. in his hand that y/n wasn’t dragging he held a red solo cup. taking a long sip, he rocked from foot to foot. “you ditched me. remember?” y/n huffed, anger coursing through her body. she wished she had a blunt right now, but of course she had gone full kook and didn’t feel like blowing a crazy amount of money for weed.

“oh yeah.” topper spoke nonchalantly, obviously not bothered by the girls anger.

y/n groaned, turning on her heel away from the boy. she wanted to scream, pushing through the crowd angrily. she found her way to her mom, tugging on her dress. “when are we leaving?”

her mom laughed, shooing the girl away. y/n rolled her eyes, seeing sarah dancing in the middle of the crowd. she bit her inner cheek, knowing if sarah was there the rest of the mystery gang would be there too. she craned her neck, looking around for topper before slowly making her way to sarah.

“um, hey.” y/n muttered, a feeling of self-pity dowsing the girl. sarah turned, taking in the girls state before responding.

“hey, whats up?” sarah slung her arm around the girl, smiling at the randoms in the crowd she didn’t know. they quickly made their way off the dance floor, sarah taking her arm off of her. 

y/n shrugged, not making eye contact with the older. “hows everybody?” her voice was quiet, barely heard above the music. she rubbed her left arm with her hand, still not looking at sarah.

“good.” sarah was blunt, not on purpose but out of somewhat anger. she got blown off many times by the girl, just for her to come crawling back. like always. 

y/n nodded, finally looking at sarah. “i’m sorry, i always do this. i always do dumb shit and come right back,” she chuckled, looking away from sarah again.

sarah wrapped her arms around her, “i’m used to it.” she joked quietly, just standing there and holding y/n. y/n pulled away after a moment, smiling at sarah again.

“wheres everybody else?” referring to the pogues, sarah shrugged. 

“last i saw, jj went off being chased, kie and pope disappeared and john b.. isn’t here.” sarah said the last part with a sigh, eyes shutting momentarily before fluttering back open.

“jj?” y/n mumbled, more to herself. last she had seen of jj, they walked by each other with air so thick it would hard to be cut with a knife.

“yeah,” kie chimed in suddenly, using sarah as an armrest. “topper and rafe. i think kelce too,” she listed the people chasing the blonde, shrugging. “nothing to serious though. he probably just did something dumb and they got mad. they won’t beat him up now though.. i don’t think.”

y/n’s breath seemed to stop for a moment, breaking away from the group in a hurry. they called after her, but it seems pointless as she picked up the bottom of her dress and entered the huge building. she tripped occasionally over nothing, her breath never evening out. catching her breath outside of the bathrooms, she slid down the wall angrily. where the hell was he?

she slumped down the wall beside the bathrooms, her legs aching and telling her to stop. the door beside her swung open, revealing an old man who was seemingly very upset over the fact that boys are ‘always fighting’. this caught y/n’s attention, making her stand up quickly and slowly push the bathroom door open.

the first thing y/n heard was the sound of gasps as somebody tried to regain their breath, then she heard the voice of topper. “yeah, you like that?” he questioned in a threatening tone, and y/n watched him throw a punch as she rounded the corner. in the bathroom was topper, rafe and jj. jj’s body was limp, being held up by rafe as he got the shit beat out of him by topper. blood flew around the room, lip split and face bruising.

y/n bit the inside of her cheek, noticing rafe glance in her direction before dropping jj. “topper, lets split.” he mumbled, motioning to y/n. topper looked over, muttering something under his breath to rafe which got him to laugh.

“dont laugh, rafe, im sure your daddy wouldn't want to hear about your addiction.” y/n’s face was smug, arms crossing as she fully revealed herself. rafe’s eyes widened, grabbing toppers arm and dragging him out of the room quickly.

“this isn't over, pogue!” topper yelled as he was getting led out, the two boys scampering down the hall as fast as they could. 

y/n rolled her eyes, going over to the limp boy as careful as she could. jj was conscious, but not by much. she grabbed his arm, feeling for a pulse and letting out a small sigh of relief. she let go of his arm quickly, shaking his shoulders. “hey, wake up.” she shook him more aggressively, making the boy groan and finally open his eyes. they noticed how close they were to each other, both of their faces flushing as she scurried away from each other. the air between the two was thick, neither speaking up.

“so, what happened?” y/n questioned after a while, meeting the boys eyes. jj shrugged, sitting up and trying not to crush his ribs. he winced, hand going to his side as he leaned against the wall behind him.

“sarah said how topper ditched you and i don’t know, shitty move.” jj whispered, not even sure in the girl had heard him. y/n had confusion on her face, looking at him with her eyebrows furrowed. she cleared her throat, looking away from jj for a moment.

“you were defending me?” y/n spoke in the same, hushed tone. she felt if she spoke up, he’d get mad at her again and they wouldn’t be this.. calm.

jj shrugged, rolling his eyes. “don’t let it get to your head, princess.” his tone was cold, rubbing his eyes. his chest heaved, trying to stay at the same pace. he could barely move without feeling like his lungs were getting ripped out of his chest. “it was the least i could do,” he spoke again, head leaning back against the cold wall with his eyes closed.

“huh?” y/n looked at the position the boy was in. he looked so calm yet so uneasy at the same time. his chest was moving at an irregular pace, hand still over his rib. she noticed the boy didn’t respond, so she changed the subject. “why do you hate me?” her voice was smooth, but silent.

“i don’t. i try to, but i don’t.” jj shrugged, pulling his head back up and opening his eyes. they stared at each other in silence for a while, the only thing that could be heard was jj breathing heavily. “i’m not used to new people just.. coming in. especially kooks. they are, no offense, almost always two-faced. everybody liked you right from the start and it just… made me mad i guess.” jj rambled, tearing his eyes away from the girl and looking at the glossy shoes he wore.

y/n didn’t respond for a while, just taking in what jj said. “i never hated you.” jj spoke again once he realized y/n wasn’t going to talk. “i was just jealous. you get everything because you’re a kook, you have a good life and a big house and money and i’m stuck with.. nothing. i live, basically, in a shack. with a shitty home life.” he sighed, eyes shutting as his head leaned back against the wall.

“it’s not all that good.” y/n mumbled in a soft, quiet voice. “i mean, i have the house, and family.. but for what? i have no real friends except sarah and i can’t leave my house unless the perfect child is there. sarah’s everything i wish i was. she can leave whenever she wants, and shes gorgeous. and i just.. follow what she does. while everybody may like me they always end up.. using me. i’m never seen for who i really am.” she ranted, rubbing her temples with her hands. “and when i met the pogues i realized where i really wanted to be.”

“yeah, we’re cool like that.” jj joked, easing the air a little. y/n smiled, looking at jj.

“y’know, you’re.. funny.” y/n grinned cheesily, legs crossing. 

“oh yeah?” jj met her eyes, arm finally pulling away from his ribs.

“funny looking.” y/n sputtered out, covering her mouth as she started laughing.

jj put on a face of mock upset, looking away. “wow. now that one hurt.” he gasped, shaking his head. this made the girl laugh harder, her face turning red. jj joined in her laughter, two finally stopping minutes later and just holding eye contact.

“you’re really pretty.” jj spoke up, catching y/n off guard. she smiled softly, head tilting a little. 

“you are too.” y/n hummed, scooting a bit closer to jj. “the reason i left that day when you were talking shit about me.. it hurt. ever since i met you i’ve liked you. there’s something about you that just draws me close.” she mused, making the blonde’s face flush a little. from embarrassment of what he said that day but also because of how she felt with him.

“yeah i’m.. sorry. about that.” jj apologized, now looking away from y/n. “i don’t know what i was thinking. i think i just said that because… yeah no clue.” he grinned sheepishly, turning and facing y/n again.

jj’s eyes faltered from y/n’s eyes to lips for a moment, looking back up at the younger. they stayed silent, now sitting beside each other. when had they gotten so close? 

“have you ever kissed somebody in a bathroom?” jj wondered out loud, a smirk laid on his face.

y/n thought for a moment, “nah. i haven’t kissed anybody.. period.” she giggled, looking at jj with a look of anticipation. 

“mm, can i change that?” jj whispered, trying not to hurt himself as he moved closer. his hand wrapped around the back of y/n’s neck, pulling her close. y/n nodded, closing the small gap between them.

their stomach’s both did flips as they kissed. jj had kissed many, many people but it never felt like this. and they knew in that moment, that this wasn’t a one time thing. it would happen many times.

[smokydrake]

“Friendly Neighborhood Watch” | Young Sam x Reader | FLUFF

WARNINGS: suggestive, language

WORD COUNT: 6,485

DESCRIPTION: There are four days left of school before Graduation Day. It’s so goddamn obvious you and your childhood best friend Samuel Drake feel the same thing for each other… but you won’t say anything because you don’t want to risk your established friendship, and Sam doesn’t want to say anything because he can’t risk giving himself away. But when two people are a perfect match for each other, some things are bound to be revealed sooner or later.

This is technically Part 2 of “Trick of the Light”, but you don’t have to read that in order to understand this (regardless I’ll still leave the link to it below). I’m really pleased with how this one came out because it just makes my heart so happy like aw Sam :,)) It switches between Reader and Samuel so sorry if it’s kinda unclear as to whose POV you’re reading from haha *sweats intensely*

And I also wanna tag @le-ephemere @hyperionbabe @a-n-g-e-l-frommynightmare and @nataliarmnov because you guys are SO NICE and left such sweet comments on Part 1 ily please enjoy

Trick of the Light

Inspired by this song (Rather Be With You - Sinead Harnett)

The only reason why you were with Rafe Adler in the first place was because you were lonely.

Well, more like the one guy you were ever seriously in to never paid attention to you the way you wanted him to, and conveniently, Rafe Adler transferred to your shithole high school and you thought he’d be a lovely distraction.

Except that, despite getting together with Rafe, you still couldn’t get over your one true crush.

The boy next door, your childhood sweetheart, your best friend: Samuel Drake.

You remember precisely when you started crushing hard on that boy. You were in middle school, still in your semi-awkward tween stage, lost in the masses of equally confused prepubescent boys and girls trying to find their places in the social hierarchy. Sam was one of the popular kids; he and his little brother were both notorious for their mischievous methods of cutting class and their bright, cheeky grins. Always the one with extravagant (although mostly exaggerated) tales of adventures, it was expected for girls and boys to flock around Samuel Drake. His heady Bostonian voice and loopy grin managed to light up any room he walked into; Samuel Drake had this laid-back, passionate, and approachable dynamic.

And on top of that… it was almost painful how good-looking he was.

So when senior year of high school rolled around, it wasn’t a surprise that he’d be quarterback of the varsity football team and “Class Clown” in the annual yearbook. You can’t remember how many girls approached you, asking for your help as wing woman because you were his best friend. It was pathetic. One, because you felt used and grew wary whenever girls were friendly with you, two, because, well, you liked Samuel Drake, and you refused to be lumped into the same absurd group of those fanatical girls.

You knew it was petty. Using Rafe, who was a pretty decent guy (although occasionally quite full of himself) as a twisted form of self-preservation and a defense mechanism against rejection. Hell, it was plain shitty: you kissed him the night of the homecoming game knowing that the star quarterback was watching just to prove a nonexistent point. Sam probably didn’t even care that you were dating Rafe. He was always messing around with other girls, girls who were cheer captains and homecoming queens, gorgeous girls equally as popular as Sam.

It hurt you to feel this way for Sam; it was impossible for him to be romantically interested in you because you guys were best friends. There was nothing you could do. You had a thing for him, and it wasn’t like those little things that went away with time; it was one of those big things, the ones that you couldn’t control.

-

A light knocking on the wooden table interrupts your carefully-curated method of memorizing the historical timeline of the ancient Persian wars for your upcoming final exam.

Looking up from your history textbook, Samuel Drake, wearing his stupid half-smile and his stupid denim jacket that you’ve poked fun of countless times (yet love to see him in), lazily slides into the empty lunch table seat in front of you. You pull an earbud from your left ear.

“Hello? Anyone home?” He waves at you ridiculously, peering behind nonexistent windows and doorways.

“Wrong house,” you answer wryly.

Knowing that he now has your attention, Sam scoots forward in his seat and leans his chin on his knuckles. “Hi neighbor,” he says simply, almost suspiciously.

You raise an eyebrow, holding up a hand to stop him from saying anything more. “Not so fast. I know you’re up to something.”

He laughs a hearty laugh, and you feel his shoes underneath the table bump against your ankles when he leans back. Something skips in your chest. “You are too smart for your own good, y'know that?”

A smile triumphantly crosses your face. “I do know that.”

He narrows his eyes jokingly at you, and then shakes his head. “No one likes a know-it-all. You goin' to Nadine’s grad party tonight?” He then frowns and turns his attention to your open textbook. “Jeez, Y/N. We’re graduating in four days. And you’re still studying?” He flicks through a couple of pages, losing your reading spot.

“Hey!” You swat at his hands and yank the book from his grasp, earning you a poorly hidden grin. “You know, colleges can still decline acceptance if you have shit grades. So yes, I am studying. And thanks a lot, you lost my page.”

He winks at you. “No problem, I do my best.”

You roll your eyes at him, but you’re anything but upset. This is normal; Sam being happy-go-lucky about everything that you rarely ever see him serious, and you being the one constantly trying to keep him out of trouble. It is just another day spent with Samuel Drake and his carefree nature, dealing with his playful antics, and secretly being head-over-heels smitten with him.

“Hey but for real. Please go. I don’t wanna be lonely,” he pouts at you.

You sigh, abandoning your history notes. “I dunno. She’s kinda intimidating.”

At this, Sam scoffs. “C’mon, Nadine’s the nicest person ever. Sort of. But whatever, I heard there’s gonna be a shit-ton of booze,” he wiggles his eyebrows.

“Ew, stop that,” you scrunch your nose, reaching out to hold his squirming eyebrows in place with your thumbs.

“Why? You don’t find it attractive?”

“No!” Your scowl grows into a giggle, and Sam laughs at your laughing. You shove his shoulder once, playfully, and then he pinches your dimples with a thumb and forefinger. “Fine, I’ll think about it,” you finally say.

Sam raps his fingers on the edge of the table. “Sweet. Where’s Rafe?”

“He’s in the library studying.”

“Not here with you?”

You shrug, unconcerned. It didn’t even cross your mind that Rafe isn’t with you until Sam had brought it up.

You two sit at the table quietly, unsure where to continue with conversation. Normally, there aren’t many awkward silences between you two. But, ever since that night, things have been a little… different.

The night you caught Sam watching you touch yourself.

In all honesty, what you did was partially in the spur of the moment and partially somewhat thought out. You had heard the ping of your text notifications, one unread message from a Sam Drake, and you just happened to have noticed him at his window, merely a dark figure shadowed by his almost-closed blinds. Driven by your high, you found his gaze and held onto it, turned on by the fact that he was watching you. Little did he know that it was him in your thoughts, doing all sorts of unsayable things to you.

You both have yet to acknowledge it. So far, you’ve been acting as if nothing happened. Sam is doing the same. You’re not sure what will happen if you say something about it, and part of you doesn’t want to know. But what you do know for sure is that there are new tensions between you and Samuel Drake, and they cannot be contained for long.

Sam opens his mouth to say something, but then the shrill ringing of the lunch bell interrupts his train of thought. He closes his lips with a tight smile and gets up from the table. “Later neighbor,” he calls to you with a flash of a smile before disappearing into the crowd of chattering backpacks and textbooks.

-

“Hey, what are you supposed to wear to grad parties anyway?”

At the sound of her voice, Samuel’s ears perked up. Dramatically, he turned in his swivel chair to see Y/N leaning out the window of her room, her elbows resting on the white windowsill and lips pressed into a perfect pout. Sam’s blinds were up and his window was open too, giving him full view of her room a couple of meters across from his. Her hair was curled and pinned up with rollers, and Samuel thought she looked stupid adorable.

He checked the digital clock on his desk. It was 6:40pm, and the sun was drowning itself in the invasive night sky. He shrugged at the girl next door. “Hell if I know. Check that Pinspiration site, or whatever.” He threw a crumpled math worksheet through his window at her, which she batted away with ease, conditioned by years of practice.

“Ha, nice try. It’s in your yard,” she teased, pointing at the small wad of paper near the bottom side of his fence. Then she made a face at him. “Wait, did you seriously just say Pinspiration? Sam, it’s called Pinterest.”

He grinned quietly, pretending to turn his attention back to the video playing on his desktop. He heard her groan and mutter something under her breath before turning away from the window.

He cherished moments like this: how casual they were with each other. But time was ticking. They were graduating in just a handful of days. Afterwards, summer would fly by in the blink of an eye, and then she’d be gone, off to an Ivy League in the south. He had gotten a football scholarship to a college on the East Coast, and he calculated; he’d be 2,660 miles away from home.

Away from her.

It stabbed at his chest every time he thought about it. He was happy here. Of course, he was also excited for college, but he knew that there would be no place like home. It was only a matter of time before they would have to part ways, and he wasn’t sure how well he was going to handle good-byes.

Something light smacked against his hair, hitting the floor at his feet with a small thunk.

“Take that, Samuel Drake!” Her voice rang again, this time louder and full of glee. She had chucked her own paper ammunition at him, catching him off guard as he swam through his dismal thoughts.

Sam turned to the window again and raised both eyebrows. He reached to swipe the crumpled ball from the ground and leaned back in his chair, shaking his head at her as she did a little dance of victory. She had taken the rollers out, and her hair cascaded down her shoulders and curved against her rosy cheeks. He bit his lip out of habit, wishing that he could keep her forever.

“Now pay attention to me,” she huffed. “How’s this?” She called to him, pushing back her powder blue curtains so that he could get a better look. She was wearing a sleeveless top and a casual pair of jeans, and he admired how she could make something so simple look so effortlessly sexy.

“Great,” he replied coolly, masking the effect she had on him. “You ready to go? I can give you a ride.”

He hoped she would say yes. He drove a motorcycle: a silver Suzuki 500cc that he absolutely loved to death. He had only taken her on it once. He remembered distinctly what it was like to have the icy wind slice at his skin while her warm arms were wrapped tightly around his body. Those were probably the two best feelings in the whole entire world.

But she just shook her head and waved a dismissive hand at him. “It’s okay, my friends are taking me tonight. I’ll just meet you there?”

“Sure,” He said back, getting up from his seat to stretch his arms and to hide his disappointment. “See you in a few.”

-

Nadine’s party is huge. You’re not talking about the house itself; it’s a cookie-cutter two story like yours, but the party… it’s the biggest bash you’ve ever laid your eyes upon.

Her house is brightly lit, thudding energetically with the beat of R&B and crowded with cars parked dangerously along the curb. Teenagers line the front lawn, in the open garage, on the roof; it’s almost chaotic.

“Shit, this place is sick,” your friends squeal, eagerly linking their arms through both of your elbows.

You and your small group work your way inside the house, pushing through the huddled groups of people, some sober, some utterly wasted. Couples hide behind not-so-hidden corners making out, and somewhere at the back of the house, you can hear ecstatic hollering after a round of beer pong. You can’t help but laugh; Nadine’s is something straight out of a 90’s high school chick flick.

You and your friends are finally in the living room, and everywhere you look, there are just people, more people, and even more people. Coincidentally, you make eye contact with Nadine Ross, prom queen two years in a row and salutatorian of your class, lounging on her sofa with her enviously attractive group of friends. She gives you a welcoming grin and you return it to the best of your abilities, secretly giddy at the fact that you’ve been acknowledged by the Nadine Ross.

Your friend at your right elbow tugs at your arm and points across the room. “Ooh, girl, there’s your man,” she coos.

For a second, you think of Sam. Your heart does a little dance, but when you turn your gaze, it’s not who you’re thinking of. Instead, your darkly handsome and lean boyfriend, Rafe Adler, stands in the kitchen, chatting with a couple of his lacrosse teammates, bumping fists and red Solo cups. You blush when your friends tease you, embarrassed by their suggestive remarks.

“Go get ‘em, tiger,” your other friend jokes, bumping your hip towards Rafe in the kitchen. Before you can even refuse, they’re gone, off mingling with others in an instant. You sigh, secretly amused by their playfulness as you wiggle your way through dancing bodies and sloshing alcoholic drinks.

You’re about to call out to Rafe when you catch the familiar tuft of messy brown hair and easy eyes from the corner of your eyesight. Samuel Drake leans against the dimly lit wall a little to your right, barely visible behind some vaguely familiar band kids passing around a blunt.

Butterflies float happily in your stomach. Rafe forgotten, you turn towards Sam’s direction with a grin on your face. You make your way through the band kids, peering over tall heads before you spot him.

Him and Crystal.

You stop in your tracks just before the two of them notice you. Sam has his hand on her waist and she is close, very close, to him that her blonde hair is pressed against his jawline.

Crystal was only one of the many pretty girls Sam has been on and off with in the past. She was one of the recurring ones, the ones that you saw Sam kiss goodbye on his motorcycle, saw Sam argue with, saw Sam make up with, saw Sam bring back home in the dead of the night. Crystal was his problematic favorite and your problematic problem.

You feel a sharp plummet in your stomach. You want to unsee them together, but you can’t. So you retreat quietly, disappearing from their line of sight.

As you turn to weave through the band kids again, your mood makes a significant turn for the worse. You feel left out and ignored. Sam invited you here tonight, for what? He looked happy with Crystal. Seeing them together served as a reminder that he saw you, vulnerable and dressed in nothing but moonlight, but still felt nothing for you.

You are almost frustrated to the point of tears. Blinking your eyes furiously, you push your way to the kitchen where Rafe is and wave him down. He takes notice of you quickly, and you are thankful for the distraction.

“Y/N,” Your boyfriend calls, reaching out to wrap an arm around your shoulder. “Hey stranger,” he smiles easily, handing you his cup in hand.

You take a swig at the drink and peck his cheek. You know it’s awful. You’re playing Rafe, keeping him around so that you won’t feel lonely. What you have with him is nothing like what you have with Sam; the chemistry isn’t as natural. But you’re tired of waiting for someone who doesn’t love you the way you love them. You’ve been playing this game of chase for too long… maybe it was time to put it in the past.

-

It shouldn’t have mattered, should’ve it?

Y/N was dating Rafe, and he was dating Crystal.

No, “dating” wasn’t the right term for it– Samuel was talking to Crystal. They weren’t official or anything like that; just a boy and a girl looking for something to keep themselves occupied with in the meantime.

Why was he so annoyed?

He had to admit. He wasn’t expecting Crystal to be at the party, let alone get distracted by her presence and easy conversation. What he really wanted was to get a chance to spend his final high school nights with, Y/N, the girl of his dreams, and then take her home on his motorcycle, where he’d get the chance to tell her how he really felt.

But it was harder than it sounded.

Occasionally, he would look around while Crystal was talking, casually searching the perimeter for Y/N. She was nowhere in sight… oh. There she was.

Y/N was in the kitchen, drinking whatever cheap liquor Nadine had lining the cluttered countertops. Rafe was there too, knocking back shots. Samuel noticed that she was drinking heavily, laughing with her boyfriend inaudibly over the pounding music.

She was never like this.

Samuel knew that Y/N wasn’t the best at holding down her alcohol. Two or three shots, tops. But at the alarming rate she was going at… things were not going to end well.

He was getting worried, anxious. What was she doing? She usually knew her limits… she was always the sensible one between the two of them.

“Hey, Sam.”

Samuel turned to look at Crystal who now stood further away from him. Her small arms were crossed and her languid body faced his, but her blue eyes were elsewhere. He followed her line of sight, and saw that she too was looking at Y/N in the kitchen.

“You have feelings for her, don’t you?”

Her tone wasn’t accusatory, nor was it angry.

Samuel didn’t know what to say. He had never said it out loud before.

“It’s really not that hard, you know. To tell her.”

Samuel laughed dryly at this. He didn’t mean for it to sound so scornful, but it did. “What? I don’t know what--”

She shook her head at him apathetically. “Stop. Just stop it.”

He looked at her. Really looked at her. Crystal was a girl that he had spent a lot of time with only because the girl he really wanted wasn’t for him to call his. Now, looking at her, he realized that she not only was she attractive; she was observant, keen, and probably better off without him.

She only stared back, and the two of them stood there, looking at each other with mutual dispassion.

“You need to stop lying to yourself, Sam. It doesn’t help anybody.”

She was first to walk away, and Samuel knew that she wouldn’t be coming back. And he was thankful for that in a bittersweet way.

-

“SHIT, THE COPS!”

“EVERYONE, GET OUT!”

You’re not exactly sure what that means.

Oh, wait– something bad. You should maybe leave, like now.

Rafe is gone. You don’t know where he went; it’s like he disappeared into thin air. Your friends are also nowhere in sight, and all you can see are people scrambling, jumping, and running everywhere.

It’s hard for you to focus; everything around you is disoriented and your vision spins every once in a while. You try to get up, but your knees give out and you end up stumbling against the kitchen counter. You giggle, tipsy from those shots you and Rafe did together just a second ago.

A tall, familiar body approaches you. “Y/N! We gotta go!”

Oh.

Him.

Sam Drake. That stupid boy next door that gave your heart way too much grief. You want to be done with him and his pretty face and mild smolder. He’s looking at you now with frantic, annoying puppy eyes. Why did he come back for you? Where is Rafe?

“I don’t wanna,” you try to say, but your voice comes out in a tiny whisper.

“Nope, not an option,” he says as he wraps an arm around your abdomen and hoists you up. He mutters something under his breath that you can’t catch as he leads you out of the house. The two of you are outside on the front lawn when you hear the sirens and see the illuminated red and blue flashing.

“Damn it,” Sam curses under his breath, his eyes frantically searching around. “C’mon, this way.”

Lacking any serious concern, you hobble after Sam with your hand in his towards the back end of the street, where his red and silver motorcycle parks under a low shade of tree branches. You notice its ruggedness and classic build, and you take note of the familiar characteristics of its proud owner.

Sam swiftly hops onto his motorcycle. He snaps back the kickstand with his heel and flicks on the headlight. He gives you a sideways glance and jabs his thumb at the small space behind him. “Get on and hold tight, you hear me?”

You nod sleepily. Slowly climbing on behind him, you wrap your arms around his waist and press your cheek to his back, happy to be so close to him. He smells like a fresh shower and cloudy engine smoke.

Muffled shadows of running people scatter all around in flashing red and blue. The motorcycle jerks forward with a sputter, and then the two of you shoot off, the sound of whining sirens gradually dissipating into the dark. You gasp, taken aback by the hurtling momentum. Your surroundings race by at hyper-speed, but your eyes can only process things one at a time. Everything around you is a blur of color; the green traffic lights, the glowing red shop signs, the flickering yellow of the streetlamps. Your eyes start to roll to the back of your head.

“Everything okay back there?” Sam shouts to the air, turning his head slightly to look at you. You blink your eyes, trying to keep them open. He’s the one thing you can see clearly; his hair is tousled by the wind, his freckles are pinkish-red from the cool air, and his hazel eyes are fiery and alive. A neon fusion of color frames his face, reminiscent of a static VHS glitch.

You try to tighten your grip on him, but your head dizzies. Your muscles don’t comply and your arms start to slip from his waist.

“Hey, hey!” One of Sam’s hands catches your wrists, holding them in place. “You keep your arms around me, a’right?”

“Mkay,” you hiccup and your forehead knocks against his shoulder blade.

“Jesus, Y/N. You’re giving me a heart attack.”

“Sam, I wanna go home.”

You vaguely feel a gentle squeeze of his hands on yours, a silent physical “okay”. Sam kicks up the speed, and then the two of you dart off again, weaving between dark cars on the streets, leaving behind a trail of rubber and smoke and sleepy laughter.

-

He felt alive.

His motorcycle reverberated violently underneath him, hungry for speed. Faster. He needed to go faster.

Samuel shifted the motorcycle up a gear, giving him less resistance and more traction. He accelerated noisily around the corner and through empty lanes, his heart pounding furiously at every drunk giggle that erupted from Y/N’s lips.

God, he felt so good.

The air lashed at his face, whipping his hair furiously against his forehead and neck. He couldn’t help it; a smile crept up his face, soon followed by a loud whoop of exhilaration. Y/N laughed even harder at this, and Samuel did it again, basking in the thrill of the night and her voice.  

The arms around his stomach tightened.

“Wait, waitwaitSamwait–“

Samuel instantly gripped the brakes, screeching his motorcycle. “What? What??”

“I’mgonnathrowup–“

“Son of a–!” He tried his best to pull over quickly, and Y/N hopped from of the backseat before he could come to a full stop. She hurried to the nearest bush at the edge of the streetlight and immediately started to heave, coughing up her night’s inventory of alcohol.

Samuel followed, catching her hair just in the nick of time. He pulled it away from her face, rubbing a palm against her hunched back patiently.

When she was finally done, he helped her up by the crook of her elbow and kept a hand at the dip of her waist to steady her. “You good?”

She nodded, blinking her dark eyes. “Oh man. Do I regret,” she groaned.

Samuel exhaled heavily, a fuddled wave of aggravation and worry washing over him. Without thinking, he said disdainfully, “do you now?”

She gave him a look; he couldn’t tell if it was confusion or annoyance.

“Uh, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Sam was taken aback by the tone of her voice; was she angry? He raked a hand through his hair. “You know you can’t hold your drinks, but you go and knock back like, fifty shots.”

Wrong move. Her eyebrows pulled even closer, and she pushed out of his arms. “It’s a party, Sam. I can do whatever I want.”

He knew that arguing back was just going to make her even more irritated, but he knew she was wrong– or he thought he knew she was wrong– and that was starting to make him mad too. “You’re never like this. Did Rafe make you do them or somethin’?”

“No! Rafe’s not like that. He’s my boyfriend.”

“A pretty shit one.”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothin’. Forget it.”

She shifted from one leg to the other impatiently. “No, Sam. I hate it when you do that. Just say it.” she pressed angrily.

There was a thin line between the two of them, and he was very close to crossing it. He contemplated whether or not he wanted to. “You’re being blindsided, Y/N.” He warned.

She scoffed, dismissing him. “There you go again.”

Suddenly, he said, “Then tell me why he just left you in the kitchen when the cops came, huh?”

He had struck a nerve. Y/N gave a short huff of realization and her shoulders tensed harshly. She narrowed her eyes at him. “You don’t know that.”

He waved a hand frantically in the air and let out a humorless laugh. “Seriously? Y/N, I saw him! That prick cares about nobody but himself.”

Something simmered behind her eyes, and instantly, Samuel regretted his words.

Shit, shit--

She raised a shaky finger at him. “Don’t.”

She was hurt now and he couldn’t put his emotions into words in fear of giving himself away. It was as if every time he tried, it only escalated into something offensive. It frustrated and angered him even further.

He closed his eyes and sighed, thinking of how to diffuse his mess. “I’m just… worried about you.”

She went quiet for a bit, and it troubled him.

“Well, I’m fine. I’m just trying to have fun, okay?”

He looked away from her, over her shoulder. He hadn’t noticed earlier, but he had actually pulled over near his workplace: the small boat dock at the edge of town. They stood at the larger part of the harbor where the metal railing separated the city from the sea.

Crystal’s words hissed in his ear. You need to stop lying to yourself, Sam.

Y/N said nothing further, walking a little ways from him along the wooden floorboards of the dock. On she went, a pretty figure framed in starlight against the dark ocean.

It doesn’t help anybody.

His feelings were getting out of hand and he was running out of time… but he was afraid. He didn’t want to lose what he had with her already; what more did he want? Y/N was there whenever he needed her, to catch him when he was on the brink of danger, to smile and to laugh at his less-than-funny jokes. This should be enough, he told himself. Stop being greedy.

But Samuel Drake… he couldn’t help that he wanted more than what he had. That was just in his nature; “satisfaction” was a loose term in his range of vocabulary.

He had to let her know. Somehow.

He sucked in his breath. “Did you do it on purpose?”

She stopped walking and turned around, standing about a meter or two away with her head tilted slightly. “Do what on purpose?”

Uh, definitely not how he wanted to start. Oh well. It was too late now.

He swallowed his pride and went for it. “That night, at the window. You know what I’m talking about.”

She didn’t say anything. She couldn’t say anything. What was there to say?

He didn’t press her. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted to tell her; he was terrible with words. They just never came out the way he felt in his heart. He didn’t know where he was going with this… maybe he just wanted hear her say that she knew and that it wouldn’t work out and then they could move on with their lives. Just like that. Simple.

He was about to tell her to forget it, to pretend like it never happened, but then he saw her nod once, curtly, hiding secretly behind her wind-tossed mane.

He was awestruck.

She rocked on the heels of her feet. “It kinda just… happened. I saw you, and I just…” she trailed off, biting a nail as she avoided his stare. The distance between them felt foreign, vast.

Samuel cleared his throat. “You don’t have to explain yourself. I mean, I know it was wrong.” She gave him a puzzled look, and then he caught himself. “Wait, no– like, what I did was wrong. Not you,” he stuttered, unable to stop the words from tumbling out. He felt his face burning.

She giggled at this, brushing back the wisps of hair from her forehead.

Samuel grimaced, but her smile was contagious. “Y’know, I can just pretend like I didn’t see anything.”

She looked at him, and again, he couldn’t read her expression. She looked perplexed, unsure… contemplative?

She took a step forward.

“You don’t… you don’t have to.”

-

Damn him, that Samuel Drake. He knew how to press your buttons and piss you off, even if he didn’t mean to. But this… this caught you off-guard. He was being brash, impulsive-- curious. He had asked you about that night two weeks ago, openly, giving you no space to dodge and flee.

What would happen if you told the truth?

“You don’t… you don’t have to.” You murmur, releasing your words cautiously into the air.

Did he hear you? Did you say it loud enough, or did it get lost in the faint crashing of waves underneath you two?

No– he definitely heard you. You watch his eyes widen and his head jerk back in surprise. Was he appalled? Uncomfortable?

Oh well. Too late now.

You suck in your breath. “I mean, if you don’t want to. Do you… do you want to forget?”

Ugh okay. That came out really weird. You’re about to tell him to forget it, nevermind, you meant to say something else–

His voice is barely a whisper. “Are you kidding?”

You frown. “No.”

You watch Samuel Drake, the confident and boisterous and handsome Samuel Drake, as he presses his hand against his forehead and ducks his gaze away from yours.

“I haven’t been able to get you outta my head for the past two weeks.”

…what?

Oh no, he was repulsed. You stammer, “I-I… jeez, I didn’t know. I’m sorry, I didn’t know it made you feel that uncomfortable–”

“What? No, no– that’s not what I meant,” he drops his hand and takes a step towards you.

Then what…

“Listen. Y/N.”

You watch as he grabs a fistful of his dark hair– you know what that means. He’s at a loss for words; he wants to say something badly, but he just doesn’t know how.

So you wait, focusing on the rhythmic thumping in your chest. You don’t push him; you know Sam Drake and his habits and his tendencies. You know that he’s not the serious one in your guys’ dynamic. This is different for him– this is difficult for him– and so you let him work it out at his own pace.

You notice the precise moment when he does. His eyes flick up, realigning with yours, and then his throat dips as he swallows hard.

“I… I might have a thing for you. Kinda.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

You pause briefly to consider your words.

“That’s funny. Because me too.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.”

A little sound of disbelief escapes your lips. He catches it, and returns it to you as a louder chuckle. You both are dumbstruck, jittery, and at a loss as to what to do or say. This is actually happening.

“Wait, wait-- what about Rafe?” He suddenly asks, pointing a finger at you.

You cross your arms. “That’s a little hypocritical, don’t you think?”

“What do you mean?”

“Crystal?”

He drops his hand. “Okay.”

And then he’s laughing. And you start laughing at his laughing, because his laugh is just that infectious. He reaches out to you with outstretched hands and you walk over dizzily, fitting snug right between his arms. He’s warm and you can hear his heart beating powerfully underneath his gray Henley. His chin rests on the top of your head, and you know, deep inside of your heart, that this is where you belong.

-

Samuel told her.

It wasn’t super dramatic or sweet and a part of him regretted telling her so plainly, but he did it.

And the best part was, she felt the same way.

He couldn’t believe it. It took him years to finally tell her, and now he regretted not doing it sooner. He wanted to explode; he had never felt so raw and alive. It was as if a burden heavy as lead lifted from his shoulders and was replaced by a flitting, floating, airy happiness that sent him up and up and up.

“Since when though?” He asked the top of her head.

She tilted her chin up, resting it against his collarbone to look at him. A cheeky grin danced on her lips. “Uhh, yesterday.”

“Very funny.”

“You’re asking a lot of questions.”

“Please tell me?” He gave her that look, the one where he gazed at her broodingly through his eyelashes and up-turned eyebrows. He used it often to combat her witty and much too smart quips.

It worked on her like a charm and she said, “Eighth grade.”

“Don’t lie to me,” he warned her.

She glowered. “I’m being serious!” She poked a finger at his side, and he jerked into her, causing her to give him a winning smirk. “And you?”

“Don’t remember,” he mumbled, distracted by how soft her hair was against his neck.

“Are you sure? Like, really sure?” She mumbled back.

He snapped a finger, feigning recollection. “Sophomore year. When you almost fell outta your window climbing into mine. You were tryin’ to hide from your mom when she found your report card you threw behind that old bookshelf.”

“Wow, okay. Can you be a little more specific?”

He grinned at this. “You knocked over my entire Indiana Jones figure collection climbin’ in and that’s how I knew you were the one.”

“I was being sarcastic.”

“I know.”

She stuck her tongue out at him before burying her face in his chest. She sighed a long, blissful sigh, and Samuel knew exactly what she felt in that very moment.

“You know, I’m gonna miss you in college.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re supposed to say ‘me too’, Sam.”

“Me too, Sam.”

She poked another finger at his side, and he scowled, squeezing her cheeks between his free thumb and forefinger like he did whenever she was playing around too much. “Hey watch it, neighbor, that hurts.”

“Sorry, neighbor.”

Then, gradually, she got on her tip-toes and looked right at him, their noses touching, and suddenly, he was all too aware of her. Something in her eyes changed; they were all at once curious and unfocused. He soon realized that she wasn’t looking at him anymore– she was looking at his bottom lip. He watched as she bit her own.

They stayed like that for some time, until it became unbearable. Neither of them wanted to make the first move… it was exhilarating just as it was scary.

“Do something Samuel Drake,” she whispered to him.

Her words were like an activation code; a euphoric green “GO” sign lit up his brain upstairs. So then, slowly, he brought his lips to hers, his fingertips tenderly resting just against her jaw. It lasted only for a fleeting second. Her eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a butterfly, and Samuel wished that he could capture the moment and keep it safe in a glass bottle for him to relive again and again.

No other person made him this gushy and weak in the knees. She was a magician of sorts and he was her favorite trick. He would do anything for the girl standing here in front of him, and now, he could do it confidently.

“Can you do that again?” She smiled against his lips.

“Yeah, I’ll do that again.”

And Samuel kissed her once more under the moon’s watch and the ocean’s breath, and nothing else in the world mattered more. They both knew that in that moment, there was no other person they would’ve rather been with, and this was more precious than they could’ve ever imagined. He no longer felt afraid knowing that she was there for him to call his own, and she no longer felt overshadowed by the boy who had always thought she was unattainable.

It was a match made by the stars, and they watched protectively overhead, safeguarding the two under the youthful evening blanket.