(chapter eleven)

She was walking with Twix like every morning, her headphones playing The Killers as she payed attention to her surroundings. It was spotless, but the falling apart van parked a little away from her house caught her attention.

And the mess of blonde hair was easy to recognize when she saw him waving.

"Hey, princess," JJ smirked seeing her approach, getting out of the van, and bending down to pet the orange fluffball that was batting his tail at the blonde boy.

Her brown eyes fitted the other three pogues watching then carefully, Kiara had a bitter look on her face, while Pope and John B waved at her and she waved back.

"So, what's up?" She asked, seeing as the boy picked up Twix. The dog licking JJ's face as the boy tried to make him to stop. "Twix, no."

The dog obeyed his owner, but seemed happy with the ear scratches JJ was giving him.

"I can see you have light in you house already," he pointed with his head to the house, so she just nodded. "Do you have internet?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Look, we were looking on John B's dad office..." He started, looking at his friend quickly, before continuing. "And we think we found one thing on his notes, uh, coordinates. And we don't have energy nor batteries, and we think it might be something it can lead us to Big John-"

"No, yes, of course," she understood, passing her hand through her hair as she pointed back to the house. "I'll grab my laptop so you can search it up."

"Good, good. Perfect." JJ smiled, and a the pogues didn't say anything, just nodded at each other in agreement.

"You mind holding him for a little bit?" Clara looked at Twix, who seemed more than comfortable in JJ's hold, and the boy bobbed his head, turning to his friends as she walked back inside the house.

"See, told you she would help." JJ looked convinced to his friends, as Kiara rolled her eyes.

"And you trust she won't try to look for it either?"

"Why? She thinks it's about John B's dad." He remarked, holding the dog with his other arm so Pope could pet him. "Look, her dad is Richard Campbell. He taught us how to surf he's a nice guy, and I doubt she's different."

"You don't know her. I do, and she's just as bad as Sarah." Kie glared at Twix, the small dog bitting playfully John B's finger as the boy smiled at him.

"I kinda do, and she trusts me with her dog," JJ shrugged, looking back when he heard the the door closing. "Dogs are really good in telling character."

Clara walked down the steps, her notebook in hands as she got close to the van again. John B held out his hand so he could take the laptop when she handed to him. Grabbing Twix in her arms, the small dog resting his head on her neck, she watched a few steps away while Pope typed out the coordinates, the four Pogues talking in whispers to each other.

She bounced back and forth on her feet, looking around, waving with a smile to one of the older neighbours that was looking with suspicion to the van.

"Okay!" JJ clapped his hands, as John B closed the laptop giving it back to her, as she put the dog on the ground, leash in hand.

"Thank you, Clara," John B said, his tone genuine as he gave her a soft smile, and she return it.

"Hope you can find whatever you're looking for, JB." She smiled back, letting Pope pet Twix one more time. "And now we're even, JJ."

The blonde boy nodded, entering the van once again as she walked back, watching them drive away. Entering her house, she took off her dog's leash off, going back to her room, only to feel her phone buzz in her pocket when she put the laptop on her bed.

"Hello?" She asked when she picked up, not having the contact saved.

"It's me," the unknown boy's voice answered, and she furrowed her eyebrows. Almost like he sensed her confusion he quickly added. "Ian Osborn."

"How did you get my number?"

"Topper, and he was awfully easy to give it to me," he mused, before turning serious. "You told me you knew a place that's cheaper to buy."

"Yeah, and what about it?" Clara looked through her books, trying to find one to read, only to drop her shoulders when she realized she read all of them already.

"Can you take me there? We can buy for Peter for you not to owe him anything."

"Sure, text me your adress and I'll pick you up."

++++

"I need to warn you," Clara said as she parked in front of the trailer, looking at Ian sat beside her. The boy looked at her waiting for her to continue. "Don't piss him off. You have the money to pay him, don't have a debt, alright?"

"Trying to scare me?" He smiled, shuffling with his bag to show her the money. "I may never had bought from an actual drug dealer, but I think I might have it covered."

"I don't know, it's always good to make sure you know what you're doing," she shrugged, unlocking the car. "I know I can't stop you from actually using it, so it's better to make sure the ones you got are really good ones."

The boy stared at her, a crease between his eyebrows as he stared at her.

"How do you know all this?"

"Well, you see. My dad is a really good friend with Shoupe, and he knows this guy. Tried to arrest him a couple times, but they never found anything with all the search warrants. He's the main provider from all the drug dealers around the Obx, it's hard to catch someone like that."

Ian gazed to the trailer, raising an eyebrow at her information.

"Drug money sometimes goes to the cops here too, almost – if not all – of them are corrupts. We, better than anyone, know this."

He nodded, exhaling through his mouth as he put the money on his beach shorts. A white tank top and slippers on his foot to not draw too much attention to himself. Clara was using a shorts and croptop, since it was insanely hot.

"You're coming with me?" The boy asked, looking like a kicked out puppy with big brown eyes staring back at her, and she gave him a look.

"Thought you said you had it covered."

"I do money wise, okay? Not really good at dealing, and I don't even know his name," he unclicked his seatbelt, a plead still in his eyes. "Please?"

And for a couple seconds staring at him, she sighed, unlocking her seatbelt and opening the door, the boy following her movements. Locking the car she made her way inside, moving between people she never saw in her life, but one particular face stood up.

JJ's father was sitting beside a few other people, throwing his head back after taking a sniff off a line. Clara was thankful he was too high to actually recognize her.

"And what do we have here?" A not much older man's voice sounded behind them, and she turned to see the infamous drug dealer, not much older than 24 years old. "You two smell like kooks."

Clara gave him a sarcastic smile, crossing her arms.

"We came here to buy a few..." she looked at the boy beside her, who stayed in silence until he realized it was his turn to talk.

"Pills of oxys." Ian replied, seeing the amused expression on the man's face.

"Cute little ones, huh?" Barry joked, taking a sip of his beer. "Got the money?"

Ian nodded, grabbing the bills from his pockets and showing to the man, who nodded.

"'Right, follow me."

And he started walking to one of the rooms, excusing himself as he stepped between a few people to get through, Ian following him and Clara not far behind.

"How much do you want?" Barry asked again, going through his bag as he looked up st the two.

"A tablet or two of 60 mg," Ian answered, making the man whistle, while Clara looked at him with wide eyes.

"Gonna be a little expensive, little guy."

"I have the money," he dismissed. Barry then took the two tablets, handing then to the Ian as he handed the money back.

"Just don't die, it's bad for business. You know the way out."

Barry started going through his bag again, as a sigh for the two to leave his sight, so Clara just walked backwards, touching Ian's arm so he could follow.

Entering her car again, she put in reverse as Ian opened three pills and put them on the sane plastic bag from the night before.

"You were right. It was cheaper," he broke the silence, offering the tablet to the girl, who shook her head. "Take your part."

"I don't do drugs," she looked at him quickly, before returning her attention to the road ahead.

"Now that's hard to believe, you know awfully a lot about it." he chuckled, scratching his neck then looking at the plastic bag. "Let's pretend that this was what we owe to Peter. Can you drop me off at his house so we can just not owe him anything?"

"Sure."

When she turned right where Ian pointed, her phone started ringing, so she looked briefly at the screen to read the contect name, then answered.

"Tell me you can pick me up," Sarah's voice ringed through the car speaker, Ian shooting her a glance.

"Depends where you are."

"I'm at the Cut. John B's house." Clara furrowed her eyebrows, looking at Ian, who shrugged his shoulders as a way to say he was okay.

"Sure, I'll be there in a few."

With a thanks, Sarah ended the call. The car was silent from any conversation, instead Ian was just singing along the songs that were playing on the radio.

The chateau came closer to her view, where Sarah stood, her pose uncomfortable. She smiled when she saw the car, but had a curious expression to see the seat next to Clara occupied. Entering the backseat she was quick to ask.

"Who's he?"

"Ian, pleasure miss Cameron," the boy sent her a charming smile, as Sarah made a face shooting a look to Clara in disgust.

"Okay, what is he doing here?" The question was directed to her best friend, huffing as she put the seatbelt, ignoring the boy.

"He asked me for a lift. We were just back from the beach."

Sarah hummed, not really buying the answer, but didn't say anything to contradict the information as she saw the wet hair of her friend, observing Ian telling the older girl where to go.

After dropping him off at Peter's, Sarah moved to the front seat, still looking at Clara while the brown haired girl stared at her back.

"What?"

"What was that?" Sarah asked, while the girl opened her mouth, looking straight ahead at the road. "Who was he?"

"I told you. He's from school, and we talked last night at Topper's. I was at the beach earlier and he had gotten out of the sea, asking if I could bring him here, his parents are out of town."

"Why don't I believe you?" Her eyes were in slits, analyzing her friend.

"Well I don't know, you tell me," she expressed, turning a right. "Where do you wanna go, anyway? We can't just drive in circles. Want me to drop you a Topper's?"

"Anywhere but there," she grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Now that's new, you two seemed extra cozy last night?"

"Well, we're not."

"Why? What happened?"

"Can you just leave it, Clara? I swear sometimes it's like you can't take a hint!" Clara looked at the blonde girl with raised eyebrows, just nodding her head. "The last thing I need now is someone annoying me."

And now they sat in silence. It wasn't common for Sarah to snap at her, and she felt her eyes watered. Clara hated when people raised her voice, and it may not seem but the words hurt her. And wanting or not insecurities started flowing up her brain.

Parking outside the Cameron's state she heard Sarah said a small thanks as she got out walking away. Clara then turned her car around, not seeing her dirty blonde haired friend turn around.

Sarah bit her lip in regret, but now it was the black car driving away, as she kept standing there watching it leave.

++++

Clara wasn't sure about what had woken her up, between the loud voice of Steven on the first floor echoing around the house or her phone buzzing on her chest.

She closed her eyes again, trying to shield them from the light of the phone screen, and she could barely focus on the name, so she just picked up, pressing against her ear.

"What?!" She snapped, hearing a laugh from the other side.

"Topper is right to say you're snappy when you're awaken." She rolled her eyes after the comment. "I know it's a little late, and you're probably mad at me, but meet me at the beach?"

Now her mother's voice was heard, as she had a fight with her step-dad. Clara pursed her lips, nodding. "Yeah, I'll be there in a few."

She then took her slippers, opening her window. The rack of flowers moving upwards were used by her as a ladder since she was nine. And just like all those years ago, she was meeting Rafe.

The two of them used to just hang around the Tannyhill, sometimes on the pool or even on the front yard, looking at the stars when their parents were asleep.

Sarah had caught them and sometimes even joining a couple of times.

Looking back when she got to the fence she saw the two adults inside arguing about God knows what, as she made her way to the sand. Maybe Rafe did had a way to know when she needed him, maybe-

"Hey," he walked up to her, smiling softly at her when the full moon made it posible to see her sleepy appearance. "I was actually waiting for you. If you said no I would've climbed your window."

"We're breaking into other people's houses now? Where's the standars, Rafe?" She joked, continuing walking as he moved beside her.

"You're my standars," he said lowly, almost being muffled by the sound of the waves crashing, but she heard it, so she turned her head to look at him. "Look, Clara..."

He stood in front of her, scratching the back of his neck, as he swallowed his pride.

"I'm sorry," the brown haired girl raised her eyebrows, but before she could say anything he stopped her. "I'm sorry about being a dick to you three years ago. I'm sorry about last night, I just... I care about you, so, so much. I don't want you making the same mistakes I made."

"You keep me grounded, that's why I distanced myself. You're too good, too pure. I didn't want to ruin you with everything I was- am, doing." He licked his lips, looking back and forth between her eyes. "So I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you, but I want you to stay the way you are."

He laughed, cupping her face with his two hands as he looked deep in her eyes. "And it's taking all of me for not to run away from everything with you. But you made me realize that I do need you."

"I don't think you could live with the lack of everything on motel rooms, with small amount of money with us" her comment made him let out a laugh, as he brushed her cheek with his tumb, while he felt her resting her hands on his shoulders.

"If I'm with you I don't think I care." He confessed, tilting his head to the side, a behavior he steal from the girl before him. "But I need to tell you I took two shots for courage to be able to say all of this, so please-"

"I forgive you," she said without a blink of an eye. "I forgave you the moment you let me cry on your stupid black polo."

He smiled, his other hand that was cupping her cheek going to the back of her head, playing with the strands of hair, still in deep thought while Clara closed her eyes at the feeling.

She clenched her jaw, thibking about how much she actually wanted to feel his lips. And the rub of his tumb trying to relax her jaw made it difficult. The touches here and there were driving her crazy.

"Rafe?" she whispered, hearing him hummed at her in answer. "Please-"

And the boy leaned foward, meeting his lips with hers. Clara felt overwhelmed by him. His cologne perfume and the taste of mint of his lips, and she gave a small smile, letting the boy deepened it.

It wasn't like she had caught herself imagining on the nights she fell asleep on his arms. It wasn't agressive, nor even a little bit of possessive.

For her surprise, Rafe's kiss felt like a warm of a hot chocolate on a cold night, or the feeling of the sea water on summer when all you want is to float after a busy day. It was caring, and she felt cared for.

Pulling away from the kiss, she smiled, forehead still resting on his while she felt the fabric of his t-shirt under her closed fists. Their noses still touching as he brushed her hair out of her face.

"Can't believe you couldn't get over my kiss after all those years, Mr Cameron," she said as her fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. "We are so cliché, you know?"

The boy rolled his eyes, an idea appearing in his head as he picked her up and walked fast to the ocean water.

The cold of the waves hit her back as she let out a squeak, laughing as Rafe pulled her for another kiss.

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