004 , he's a frat 

( the fourth chapter )

( rafe's pov )
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Rafe's grip tightened on the steering wheel, the leather creaking under his fingers as he watched Olivine's figure disappear into the night. The sound of the door slamming echoed in the air, but he didn't move. He couldn't move. His chest was tight, his pulse still racing from the moments spent in that confined space with her.

He exhaled sharply, his eyes still trained on the spot where she'd stood. His mind was a jumbled mess—anger mixing with something darker, something he didn't want to face. He had to admit it. He hated how easily she got under his skin. She was too damn good at it.

A bitter laugh escaped his lips, though it wasn't one of humor. Princess from the Cut, he thought, the words tasting sour in his mouth. She wasn't anything like the girls he was used to, those who either fawned over him or stayed out of his way. Olivine was different. She didn't play by the same rules. She stood her ground, never letting him see the cracks, never giving him the satisfaction of watching her lose control.

And it pissed him off.

But then, there was the other side of it—the way she challenged him, the way she made him feel like something more than just the entitled, angry son of Ward Cameron. The fact that she could keep her cool while he couldn't? That stung. He wasn't used to losing the upper hand.

And damn it, he thought, shifting the car into drive and peeling out of the spot, he hated the way she made him feel.

The drive back to the mansion felt endless. Every turn, every shift in the road seemed to drag him deeper into his thoughts. He didn't want to think about her. He didn't want to care about how she made him feel. But the truth was, he was fucking tired of the endless games. The mask he wore every day felt heavier when she was around, like she was the one person who could see right through him.

When he finally parked the car, the sound of the engine turning off brought him back to the present. He sat there for a moment, staring out the windshield, the weight of his own emotions pressing down on him.

What the hell was he supposed to do with this?

For the first time in a long while, he didn't have an answer.

Rafe's fingers lingered on the keys, the hum of the car fading into a deep silence that seemed to swallow him whole. He sat there for another moment, his thoughts a tangled mess. The world outside the car seemed to freeze, and all he could hear was the pounding of his own heart.

It wasn't just the anger that gnawed at him. No, there was something else—something much more dangerous—that threatened to break through the walls he'd built around himself. He couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand the way she made him feel exposed, like she was seeing parts of him he was too fucking terrified to confront.

He slammed the heel of his palm against the steering wheel, frustrated. "Get it together, Rafe," he muttered under his breath, but the words felt hollow.

Rafe slammed the car door shut, the heavy thud ringing in his ears as he stepped onto the driveway. He had barely set foot on the pavement when he saw his father standing on the front steps of the mansion, arms crossed, eyes narrowed in that all-too-familiar expression of disappointment. Rafe's stomach churned. Here we go again, he thought, already feeling the familiar weight of his father's judgment bearing down on him.

"Rafe," Ward's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "We need to talk."

Rafe didn't even bother responding as he made his way up the path, his steps slow and heavy. The air felt thick around him, the tension thickening with every step he took toward his father. Ward waited for him on the porch, eyes scanning him with that critical, hawk-like gaze.

"Did she get home safe, Rafe?" he asked receiving a nod. "Rafe I just can't with you at the moment, Summer just started and you've done nothing productive. What the hell happened to your future, Rafe? You dropped out of university, you're wasting your time—and my money—on God knows what. You're just wasting everything I've given you. Do you even care?"  Ward spat, voice thick with frustration.

Rafe clenched his jaw, trying to swallow the irritation building inside him. No, I don't care, he wanted to say. But he didn't. Instead, he threw his hands up in a gesture of frustration, desperate to end the conversation before it even started.

"I'm figuring things out, alright?" he muttered, his voice thick with the defensive edge he'd perfected over years of these conversations. "Just... leave me alone, not all of us can be as perfect as Sarah and have all their shit together."

Ward didn't back off. His eyes grew colder, and his tone sharper. "No, you're not figuring things out. You're squandering everything, Rafe. Everything I've given you—you're just throwing it away. You're wasting your money on what? Junk? Toys? You're a damn embarrassment."

Rafe felt his anger flare. The weight of his father's words hit him in places he didn't want to acknowledge. But Ward wasn't done.

"Did you handle the generators like I asked? There's a storm coming, and we can't have the house going down when it hits. Did you order them?"

The question caught Rafe off guard for a split second. He hadn't ordered the generators. He'd bought something else entirely—something for himself. But he wasn't about to tell him that. Instead, he gave a quick, dismissive nod.

"Yeah, they're on their way," he lied, his voice steady, but the guilt gnawing at the back of his mind. Bringing his pointer finger to rub the side of his nose.

Ward didn't buy it. He studied Rafe, eyes narrowing with suspicion. "I'm not an idiot, Rafe. Don't lie to me. I know when you're covering something up."

Rafe's gaze dropped to the ground, his fists clenching at his sides as Ward pressed on. "And you know what? You're such a goddamn mess. You've been given everything, and you're too damn lazy to even try. You're turning into one of them," he sneered, the disgust dripping from his words. "One of those Pogues. At least Olivine—"

Rafe's head snapped up, his heart skipping a beat. "Olivine?" he snapped, but Ward wasn't done.

"At least she's doing something. She's making a damn effort, and she's from the Cut. A Pogue. But you, Rafe? You're nothing more than a spoiled, entitled mess who doesn't give a damn about anything except whatever bullshit you're doing to pass the time. Just like always."

Rafe's blood boiled. He opened his mouth to say something, to defend himself, but Ward cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand.

"I don't want to hear it, Rafe. You can't keep playing this game and expect me to bail you out. I'm done with excuses."

Rafe felt his hands tremble, his mind racing a thousand miles per hour. His chest tightened as the frustration and anger mixed into a choking haze. His father's words stung, the accusations cutting through him like a knife, but Rafe couldn't let himself show it. He couldn't let Ward win this one.

"I'm not a goddamn child, Dad," Rafe shot back, his voice low but sharp. "I don't need you telling me what to do every five seconds."

Ward's eyes flashed, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Clearly," he muttered with a disappointed shake of his head. "Get your shit together, Rafe, before it's too late."

Rafe didn't wait for him to say anything more. He turned, walking away before he could feel the weight of Ward's judgment any longer. Without another word, he stepped into the house, pushing past his father and heading up the stairs.

The door to his room slammed shut behind him, and Rafe leaned back against it, his breath coming fast. He needed something to take the edge off. He couldn't process what had just happened, couldn't deal with the hollow feeling gnawing at him after the conversation. He walked over to his nightstand, the familiar bag of coke staring back at him from the drawer.

With trembling hands, he pulled it out and laid a line on his desk, the cool powder almost mocking him. His fingers shook as he snorted it, his body tingling with the familiar rush as everything else seemed to fade away, just for a little while. For a moment, it felt like he could breathe again, like he could think again.

But it wasn't enough. He needed more.

The room felt too quiet. The silence stretched, and just as he felt the rush starting to ebb, a knock sounded at the door.

"Rafe?" It was Wheezie's voice, soft and tentative. "Can we play a game?"

Rafe blinked, his vision blurring slightly, but he forced himself to focus. For some reason, the sound of her voice pulled him back from the edge.

He took a slow breath, trying to steady himself. "Yeah, sure. Come in."

Wheezie pushed open the door, a small smile lighting up her face as she held up a board game. Rafe forced a smile back, his chest tightening. She was the only one who didn't expect anything from him. She didn't care about his failures, his mess, his lies.

"Let's play," he said, trying to drown out the thoughts, the disappointment, and the weight of everything that had just happened.

For now, that was enough.

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Rafe leaned back in the outdoor lounge chair, his gaze wandering lazily over the patio and pool area of his friend's sprawling backyard. The sun was just starting to dip, casting a hazy glow over the space, and the smell of weed hung heavy in the air as he passed the bong back to Kelce, who took a long drag. Rap music thumped from a portable speaker, filling the quiet evening with a steady beat, and laughter rang out as a couple of guys ribbed each other over stories from last weekend's party.

Tom, sprawled in the chair next to him, exhaled a cloud of smoke and let his eyes drift toward the houses across the way. He nodded towards Daniela's place, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Yo, have you noticed how the girls over at Kook Academy are so much hotter than the Outer Banks High crowd?" he mused, grinning as he sparked a fresh joint.

Topper let out a chuckle, taking a sip of his beer before leaning back with an easy shrug. "Hey, I'm just saying. I mean, I can't really talk since I've already got a girl, right?"

That earned him a round of snickers and exaggerated groans from the rest of the guys. Kelce shook his head, giving Topper a playful shove. "Oh, please, man. Dont make me remember that you're tied down to the Kook Princess."

The guys burst out laughing, and Topper went red, mumbling something under his breath as he took a hit off the joint. Rafe rolled his eyes, feeling a familiar stab of irritation at the mention of his sister's name.

"Alright, can we move on from my brat of a sister?" Rafe grumbled, taking the joint from Kelce and inhaling deeply, letting the smoke burn his lungs for a second before he exhaled. He passed the joint to the next guy, shooting Topper a sidelong look.

One of the guys let out a low chuckle, leaning forward with a grin changing the topic back to the girls of Kook Academy. "No kidding. But that's just 'cause they're all spoiled, man. Rich girls love to play up the whole Kook vibe."

Rafe smirked, letting his eyes drift toward Daniela's house. From where they were sitting, they had a perfect view of her garden and pool area. It was usually a prime hangout spot for the girls in her circle, including Olivine, who had recently started showing up more often than not. He'd noticed her around, usually with Daniela, laughing at something or looking ridiculously out of place in Kook territory despite blending in almost perfectly.

"You know who's hot, though?" one of the guys—Kyle—piped up, leaning back and folding his arms behind his head. "Olivine. The one that hangs with Daniela sometimes? That girl is fire."

The guys let out whistles and approving nods, tossing in a few remarks about her smile, her legs, her whole vibe. Topper raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh yeah, Rafe, didn't you go to high school with her? You seem to be around her a lot these days. Got a thing for the Pogue, or what?"

Rafe scoffed, rolling his eyes and taking another drag to buy a second. "As if," he shot back, voice laced with sarcasm. "I'm not into charity cases, especially ones that think they're better than the people they're mooching off of."

Before anyone could say anything else, one of the guys let out a low whistle, nudging Rafe's arm and pointing over toward Daniela's pool area. "Damn. Looks like your Pogue just showed up."

Rafe's head turned, his gaze zeroing in on Daniela's patio, and he felt his breath hitch for a split second. There, near the pool, was Olivine. She was holding Daniela's tiny, fluffy dog, Empress, in one arm and a glass in the other, looking like she belonged on the cover of a summer magazine. She wore a barely-there light pink bikini top that clung to her curves, paired with a wrap skirt that hugged her hips just right. Her hair was piled up in a messy bun, tendrils falling loose around her face, and she was laughing as she strolled along with Daniela, who was carrying a plate of snacks and gesturing animatedly.

Kyle nudged Rafe's arm with a mischievous grin. "You sure you're not into that, Cameron? 'Cause if you're not, I'd be more than happy to take her off your hands. Hell, I'd take both of them, any day of the week."

Rafe rolled his eyes, flicking ash from his joint with a smirk. "Good luck, man. Olivine would eat you alive, and Daniela'd probably find a way to charge you for it." He glanced back over at the girls, his gaze lingering a moment longer than he intended as Olivine turned to laugh at something Daniela said, her smile lighting up her whole face.

Topper laughed, catching Rafe's look. "Sure, you're not into her, Rafe. Keep telling yourself that."

"Yeah, right," Rafe scoffed, leaning back in his chair, the smirk on his lips almost defiant. "I don't do 'complicated.' Olivine's the kind of mess that sticks around, whether you want it or not."

Rafe smirked, shaking his head as he settled back in his chair. The group's laughter faded, and the conversation moved on, drifting to the boneyard party happening soon. But his gaze couldn't help but flicker back over to Daniela's patio, where Olivine and Daniela were now stretched out on loungers, laughing and completely oblivious to the fact that they had an audience.

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KIKI SPEAKS ;
not edited
y'all here's a filler, it's more rafe centric ish

hope u like it, had the urge of a life time and wrote 2.5k words ahhhh

xoxoxo
kiki 💋💕