TW: There is a lot of physical fighting in this chapter. There is Pogue on kook fighting, but also Elm goes through hell with Gerald, so please be cautious if either of those things can be harming to your health! 

When your dad opened the door and you saw Kie standing there on your front porch, your heart seized for a moment. You thought maybe something had happened to one of the boys, but from the small smile on her face, you could tell that wasn't the case.

"What can I do for you, miss?" Your dad asked, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel. You neared, meeting her eyes and giving a small wave. She didn't wave back, but her smile grew wider.

"My name is Kiara Carrera. My mom and dad own the Wreck? I live not too far away from here," she said, which was her way of saying that she was a Kook and lived on Figure 8. "I was wondering if your daughter wanted to come with me to the summer movie series today."

Your heart soared as you turned to look at your dad quickly. Being able to spend the day with Kie without fearing any retribution from your dad was high on your list of things that would make you very happy. You stepped toward your dad, pleading with your eyes even if he couldn't see you.

"Well, Kiara, that offer is mighty nice of you, but-"

"Daddy, can I please go?" You asked with another step, twisting your hands. He turned to look at you, jaw tight. You pinched your eyebrows together as you knit your eyebrows together. He watched you carefully before finally sighing and hanging his head.

"You've been good this summer," he said. "You can go."

A smile broke across your face as you glanced over at Kie. She grinned almost as widely. You ran toward your dad, throwing your arms around his neck. For a moment, he hugged you kindly, until he grabbed your arm with an iron grip. You glanced over at Kie and her smile faltered.

"Anything happens today," he hissed in your ear, sending a ripple of tremors down your spine. "And you're dead."

You nodded against his shoulder and as you slowly let him go, you tried to fix a smile back onto your lips. He dropped his hand from your arm and smiled again, but you could see the venom behind his teeth.

"Thank you, Daddy," you whispered, not confident in the sound of your own voice.

"Go change," he told you. "I don't want my daughter out looking like a whore."

With that, he turned and walked, throwing the dirty towel onto the floor at your feet. He flinched as he slammed the backdoor shut, closing your eyes and breathing slowly.

"Hey," Kie said as she took a few steps into your house. You opened your eyes and smiled at her. "Let's get you changed."

***

You were in the passenger seat of Kie's car when you pulled up to Pope's house.

"They're gonna resist coming," Kie said as she parked her car.

"What, resist spending all day with us out in the sun watching movies?" You scoffed, opening your side door. "No way."

Kie laughed and the two of you walked up to Pope's front door. Kie lifted her hand to knock, but you stopped her with a sly smile on your face. She pinched her eyebrows together.

You pounded on the door with your fist and deepening your voice, you called out.

"Kildare PD, open up!"

Kie shook her head and pressed her palm to her face. You laughed quietly to yourself as you heard a few swear words and bodies shuffling around. Pope finally flung the door open with a forced smile. When he saw the two of you laughing on his doorstep, his smile fell and he glared.

"That wasn't funny, Elm," Pope said with a sigh.

"I thought it was pretty funny," you said, glancing behind him to where JJ stood. He hung his head, hiding a small bout of laughter from Pope.

"What's up?" Pope asked.

"Summer movies," Kie said. "We want you to come."

The two boys glanced at each other, sharing something between them that made both you and Kie nervous.

"I think we should stay inside," JJ said, walking up to the door to stand beside Pope. You scowled, but quickly tried to shake it off.

"On a day like today?" Kie scoffed. "No way, couch potatoes. Not on my watch."

Pope shifted uncomfortably. There was something going on. You weren't entirely sure what it was, but you didn't like it. And you were going to find out what it was.

"Yeah, no, you're coming with us," you added, crossing your arms. Whatever it was they were up to, there was no way you were going to let them scheme it out on their own at home. It took a few more minutes of convincing, but you and Kie eventually got both of them in the car.

"What movie are they playing?" You asked, trying to break the silence in Kie's car.

"You've really never been to one of these?" Kie turned to look at you as you shrugged. "Even JJ and Pope have been before."

"Yeah, like twice," JJ said, fiddling with his lighter. He was fidgeting more than normal. Something was definitely off with him.

When you arrived, the grass was already packed. You carried a few blankets in your hands as Kie led you to a clear spot in the grass.

"I'm glad they're still doing this," Kie said with a smile, nearly skipping. "Keep calm and carry on. Back to the OBX life. Aren't you guys glad we made you come?"

"Ecstatic," Pope said without so much of a twinge of emotion as he set a chair down onto the grass. You spread out a blanket and flopped to the ground with a happy sigh.

"Pope's couch was pretty comfy, I'll be honest," JJ mumbled.

You glanced up at Kie as Pope and JJ whispered back and forth to each other. She nodded her head toward the concessions stand.

"Sure," you said, pushing yourself upward and following after her. There was a smile on your face as you walked beside her, but it fell when you saw who else was over there. A growl came from your throat before you could stop yourself.

"Down, doggie," Kie laughed, following your line of sight. "He won't make a scene here, don't worry."

You scoffed and tore your glare away from Rafe just before he glanced over at you.

"Two Pepsi's please," Kie said to the guy at the concessions, pulling her wallet out of her back pocket. "You want anything, Elm?"

"I got it, Kie."

"No, it's my treat."

You raised your eyebrows at her and she narrowed her eyes. Finally, you turned back to the guy standing there waiting for your decision.

"Just a bag of popcorn please," you said to him. He nodded his head. "Thank you, Kie, you didn't have to-"

Kie held up her hand.

"You're my friend, Elm. Not gonna let you starve over a few bucks," Kie told you with a smile.

"Hey, Kie, Elma." At the sound of Rafe's voice, you felt your entire body seize up. You shut your eyes, hoping that maybe it was a hallucination, that if you willed him to go away, he would. "How are you?"

Kie turned to look at him while you opened your eyes and took the popcorn and drinks from the stand.

"I'm fine," Kie said with the most uncomfortable smile you had ever seen. It almost made you laugh. You looked anywhere but at Rafe, remembering your last conversation with him. He had threatened you, you had threatened him right back, and then he had almost tried to protect you when JJ started shooting. It was confusing and you hadn't thought of it much, but now that he was in your line of sights, you started wondering about it again.

"And you, Elma, how are you?" He asked. You looked up at him, meeting his eyes with a glare.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" You ground out through your teeth.

"Just once more, sweetheart." You lunged forward at the nickname as it sent ice through your bones. Kie stepped in front of you, keeping her perfectly placed smile on her face. You fumed from behind her, glaring daggers into Rafe's skull. There was a wicked grin on his face as he looked past Kie and straight through you.

"Tell your boy we know what he did," Rafe said once he finally looked back at Kie, inching closer. You had half a mind to shove him backward.

"What boy are you talking about?" Kie asked. You had no idea how she kept her cool so well. If she hadn't been there, you would have already knocked him back on his ass and given him a few new bruises on his pretty face.

"He'll know."

That was definitely a threat. And it was a threat to one of your friends, maybe even JJ. Your eyes narrowed even further. If it weren't for the Pepsi and popcorn in your hands, you might have strangled him. Kie turned away from Rafe, hooking her arm through yours. She pulled you away, but you didn't take your eyes away from Rafe. He had to know that if he came after any of your friends, you would be there and he would get his ass beat.

"Watch your dog, Kie," Rafe called after you, causing a few heads to turn. You made to attack, but Kie wouldn't let you go.

"Elm, c'mon. Remember what your dad said," Kie whispered, tugging you along. You finally whipped your head around, breathing ragged.

"I really hate him," you sighed as you sat back down on your blanket.

"Who?" JJ asked, tensing almost instantly.

"Rafe." You popped a piece of popcorn in your mouth. JJ stood, but you put your hand on his knee, pushing him gently back into the chair. You settled between his legs, still glowering as you chewed on your popcorn.

"He said," Kie added, handing a Pepsi to Pope. "and I quote 'You tell your boy that we know what he did'."

"What is that?" Pope's voice raised an octave as he looked over at JJ, who shrugged.

"Um..." JJ cleared his throat. "Where is he?"

You pointed your finger behind you, staring forward. Pope and JJ spun around to look in that direction. You could feel JJ's legs bouncing up and down, another sign that he was nervous. Something had happened to him and Pope and it had something to do with Rafe. It was official, you were definitely going to kill him.

"Great, the whole death squad," Pope breathed. You scowled up at him for a moment before looking back at the screen.

"Don't stare," JJ said, pushing Pope's head back to the front. "If they corner me, I'm coming out swinging, okay?"

You sat up, turning back to look at JJ.

"If that doesn't work," JJ continued, plucking his backpack off the ground. You wondered why he had brought it with him. "I got this right here."

Your stomach dropped and you looked over at Kie, who had a worried mother look on her face. It wasn't until her eyes met yours that you realized what exactly JJ meant by it. Pope and JJ muttered back and forth together for a few moments as you and Kie tried to internalize what you had both just realized.

You pressed your palms against your forehead, sighing heavily.

"Hey, JJ?" Kie said, her voice tight. "Please tell me that you did not bring a gun here."

At the word, you lifted your head, shifting your jaw. Both you and Kie were staring JJ down, which made him visibly uncomfortable. He glanced between the two of you before responding.

"Kie, I didn't bring the gun." JJ twisted one of the rings on his fingers. He was lying. "Everything's fine, okay?"

Another twist. Another lie.

Your eyes fell to the bag on the ground as Kie drilled into him about the rules of the Pogues and what not. You barely heard Pope say something about 'it going down tonight', but all you could think about was the gun in that backpack. All you had to do was ask JJ for it. He would give it to you. He wouldn't ask questions. Even if your dad turned up the next day with a bullet in his head, JJ would never question you.

You forced yourself to look away and engage back into the world of reality. By that time, the first movie had started and your friends had fallen silent. You leaned back against the front of JJ's chair, resting your head against his knee, trying to get your mind off of the gun. He dropped his hand down to your shoulder, giving a short squeeze.

Focusing on the movie was a thousand times harder with JJ's thumb brushing your neck. The actors on the screen were talking to each other, but you had no idea what they were saying. If there was a mind reader in the crowd, they would be scarred after reading what was going on in your head. You clenched your jaw so tightly that it began to ache. The sun started to drop, darkness falling over you and JJ got a little bolder.

When you couldn't take it any longer, you put your hand over his and pulled on his arm until he leaned forward. You could see the smile on his face as you turned to whisper to him.

"I might cut your hand off if you don't stop, Maybank."

JJ laughed and turned to say something, but before he could, Pope patted his arm. JJ sat up and turned toward Pope with a rather irritated "what?"

"I gotta take a piss," Pope whispered. You laughed to yourself, turning back to the movie that you could now actually focus on. Still, you had no idea what was happening.

"Hold it," JJ hissed.

"I can't hold it, I drank too much soda."

"It's too exposed, they'll totally see us." You raised your eyebrows up at them, but the boys were both too engaged in conversation to notice.

"I gotta go." They both looked back. "They're blocking the bathrooms."

"I could distract them so you sissies could go pee," you said, keeping your eyes on the screen. JJ flicked your neck gently, making you pout.

"Come on," JJ said. "I know where."

As he shifted in the chair, you took the note and moved away so he could stand up. You huffed, lifting yourself into Pope's chair beside Kie as the boys scampered off behind a tree.

"This isn't good, is it?" You whispered to Kie. She shook her head, a reflection of the screen in her eyes.

"No, it's not."

You watched Rafe, Topper, and Kelce walk across the lawn behind the same tree.

"Kie," you said, tapping her arm and nodding over toward the boys.

"That is definitely not good," she said.

"Should we-"

"No. It's a boy thing. We shouldn't get involved."

A few more moments went by and none of the boys came back. Your heart started to pound in your chest. You were worried for JJ and Pope, sure, but you were also itching to get Rafe a little bloodied. And when you couldn't handle it any longer, you pushed yourself out of the chair and hurried over, ignoring the disgruntled protests from the people you walked in front of.

You weren't surprised to find that a fight had broken out. You remembered that first fight you jumped into, saving John B and JJ all those weeks ago. This one was eerily similar.

Kelce held onto JJ, Rafe pounding into his stomach. Topper had Pope by the throat.

You didn't take the time to really assess the scene much farther before jumping in. Grabbing Rafe by his shoulder, you spun him around and landed a punch across his face. Pain splintered throughout your hand, but you didn't care. A startled yell came from him, but it didn't take him long to compose himself and fight back.

Kie came running around from the other side of the screen, swinging the backpack with all of her strength. You watched with a smile as she smashed it against Topper's back. The moment of distraction was enough for Rafe to land a solid punch against your jaw.

"Don't fucking touch her!" JJ yelled, struggling against Kelce's grip. You spat blood at Rafe's feet.

"That the best you can do?" You asked. He swung again and you ducked, jabbing him in the stomach with your fist.

"I don't want to hurt you," Rafe said, wiping blood from his lips.

"That makes one of us."

The scuffle carried on. You and Rafe moved around each other expertly, almost like a partner dance the two of you had been playing for years. The fight wasn't stopped until Kie used the only brain cells that any of you had and set fire to the screen. Topper let got of Pope, Kelce releasing JJ.

As soon as JJ was free, he tackled Rafe to the ground.

"We gotta go," Kie said, helping Pope to his feet as the screen burned. "JJ, Elm, we gotta go!"

You pushed yourself onto your feet, cringing against the pain in your ribs. You grabbed JJ's wrist before he could pound Rafe's face into the dirt.

"C'mon, bucko," you said, pulling him backward. "We need to get outta here."

JJ stood slowly, stumbled off of Rafe. You wrapped your other arm around JJ's waist, pulling him back as the movie watchers started to scramble away from the burning screen. Lacing your fingers through JJ's, you ran after Pope and Kie as they made a break for her car.

"Anyone want to fill us in on what exactly happened?" You asked, jumping into the backseat. JJ didn't even get the door closed before Kie stepped on the gas.

"I may or may not have totaled Topper's boat," Pope said, breathless, as Kie tore out of the parking lot. He started to cough, rubbing a hand against his neck.

"Here," you said, passing him a bottle of water before Kie started yelling.

"What the hell, Pope?" she shrieked.

"They started it!" JJ protested, half standing. You pushed him back against the seat. "Rafe and Topper jumped Pope while we were on delivery."

"They didn't," you said.

"Yeah, they did." JJ crossed his arms. "So I told Pope to sink Topper's boat. They deserved it."

"Whether they deserved it or not, there's going to be absolute hell to pay for this," Kie said. "But first, we gotta get Elm home so her dad doesn't kill her."

You let out a heavy sigh, looking down at your knuckles. The skin had broken from your first punch, blood dribbling down your hand.

"Let me see your face," JJ said, putting his hand under your chin and moving your face toward him.

"I'm fine," you said, waving him off. "Kelce was beating you pretty bad though."

You tried to pull up his shirt to see what kind of damage Kelce had done to his ribs, but he waved you off in the same way.

"Kie," Pope said in an airy voice, mocking you. "Let me see you. Are you okay? Is everything alright? Are you dying? You were hurt pretty bad...."

You rolled your eyes as JJ kicked the back of Pope's seat. Kie was still fuming, unamused by Pope, her knuckles tightening over the wheel.

"You're just jealous that you don't have a girl to fawn over you, Pope," you cooed, giving a fake pout. "See, JJ here gets beat up and it's hot as hell and I just can't keep my hands off of him."

Pope gagged, rolling down his window to fake vomit. JJ turned to look at you as you grinned at Pope's reaction.

"Do you really think it's hot when I get beat up?"

You shook your head.

"No. It makes me want to set Kelce's house on fire," you told him, tapping your finger against his shoulder. "But seeing you beat Rafe up..."

"Seriously, guys, I'm going to jump out of this car if you don't stop," Pope said. You finally scooted away from JJ, still laughing. You had been joking to make Pope uncomfortable, of course, but you weren't lying. Watching JJ beat the shit out of Rafe was incredibly sexy and the next time you got him alone....

But you knew that probably wouldn't be any time soon.

A few miles before pulling up to your driveway, Kie stopped the car.

"Pope, get in the back," she said.

"Are you really that mad?"

"Pissed as hell? Yes. But Elm's dad can't see either of you. So, switch places with her. Now."

Pope popped the door open and switched places with you. Kie drove the last few miles in silence.

Seeing your house as you pulled up made you sigh. Even if there was a big fight and you get pushed around a bit, the freedom you had felt being out with your friends with no fear as nothing like you ever felt.

"What are you going to tell him about your bruise?" Pope asked, both him and JJ laying flat against the backseat.

"I'll make something up," you told him with a smile, not looking back. You could see your dad at the front window, waiting. You waved up at him. "See you guys later."

You didn't wait for either JJ or Pope to say anything else before hopping out of the car. Kie followed you to your front door. The door was opened before you even made it to the top steps, your dad standing right inside.

"What happened to your face?" He asked. You smiled at him, rolling onto the balls of your feet.

"Oh, the bruise?" You asked, pointing at your jaw. "I got excited when we got to the movies, tripped over a curb. I tried to catch myself on a tree, but...."

You lifted your hand to show the cut on your knuckle. Your dad shifted his gaze over to Kie. You could feel her tense under his cold gaze.

"It's true, Mr. Gerald," she said, arms wrapped around her stomach. "It was actually pretty funny."

You turned back to your dad with a smile. He glanced between the two of you for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Did you have fun?"

"Oh, yeah." You remembered the feeling of JJ's hand against your skin, the feeling of spending time freely with your friends, the feeling of your fist against Rafe's face. "I had a blast."

"Good, I'm glad," your dad said. "Thank you, Kiara, for getting her home safely."

"Of course, sir," she said, but you could hear the strain in her voice. "I hope we can do it again someday...soon."

That was a risky thing for Kie to say. One day out with no apparent issues wasn't about to convince your dad that you could go out more. Still, you appreciated Kie's attempt. She knew the prison that you lived in, how much worry was on your shoulders whenever you snuck out. Your dad sighed, putting his hands on his hips.

"I'll talk about it with my daughter," your dad said. He opened his hand out to you and you took that to mean that you were no longer permitted to be outside. "Thank you again, Kiara."

You stepped inside and turned back to look at your friends.

"I had a good time today," you said to her and she smiled. "I'll see you around?"

Kie nodded, biting her lower lip.

"Yeah, see you around, Elm."

You cringed as she turned to walk away. Your dad slammed the door shut behind her, but this time, you didn't flinch.

"Elm?" he asked, turning to you slowly. "What, the name I gave you not good enough?"

"It's not like that, Dad," you said, backing away slowly. "We...we're friends. We give each other nicknames. That's the one she picked for me."

Your dad narrowed his eyes at you.

"Go to your room, Elma," your dad said. "Sleep well."

"You too."

You hurried upstairs before your dad could say anything else. Kid popped his head out of his bedroom with a smile.

"Hi," you said, voice quiet.

"Hey," he replied. "How was your day?"

You lowered yourself to the floor, crossing your legs. Kid stepped out of his room completely and copied your position.

"My day was good," you told him with a smile. "How was yours?"

"Good."

Even though neither of you could really talk about what really happened with your dad standing just underneath you, undoubtedly listening in, it was enough to just sit there and see the smiles on each other's faces. Knowing that Kid had a great day, whether he was at Dex's house or playing with his other friends at the arcade or browsing the comic book store, was all that it took to make your heart burn with happiness and pride. It didn't matter how deep your father's actions cut into him, your brother never let it ruin his morale.

"Sleep tight, Kid," you told him, ruffling his hair. He tried to dodge your hand, laughing as he shoved your arm away.

"You too."

You stood and helped him up. Putting your hands on his shoulders, you steered him back to his room. Once he was back inside, you leaned up against the wall.

"I love you, Kid," you said, looking at the floor. "I don't say it enough."

Kid turned back to look at you, the smile gone and a serious look on his face.

"I know," he said. "You don't have to say it. I always know."

You smiled, feeling tears prick into your eyes.

"That's good to hear."

"And, El?" You looked up at him. "I love you too."

***

You were rudely awoken by the front door slamming shut. You sat up, gasping for breath, whatever dream you had fading instantly. The sound of your father storming back and forth across the lower level of the house, pounding and slamming almost everything he came in contact with, made your bones rattle. Chills ran up your spine as you closed your eyes, trying to build up the courage to go downstairs and confront him about it. The sooner you went, the better things would go.

Flinging your blankets off, you shuffled out of your room. As you passed Kid's room, you saw him peak out, just the barest of his eyes visible. You waved him back inside. He opened his mouth to protest, but you shut his door without waiting to hear it.

You swallowed a lump in your throat before making the long trek down the stairs. Heart pounding, you neared the dining room where your dad was shoving chairs back and forth to make more noise.

"What...what's wrong?" you asked, your voice cracking. He froze where he was. Your ears burned with anticipation. Your dad turned to you, his eyes burning with fury. You took a step back, hands dropping to your sides, ready for whatever was to come.

"What's wrong?" His voice shook. "What's wrong is that I was just told that my daughter has been sneaking out and around behind my back, lying to my face, hanging out with the scum of the earth. What's wrong is that I've just learned that you've been fooling around with some boy from the cut. That's what's wrong!"

Your heart plummeted into your stomach. After slowly taking in what he said, you tried to control your breathing.

"Daddy, please, I-"

"Don't lie to me!" His booming voice echoed through your house. "You can't lie your way out of this one, you sly bitch. No, I've got proof."

Eyes wide, you watched in horror as your dad pulled a stack of photos of his pocket.

"Explain this one to me. It's from last night, isn't it?" He threw the photo at your feet. You covered your mouth with a trembling hand as you stared at it. There you were, sitting between JJ's legs, his hand resting against your neck. The familiar sting of tears pained your eyes as you looked back at your dad. "What about this one? Can you lie your way out of this?"

He threw another picture at you. It was you and the Pogues on the HMS, dancing. There was a wide smile on your face as Kie guided your movements with her hands. JJ sat beneath you, his eyes glued to your back.

"Dad-"

"Oh, this one's my favorite," he said with a cruel laugh, looking at the picture in his hands. "When was this? That night you asked to go over to Sarah Cameron's?"

It was from that night. You were wearing JJ's sweater, the sweater that you had hidden in your room. His hands were on the side of your face, his lips against yours. You were smiling. The picture took you back to that day. You remembered the flash of lightning as the storm came rolling in.

As if a ton of bricks had been dropped on you, a realization dawned on you. The flash you had seen wasn't lightning. It was the flash from someone's camera.

Somebody had been taking pictures of you then, and they had been ever since.

You looked up at your dad again, a large tear dropping from your eye. Your dad tossed the entire pile at your feet, the photos scattering around you. You and the Pogues at the Wreck, you and Kie at the ice cream shop, JJ teaching you how to surf, John B cheering you on as you shotgunned a beer, you and Pope dancing at a kegger.

Mind racing, you closed your eyes to try and shut it out, but all you saw were the pictures. You thought you had been safe, you thought you had been clever, you thought he would never find out.

It goeth before the fall, they say.

"Did Bradford know about this?"

You snapped your eyes open, a new breed of fear starting to pump through your blood. You hadn't protected yourself well enough, but you could still keep Kid out of it. You stepped forward, nearly slipping on the pile of pictures.

"Kid didn't know anything," you said, your voice shaking. Your dad sneered at you, staring down at you and your tears.

"I don't believe you."

"Daddy, I swear, Kid didn't-" Your dad's hand shot through the air, hitting your nose and breaking it almost instantly. You gasped, falling back as you felt the blood start to drip down your face. "I swear, I swear. Kid didn't know. He didn't know."

"So you admit to it?" Your dad shouted, looming over you as you tried to crawl away. "You admit to it!"

You nodded quickly, your hand slipping on a photo as you tried to crawl away.

"Yes," you said as you stared up at him. "Yes. I've been out with them. I've been sneaking out to see them. To see him. But Kid didn't know."

Your dad lifted his foot and brought it down hard against your hand, the same hand you had dug your teeth into a few nights before. You cried out against the pain, feeling iron tasting blood drip into your mouth. You pulled your hand to your chest in an attempt to stop the throbbing.

"What's his name, Elma?" Your dad asked. You started crawling backward again, using your one good hand. "Your little boyfriend, what's his name?"

You clamped your mouth shut, lips trembling as you stared up at him. There was no way you were going to tell him. JJ didn't deserve to suffer for your mistakes.

"What's his name!"

You shook your head furiously.

Leaning down, your dad grabbed you by your hair and lifted you off the ground. He slammed you against the wall, your back hitting the corner. A whimper came from your mouth before you could stop it.

"You think you're so tough?" Your dad seethed, winding up his fist for a punch. You braced yourself for it. Still, your head whipped around when it hit. "You think you're so clever?"

Another punch and you felt the skin on your face break, blood spewing from your mouth.

"Daddy, please-"

"I never wanted you!" He screamed, hitting you in the stomach. "But I try to protect you. I still try to protect you!"

He pulled you away from the wall, only to slam you back against it again. Hitting the corner for a second time tore the breath from your lungs. You gasped, pain riddling your every movement. You lifted your hands to your head to prevent another punch, but he no longer went for your face. His hands were big and he only needed one to wrap around your throat.

It already felt like you couldn't breathe, but now with his hand squeezing, you knew you couldn't. You tried to pry his hands from around your throat, but your strength was fading fast. You saw Kid standing in his doorway, mouth hung open and tears falling from his eyes. If you didn't put an end to this soon, Kid would get brave and step in. You weren't sure you would be able to save him from that.

"Dad," you managed to squeeze out. He didn't loosen his grip. "Midsummers."

He looked away from your throat, glancing up at you.

"What did you say?"

You pulled at his fingers, straining as you felt your cheeks begin to tingle from lack of oxygen. He released the tiniest bit of pressure from your neck, enough for you to squeak in a small breath.

"Midsummers," you said again, your voice a little less weak than before. "I can't...Midsummers...like this."

He seemed to get the picture you were painting. Concealer could only go so far and there was no way you could pull up to Midsummers looking like you were hit by a truck. You had never missed a Midsummers before and there would definitely be questions if you didn't go. All you needed to do was get your dad's hand off of your neck, all you needed to do was breathe. You just had to convince him that his reputation was worth more than killing you.

Apparently, it was. He let your neck go, still holding your hair and pressing you up against the wall.

"You ever lie to me again and I'll kill you," he seethed in your ear. You nodded your head slowly, trying to hold off how badly you wanted to cough. He finally let you go, stepping away as you fell flat against the floor. You coughed, trying desperately to suck in any form of air as you curled your legs up to your chest. You lay amongst the pictures someone had taken, the pictures that had damned you.

The front door opened and then slammed shut again.

"El!" Kid raced down the stairs. When he reached you, he dropped to his knees and scattered the pictures even farther. He didn't even seem to see them as he stared down at you.

"I'm okay," you said, tears and blood running down your face. Your voice was harsh like gravel. Speaking just made another wave of coughs shake through your body. Kid put his hands on your back, brushing your hair out of your eyes.

"Shh," he cooed, laying down in the pictures beside you as you coughed through sobs. "It's okay. It's okay."

Who in the hell had taken these pictures? Who could hate you enough to take all these pictures, go through the effort of printing them out, all to show your dad?

Only one person you knew hated you that much, only person who knew enough about you and the Pogues to have this much evidence against you. There was only one person in the Outer Banks who would want you to hurt so badly.

Rafe Cameron.