It's Midsummer's day.

I spent the entire day working at the surf shop, serving customers, pouring drinks and clearing tables. We came home about an hour ago with the challenge of getting ready as quickly as possible, my parents not wanting to be late for our first Midsummers event.

Just as I finish touching up my eye makeup my dad appears at my open bedroom door, his suit jacket in hand. He's wearing a white shirt and a grey suit with the finishing touch of his pale blue tie to match the colour of my mother's dress. She insisted that they look cohesive but she said she was happy for me to wear whatever makes me comfortable.

"Hey sweetie," He smiles as I slip one of my heels on, "Are you nearly ready?"

"Yeah," I nod, "I just need to learn to walk again," I laugh, referencing the heels that I'm wearing with this dress.

"You'll be great," He assures me, "Just come and sit with me for a moment."

"What is it?" I ask, taking a seat beside him on the bed.

"Do you remember your Nana Joan?" He asks, referring to his mother, my grandmother, who passed away when I was five.

"Of course." I nod.

"Well, she was born on the Outer Banks, and she lived her entire life on the cut, working tirelessly for her family, just to try and get us off of the cut," He begins to explain, and I can see he's trying not to get choked up, "Well, when she got sick, she made me promise that I wouldn't just use the inheritance on sensible things like renovations and school, she said that if we ever made it off the cut, that I should treat you girls, the way she would if she were still here."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"After Nana Joan died, we saved some of the money and bought you and your sister a necklace each, in the hope that we would one day give it to you on the day of your first Midsummers, and obviously we'll have to save Maggie's, but this is for you." He hands me a black velvet jewellery box, which I open to see a delicate silver chain with just one charm, a star shape, with many points to it, and in the centre of it sits a green gemstone.

"It's beautiful, thank you," I smile, giving him a quick hug.

"Sidney, Oscar," My mum calls up to us from downstairs, "The taxi is outside, are you ready?"

"Coming." I shout back, carefully putting the necklace on before sliding my chunky silver rings onto my fingers and spritzing some perfume before following my dad out of the room and down the stairs to where my mother is eagerly waiting with the front door already open.

"You look lovely, Sidney." My mother beams, squeezing my hand as we head out of the house and down the steps to our taxi.

"Good evening Sir," My dad greets the taxi driver as he takes a seat in the front passenger's seat, my mother and I in the back, "The Island Club, please."

"Of course." He nods, driving us towards the island club.

"Are you excited?" My mum asks me, gently squeezing my hand.

"Excited isn't the right word," I sigh, "Nervous, anxious, all the above."

"I'm sure once you see Kiara you'll feel more comfortable." She smiles, and she's probably right, as long as I make sure Kiara doesn't see me being friendly with Sarah, or even Rafe, especially after JJ voiced his suspicions to me at the outdoor cinema.

"I hope so." I sigh, staring out of the window at all the large and clean houses that look as though last week's storm barely touched them.

After another twenty minutes or so in the taxi we pull onto the driveway of the Island Club, various members of staff dotted around, carrying trays with drinks on them, greeting the other guests as they arrive. My dad pays the taxi driver as we climb out of the car before walking up to the club entrance.

"Good evening, welcome to the Island Club," a waiter greets us, carrying a tray of champagne flutes, "Can I interest you in a complimentary glass of champagne, courtesy of Ward Cameron?"

"That would be delightful," My dad smiles, taking two champagne flutes and handing them to my mother and I before taking one for himself.

"Oscar, she's not old enough," My mother hisses.

"It's just a glass of champagne, Gina, she's fine." Dad tells her as we continue walking through to the garden where the party will be taking place. The decorations are pretty impressive, with various verandas and lots of delicate string lights no doubt meticulously placed.

I spot Kiara and Pope over by the Heyward's stall so I say a quick goodbye to my parents, before making my way over to my friends, champagne in hand.

"Hello strangers." I grin, taking an unladylike gulp of champagne.

"Sidney?" They both say in unison.

"You look incredible, Sid," Kiara smiles, wrapping her arms around me, "I'm so glad you're here with me too."

"I don't think I could do this sober without you and Pope." she tells me.

"Its a good thing I bought this then isn't it?" I whisper, looking around me to check the coast is clear before pulling a hip flask out of my purse.

"Sidney, I love you more than I already did," Kiara exclaims as I hand her the metal flask, full of whiskey, she unscrews the cap and takes a quick swig before handing it back to me as I do the same and shove it back into my purse, "Whiskey? That tastes expensive."

"It's not," I tell her, "It's from my dad's cabinet, he won't miss it."

"You're going to need it when you see how much of a circus this shit is." Pope warns us as he works on the grill, reminding me that he also worked here last year.

"Agreed," Kiara nods, "Welcome to the lion's den."

"Sid, have you heard from JJ?" Pope asks me, "Me and Kie were saying neither of us have heard from him."

"Nothing," I sigh, "I texted him a couple of times, but I figured it'd be better not to bombard him, you know what JJ's like, he won't tell you he needs help until he's at the point of no return."

"You're not wrong." Pope replies.

"I just hope he's okay." Kiara adds.

The people closer to the Island club building begin erupting in applause, the three of us redirecting our attention to see the Cameron family arriving. The way they command a space is so intimidating, and it makes me wonder if they'd have the same power without their wealth.

Ward and Rose lead the way, closely followed by Rafe, Sarah and Wheezie. Rafe makes a beeline for his friends on the decking, while Sarah continues to follow Ward and Rose.

"Oh look, its Lord Capitol and the exploiters." Kiara sighs.

"She's gonna poke someone's eye out with that thing," Pope mutters in reference to Rose's extravagant headpiece.

While Pope and Kiara continue talking about something else, I can't help but focus my attention on Sarah. Topper has pulled her aside and whatever they're talking about, it looks heated, and she doesn't look comfortable.

"I'll be back in a minute." I tell Pope and Kiara, walking up the garden to the decking where Topper now stands alone, Sarah having headed off somewhere further down the decking, I brush past Kelce and then Rafe as they join Topper, not needing to look over my shoulder to know that Rafe's gaze is on me as I slip inside the building.

Rafe had never been quite so captivated by anything in his life.

I head for the bathroom, knowing I would also seek solace in the one place men can't be if I'd just had a conversation like that. I push the door open to see Sarah leaning against the sink, glancing at the reflection in the mirror when she sees me come in.

"You look like you could do with some of this," I smile softly, taking the hip flask out of my purse and handing it to her, "It's whiskey, and it does the trick."

"You read my mind." Sarah sighs, unscrewing the lid and drinking half the contents.

"So what's got you hiding out in the bathroom?" I ask as we sit down on the cream couch, I mean who has a couch in the bathroom?

"Topper." She replies.

"What about Topper?" I ask her as she hands me the flask.

"He's not said it out right but he thinks I've been doing shit behind his back," She explains, "Frustratingly he's not completely wrong."

"What do you mean?" I ask, taking a sip of whiskey.

"I kissed John B." She whispers and I almost spit out my whiskey in disbelief.

"When?" I whisper.

"The other day when we went to Chapel Hill," She begins to explain, "He wanted to access the archives, something to do with the treasure hunt."

"He told you about that?" I glance at her with a smile, "He must really like you, I don't remember the last time he let someone new into his life like that."

"I really like him too," She beams, "I just know that Topper will lose his shit when I tell him."

"You're probably right," I sigh, "But if he's not right for you, then what can you do about it?"

"I just felt so happy and comfortable with John B, and I don't think I ever had that with Topper." She tells me.

"When you were with John B did you tell him that we've been hanging out?" I ask her.

"Yeah," She smiles reassuringly, "But he said he won't tell the others until you're ready, because he knows how Kiara feels about me and how JJ and Pope feel about kooks."

"I appreciate that," I smile, "But I'm sure that eventually they'll accept you."

"I hope so." She sighs.

"Well I think we should probably head out there and face the music, because if we're gone for too long Topper will definitely be sending out a search party." I tell Sarah, standing up from the couch.

"You're probably right." She nods in agreement, standing up and holding her hand out for me to take, pulling me up off the sofa.

We make our way back outside, it's livelier now and people are dancing to the music that the band on one of the verandas are playing. I spot my mum talking to Rose Cameron and my dad is talking to Kiara's dad, so clearly they're settling in.

"Hello stranger," I look to my right to see Mason Shoupe, wearing a black suit with a green bow tie, with his previously messy brown hair, neatly styled for tonight's event.

"Hi," I smile, "It's good to see you again."

"You too." He smiles and I remember that Sarah is on the other side of me.

"This is my friend Sarah, Sarah this is Mason Shoupe," I tell him, "And I just realised that I didn't tell you my name when we first met, I'm Sidney."

"It's lovely to meet you Sarah," Mason smiles warmly.

"You too." Sarah smiles, giving me a knowing look.

"I was wondering whether you'd like to dance with me?" He asks me, scratching the back of his neck as the song changes to Tiny Dancer by Elton John.

"Of course I would," I smile before turning to Sarah prepared to ask her if she's okay with me leaving her, and before I can speak she's frantically mouthing, 'Go!'.

I follow him down to the dance floor, shuffling past various people until we reach the middle of the dance floor. He takes my right hand in his and rests his other hand on my back as I rest mine on his shoulder as we begin swaying to the music.

I feel like there's a million pairs of eyes on me, when in fact I doubt anyone actually cares that I'm dancing with the deputy sheriff's son, who they probably don't even know because he didn't grow up on the island. 

As the song reaches the chorus Mason lets go of my waist and spins me under my arm, allowing me to get a better view of the people around us. My mum is still in a deep discussion with Rose, and my dad is now talking to Ward Cameron, while keeping his eyes on me, with a reassuring smile.

And then there's Rafe.

He's standing on the decking, gripping the white wooden fence so hard that I can see the whites of his knuckles. His stare is firm, yet it doesn't intimidate me, because somehow I feel like I know him better than I did two weeks ago, when his presence would've terrified me.

"Are you okay?" Mason whispers as he brings me back into hold as we move gently around the dance floor to the sound of the music.

"Yeah," I reply with a hesitant smile, "It's just my first time at an event like this, I feel like everyone is watching us."

"Trust me, they're too wrapped up in their own lives to even notice us." He assures me, grazing his thumb over my back gently.

"You've got a point there." I smile, slowly feeling more comfortable.

The music comes to an end and another more upbeat song begins to play as I pull away from Mason's arms, "I'll see you in a bit." I smile, heading back towards the Island Club building, not really sure what I'm looking for, I just know that being amongst all those people feels too overwhelming right now.

"Hey, who was that?" Kiara asks as I bump into her on the decking.

"Shoupe's son," I tell her, "He's visiting this week."

"You two looked cute together." She smiles.

"Thanks," I smile, "He's nice."

"Nice is good, right?" Kiara replies, trying to read my face.

"I suppose," I nod, feeling an increasing urge to escape the business of the party, "I'll see you in a bit."

I head into the main building, ending up in the main reception area and being greeted with a grand staircase. It's quieter in here, but there's still small groups of people standing around and talking. I decide I'm probably more likely to get a moment to myself somewhere upstairs rather than amongst all the kooks down here.

After reaching the top of the stairs I end up drawn to the balcony overlooking the party, and the beach beyond that, a perfect pink sunset providing an idyllic backdrop for a moment to breathe.

I open the door and slip out onto the balcony, letting the cool breeze dance over my bare arms. I exhale properly for what feels like the first time in hours, holding onto the wooden railing of the balcony, staring out at the sea. I always knew the kook life wasn't for me, but living it made me realise how incredibly overwhelming it would feel.

"That was all very cosy." The familiar voice asks from behind me, sending a ripple of goosebumps across my skin.

"I forgot that you like to watch." I reply, looking over my shoulder to see Rafe closing the door behind him, realising that I was so wrapped up in myself that I hadn't heard him open the door.

"That's not what I like to watch." He smirks, stepping closer to me.

"Well if you didn't have an aversion to dancing you wouldn't have been the one watching." I tell him bluntly, glancing over at the people down on the grass, double checking that no one can see us up here.

"You would've danced with me?" He replies with a grin as I take a few steps back from the edge of the balcony.

"I think we both know the answer to that, don't you?" I sigh, grazing my fingertips over his knuckles.

"I think I want to hear you say it," He says, running his hand up my arm, erupting goosebumps all over my skin again.

"I would've danced with you." I whisper, my eyes drifting between his eyes and his lips.

"Good," He mutters, cupping my face and colliding my lips with his in a kiss that feels like it's been lingering for an eternity, his lips sweet with the taste of cigarettes and whiskey.

I grasp onto his suit jacket, holding onto his waist as his hands wander to my neck, his kisses remaining hungry against my lips. I didn't know that a kiss could feel this good, and if I had, maybe I would've dabbled with the kooks a long time ago.

Rafe pulls his lips away from mine, resting his forehead against mine with heavy breaths, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." He mutters, pecking another gentle kiss to my lips.

"You don't think anyone saw us do you?" I whisper, looking down at the party below us, no one seems to notice that we're up here.

"I don't really care if they did." He grins, moving his hands to my hips and kissing me softly again.

"You know people on the island love to talk." I reply, resting my hands on his shoulders.

"Let them." He mumbles against my lips.

"I think we should stop," I whisper, the smile on his face dropping as he pulls away.

"What?" He mutters.

"I don't mean permanently," I grin fondly, "I just don't want us getting carried away at a party where both our friends and families are just down there."

"Right, of course," He nods, letting go of my waist as I drop my hands from his shoulders, "You know, I don't even have your phone number."

"Oh yeah," I chuckle, "Give me your phone and I'll give you my number."

He takes his phone out of his pocket and hands it to me, I open the contacts page and type my number in, saving it under my name and sending a text to my number so I can save his.

"I'll head downstairs, just wait a few minutes and then come down too." I smile, handing his phone back to him, opening the porch door and slipping back inside the building.

I can practically feel my heart about to burst out of my chest as I head back downstairs to where the party is. I pass a group of kooks on my way back into the outdoor area. I see my parents, getting drinks at the bar, making me realise how much our lives has changed, my parents are socialising with real life kooks, my mum was chatting to Rose Cameron for a good part of the evening, meanwhile I've been having secret rendezvous with a kook, and not just any kook, Rafe fucking Cameron.