─☼☼☼─

𝙊𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙀𝘾𝙊𝙉𝘿 day of summer break, Charlotte Carrera found herself standing in her childhood bedroom, eyes lingering as she stood with a series of suitcases at her feet.

She thought that coming back to Kildare Island for summer break was going to be a good thing─ hell, she had looked forward to it almost all year. But now that she was here, it didn't feel so good.

 As if mocking her displeasure in returning home, Hurricane Agatha had ripped through the island just days before, meaning Charlotte was returning to a disaster in more ways than one.

The Carrera house was rather unscathed. Aside from their need for a generator, everything appeared to be just as it was the last time Charlotte had been back in Kildare County.

Everything in her bedroom was the exact way she left it the last time she was home for spring break ─ except for the fact that Kiara had clearly been in her closest at one point.

But aside from that minor change, everything was the same.

Which meant that her room was encased with the past. Because the last time she had been in this house ─ this room ─ she had still been with Rafe.

Shifting slightly, the girl's eyes landed on a picture frame that sat atop her bedside table, and instantly she felt her heart droop slightly.

Moving quietly toward it, Charlotte picked it up and glanced down at the picture of her and Rafe from senior prom. He looked miserable ─ like he often did when forced to take a serious photo ─ but beneath his scowl, Charlotte could see the small smile.

It had been her favourite picture of the two of them. Now, to be quite honest, she hated it. It was never real anyway. The hair, the makeup, the dress. That wasn't who she really was...that was just who Rafe wanted her to be.

For four years, Charlotte busted her ass to be the perfect girlfriend...the perfect Kook. She had to work ten times harder than anyone else ─ her family's quasi "in between" status making it hard to feel like she really fit in.

Even if she was accepted into the Kook, was she really? Or were they gossiping about her behind her back? Wishing that she would scurry off to the cut and be out of their way?

Rafe made her feel like she fit in. Even if he was one of─if not the biggest ─douchebag on the entire island, he treated her rather well. Most of the time he acted as if she had no ties to the Pogues at all. She tried to avoid reminding him that she did, in fact, have rather rooted connections with the less well off.

So, when she lost Rafe, Charlotte wondered if she had somehow lost her spot among the Kooks as well.

The breakup (or the disaster as Charlotte had named it) had happened two months prior. And despite the fact that she had since completed her first year of college and returned back home, somehow the disaster still felt like the most prevalent thing in her life.

What hurt the most was knowing that Rafe could not have given less of a shit about the breakup. In fact, he seemed to be living his best life without Charlotte by his side.

Whatever. Charlotte thought on a daily basis. I can do way better, anyway....right?

"You're home!"

Charlotte spun, picture frame still in hand, to meet eyes with her younger sister who was regarding her with a shocked expression.

"Mom didn't know if you would make it back because of the hurricane." Kie explained, stepping further into her sister's room.

Cracking a small smile, Charlotte shrugged. "Can't keep me away." She joked, the humour not quite meeting her eyes.

Kie grinned for moment, her smile faltering when she noticed what Charlotte was holding. "I heard." She declared, nodding at the picture frame ─ "about you and Rafe."

Of course she had heard. Everyone on the island probably had.

"Yeah." Charlotte muttered, opening her dresser drawer before shoving the picture frame inside. "I ended things. It's for the best."

"You deserve way better than him." Kiara assured, her hate for the Kook showing just a bit too much. "He's a douche."

Charlotte forced a smile at her sister's efforts to cheer her up. "I know."

Kiara studied her sister's solemn face for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Why don't you come to the Chateau with me? We're thinking of throwing a kegger tonight down on the beach...you can help us set up."

"I'm fine, Kie. You don't have to be damage control. I'll just unpack...I have enough shit to keep me busy for the entire night."

"Oh, give it up." Kiara ordered, throwing a pair of car keys in Charlotte's direction. "Let's go."

─☼☼☼─

It had almost been a full year since Charlotte had been on this side of the island. 

The Cut was nothing compared to the pristine nature of the Figure Eight. But somehow, it almost felt more like home than her real home did. It was when she was on the far side of the island that Charlotte truly understood her sister and why she avoided Kook life. It was also on this side of the island that Charlotte truly understood herself.

Here, there was no need for fake smiles or done up hair. No need for country clubs or parties at expensive houses. The Cut was the only place Charlotte truly let her guard down.

The Carrera sisters may have lived two totally different lives, but deep down they were the same in more ways than either of them liked to admit.

"No fucking way!" Came a voice from the enclosed porch as Kiara and Charlotte approached. It was slightly muffled by the screens, but even the,  the eldest Carrera girl knew who it was. "If it isn't Miss. Kook herself."

Charlotte rolled her eyes as she followed after Kiara, giving a quick glance at each of the boys before her eyes settled on the one addressing her. "Yeah, yeah, bring it on. I deserve everything you're thinking. Let's hear it, JJ."

The blonde haired boy simply shook his head, a full grin covering his face. "Nah, Charley. I'll let you off easy this time."

"Thank God." Charlotte muttered, flopping down on the couch next to him before plucking the beer out of his hand and taking a swig.

JJ frowned as John B let out a laugh. "It's great to see you, Charley. Didn't expect to be graced by your presence, though."

Charlotte looked over at John B, quirking a brow as she elbowed JJ away from her as he tried to reclaim his beer. "And why's that?"

John B met her sass with an even response. "Just expected you to be with Prince Kook. I mean, you guys spend every dying moment together, do you not? And it's been, what, a year since we last saw you for more than five minutes?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Charley could see Kie waving her hand across her neck, attempting to get John B to stop talking. Pope wore a wild expression, afraid of the conversation that was about to ensue.

Clearing her throat, Charlotte finally handed the beer back to JJ. "We broke up." She answered calmly. "But I'm assuming you already knew that."

JJ let out a low whistle as John B gave her a small nod. "Just wanted to hear it from your lips."

Pope looked between Charlotte and John B in a panic. "I think what John B is trying to say, is that we didn't want to rely on rumours. They can be dangerous things, you know."

Keeping her eyes on John B, Charlotte wore a smile at Pope's words. He was always the sweetest out of the three boys. "I know, Pope. Thanks."

John B held Charlotte's cool glaze for a moment before breaking into a grin. He was out of his chair and pulling her into a hug in seconds.

JJ swore as his beer was knocked from his hands, causing Charlotte to laugh as the warm liquid spilled across his lap.

"You know I have to haze you just a little." John B explained as he pulled away from Charlotte. "Had to make sure you weren't pulling a reconnaissance mission or something."

Charlotte smiled. "Wow, John B, big word." She winked.

The younger boy rolled his eyes at her as he settled back into his seat. "So, you finally dumped his ass?"

JJ threw an arm around Charlotte's shoulder. "Of course she did. Our little Charley was always way too good for him anyway."

"That's what I told her." Kie piped in, taking a sip of the beer Pope had just handed her. "Rafe has brainwashed you for the last five years, Char. You're finally free."

A dark mass seemed to settled in Charlotte's chest as she nodded, pushing down the aching feeling as Pope handed her a fresh beer. "Yeah." She agreed absentmindedly. "I guess it's finally time to start living for myself."

"So no more Kooks?" Pope hoped as Charlotte cracked her beer.

"Can't promise that." She answered with a small shake of her head. "You guys do realize I have other friends over there aside from Rafe, right?"

John B let out a snort. "You mean Kensington Lewis and Willa Connors?"

Charlotte shrugged as she took a sip of her beer. "Yeah. I guess."

A scoff came from JJ next to her. "Those two have about one good brain cell put together."

"Two on a good day." Charlotte grinned, earning a laugh from the group of younger kids. "They're entertaining...what can I say?"

"Well, you can just hangout with us this summer." Pope proposed, which cause John B's body language to change in the matter of a few seconds.

Charlotte shot a skeptical look in John B's direction before addressing Pope. "What are you hooligans up to this summer, anyway?"

The four younger teenagers shared a series of looks, causing Charlotte's eyes to dart around the group of them. "What's going on?" She wondered, a sense of unease bubbling in her chest. "What the hell have you guys gotten yourselves into."

"We can tell her." Kiara assured, her eyes meeting John B's. "Maybe she can help us."

"Or maybe," he challenged, locking eyes with the youngest Carrera. "She'll tell all of her friends over on the Figure Eight what we found. Those gold diggers will take any excuse to make themselves richer."

Charlotte screwed up her face as she leaned forward. "You do realize that I'm, like, right here, right?"

John B finally looked at her, wearing an apologetic look as he shrugged. "Like Kie said earlier, you've been brainwashed for four years. Can't be too careful now, can we?"

"John B, shut up." JJ ordered. "This is Charley we're talking about here. The same girl who used to sneak us alcohol from the country club. The girl who once punched that guy in the face when he was mean to Kie at a party. The girl who bailed us out of trouble way too many times to count  ─"

" ─The same girl who is still sitting right here." Charlotte interrupted. "So, you can either tell me what you're hiding, or, we can drop it and I'll just figure it out on my own. And maybe then, I'll have to tell my friends on the Figure Eight because I will have no one else to talk about it with, because you four don't want to include me." She leaned back, an impassive look on her face. "I mean, it's really up to you."

JJ swiped his hand out in front of him, brows raised as he looked at John B. "Ball's in your court, bro."

With eyes darting between JJ and Charlotte, John B finally sighed. "Fine."

"Before they explain," Pope interjected. "I just want to make it very clear that I am against all illegal activities that are involved in this scheme."

An excited grin covered Charlotte's face as she rose her brows. "Illegal?"

John B dropped his head into his hands. "JJ, just show her."

The blonde boy wore a wild grin as he handed Charlotte his beer before bending over the side of the couch to pick up his backpack. 

Charlotte gave her sister a weary look as she waited for JJ to reveal the big secret. When he did, she felt her eyes widen. 

In his hands was a stack of cash- thousands of dollars- and a gun. 

"Where the hell did you get that?" She demanded, plucking the wad of cash out of his hands to examine it. "Is this real?"

"It's real." John B confirmed, a grin on his face. 

"The gun is also unfortunately real." Pope muttered, seemingly not impressed with the less-than-legal happenings. 

Charlotte let out a shocked laugh as she handed the cash back to JJ. "Where did it come from?"

And so, after sharing another series of looks which determined whether or not they wanted to tell her the whole story, the Pogues finally decided they did. For the next ten minutes they had explained everything that had happened over the last day. From the sunken Grady-White, the motel room, to the discovery of Scooter Grubbs' body  ─ they filled her in on it all. 

By the time John B had explained the last part of the recount, Charlotte was wearing a small grin. "So what you're telling me is that we have a mystery on our hands?"

"Hell yeah, we do."

─☼☼☼─