─☼☼☼─

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘽𝙊𝙉𝙀𝙔𝘼𝙍𝘿 𝙁𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙀𝘿 up about as fast as expected. The minute news of a party was released on the island ─ it spread like wildfire. 

Say what you will about the kids on the Outer Banks, one thing was for sure... they knew how to party. 

Now warmed beer sloshed around in Charlotte's cup as she lowered herself down on one of the logs, her eyes scanning the crowd. 

She didn't want him to be here. Not really. But for some reason, she was searching for him. 

"Charlotte, hey."

The voice came from next to her, and when she turned, her eyes landed on a tall dark haired boy. It was Caden Koffer, a Kook through and through. 

The first thing she thought as he sat down next to her was Rafe would lose his mind if he saw this ─ the two boys hated each other almost as much as Pogues and Kooks hated each other. 

The second thing she thought was Who the hell cares what Rafe would think?

"I heard you were back." Caden grinned, taking a quick sip of his beer. "But I haven't seen you around."

Charlotte shrugged, pushing a piece of hair out of her face. "I literally just got home. Haven't really had time to start the 'Welcome Home Tour.'"

Caden laughed, inching slightly closer to the Carrera girl. "I-uh- I heard about you and Cameron. It's a shame really." It was clear that that was literally the only reason he had approached her. Without Rafe in the picture, Charlotte likely seemed like free merchandise. 

What she wanted to do was visibly roll her eyes and tell Caden to fuck off. What she did instead was simply nod. "It's not a big deal. Shit happens."

His mouth was open, ready to say something that Charlotte likely didn't want to hear, when they were interrupted by two sun-kissed, Barbie-esque girls. 

"Cade, leave her alone." One of the girls ordered, her voice full of disdain. "Go harass someone else."

Charlotte stifled a laugh as Caden stood up, casting a glare in the direction of the new arrivals. "Fuck off, Kensington." He muttered, a withering glance directed at all three girls before he was stalking off into the crowd. 

"Bye, Cade!" Charlotte called after him, a false airiness to her voice. "Really nice talking to you!"

A series of giggles fell from the two girls Charlotte regarded as some of her closest friends. 

Kensington Lewis and Willa Connors, as JJ described, had about one good brain cell put together. But their utter lack of intelligence aside, they were pretty good friends. They had been there for Charlotte through the thick and thin since the first day of high school and had been the only Kooks aside from Rafe that Charlotte actually felt truly comfortable with. 

"You've been home for twelve hours and have yet to send us a single text." Willa spoke, daintily lowering herself onto the log next to Charlotte. "We're trying not to take it personally."

A small laugh fell from Charlotte's lips as she looked between the two girls. "Sorry, guys. I've just been... I don't know."

"Heartbroken?" Kensington offered, quirking a brow. "I mean Rafe has tried to sleep with half of the Figure Eight by this point. That can't feel very good."

Charlotte hoped the way her face fell slightly wasn't obvious. A heavy weight seemed to press on her chest, crawling up her throat. 

"Ken, shut up." Willa hissed. "Did you really need to say that?"

"You wanna know what I would like?" Charlotte wondered, pushing her shoulders back slightly as her two friends looked to her with slightly worried expressions. 

"What Char?" Willa questioned skeptically. 

"To not talk about Rafe for, like, one night. I swear to God every single person I've talked to since I got home has brought up his stupid name. I really do not need to be reminded every five seconds that we broke up. I remember it full well."

Kensington wore a sheepish look as she picked at the rim of her cup. "You're right, Char." She cast a glance over her shoulder as she scanned the group of teenagers. "Why don't we find you a guy to get your mind off of─ you know."

A low sigh fell from Charlotte's lips as Willa pulled her up. "I don't think that's what I need right now. Maybe just another drink."

She untangled herself from Willa, a forced smile on her lips. "I'll be right back." She promised, not fully sure if she was telling the truth. For some reason, Willa and Kensington's presence just didn't feel right tonight. 

Weaving her way through the crowd, Charlotte found her sister and friends scattered around. JJ spotted her first, and stumbled toward her with two cups in hand. "Charley! Just the Kook I wanted to see."

Charlotte gave him a small smile as she took the cup he was extending toward her. "How wasted are you right now, JJ?"

He shrugged, a lopsided grin coming to his face. "Not sure if I can answer that."

As the words left his mouth, something behind Charlotte seemed to catch his eye. Wordlessly, he brushed past her, making way for whatever had captured his attention. 

Charlotte spun, her eyes landing on two people she recognized instantly. 

Sarah Cameron and Topper Thornton walked with their hands intertwined and their chins held high ─ typical Kook behaviour. Charlotte was guilty of carrying herself like that when she was with Rafe. 

"Hey! Hey, Sarah!" JJ slurred, blocking the couple's path before they could get any further. 

It would be a straight faced lie if Charlotte didn't say that her eyes found themselves drifting, partly hoping to see the Prince of Kooks. 

Her desperate ─and slightly embarrassing ─ search for her ex-boyfriend was cut short when a commotion broke out between JJ and Topper. 

The cup of beer that JJ had tried to offer to Sarah had been thrown back in his face, and within seconds he had grabbed onto the front of Topper's shirt, shoving him back. 

Charlotte dropped her own cup of beer, already knowing the situation was not going to resolve itself on its own. It was only going to get worse. 

"No, no, no, no." John B ordered, pulling JJ away just as Pope and Charlotte arrived next to them. 

"Dirty Pogues!" Topper yelled, his words instantly striking a nerve with John B. Charlotte didn't have a chance to hold him back, even if she had wanted to.

"John B!" Pope snapped. "We're supposed to be incognito, remember?" He reminded as he attempted to hold JJ at bay. 

Charlotte stepped in front of John B as he paced back toward them, his face darkened in anger. "Just leave it for tonight." She advised, having witnessed way too many fights in her years on the Figure Eight and her years with Rafe. It seemed that teenage boys' favourite past time was pummelling each other to a pulp. 

Two hands shoved Charlotte aside from behind, and before she had a chance to snap at whoever had pushed her, Topper's first was connecting with John B's cheek.

The crowd gasped as John B toppled into the shore, Topper kicking at him. "Hey, John B, don't make me drown you like your old man."

Charlotte felt her stomach clench, anger rippling through her at Topper's words. "Topper, cut it out!" She yelled, her screams mixing with that of Sarah's who was begging her boyfriend to stop. 

The once startled crowd now broke into chants─goading the two boys into a fight. 

A fight was what they were going to get. 

As Topper turned his back, John B pulled himself from the water and charged toward the blonde haired boy. 

Sarah let out a small scream as the two boys' bodies crashed to the ground. 

Kiara had arrived next to Charlotte, JJ and Pope, her eyes wide as she watched the chaos. "What do we do?" She demanded. 

JJ and Pope were leaning forward, punching the air as if they were playing a video game and John B was their player. "That's what I'm talking about!" JJ shouted. 

"Come on!" Pope encouraged. 

"Guys!" Charlotte screamed, very well knowing not a single person could hear her. Even if they could, neither boy would have listened. 

Sarah looked at absolute odds as she shoved her hands into her hair, pulling in frustration and worry as the two boys continued their scuffle. She grabbed onto Kelce, her eyes briefly meeting Charlotte's. 

"Stop!" Kiara pleaded. "John B!"

Charlotte grabbed onto her younger sister, stopping her from stepping any closer to the fight as John B flung Topper into the water. 

"COME ON, TOPPER!" He screamed, preparing himself for more of a fight. "LET'S GO!"

Topper pulled himself out of the water and charged at John B, all but flinging him over his shoulder and into the water. 

The crowd quickly quieted as Topper held John B's head under water. For a few seconds...then a few seconds more...then a few more. 

Charlotte's heart was in her throat. 

"Topper!" Sarah begged, her voice strained with panic. "Topper, stop!"

"He's drowning him!" Pope exclaimed, him and Kiara sharing stressed look. 

Charlotte took a step forward. "Someone stop him!" She ordered, knowing that if no one else would, she would freaking do it herself. 

JJ shoved past her, eyes angry as he stopped next to the two boys. Within seconds, he had something pressed to the back of Topper's head. 

A breath hitched in Charlotte's throat as she realized what it was. 

The gun. 

"Yeah. You know what that is." JJ taunted as Topper fell eerily still. "Your move, broski."

The group of teenagers quickly began to disperse. The once full beach becoming more and more sparse.

"JJ!" Charlotte snapped, her eyes wide. "Relax!"

"Chill!" Pope screamed, pulling off his hat in stress. "Dude, chill!"

Sarah stuck her hand out in front of her, her eyes wild. "JJ!" She screamed. "Put the gun down!"

JJ, obviously, did not put the gun down. "Did you say something, Kook Princess?"

"We're good! We're good!" Topper assured, releasing his grip on John B as he slowly stood, hands held out in surrender. 

"Kie!" Sarah snapped. "Can you check your psycho friend, please!?"

JJ stepped back from Topper, turning toward the beach. "EVERYONE, LISTEN UP! GET THE HELL OFF OUR SIDE OF THE ISLAND!" Two shots rang off as he fired into the night sky, causing a series of screams to follow as the remaining stragglers ran for dear life. 

Charlotte raked a hand through her hair, eyes on Topper and Sarah as she shook her head. 

A voice right next to her startled her. "Who's side are you on?"

It was Kelce, one of Rafe's best friends,  and he was watching her with a scrutinizing expression. 

Scoffing, Charlotte turned away from him. "Fuck off, Kelce."

She didn't need this tonight. Tonight was not the night she needed to be interrogated about where her loyalties lay. 

"You idiot!" Kiara screamed, shoving JJ as hard as she could. 

When Charlotte looked back over her shoulder, Kelce was gone. 

"Are you crazy?" Pope snapped at the gun wielding blonde. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"It's not worth it!" Kie screamed. 

JJ shoved Pope away from him. "I'm was saving his life, okay?"

While the three of them proceeded to fight and argue over JJ's stupidity and recklessness, Charlotte decided someone needed to check on their friend that was just almost drowned. 

She waded into the water, silently passing by Sarah and Topper before kneeling down next to John B as he struggled to catch his breath. 

"You okay?" She wondered, eyes catching on his already swollen eye. 

He gave her a tired look as he let out a ragged cough. 

"Great."

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