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𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻: 𝗸𝗼𝗼𝗸, 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵

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After Rafe had his...conversation with Cassie, he traveled back outside to see JJ Maybank dancing around his sister dressed as a waiter. He decided to ban together some of his Kook friends, going up to JJ to confront him.

That's when JJ ran into the bathroom to try to escape Rafe and his goons, knocking on all the bathroom doors but all of them had been occupied. "Come on!" JJ complained before he walked around the corner.

"Hey, man, what are you doin' in the locker room, huh?" Rafe blocked him, making him immediately turn around to exit the other way but another Kook had pushed him back.

"Fuck you!" The Kook spat.

"Wow, that's a cute outfit," JJ mocked.

"Shut up," Rafe said as he grabbed him and pushed him into Kelce's grasp. Kelce had wrapped his bicep around JJ's neck as he tried thrashing out of his grasp. "Hold him still. What-what do you think? A four iron, right? All right, keep his head still. I'm gonna line this up," Rafe pretended to go golfing at his head.

"Very Rafe of you, Rafe. Five on one?" JJ forced out, his voice strained because of Kelce's bicep around his throat.

"If you could please stop talking? It's very disrespectful when I'm trying to hit a ball, all right? Hey, learn your etiquette, my friend," Rafe chastised as JJ continued to struggle in Kelce's grasp. Rafe then moved closer to the blonde, crouching down condescendingly to get a good look at JJ's face. "Your face, it looks really bad. You're starting to look like your dad a lot more," Rafe told him, causing JJ to spit in his face. Rafe reached up to wipe the spit away with a laugh, "Oh, shit. All right."

A security guard entered and flashed his light at them, calling out, "Gentleman!" Kelce quickly shoved JJ away, making him fall over slightly before he got himself back up. "Is there a problem here, guys?"

"Oh! Pardon me, officer. No, there's not an issue. I just — Oh, actually, yes. No, there is an issue," JJ rambled. "Uh, we got a criminal trespass in progress. Beep! Call it in, right? Blatant disrespect of private property."

Rafe clicked his tongue. "Yeah," he said, scratching behind his ear.

"I'm in violation of all kinds of shit, sir, but these young gentlemen..." JJ said, placing a hand on Kelce's tie.

"Don't touch my shit," Kelce warned through clenched teeth, aggressively pushing JJ's hand away.

"...Uh, caught me, sir, and they're about to take me away. And that's what you should do, escort me out of here. You got me," JJ continued, putting his hands up as if the officer was going to handcuff him.

"Come on," the security guard said, grabbing JJ's arm so he could pull him away from the others.

JJ looked over his shoulder, calling out, "All right. Fix that tie son. Oh, you're lookin' spiffy, too. You Powerpuff Girls have fun."

"Tell Kiara she looks pretty hot for a Pogue!" Rafe shouted.

JJ ripped away from the security, turning around to face Rafe. "What'd you just say?" He questioned angrily.

"You know what? Tell Cassie she looks hot too, too. Oh, wait, I can just tell her that myself," Rafe added and JJ gave him a confused look.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" He interrogated as he neared the Cameron boy, the security guard hot on his tail.

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" Rafe laughed, looking over at his buddies before his eyes landed back on JJ. "Guess she really is a true slut."

JJ gave the boy an incredulous look before he scowled and ran toward him aggressively. "Hey! Stop it. Come here!" The security guard said, pulling JJ back.

"Let's go!" Rafe challenged.

"You think I'm afraid of you, bro?" JJ yelled as the security guard pulled him out of the locker room.

"Hey, safe travels back to The Cut!" Rafe taunted.

"This ain't over!" JJ replied.

"Hey, hey, it was really nice seein' you again, JJ!" Rafe got the final word in before the door shut behind JJ and the security guard.

JJ continued to fight against the security guard grip until he broke free, making the security guard yell, "Hey, get back here!" JJ continued to run from him, weaving in out of Kooks to try to trip him up.

As he ran, the only thing he could think of was what Rafe had said: "You know what? Tell Cassie she looks hot too, too. Oh, wait, I can just tell her that myself," and "Oh, she didn't tell you? Guess she really is a true slut." Did that mean what JJ had thought it meant? Was Cassie still talking to Rafe and possibly doing more? After what he did to Pope and himself?

He looked over his shoulder, seeing that he had managed to escape the security guard only for him to look back forward and see the girl that was on his mind. He didn't even notice the way she had been stumbling and the Vodka bottle in her hand since he immediately went her way, grabbing onto her arm.

"Just the person I was looking for," he voiced although his tone had been anything but excited to see her after a million "what if?" thoughts raced through his mind about her and Rafe.

However, Cassie hadn't caught onto it because of the drunk state she had been in from chugging the Vodka bottle as if it had been water. "JJ?" She said, her eyes widening at him since she didn't know he was here.

JJ looked around, seeing a closet they could hide in so he wasn't caught again. "Come here," he demanded as he grabbed her shoulders from behind and rushed the both of them inside. Once they were in, he shut the door behind him and turned the light on. The closet had been small since it had only stored some brooms and mops, making them have to stand close to one another. "Cassie—"

"That wasn't there before," Cassie pointed out with a slur to her words, holding her hand up as she lightly touched the cut that had been on JJ's cheek. "Those weren't either," she added as she ran her finger down his jaw, seeing the bruises. "Who did this?"

JJ quickly grabbed her wrist, making her flinch a bit because of the events that had went on prior. He slowly brought her hand down, his eyes narrowing. "Are you drunk right now?" He questioned, ignoring her own question.

"Whattttt? Nooo, this is just water," she lied, holding up the Vodka bottle that he had just seemed to notice now.

"Cassie, what the hell?" He breathed out, shaking his head at her. He could practically smell the alcohol dripping off of her mixed with her perfume that she always wore.

"What are we doing in here?" She asked, tilting her head up to look around which caused her to stumble into the wall a bit. "Oh, shit. I'm good!"

JJ cringed. "Cassie..."

"Oh my God, wait, are you...No, you can't be. Are you trying to hook up with me?" She asked drunkenly, making him give her a bewildered look. "JJ, you know we hate each other," she booped him on the nose teasingly.

He gave her a look, knowing she had only been saying this because she was drunk. "Cassie, no, I don't want to hook up with you. You're drunk off your ass," he seethed. "But I do want to talk about something like that."

"About what?"

"Rafe." Cassie's face paled at the mention of the boy's name since she had been using the alcohol to try to forget about him. "Cassie, is there something going on between you and Rafe?" She blinked at him before she brought the bottle of alcohol up to her mouth to continue drink it, not wanting to answer the question. "Give me this!" JJ ripped the bottle from her hands.

"Hey, that's mine!" She complained as she tried reaching for it, but JJ held it away. "JJ!"

"Cassie, I swear to God, what's going on with you and Rafe? And don't fucking lie," JJ demanded angrily, moving his face just inches away from her's, since it seemed like she was trying to avoid the question.

She started to shake her head, breathing out, "JJ, I don't want to talk about this." She had been trying not to think about Rafe and here JJ was, interrogating her. She needed that Vodka bottle back.

"Cassie, we're talking about it. Are you secretly talking to him? After he jumped Pope and I?" JJ cut straight to the point.

"No, that's not what's going on!" She cried out, feeling her lips start to quiver again but she tried to hold back her tears.

"You better fucking tell me what's going on right now or—"

"I fucked him!" She cut him off before she held her hand up to her forehead. JJ reared his head back in shock at the girl's confession, not expecting it to be that extreme. "I-I fucked him the night of the kegger. I was angry at-at Sarah and her stupid fucking boyfriend. And-and I was angry at you," she rambled drunkenly, pointing into his chest. "Oh, I was so angry at you. I didn't mean for it to go that far but it did. But I regret it. I regret it so much because..." She trailed off, her hand making its way up to her throat as she relived what Rafe had done to her before.

JJ hadn't noticed the marks on her neck since he had been staring into her eyes, feeling absolutely...betrayed. He had just gotten done thinking that maybe Cassie truly was one of the Pogues, that she could be trusted. And here she was, confessing to hooking up with Rafe Cameron, who was now one of their enemies.

"You fucked Rafe the night Topper tried to drown John B?" JJ asked darkly, looking down from her eyes and onto the wall furiously.

Cassie breathed out, knowing how bad it had sounded. "Yes, I-I did. I made a mistake. I'm sorry, JJ. I'm so sorry. I'm so—"

"Save the fucking apologies, Cassie," he interrupted, making her swallow hard. "I knew it. I knew it this whole time. You don't wanna be a Pogue. You're still a fucking Kook, through and through. You care more about your image and looking better than Sarah Cameron than us, people who actually give a shit about each other. Well, news flash, Cassandra, you will never be better than Sarah. There's a reason why she dropped your ass, right? Maybe it was she could see through all your bullshit and your constant need to fit in. It's embarrassing."

Cassie released a choked gasp at the hateful words that JJ had just said to her. Despite all of their arguing and insults, this had been the worst thing she had ever heard him say to her. Normally she would have been arguing back, but with the state she was in, all she could do was beg. "JJ, please, I—"

"I don't wanna fucking hear it!" He hit his hand against the wall, making her flinch even harder than before she shut her eyes and looked away. That's when he had noticed the marks on her neck that were never there before. "What is that?" He asked, his harsh tone slowly dissipating. Cassie didn't answer as she continued to look away, her body shaking as she tried to calm herself down. He then realized they were bruises, and his gaze changed to one of concern. "Cassie, who did this to you?"

Cassie slowly met his eyes, licking her lips that had gone dry. "No one," she whispered.

He scoffed at her. "You're still trying to lie? I mean, goddamn it, Cassie," he frustratedly spoke before she shut her eyes again. He then narrowed his eyes a bit. "Hold on...was it Rafe?" At the mention of his name again, she felt a tear run down her cheek and JJ immediately knew that it was correct answer. "I swear to God, I'm gonna fucking kill him—"

"JJ, no!" She called out, grabbing the boy's tense bicep before he could storm out. "JJ, you-you don't understand. No one can find out about this."

"Cassie, he fucking strangled you!" JJ argued, forgetting the fact that she and Rafe had slept together since this had been more important. Even though he hated the girl right about now, that didn't mean he was going to let Rafe get away with strangling her, a sixteen year old girl.

"I'm not talking about that!" Cassie said as some more reared slipped from her eyes, and JJ looked at her incredulously. "No one can know about what happened began Rafe and I. Please, JJ. No one can know."

"Cassie, I have to tell the Pogues. You betrayed our trust!" JJ pointed out, his eyes wide.

She had started to cry even more in front of him, which was the last thing she wanted to do but in her drunken state, she couldn't stop herself. "JJ, please, I beg you. Please don't. Kiara can't find out. She-she can't find out. If-if she finds out, she's gonna hate me. I-I can't go back to having no friends. Please, JJ, you don't understand," she begged him as she grabbed onto his suit jacket, looking down at the floor before she looked back up into his eyes. "You don't understand what it was like. To have no one to go to after my dad died. I-I can't go back to that. I can't do it. I won't do it."

JJ stared down at her, his lips parted at what she had been saying. Although he was more than pissed about what she had done, he could tell that she was being genuine in her words. And he had never seen her act like this either, always putting up a tough front. Even when she had almost been shot and John B's house had been ransacked by square groupers with guns, she never shed one tear. And here she was, breaking down right in front of him.

He didn't know what it was like to not have friends since he had been best friends with the Pogues since the third grade, always being there for each other. He was starting to feel conflicted, knowing he should tell his friends but at the same time...something else was telling him that he shouldn't. And he didn't know why because it was Cassie, someone he never even liked in the first place and now she had given him more of a reason not to like her.

However, before he could answer, the door had swung open and the security guard from before shouted, "There you are! Get out here!" He demanded.

Cassie's eyes widened and JJ looked back at her, quickly handing the Vodka bottle back. She blinked at him, expecting him to say something but he didn't. He just went with the security guard. "No, wait, JJ, wait," she quickly said, rushing after them. She couldn't have him tell the Pogues. She couldn't.

"Whoa, look-look man, I can walk myself. I got legs. Can you see that, brother?" JJ said to the security guard as he dragged him outside, Cassie right behind them as she tried to compose herself. She didn't care that she was still holding the alcohol bottle in her hand either. "All right, I really appreciate what you did back there. Let me just walk out by myself."

"What's happening?" Someone asked from beside Cassie and she looked over, realizing it had been Kiara.

"Uh..." Was all Cassie was able to get out at the sight of her friend, her guilt deepening even more.

"Oh, Mr. Dunleavy, I see you got your drink. Good, that's really nice of you. I'm actually down that." JJ took his glasses and poured the liquid down his throat.

"What the hell's the matter with him?" Mr. Dunleavy questioned.

"Sorry, sir," the security guard apologized.

"Cassie, what's going on? Why are you holding Vodka?" Kiara pressed further, but Cassie stayed standing next to her as she watched the security guard continued to drag him out.

"Aah! Woo!" JJ cheered, feeling the liquid burn the back of his throat the only pumped him up more. After hearing Cassie's confession, he really needed it. "I really appreciate the discretion, Daryl, you know? It's okay, everybody! Do not panic!" He raised his voice, making everyone turn their gazes toward him. "Let's leave it to the men and women in uniform! Huh?! Let's hear it for them!" He continued as he clapped sarcastically. "Rose! You look like Lady Liberty. It's good to see you again. Ooh, hey buddy, can I have one of those?"

"Let go of him!" Kiara suddenly yelled. "You can't just boot him!"

"Excuse me, ma'am?" The security guard replied as he stopped, both him and JJ looking over. The blonde noticed Cassie already staring at him, a pleading look in her eyes and he glanced away.

"Really?" Cassie heard Rafe mutter next to her and she looked over fearfully, moving closer to Kiara.

"Look, I invited him here," Kiara told him.

"Kiara!" Anna, Kiara's mother, warned her daughter since she was making a scene.

"Kiara, stop it," Mike whispered.

"I'm a member of this club!" Kiara pointed to herself before JJ pushed the security into a table, making drinks and plates crash and shatter.

"Sorry about that. Hey, mandatory power hour at Rixon's, Kie," JJ said, pointing at Kiara. "Pope, you as well, all right? Rixon's Cove. Let's roll. All right, Kie, come on. Workers of the world unite! Throw off your chains!" JJ yelled as he backed away through the crowd.

"You can't hang around these kids," Mike voiced to Kiara.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She apologized before she rushed away from her parents, making her them call out after her. "Cece, come on!"

"But I'm not invited!" Cassie said back to her since she took note of how JJ failed to say her name when calling out to the Pogues.

Kiara looked over her shoulder at the girl. "You're always invited, come on!"

Cassie released a sigh at her friend's words, knowing that was about to be untrue once JJ told them what happened, before she ultimately ran after the girl. "Cassandra!" She heard her mother bellow and she looked over as she ran, seeing her mother's furious expression in the crowd. "You better stop right there or so help me God..."

Cassie ignored her mother and kept on running behind Kiara, hearing Heyward's shouts to Pope as well. As she ran, she watched John B, who she hadn't seen in a while, embrace Pope. JJ hugged Kie, spinning her around as the girl giggled.

Cassie's heart dropped at the sight of all of them being so happy with one another, fearing for what was to come when JJ exposed her terrible secret.

authors note!
i was so excited to write this
chapter bc i love angst and tension
way too much. hopefully yall do
as well hehehe also sorry if there
r spelling mistakes, i wanted to
try to get this in before it got too
late. hope yall enjoyed! (also do
u guys like the new cover? i didnt
like the other one very much so
i switched it up to see but lmk)