❝𝐈𝐟 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥, 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐰. 𝐃𝐮𝐦𝐛 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐢 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐝. 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐞'𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫.❞
__
𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒂𝒍

☆☆

THE OUTER BANKS WERE PARADISE ON EARTH TO SOME PEOPLE. Never wanting to leave, endless parties and nice luxury houses to reside in. To others it was the bane of their existence. Working every single day to barely pay bills, being tossed to the scum. And to the tourists, well, it was a vacation to dream of. But to Eliana Cohen, it was a complicated place.

She didn't mind living in the outer banks. In fact, she found it quite peaceful. Well, when she wasn't in her house. Eliana found herself at the beach more than her own home if she was being honest. Either that or she was on a drive with her boyfriend going god knows where. Just anywhere far away from the cut.

She didn't hate the cut, nor the people who lived there. Eliana had friends from both sides of the island, she grew up there, obviously there's history. Though she didn't want her life to be working day in and day out for little to no money. She barely wanted to do any work. Eliana just dreamed of traveling and experiencing different cultures.

Obviously figure eight wasn't where she truly belonged either. Growing up on the cut, the kooks knew who you were and where you didn't belong. It was hard fantasizing about being one of those rich folks who didn't have a care in the world and could do anything they wanted. She wanted that, only she didn't want to have to work for it.

It was a thin line and it was difficult to navigate. Especially when her family acted like she didnt really exist. Both of her parents were never really interested in what she had going on, whether she was doing good in school, doing any extracurricular activities. They only cared about her little sister Francesca and only really ever talked to her now if it involved her.

Eliana was surprised she graduated with how much she skipped and didn't study. But again, there was no parent to force it on her. A lot of people would probably think that was a dream. But at least kook parents give their kids money and pay for their opportunities. Being born on the cut, you got none of that. Then they complained she didn't have a job when neither of them ever told her to go get one.

It was hard being the pogue princess when all she really wanted was to live a lavish lifestyle.

"Ana." She looks to the side to see her mom standing beside her. Miranda just shakes her head as she drops the headphones on the table, the music blaring through them. "God, thats gonna fry your brain." Miranda tells her and Eliana just shrugs her shoulders.

"Maybe i want it to." She mutters. Eliana wasn't exactly wanted in her family. Honestly, she wondered if she was meant to be aborted cause as soon as her sister came along, she was irrelevant.

"Your sister has soccer practice and I need you to drive her." Miranda tells her and Eliana gets up from her seat.

"What if I have plans?"

"I don't really consider smoking weed while wearing little to no clothing plans." Her mom responds and Eliana looks down at what she was wearing. It wasn't even anything bad. She had black swim suit top on and a flannel thrown over top cause she was going to the beach, along with a black mini skirt and some loafers. The skirt wasn't even that short and even then, she had webbed tights on.

"Its fashion." Eliana tells her and her mother just lets out a scoff.

"Its a travesty." She mumbles back, shaking her head. "Now go, she can't be late." Miranda tells her and Eliana tilts her head back slightly.

"Oh the dread if little miss perfect is late for something." She grumbles, grabbing a hold of her purse as her mom only glares at her.

"God, Rick, can you please chime in here?" Miranda asks him, placing a hand on her hip as she looks at her husband who was sitting on the couch.

"Eliana, don't talk back to your mother." Rick says, barely looking at them or even sounding interested.

"So helpful, thank you." Miranda sneers back as Eliana crosses her arms against her chest.

"And why can't you or dad drive her?"

"Because unlike you we have jobs to get to." Miranda responds and Eliana knew if she tried arguing back, it wouldn't get her anywhere.

"Whatever." She mutters as she heads out the front door. Eliana just shoves her purse in the back as she gets into the car. She watches her little sister walk out the door, smiling at something their mom sais before walking over. Opening the door, she stands there for a moment. "Are you gonna get in or what?" Eliana asks her in annoyance.

Francesca stares at her but gets in the passenger seat. "Whats got you in a bad mood?" She asks curiously. As if she didn't know. Eliana just starts the car, barely waiting for her sister to put her seat belt on.

"Maybe because mom and dad act like I'm your personal chauffer." Eliana points out and Francesca looks out the window momentarily.

"They are right you know. You're eighteen and you don't have an actual job." She retorts and Eliana did not feel like getting judged by her fourteen year old sister.

"Maybe i don't need one."

"Right, cause you're gonna marry some rich kook and live happily ever after." Francesca says sarcastically with a small laugh. Eliana clenches her jaw but doesnt respond. "If Rafe Cameron actually liked you, wouldn't he have come over by now?" She points out, obviously trying to get under Eliana's skin.

Rafe Cameron had been her boyfriend for almost a year now. Most people didn't believe they were actually together, more so faking it or just having a casual fling. And to them, that's what it looked like since they barely saw them in public together. But rafe and Eliana liked being alone together, not having to talk to other people, only each other.

"I wouldn't make him go through that sort of torture." She retorts with a fake smile. Francesca just rolls her eyes.

"What happens when he dumps you and you're left with no job and no money?" Francesca asks and Eliana turns on the radio, wanting to drown out the sound of her sisters voice.

"I could still throw you out of this car." She warns, not even joking in the slightest. Eliana seriously was tested every single day around her sister. Sometimes she wished it was her sister who had disappeared instead of big John routledge. But she knew her parents would find a way to blame that on her anyways.

They always did.

☆☆

ELIANA FELT FRUSTRATED AS SHE WALKED ALONG THE SAND. She hated how her parents just did whatever Francesca wanted and how she could do no wrong in their eyes. And what was worse was that the little bitch loved the attention and knew exactly what she was doing. Eliana always thought she would be the one her parents always looked out for, that was until the spawn of satan which was her little sister was born.

She sees her best friend sitting by one of the trees so she makes her way over to her. Kaley Woods had been her best friend for around five years now. They had met when Eliana was tagging along with her father to one of the fancy golf matches. Every since, they had been glued to the hip. Kaley didn't care she came from the cut and Eliana didn't care that she was 'kook'. That's what made them get along so well.

And when Kaley got her boyfriend Marcus Landon, he seemed to be the same way. Although he had a few run ins with pogues that didn't leave the best impression, he didn't let that deter him from getting to know Eliana.

Both of them weren't the biggest fan of Rafe but they supported Eliana no matter what. Marcus just made sure to watch out for the man and well Kaley, she tried often to steer Eliana away from Rafe. Not that it ever worked.

"Where have you been, girl?" Kaley asks as she sits down beside them, Marcus having his arm around Kaley's waist as she rested against him.

"I got stuck with errand duty." Eliana mumbles as she leans over and takes the blunt from Marcus in order to take a hit of it.

"Your parents are such tweakers, man." Marcus mutters, blowing his own smoke out of his mouth.

"Literally, they don't give a damn about what you do and yet think they can use you to do their chores?" Kaley asks, shaking her head and Eliana raises an eyebrow.

"Not everyone gets lucky with parents who leave you the hell alone." She teases. Both of their parents barely paid attention to them. Which was both a good thing and a bad thing. But at least they didn't pretend to care and it wasn't like they didn't get tons of opportunities because of them.

"Talking about that, they're gone this weekend-- party at my house?" Kaley suggests, wiggling her eyebrows.

"You always have the best ideas, babe." Marcus says with a smile as he gazes down at her.

"Aww, thank you." She responds before the two of them lock lips. Eliana watches them, practically being forced to see a small Makeout session. She fakes a gag.

"I'm gonna barf." Eliana tells them and Kaley laughs as pulls back from her boyfriend.

"Please, acting like you're not all over pretty boy over there." She points out, nodding in the direction. Eliana glances over, seeing she was gesturing to rafe. The man had his arm slung over toppers shoulder as they took a shot.

"At least we have standards." Marcus adds and Eliana frowns. Everytime she brought up Rafe, they didn't seem to be on board with it. Even though it was Kaley who honestly set them up in the first place.

"Hey, he's really sweet." She tells them and Marcus scoffs.

"Exactly why he's a total ass to us?" He retorts and Eliana couldn't exactly defend that but she knew he wasnt one to easily talk with others.

"Hes just more of a private person." Eliana tells them and Kaley hums.

"I'll say."

"I'm just saying, I've known rafe my whole life and he's always been a pretentious douchebag who doesn't give a crap about anyone. I'm just telling you to not get your hopes up over a happily ever after with him." Marcus tells her. He knew Eliana was Kaley's best friend and that meant he had to watch out for her too.

"So, who are we inviting? Please don't tell me ruthie is coming." Eliana asks, changing the subject. Kaley scoffs as she shakes her head.

"Oh, no. I don't hate anyone that much." She denies with a grimace and Eliana can't help but laugh. "Did i tell you she tried hitting on Marcus?" Kaley asks her and Eliana's eyes widen slightly.

"You serious?"

"Yeah, was fawning all over him and shit." Kaley mutters, clenching her jaw. Eliana shakes her head. Ruthie was always a bitch to everyone and tried to steal everyone's boyfriends. She was surprised people still hung out with her.

"Shes such a skank." Eliana states and Kaley nods her head in agreement.

"I can never understand how anyone likes that bitch." Kaley denies and Marcus just wraps an arm around his girlfriend.

"No one does. They just tolerate her because of her daddy." He adds. Ruthie seriously was the bane of everyone's existence. The one thing he can actually defend Rafe on is the fact Ruthie tried hitting on him too and he shot her down instantly.

"Did you bathe in bleach?" Eliana suggests. That's what she would do if Ruthie dared to lay a hand on Rafe.

"Oh, i made sure he got her nasty stench off of him." Kaley scoffs as she shakes her head, leaning against Marcus. Eliana smiles as she glances away from them, her eyes looking along the beach until she sees Rafe.

He was stood with his friends, laughing at something Topper said, a beer being pulled to his lips. Rafe finds her eyes and a light smile forms on his lips. Eliana returns it as she bites the inside of her cheek before her eyes move back to her friends.

☆☆

MAKING HER WAY DOWN THE BEACH, she heads toward the cooler to grab herself another drink. Brushing her hair behind her ear, she sighs as she bends down to open it. That's when an arm wrapped around her waist and she was being pulled toward the bushes. She gasps loudly, turning around ready to suckerpunch whoever grabbed her until she realized who it was. "Rafe!" Eliana scolds as she hits his arm but she can't help the warm feeling the engulfs her as she looks up at him.

"Hey, sweetheart." He responds as he places his hand on her cheek, holding her closely toward him. Rafe leans down, kissing her deeply to which she returns instantly. She hums softly against his lips as the man runs his fingers through her hair. "Missed you so much." Rafe says in between kisses which makes her giggle a bit before pulling away from him.

"Its been a day." She teases him with a smile, tilting her head. Rafe only kisses her once more, pulling at her bottom lip before finally letting her go.

"Far too long to go without you." He retorts and she rolls her eyes playfully.

Rafe Cameron was the infamous kook over on Figure Eight. Everyone knew him, the pogues hated him and well the kooks sucked up to him because of his father Ward Cameron. Most people found him irritating, acting stuck up and causing problems all around him. Which was true. He often got into fights or bragged about his wealth or just honestly acted like an entitled piece of shit.

But not around Eliana. Well, at first he acted like he wasn't taken by her. Acting annoyed around her presence, barely speaking when she tried to start conversations with him, and he would often just ignore her entirely. Topper saw right through his act though, noticing how yes he would act annoyed, but he would also snap at anyone who was rude to her, he wouldn't talk to her but he took every word she said very deeply and well, him ignoring her was just another way of saying he admired her from a distance.

Rafe thought he could bypass the allure of the girl but he was very wrong. In a short time, she had him in her grasp and he was practically worshipping the ground she walked on. Anyone who knew him would never believe Eliana when she spoke of how he treated her. Thinking she had lost her mind or was just overexaggerating.

"I got you something." Rafe tells her, reaching into his pocket. Eliana's eyes brightened as she gazes up at him.

"Really?" She asks and she watches him take out a small, rectangular box. Eliana narrows her gaze as she takes it, biting her bottom lip before opening it. Inside rested two dazzled silver earrings in the shape of a raindrop. Her eyes widen as she stares at them. "They're beautiful!" Eliana tells him with a gasp as she runs her finger over the earrings.

"I saw them and it made me think of you." Rafe says and she wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, her excited nature making his smile bigger.

"Youre too sweet." She tells him as she plants another kiss on his lips. As she pulls away, her free hand goes down to his own. "I was thinking... Kaley is having a party this weekend and I was wondering if you wanted to go together."
E

liana suggests. It seemed like he wasn't in disagreement about the idea but he shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm sure we'd both already be going." Rafe points out, almost not really realizing what she was saying.

"I know but, you know, usually we arrive separately and well, we're always so indisposed cause of our friends." Eliana tells him with a small sigh. "I want to actually spend time with you instead of with random people." She admits and she saw a bit of annoyance flash across his face.

"Its a party, Li. Its not like it's a midsummer or something." Rafe responds, a bit more blunt. Almost like he didn't care to show up with her.

Yes, there relationship seemed unrealistic to those who heard about it. Not even with the way Eliana talked about it. But a pogue and a kook? Yeah, that was unheard of.

Though Rafe treated her like a princess when they were alone, spoiling her and making her feel like the only girl in the world. When they were in public, it was an entirely different story. Although, most people knew they were together, he was pretty distant with her, especially around his friends.

He would only really put his hand on her thigh or be more lewd and grab her ass. Talking about her only if someone asked. His kisses were more harsh and almost as if proving a point to his friends. And talking about his friends, he often laughed at the crude remarks they said about women. If that wasn't enough, he often seemed very annoyed or emotionless when she tried to show any affection to him around them. The only way he would really pay attention is when she would turn her tactics more physical.

Eliana didn't know what to make of it. But she brushed it all off as him just not being as comfortable around his friends as he was with her. Although she would love to be more present as a couple together out in public, she was never one to push past any boundaries that he had placed.

"Youre right." Eliana says as she brushes her hair behind her ear. "I just thought it'd be fun to go together." She admits with a small shrug.

"You know how my friends look at you when you're around? I'd rather have you all to myself." Rafe says, which was true. His friends stared at her like she was single. No matter what he said to them to get them to leave him alone, she would always be his.

He saw her look of hesitation so he put his hands on her hips, pulling her closer. "How about we go to the party, show our faces and then ditch early to have our own little get together, hm?" Rafe suggests, tilting his head. Eliana seemed content with his idea but she still seemed a bit off.

"Thats if my mom doesn't need me to cart around my sister again." She mumbles and Rafe looks at her confused. "Basically told me I dressed like a slut and then acted like I was a fucking Uber. She's such a cunt." Eliana tells him and Rafe seemed angered by why she said.

Sure, he was pretty hard on what she wore too but that was because she was all his. Her mother was just trying to degrade her. "You don't need to take their shit, you're an adult." Rafe points out. He didn't even get why she still lived at home, he would gladly get her a hotel room.

"Oh, like you don't do everything your daddy says." She teases as she raises an eyebrow, looking up at the man.

"Thats different, I'm taking over a business, baby." Rafe responds as he rubs circles along her hips.

"You gonna wear a suit and tie, be all serious and formal?" Eliana asks him, letting her hands run down his chest, stopping at the loop of his pants.

"Dont act like that wouldn't turn you on." Rafe hovers his lips over hers with a smirk on his lips. Eliana giggles, resting her head against him before a groan leaves her lips.

"I wish we could get out of here."

"One day, Li. I'm gonna take over my dad's business, I'm gonna be the man of the family and I'm gonna get us a house in Los Angeles, or New York or fucking Italy." He tells her with a huge smile on his face as she held her face in his hands. Eliana smiles back at him brightly, leaning against him as she gazed up at the man.

"We're gonna have the best fucking life together, you and me."

☆☆

PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS SHE NOTICED THE FAMILIAR VAN, Eliana gets out of her car, walking over to it. Wrapping her arms around herself, she tilts her head as she stops beside the partially open door, the windows steamed before she pulls it open. "Hotboxing the twinkie again?" Her voice seemed to catch JJ off guard as he jumps out of his skin. He had his hand clutched against his chest as he looks toward her.

But he seemed to smirk once he noticed it was Eliana, sitting up a bit as John B laid beside him. "Well, if it isn't the lady of the hour." He responds as he stares back at her.

"Hey, Jayj." Eliana says with a smile.

JJ maybank and John B Routledge were about two years younger than her. She had seen them around the cut often, along with their other friends Pope and Kiara. Eliana wouldn't say she was part of their group or anything, merely passing friends.

JJ and Eliana had first talked a few years back when they were both buying weed from the same dealer. Eliana thought it was just friendly, seeing as he was fourteen and she was sixteen at the time. But of course the boy fell head over heels for the girl and to this day, it had never faded. Although she thought it was completely platonic between them.

"We are forgetting about life." John B pipes up and Eliana snaps her eyes down to him.

"Where are Pope and Kie?" She asks curiously, seeing as they werent in the van with the two best friends.

"Pope probably has his head in a book somewhere and Kie had to help her parents with the restaurant." JJ explains to her and she nods her head slowly. "What about you? No plans?" He asks, wondering if she was coming back from somewhere. Honestly he was hoping that she wasn't just with Rafe.

"Just taking the long way home." Eliana answers him with a sigh and he nods.

"I get that."

"I wish I could go home." John B mumbles. Eliana and JJ both stare down at the man.

"Is he okay?" She asks. Although she knew his dad had disappeared a few months back. She felt bad that he was all alone now since apparently his mother was never in the picture.

"Yeah, totally." JJ says, pressing his lips together tightly.

"Anyways, Kaley is having a party this weekend if you wanted to come." Eliana invites and JJ stares at her, raising his eyebrows.

"A kook party? Yeah, we'll pass." He scoffs, shaking his head. Eliana tilts her head as she crosses her arms against her chest.

"Theyre not all bad." She denies. Kaley and Marcus were great friends, JJ just never seemed to want to meet them let alone get to know them.

"Oh, no. What have they done to our innocent pogue?" JJ says dramatically and Eliana rolls her eyes.

"I was never innocent." She denies with a small laugh. "The invite is always there, if you guys want it." Eliana tells them, glancing toward John B as well.

"You still messing with Cameron?" JJ asks, his nose scrunching up a bit. He still couldn't believe she had gotten involved with Rafe of all people.

"Does everyone just have a bet on how long we'll last or something?"

"His friends talk shit, Ana. Seriously, he doesn't even defend you or show you off like he should." JJ points out with a scoff. How Rafe got an angel of a woman, he would never know. "Hes a stupid kook. I don't even know why you got involved with him." He admits and Eliana seemed a bit annoyed as she places her hands on her hips.

"Maybe i was tired of being treated horribly by everyone else." Eliana retorts. Pogues didn't treat her well either, at least not the ones she got involved with. They barely paid attention to her, let alone took her out or made her feel like she was worth anything.

"Oh, like Rafe treats you so much better." He responds with a roll of his eyes and Eliana gives JJ a small glare.

"He does."

"Please tell me you're just with him for the free things and the money cause I cannot grasp a universe where Rafe Cameron has a personality that you'd fall for." JJ states and Eliana frowned. She knew they didn't get along but she didn't get why JJ couldn't just be happy for her.

"Jayj, do you have to be so rude?" Eliana asks him and he shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Just telling it how it is, Ana."

She just stares at him before leaning over and plucking the blunt from his fingers. "Well, I'm taking this as your payment for being such a dick." Eliana tells her firmly before he could do anything.

"Seriously?" He whines with a pout as he watches her walk back to her car. "Youre lucky i like you." JJ calls out after her and she only smirks as she waves at her before she opens her door, getting inside.

There was something about Eliana Cohen that seemed to have everyone wanting to be around her alluring presence, or wanting to be her. And although she seemed to know no difference between pogue and kook, there was definitely a divide between them.

Pogues called her the pogue princess, feeling like she should never go over to figure eight because she belonged on the cut with them. Kooks blindly looked past the fact that she was a pogue and embraced her as one of their own. Rafe Cameron being a big reason why.

Eliana never understood the big drift between the two. But maybe it was because she didn't want to work for a living like most pogues had to and she didn't like the snotty attitude the kooks had, thinking they were better than everyone. Both sides had their ways of life, both sides had their reasons for hating the other.

But she was stuck in the middle. Seemingly drifting along the fault line like it was life or death.

☆☆

Authors note; first introductory chapter of this new series! I hope you guys enjoy and make sure to comment all your reactions throughout :)

thank you for reading, be sure to comment your thoughts and reactions throughout the chapter, leave a like if you want to and stay tuned for more updates. check out my profile for more stories <3