𝟎𝟔𝟏.                        𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬

bad blood              ────              bastille

☀︎ 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐲𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯

𝖠𝖥𝖳𝖤𝖱 𝖬𝖴𝖢𝖧 𝖣𝖤𝖡𝖠𝖳𝖤，𝖨 𝖳𝖮𝖮𝖪 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖡𝖤𝖣 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖱𝖠𝖥𝖤 𝖳𝖮𝖮𝖪 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖥𝖫𝖮𝖮𝖱．I gave him a pillow as I'm not a complete bitch, alright, but I refused to have him sleep beside me. This is the comfiest bed I've ever laid upon, so there is no way in hell I'm sharing.

Besides, the floor is perfectly fine for him.

After I told him I knew nothing about any diary── massive lie, by the way── I walked off and into the bathroom, changing into some velvet nightwear that the maid left for me. If I'm able to, I'm totally stealing the red dress when I figure out a way to break out of here. I need that dress because I think it'll have somebody's eyes going wide, and that's exactly what I want.

I can't sleep regardless of the comfy bed I'm laying upon, and I don't think Rafe is asleep either. However, out of I don't care-ness, I don't check if he's awake or not.

I'll fall asleep eventually.

I wonder where my friends are. Do they know where I am? Do they have a solution to getting me out of here undetected? Will we get to go home? I wonder what they're thinking, what JJ is thinking at this moment.

How can I sleep when I don't know what's going to happen to me? Am I just supposed to admit defeat and tell Singh all I know about the diary? No, I can't, not when it's obviously important to him. We need to keep it. It's ours, not his.

I'll find a way out of here. I have to.

I keep thinking which, yes, is dangerous, especially at night, but I just can't get over how Singh said my name with such distaste, like he's said it before with the same contempt in his voice. I keep questioning whether he knew my father, but I really doubt that. I could just ask Singh, but I also don't want to as I'm afraid of the answer. No, he can't have known my father. He died months ago. I'd have to ask John B when I see him... if I see him.

No, I can't think like that. I will see him again because I will figure a way out of here if it's the last thing I do.

Annoyingly, I think the only way I'll be getting out of here alive and safely is if I indulge in Rafe and ask him for help. He won't help me, that much I know, but surely he wants to get out of here too.

You'll never know if you don't ask, B.

Fair enough. I won't know unless I ask, but I don't want to speak to him, not unless it's absolutely necessary which, logically, it isn't. Speaking with Rafe after all that's happened will get us nowhere, and I'm definitely not interested in bonding with him in our kidnapper's house.

Then again, when have you ever known me to stay silent?

"Why are you here?"

I suspect he's here because of the cross that he stole from us, but I don't actually know why he's in Barbados, meeting with Singh in the first place. How have we ended up in the exact same place? How unlucky does one have to be for that to happen?

I sit up on my elbows, glancing down at him to find that he's lying on his back with his arms under his head. He's removed his blazer, but I can't imagine he's comfortable. He's still wearing his shoes, for crying out loud.

I don't know where my previous clothes are. Well, they left my shoes and that's it. After dinner, I found that the maid had taken the clothes I came in which I'm not too mad at, but she did take one of my only pairs of shorts which is just annoying. I now only have that red dress, these velvet pjs, a pair of tight heels and my battered Converses.

I'm keeping that bastard dress if it's the last thing I do.

I plan to wear that dress at my funeral.

"Was going to sell the cross," he tells, actually answering me which, honestly, is quite surprising given that I expected silence from him.

"Didn't have any luck, huh?"

"Well, I'm stuck with you, so no." I pull my eyes off him, biting down on my bottom lip to stop myself from yelling at him or something. I hate that we're in such close quarters with one another when we can't stand each other.

"You stole that cross from us."

"You threw it in the ocean. It was fair game, B."

I scoff, my skin crawling. "Don't call me that." That nickname is only reserved for one person── John B. I even hated when Dad would call me B, so, of course, I find myself hating to hear it from Rafe of all people. "Also, we threw that cross in the ocean because we knew it would be better down there than in your hands."

"Well, now it's in my hands."

"How?" I was unconscious, so I only heard it from my friends, but Rafe supposedly dragged that heavy golden cross up and out of the water. Seriously, I hate to be impressed by him, but how the fuck? Even if Pope hadn't been dying from an allergic reaction, we never would have been able to get that cross out of the church.

Rafe glances at me, but I stare ahead, refusing to meet his gaze. "How what?"

"How'd you even get that cross up? I mean, we could hardly move the damn thing."

He shrugs, and I realise I may have just massively fed to his already large ego by saying that, but I genuinely am surprised that one person managed to lift that giant thing out of water but we couldn't on dry land.

"You guys aren't exactly strong." I glare at him, and thankfully, I don't think he can see me. It's dark in this room. "Glare at me all you want, Brooke, you know it's true." I guess he can see me, never mind. I'll still scowl at him.

Seriously, if looks could kill.

"You really haven't changed, have you?"

"Why would I?"

I pause, not sure why I genuinely thought he could change. He's still that same lonely, money-driven boy on the beach── still the same boy I stupidly confided in about my difficult relationship with my deceased father just to see if I could understood why he's like this. That day, part of me understood him, but now I just don't know him at all, but I don't even want to.

But there has been something on my mind since I realised he found me after he tried to drown Sarah.

So, diverting away from his question, I ask another. "Hey, Rafe." He doesn't respond, but I know he's listening. "Would you have killed me that night? I-I know what happened with Sarah, and how you saw me after so..." I fall back against my bed, pulling the sheets up and over me, using them as some kind of shield, I guess.

"Did you want to kill me?"

He doesn't respond, not that I should've expected an answer, but some silly part of me held hope that he'd tell me. I know he didn't kill me, and while I questioned that after the fact, I still wondered if he would've. Had I remained quiet and accepted it, would he have just killed me── drowned me in the water like he would've done his sister? It would've been so easy to kill me, but he didn't do it. Did he want to though?

Killing me would've eliminated one problem.

I don't wait for an answer, I just accept his silence as enough of a response to my question.

I fall asleep that night, not even afraid that he could kill me whilst I sleep. I just sleep, and while it's a restless one, I wake up hours later feeling refreshed and finally ready to speak with Singh, and when I find that Rafe is sleeping, I do everything possible not to wake him up as I pull myself out of my bed.

I tiptoe over to the window, knocking gently when I spot one of the many guards outside. He peers up at me, but he absolutely isn't paying me any mind, that much I can see. "Hey! Hey. I need to talk to Mr. Singh," I say, pointing away, hoping he'll get the hint. "Go get Mr. Singh."

"What are you doing?" Fuck. So much for not waking him up, right? I step away from the window, sidestepping past him to reach the door but he snatches my wrist, tugging hard on my arm. "Brooke, what are you doing?"

"Like I owe you an explanation." I steal my arm back, remembering how hard he snatched my wrists at the Boneyard all those weeks ago. The bruises have since healed, but the memory still remains.

"Brooke, what are you doing?" I ignore Rafe, instead deciding to go to the door where I knock much harder than before as Rafe is now awake and I can be as loud as I want. "Hey!" I feel his hand on my arm again. "What are you doing?"

"Don't talk to me, Rafe," I throw over my shoulder, shrugging his hand away as I keep hitting my hand on the door, begging somebody to answer.

Now, instead of grabbing me, he moves to join my side, looking down at me as I keep knocking. "You're lying about this diary thing." Yeah, no shit. "You know where it is."

I shake my head. "No, I don't."

"You don't?" He scoffs, head shaking. "Okay." I don't owe him any explanation, and he knows that. Well, he should know that. "Listen, I wouldn't tell me either. But he's never gonna believe we don't know something, alright?"

I don't care what he chooses to believe. I'm getting out of here one way or another── don't sing. I can't stay here, not for another second. Being under the same roof as Rafe is not how I want to spend my first few days of freedom from the island, thank you.

I need to get out of here.

"Look around, Brooke, I'm the only friend you got."

I shake my head, hating to hear that. "Oh, well then it's all uphill from here, isn't it?"

After knocking for like eternity── a minute── the door unlocks and the guard pulls on the door. "I need to talk to Mr. Singh," I say, hoping he'll let me because this might be my only chance to get out of here. "I have something to tell him. It's urgent." I don't spare Rafe another glance as I know what he's probably thinking.

He's probably wishing he had killed me.

The guard nods, taking my arm which, obviously, I don't appreciate as I'm sick of people grabbing me like they have any right to, but at least I'm out of that room.

I'm pushed into the dining room where Singh stands, obviously expecting me. The guard takes a step back, allowing us to speak. I already know what I'm going to say as I rehearsed it in my head for a couple minutes before I forced myself out of the heaven-like bed.

I'm gonna miss that bed, but I miss my friends a hell of a lot more, and I need to get to them now.

So, I'm braving it. I'm going to tell him about the diary.

I speak first as he shows no indication of speaking up first. "I lied," I admit, but he already knew I was lying. I'm no longer deny, deny, deny-ing. "I know about the diary. I don't have the original. But I can get you a copy." I think.

I think he smiles, but I can't be too sure. It's hard to tell as his smile doesn't seem to reach his eyes like it does with most people. "I'm relieved to hear you say that, you know."

I hum, pressing my lips together.

"I just want to get you what you want, and then I want to leave," I say, hoping he can hear the desperation in my voice. I can't stand to be here any longer, not when all I want to do is go back to OBX. "I know where it is... but I have to go by myself. Alone."

I'm asking for a lot, I realise that, but I hope he can put the tiniest ounce of trust in me. I swear I will do whatever he wants, but I need to be alone to get the information I need.

Or I need a head start in running off.

Either one is fine.

"How would I know that you'd come back?" he asks, taking a step towards me. "You know, I need some collateral."

"Rafe's here," I argue, but he knows that I couldn't give less of a shit about Rafe and what happens to him. "Keep him."

"Rafe," he chuckles, continuing to move towards me, and because I'm not intimated by him, I stay routed to the ground. "How did someone so young get into so much trouble?"

I hope that question is rhetorical because not even a whole book could explain that answer. "Look," I sigh, knowing I'm just going to keep on digging this hole that might as well be marked as my grave. "I know where the diary is, and if you let me go, I promise I can get it to you."

"You know, I built this fortune myself, you know, from nothing." Great, we're back to listening to him rambling and repeating himself over and over again. That's just what I need. "Do you know how that happened, Miss. Routledge? Hmm?"

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me."

He huffs out a laugh, obviously not amused by me, but people rarely are. "Don't waste my time, Miss. Routledge." He spits out my surname like it's a curse word, and perhaps to him, it is as foul as a curse word. Why, though?

"The diary holds the key to the ultimate conquest, and that, my young friend..." I'd hardly call us friends, but whatever. "Miss. Routledge, is my destiny. So you need to tell me where it is, or I'm gonna──"

I'm saved by the bell── a text message. It comes through his phone, surprising both of us, and it gives me a chance to take a breather as he backs away from me to pick up the phone.

With his phone unlocked, Singh laughs, but I know the message is far from ha-ha funny. "Amazing. A text from our friend Jimmy Portis. From beyond the grave, apparently." He turns the phone so I can see the message clearly. "It seems Mr. Portis has captured your friends."

My brother and Sarah are tied up in the photo with a message typed underneath that reads, "I got these two". I mentally curse out the one that was behind this── JJ. This plan absolutely reeks of JJ, that much I know.

He pulls the phone back, calling out for somebody called Ryan. He enters the room, a massive firearm in his clutches, and I feel my heart plummet to the floor as I see what's going to happen. "Get the big trucks and meet me in the back in three minutes," he demands, and I feel like screaming.

Dammit. Why? Why did this have to happen?

"Mr. Singh, Mr. Singh, please──" I beg, but begging won't get me anywhere, I know it won't. "Please don't hurt my friends!" I feel a hand grab my arm, pulling me back from Singh. "Please don't hurt them!"

The guard continues to tug on me as I fight and squirm, desperate to get my message across but I'm weak. I can't fight, not against the guard who could absolutely shoot me right here with that gun of his.

Just before I'm pulled away entirely, Singh steps towards me, staring right at me as he says, "You know, you're just like your father."

My mouth falls, eyes bulging in surprise. What? "We'll continue our chat later," he tells, satisfied by my shocked face. "I look forward to it."

He knew my father. When? How? I don't understand, and I don't have the time to question him because just as I come out of my head, I find that I'm standing back in the room I'm sharing with Rafe. He's standing in front of me, trying to capture my attention, but I'm just staring in disbelief, trying to connect the pieces in my head.

How could he have known my father? I've never heard of his name. Dad never mentioned him ever. Or maybe I just didn't listen.

I guess that's why he hates to say my name. That's why he's been looking at me like he's known me for ages when I have no idea who he is or what he wants from me. Well, he wants the diary, but is there more he wants?

No, I'm not giving him anything. He's off to kill my friends, so I ain't giving him a damn thing.

I'm getting out of here.

"Brooke!" I snap out of it, finding Rafe to be holding my shoulders and shaking me out of the trance I've fallen into upon realising that Singh── the man that kidnapped me── knows who my father was. "Brooke, what happened?"

He must've known him pretty well, right? I mean, he said I'm just like him so he must've── I shake my head, pushing Rafe away from me as I don't want his hands on me.

"You're gonna have to talk to me at some point." I swallow, feeling my skin itch. "Okay?"

"Do I have to remind you of everything you've done?" Our eyes meet, warmth on cold, and I hear him sigh loudly. "You killed Peterkin," I begin, listing off all the bad he's done. "You helped in putting my brother behind bars for a crime he didn't commit. I mean, look at everything you've put Sarah through."

"I was protecting my father. Okay?" I scoff, knowing that would be his excuse as I understood his need to defend his father all those weeks ago, but now I don't care. "I did what I had to, so... don't." He sits himself down, finally stepping away from me which I'm grateful for. "I'm as much a victim as she is."

A sour laugh crawls out of me. "Are you for real?"

"Think about it," he says, continuing to look at me. "What did I get from shooting Peterkin, huh? Nothing. I had nothing against her. I mean, I... I... I liked her," Rafe splutters out, and I just stare at him, seriously hating the world for throwing me and Rafe together once again. "You think I wanted to make that choice, huh?"

"Rafe──"

"What I did was a gift from me to my father for... for him." I see something in his eyes beneath all that cold, but I look away before I spend too long trying to accept it── accept him and his reasoning behind all the bad he's done. "I got screwed because of it, okay? So don't get that look when I say I'm the victim, alright? I am."

I'll give him whatever look I want, thank you.

"I will admit, though, what I..." He sighs, and I lift my head, looking back at him as he struggles to forces out the words. "...what I did to Sarah, um... I admit that was wrong." My eyes go wide, taken aback that he, the psycho we call Rafe Cameron, is admitting to being wrong. "I know that."

I nod along. "Well, great, you know."

Our eyes meet, and that tickle of vulnerability behind his eyes clashes with the confusion in mine. "I didn't want to kill you," he tells, answering my question from last night.

"What?"

"I didn't── I-I don't want to kill you."

"Why?" I don't know why I'm asking. I don't know why I can't just accept that he doesn't want to kill me. God, me and my stupid mouth will get me slaughtered one day. Horrifying thought.

"Beats me," he responds.

"Great, you don't wanna kill me. You're still not a good person, Rafe."

"You don't need to remind me, Brooke." His head falls forward, and I watch as he quite literally beats himself up about it. He hits his hand against his forehead, almost like he's trying to knock some kind of sense into himself, and I just stare. "I should've never touched Sarah," he continues, and I listen. "I just lose control in moments like that, and I don't know what happened. I'm trying... I'm trying to get better."

I sigh, hearing his words and weighing them in my head, trying to figure out if he's being genuine or if he just needs to say something to get me to hear him and understand him. I don't know if I believe him. I don't know if I should believe him. I shouldn't even be standing here and listening to him.

He lifts his head, bringing himself up and off the edge of the bed so he can stand in front of me again. "I'm not that bad guy you think I am, okay?"

I inhale sharply, stepping back. "Yeah, right."

"You may not want to trust me, okay, but I'm your best bet."

I cross my arms. "And how so?"

"I got a boat that can get us off the island, okay?" Us? As in he and I together, us? "But first, we gotta get out of here, and it's better if we work together."

My eyebrows furrow. "Together?"

"Yes, together, are you even──"

His words are cut off when we hear trucks and cars pulling away from the home as well as yelling outside the window. We both step over to the window, peering out to see many guards, if not most, to be leaving the premise.

"They're leaving?" Rafe questions.

I nod, wishing there was more I could do because I know where these guards are going. "They're going to find my brother and your sister." They're going with the aim of killing said brother and sister as well as the rest of my friends.

"Sucks for them."

"You sound so sincere," I deadpan.

"It's good for us, Brooke. This may be our only shot at getting out of here."

I turn away from the window, knowing I can't do anything more. I just hope my friends will be okay. I need them to be okay. I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life if I let something bad happen to them, so maybe... maybe Rafe is right.

Speaking of him, he's grabbing my shoulders, and I don't flinch away this time. "Work with me Brooke, okay?" I gaze up at him, feeling like I'm standing on that sand again, staring at a guy who needed somebody, but now it's the other way around. I need somebody because I need to get off this island, and sadly he's my only bastard hope. "If you ever wanna see your brother or friends again, work with me."

I sigh, hating myself. "Okay."

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𝖶𝖤 𝖧𝖠𝖵𝖤 𝖠 𝖯𝖫𝖠𝖭．𝖶𝖤'𝖵𝖤 𝖤𝖷𝖤𝖢𝖴𝖳𝖤𝖣 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖯𝖫𝖠𝖭，𝖲𝖮 𝖫𝖤𝖳 𝖬𝖤 𝖳𝖤𝖫𝖫 𝖸𝖮𝖴 𝖠𝖫𝖫 𝖠𝖡𝖮𝖴𝖳 𝖮𝖴𝖱 𝖤𝖷𝖢𝖤𝖫𝖫𝖤𝖭𝖳 𝖯𝖫𝖠𝖭．

First, we got into an argument, a fake one, but an argument nonetheless. God, it was nice to fight with him, fake or not. Anyway, out argument needed to be convincing enough to force the guard into the room to check in on us which, of course, he did as Rafe decided to throw stuff at the wall to create more noise. Just as the door was unlocked, I threw myself down on the floor, pretending to be unconscious so the guard would step in cautiously.

Rafe stood behind the bathroom door, and when the guard stepped into the bathroom to check in on me, I gave him a subtle thumbs up, telling him to push the door open and into the guard, knocking him to the ground. The gun slipped from his hand, and I snatched it as Rafe fought with him, rendering him unconscious.

Together, we then tied the guard to the bedpost with the bedsheets before stealing the phone from the guard so I could contact my friends later on. I also swipe the red dress, slipping it under my arm as I already said I would not be leaving without it.

I can't wait to wear it later.

I left the room first, running ahead to take pictures of the giant photo that Singh was staring at yesterday just in case my boy genius knows something about it. Singh was interested in it, so the photo had be important, right?

Then, easily and quickly, Rafe and I snuck out of the house, rushing off to get away from the house all together without being caught. We headed out the back, rushing across the nearest field, and now we're here, running to climb on the back of a truck that's driving past.

Wasn't our plan fantastic?

Anyway, we run into a small issue, but it's quickly solved by Rafe, of course. Upon climbing onto the back of this truck carrying a, well, truckload of wood, we're met by a man who obviously doesn't want us on his truck.

Rafe steps in front of me and goes in to attack the man. I just stand back and watch, moving away when the two men fall before my feet, attacking one another. Rafe gets the upper hand, of course. I mean, he's like seven feet tall.

After three more punches, the man stumbles and Rafe gives me a shove, sending him off the side of the truck and onto the road. "Rafe!" I snap, smacking my hand against his arm before he falls, out of breath as he sits down.

I sit down beside him, growing more and more mindful that we're close to being free. Soon, if my friends are okay, I'll be reunited with them. I just need to find a way to get rid of... him── the guy sitting beside me with his head in his hands.

Church bells clang in the distance, catching my attention. That ring sounds all too familiar, and after I hear the noise for another time, I feel as though I'm a little girl, standing beside my father as he rings the bell outside the Chateau, calling for John B to come home.

You're just like your father.

I shake my head, Singh's words playing in my head as the church bells clash, playing that familiar sound I remember hearing all the time as a little girl. I wonder if John B is thinking the same thing that I am, or perhaps I'm being completely insane.

"What's up with you?"

The bells come to an abrupt holt as I recall who I'm sitting beside. "Nothing," I utter, pulling at the tarp by my feet as the truck starts to roll to a stop.

With the piece of tarp, Rafe and I hide, waiting as some guards check out the truck. Thankfully, and because the guards are stupid, we don't get caught. Once we get the all clear, I immediately push the tarp off me, kicking it away as Rafe and I lean back against the truck.

"I told you we just had to work together," Rafe says, but I'm hardly paying him much attention as I hear the clash of those damn church bells again. They're bothering me, and I don't know why. They're just church bells, but they're clashing and ringing in such a specific way── specific way that leads back to my childhood

"Alright." Rafe is still here, I need to remember that. "Listen, I'm headed out to my boat, okay? I can give you a ride out, drop you wherever, somewhere safe." Preferably home, but I can't take my chances, can I? "One thing though... Look at me."

I sigh, glancing over at him as I try to drown out the noise ringing in my ears."I know your friends are on the island and my sister. I'm not helping them. Alright? I can't trust them, okay? I'll give you a ride out, not them. Okay?"

"I just want to get off the island," I say, but what I don't tell him is that I plan on ditching him somewhere, not the other way around. I just need to figure out a plan to get him away from me so I can save my friends.

"That's smart," he speaks, nodding along. "You know, I always liked you, Brooke."

I scrunch my face up. "What?"

"You're not like your friends, you know?" He really doesn't know me, does he? "Definitely not like your brother or your dad. I like that."

"Well, good for you."

"We're similar, you and I?"

My mouth gapes, a little caught off guard by that statement. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, I think we're pretty similar."

I sigh, just wishing to get off this island and away from him once and for all. I never want to see him again, I mean that. I don't care that we live in the same place, I can't stand to be reminded of him. "Right," I utter under my breath.

"You'll realise it one day, B."

"I said don't call me that," I bite out.

"Why'd you take that dress?"

I look at the material in my lap, huffing out a laugh. "I looked really fucking hot in it," I reply, and I know that to be true, as does he but I hope he doesn't say a damn word about it.

We don't say anything else to one another, and I instead listen to those bells several more times before we drive by the dock where Rafe's boat sits. As the truck continues to move slowly, we jump off and rush straight to the boat.

It is a very nice boat. I mean, he is a Cameron after all, so of course the boat is of good quality.

No. I need to figure something out. I can't stay on this boat with him, not for however long until we reach a safe destination. I don't care if he does like me, he and I are not the same, and I can't stand to stay on this boat with him, not for any longer than I have to.

Once on the boat, Rafe instructs me to head over to the bowline and untie the rope. An idea sparks to mind as I step over to the bowline while he starts up the boat.

I know how to untie a piece of rope, but I'm gonna act like I can't. That is how I'll get rid of him, trust me. "Hey, I can't get it," I yell, trying to hide the amusement in my voice. "I need some help!"

Rafe steps over to me, agitated, but he's about he goddamn furious with me in a minute, just you wait. I stand behind him, waiting until the rope begins to loosen, and then I step forward, ready to execute my plan.

You can do this, B.

With both hands, I reach out and shove him as hard as I can. He falls, tipping over the boat and hitting the water. Quickly, I run away, not bothering to apologise as I charge up to the wheel, needing to get away from him before he comes back up.

Just as I manage to pull the boat away from the dock, I hear Rafe call out. "Where are you going, Brooke?!"

"I gotta help my friends!"

I bet he wish he had killed me now.

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❀ soph speaks

ah rafe and brooke, my favourite frenemies (more enemies than friends, let's be honest)

thankyou for reading :)

next chapter we find the reason behind the bells . . . uh oh