Cassie's POV

I exit the bathroom with a white fluffy towel wrapped around me and Rafe looks up from his phone, smirking when he sees me.

"Don't even think about it, Cameron" I warn him and he pouts adorably.

I quickly change into a pair of running shorts and a tank top I'm sure belongs to JJ. I then enter my bedroom again, flopping onto the bed next to Rafe.

"When does Sarah get here?" He asks me, reaching out to play with my hair.

"Soon, but before you leave we need to have a conversation" I answer, rolling onto my stomach to look up at him.

"Shoot" He says, putting his phone down to give me his undivided attention.

"Since you're going to be staying here, I'm gonna set a few ground rules" I start and he nods "Rule one. No more Pogue bashing, physically or verbally"

He rolls his eyes but sighs, letting out an annoyed 'fine'.

"Rule two. Be nicer to your sisters" I grin and he scoffs so I warn him "Rafe"

"Okay, I'll try to be nicer" He huffs.

"Good boy" I coo, ruffling his hair and he swats my hand away.

"Rule three. If my parents or Kiara ask, you're staying in the guest room" I tell him sternly and he nods understandingly.

"Last but definitely not least, rule four. No more drugs, Rafe" I tell him "I can't have you around if you're gonna be high"

He sighs and reaches out, gently grabbing my hand in his.

"No more drugs. I promise, Cas" He assures me and I smile widely, reaching up to peck his cheek.

"You'll be home when I get back?" I ask hopefully and he grins, nodding.

He kisses my temple and grabs his phone, exiting the room. I hear the horn of Topper's car outside and I pray to every god out there that they don't do anything stupid tonight.

☁️☁️☁️

Amidst all the Kook/Pogue hate, girl fights, treasure hunting and parent drama, Sarah and I decided that a good old kegger was badly needed. While John B, JJ and Pope get the alcohol and Kiara spreads the news, Sarah and I get ready to party by having a little pre-party while getting dressed up.

Kiara was invited to our pre-party but declined due to the fact she can't stand Sarah.

Kiara and Sarah's long going feud is definitely difficult for me due to the fact I'm stuck in the middle. Kiara is my little sister and Sarah is my best friend, but at the end of the day, theyre both family to me and I love them to death.

Sarah enters my room with two glasses and a pitcher of home made cocktail in her hands.

"Ooh, what's that?" I ask curiously as I press play to a Spotify playlist we made a few years ago.

"It's a strawberry pineapple mojito" She grins, handing a glass to me.

She fills both glasses and settles the pitcher on my bedside table. I take a sip and my nose scrunches up at how strong she's made the cocktail.

"How much alcohol did you put in this?" I ask in disbelief.

"A little more than I was supposed to" She says vaguely and I giggle, shaking my head at her.

An old One Direction song blares loudly through the room and we both squeal, grabbing each others hands.

"You gotta help me, I'm losin' my mind
Keep gettin' the feeling you wanna leave this all behind
Thought we were goin' strong, I thought we were holdin' on
Aren't we?!" Sarah sings to me and I giggle wildly remembering all the times we've done this.

"No, they don't teach you this in school
Now my heart's breakin' and I don't know what to do
Thought we were goin' strong, thought we were holdin' on
Aren't we?" I then sing to her and she plants a kiss on my cheek.

"You and me got a whole lot of history
We could be the greatest team that the world has ever seen
You and me got a whole lot of history
So don't let it go, we can make some more
We can live forever!" Sarah and I scream loudly with big smiles on our faces.

Sarah tackles me onto the bed and I let out a loud laugh, pushing her off me.

"Remember when this album came out?" Sarah grins.

"Oh, my God" I laugh "We stayed up all night that night listening to it on repeat with Wheezie. Your dad and Rose were sick of hearing it"

"Rafe was gonna snap the disc in half if it wasn't for your puppy eyes" Sarah giggles, imitating the sad little look 13 year old me gave Rafe.

"Holy shit. I was convinced I could get away with murder" I state in amusement.

"You probably could" Sarah shrugs before smirking "If Rafe was the judge"

"Shut up" I groan, hitting her with a pillow.

My phone pings and Sarah reaches it before I do. She reads the message and her eyes widen in horror as she throws my phone at me.

"Ew!" She screeches, downing the rest of her drink "How do I unread something?"

I roll my eyes and grab my phone to see a text from Rafe which I click on.

Rafie✨
topper just mentioned you in a bikini and i'm ngl, kinda hard rn

I let out a howl of laughter and look up at my traumatised best friend who is waiting for an explanation.

Cas🐢
as cute as that is, sarah seen this and she's traumatised. also, why is topper talking about me half naked?

"I apologise for the trauma" I tell Sarah, taking a drink "He has a potty mouth"

She raises her brows at me suspiciously and I roll my eyes.

"We've been sleeping together" I state bluntly and her eyes widen as she chokes on her drink.

"You've been what?!" She shrieks.

"I don't wanna talk about it" I shrug.

"My brother and my best friend have been doing it" She says to herself in shock and I laugh, shaking my head.

My phone pings again and I look down at it.

Rafie✨
well that's extremely embarrassing, tell her I'm sorry. about topper, he called you hot but don't worry, I punched him

Cas🐢
rafe! stop punching and threatening people who give me compliments!

Rafie✨
you want compliments? i'll give you compliments.

Cas🐢
what if I want compliments from other people too?

Rafie✨
why do you want other people when you have me? i'm much better than other people

Cas🐢
if you say so, big guy

I look back up at Sarah and drop my phone onto the bed, downing the rest of my drink.

"Let's do shots" I suggest and she grins widely.

"Hell yes" She whoops.

She jumps up and skips out the room to go grab shot glasses and alcohol from downstairs. I fill my glass and down the whole thing, feeling the need to be drunk sooner rather than later. My phone suddenly starts ringing and I jump in fright.

"Hello?" I ask as I answer it.

"Tell me you want me, Cas" Rafe demands and the tone in his voice makes me shiver.

"What are you talking about?" I hum.

"Tell me it's only me" He snaps and a smile tugs at my lips.

"I don't know what you mean, Rafie" I sing teasingly.

"Cassie" He growls out.

"It's you, you're the only one I want" I assure him "That what you wanted, Mr Jealousy?"

"That is exactly what I wanted" He says cheerily.

"Okay, I'll see you later" I tell him.

"I love you, bye" He says and I freeze.

The sound of him hanging up beeps in my ear and I drop my phone, my eyes wide in shock.

"I got some different options because I wasn't sure what you wanted" Sarah says, entering the room with shot glasses and three bottles in her arms.

I take the bottle of vodka from her arms and twist open the cap, tipping it to my lips. A large amount of the liquid burns it's way down my throat and my eyes water a little at the sensation.

"You okay, Cassie?" Sarah asks in concern.

"Just peachy" I grin cheerily "Shots?"

"Shots" She squeals.

She places the shot glasses on my dressing table and fills them with tequila. I grab one of them and hold it up. Sarah grabs the other one and clinks it with mine.

"Cheers" We say in unison before taking the shot.

"Whoo!" I holler and Sarah giggles, wiping her mouth.

"Let me do your make up" She chirps and I nod, sitting down in the chair.

We sing along loudly to the song 'Perfect' by One Direction as Sarah does my make up, taking shots and drinks in between verses.

I grab the pitcher and empty the last of the cocktail into my mouth before letting out a choked giggle which makes Sarah laugh hysterically. She calms down and fixes my make up before I do hers.

Once we've finished our make up, we're both tipsy and giggly as we head into my closest.

"So what we get drunk!
So what we smoke weed!
We're just having fun!
We don't care who sees!" I sing loudly, pointing at Sarah who grins widely.

"So what we go out!
That's how it's supposed to be!
Living young and wild and free!" She joins in, the both of us singing as we look for outfits to wear.

I find a cute pink dress that Sarah would look adorable in and turn, showing it to her. She gasps, taking the dress and holding it up to her body.

"It's gorgeous!" She squeals and I nod in agreement.

While she changes into it, I find a cute dress for myself and change into it. It's a forrest green dress covered in white flowers that falls to my mid thigh and the thin straps tie into bows on the shoulders.

I pair my dress with white converse and Sarah slips on some white nikes.

"Look at you" Sarah coos "You look stunning"

"Please" I scoff "Have you seen yourself? Absolute goddess"

"Don't be silly" She giggles, waving me off.

I hear the horn of the Twinkie outside and grin widely, grabbing Sarah's hand. We race downstairs, stumbling slightly as we reach the van and JJ greets us with a warm amused smile.

"Looking good, girls" He hollers as we climb into the back.

"Thank you, JJ" Sarah chirps and I lean forward pecking his cheek.

His cheeks flush a bright pink and he coughs awkwardly, pulling out of my driveway. I turn to Sarah with a grin and she giggles loudly, pulling me back next to her. We reach the boneyard and I see the party is already in full swing, good thing I'm already tipsy. I climb out of the van and Sarah jumps onto my back, scaring me half to death.

"Holy shit, Sar! Give me a warning next time" I huff, grabbing her thighs and she smiles down at me sheepishly.

"Sorry, bubba" She coos, pecking my cheek and I shake my head with a smile.

I follow JJ to where John B, Pope and Kiara are stood around a keg.

"What do we have here?" I declare loudly and they all look up at us with smiles.

Kiara's smile falters when she sees Sarah but I raise my brows and she pastes on a sarcastic grin in return that makes me snort.

"What are we drinking?" Sarah asks enthusiastically and Pope taps his foot on the keg as Sarah slips off my back.

John B fills up two red cups with beer from the kegs and hands one to each of us.

"Thank you, Johnathan" I smile gratefully, taking a sip of the liquid.

"Dance with me!" Sarah chirps, grabbing John B's hand "I love this song!"

JJ turns to me, holding out his hand and I raise a brow at his confidence.

"C'mon, you know you want to" He sings.

"I do like this song" I hum.

"Oh, what the hell" I shrug, downing my drink and handing the cup to Pope before grabbing the Maybank boy's hand.

JJ grins widely, dragging me into the crowd of dancing people and I laugh in amusement. He stops and spins me around, making me feel a little dizzy. 'Don't Need Love' by GRACEY plays loudly from a bluetooth speaker as JJ chuckles at my dazed state and grabs my waist to steady me.

"You good, Cassie?" He grins in amusement.

"Great!" I chirp, throwing my arms around his neck.

He sways us as I throw my head back, singing to the song loudly.

"When I fall in love
I usually lose my mind
Hoping it gets better!
Swipe left, swipe right
Even people who ain't my type
It's just empty pleasure!" I sing my heart out, the alcohol hitting me all at once.

"Drunk text to come over
But we don't talk when were sober
The fairy tale I can live without!
The white dress and the alter
That diamond in your ring
That's all anyone cares about!" I continue, lifting my head to see JJ shaking his head at me with a grin.

"Spin me again!" I grin excitedly.

JJ laughs but does as I say, grabbing my hand and spinning me around. I burst into a fit of giggles and he laughs along, wrapping my arms back around his neck. 'Put Your Records On' by Ritt Momney starts to play and we sway as I hum along to the music, enjoying the content moment before it ends. I lay my head on JJ's chest and I feel him put his chin on my head with a quiet sigh.

"You okay, J?" I ask him.

"Yeah, I'm good" He replies.

I peek up at him and see his eyes are trained on something behind me. I lift my head off his chest and turn my head to see Kiara laughing with Pope who is balancing a cup on his head. My head whips back to the blonde who looks down at me, gulping.

"Do you like my sister, JJ Maybank?" I ask him in surprise and his face flushes red.

"No" He scoffs, lying his ass off.

"Oh, my God! You like her!" I gasp and his eyes widen as he slaps his hand over my mouth.

"Okay, you win! Don't be so damn loud" He hisses in panic.

I pull his arm away, smirking widely and he narrows his eyes at me.

"Whatever you're thinking about, stop it" He warns me.

"JJ!" I squeal, slapping his shoulder lightly "You're so funny!"

He shakes his head at me and a smile tugs at his lips as I reach up, messing with his messy hair.

"Is she looking at us?" I mumble and he glances quickly before nodding discreetly.

"Okay, here's what we're gonna do. I'm going to go get another drink and while I pour it, you're gonna put your arms around me and kiss my cheek then lean your head on my shoulder while we have a conversation. Can you do that?" I ask and he nods slowly, taking in my words carefully.

I grab his hand, intertwining our fingers and tug him to where Kiara and Pope are sitting. I then grab a red solo cup and drop JJ's hand to grab the nozzle on the keg. He wraps his arms around my waist from behind and plants a sloppy kiss on my cheek, making me unintentionally giggle. As I fill my cup, he nestles his head on my shoulder and I lift the nozzle to his face with a grin. He opens his mouth and I turn it, squealing as we're both hit with the spray.

"You two look a little too close, no?" Kiara speaks up with a confused look on her face and I fein confusion.

"I don't think so" I shrug, turning to JJ with an innocent frown "J, am I too close to you?"

"Not at all" He hums with a content smile, moving his hands to my hips.

"Cassie, can we talk?" My sister asks me and I grin.

"Of course" I chirp, chugging the contents of my cup before handing it to Pope again.

I grab Kiara's hand and tug her off to the side of the party where it's quieter.

"What's up, Kie?" I hum, watching the way the moon reflects off the ocean.

"What's going on between you and JJ?" She abruptly asks and I shrug.

"Why do you wanna know?" I ask her curiously.

"Because he's my best friend and we promised that friends were off limits" She explains and I roll my eyes.

"You didn't seem to mind when John B kissed me" I retort and she freezes.

"B-But that was different" She stutters.

"How so?" I ask, turning to look a her.

Hesitation crosses her face and she looks torn.

"Do you like JJ Maybank, little sister?" I ask her with a knowing smile and she pales.

"Of course I do, he's my friend" She shrugs dumbly.

"I know you're not that dumb, you know what I meant" I state and she gulps.

"Maybe I do" She mumbles shyly.

"Tell him" I smile warmly.

"I can't" She panics "No Pogue on Pogue macking"

"Rules are literally made to be broken, Kie" I sigh, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"But, what if he doesn't feel the same way?" She asks me, a vulnerable look on her pretty face.

"Well, what if I told you that he does?" I ask vaguely and her eyes widen.

"He told you he likes me?" She asks in surprise and I smirk widely.

"Yeah, but this in confidential" I warn her and she nods quickly, holding out her pinkies.

I wrap my pinkies around hers and kiss her forehead, something we've done since we were kids.

"Let's go dance" I grin, dragging her back towards the boys.

JJ and Pope turn to us with smiles from their previous conversation and we grin back happily.

"Pope, dance with me?" I ask him, batting my lashes.

He holds out his hand with a huff and I grin widely, grabbing his hand. I discreetly wink at JJ, nodding at my sister and he grins at me gratefully. We get lost in the crowd and I dance wildly to the loud music, Pope laughing with me as he spins me around and sings with me. I spot JJ and Kiara dancing together with smiles on their faces and it makes me really happy for them, but my heart pangs slightly. A girl suddenly cuts in, dancing with Pope and I shoot him an encouraging thumbs up before making my way back to the keg. I fill up my cup and make my way over to the fire, sitting down on a log. As I'm humming along to the music, drinking my beer, someone puts theirs hands over my eyes and I instantly freeze up.

"Guess who?" I hear a familiar voice, a voice I used to love.

"Liam" I say shakily and he moves his hands.

I turn to face him as he sits down beside me with a pout.

"It's no fun when you guess right" He huffs before grinning at me softly.

"What do you want?" I ask bluntly, not enjoying his company.

"Maybe I just wanted to spend some time with an old friend" He says sarcastically and I glare at him.

 "Fine. I have a flight to New York that I have to catch in an hour and I wanted to have one last conversation before you disappear from my life completely" He admits and I sigh.

I take a sip from my cup and look back at the fire.

"If you wanna talk, then talk" I snap.

"How have you been?" Liam asks me.

"Just peachy" I answer sarcastically.

"How's your parents? And your sister" He then asks.

"My dad is happy with his wife, Kiara is dancing 7 feet away with the boy she loves and my mom is god knows where, doing god knows what" I explain and he chuckles.

My lips don't curl into a smile at the sound of his laugh they way they used to and I don't see a sparkle in his eyes when he looks at me anymore.

"How have you been?" I ask him.

"Good, I guess. My life is pretty much the same. My parents want me to take over the family business soon, that's new" He tells me with a happy smile and I snort.

"Good luck, buddy. You're a terrible business man" I state and he rolls his eyes, elbowing me.

"Sandy?" He sighs and I hum in reply, finishing my drink.

"I know that I'm always going to be the villain in your story and I know that I'm a terrible person, but I really did love you" He says sincerely.

"I know, I loved you too" I sigh sadly.

"Here, a parting gift" He smiles, holding out his closed fist.

I hold out my hand in confusion and he slips something into my palm, closing my fist tightly.

"Bye, Sandy" He says, pecking my cheek. 

He stands up and I open my palm, my heart hammering against my chest when I see the small bag full of white powder. I let out a shaky breath and look up to see he's gone. My palms get sweaty and I suddenly feel an itch that I know I can't scratch. I pluck up all the strength inside me and throw the bag into the large fire. It sparks a little and my worries melt away as I watch the bag burn.

"Cassie! Come dance with me, bubba!" Sarah's voice slurs and she pulls me up onto my feet.

"Let's get a drink first, Sar" I sigh "Something stronger than beer this time"

☁️☁️☁️

"Whoo! Go, Cassie!" I hear people cheer as I take the last shot on the log, drunkenly grinning in triumph.

I look around for my friends to tell them I did it, but they're not next to me. I spot John B and Sarah making out near a tree and gag, looking for someone else. I then see Pope flirting with the girl from earlier, making me smile proudly. My eyes lastly find JJ and Kiara who are cuddled up by the fire, laughing as they tickle each other. 

My heart suddenly drops as I realise all my friends are happy while I'm stood here, alone and wasted. 

I sit down in the sand, taking out my phone and dialing the first number on my speed dial. It rings once before I hear a smooth voice on the other end.

"Cas, what's wrong?" Rafe asks me worriedly.

"They're happy, Rafe" I slur.

"Who's happy?" He asks in confusion.

"My friends!" I laugh, flopping back so I'm laying down"They're happy and I'm...I'm reaaaally drunk"

"Where are you?" Rafe abruptly asks.

"Rafie, you're not listening" I whine.

"I'm sorry. I'll listen better" He promises.

"You love me, right?" I ask curiously.

"C-Cas" He stutters.

"Tell me you love me, Rafie" I sigh.

"I love you, Cas" He tells me and I smile widely.

"I like the sound of that" I giggle.

"Will you tell me where you are?" Rafe asks and I turn to see that none of my friends are looking for me.

"I'm at the boneyard. Come get me?" I ask hopefully.

"I'll be there in five" He answers before hanging up.

I tuck my phone back into my bra and decide to watch the stars. I start counting them and somewhere along the way I forget about everything that just happened. 

A face abruptly blocks my view of the stars and I pout but my pout turns into a wide smile when I realise it's Rafe.

"Rafie!" I squeal, jumping up to hug him.

He hugs me back with a chuckle and I pull back, giving him a confused look.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him curiously.

"You asked me to come get you" He replies, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"I did?" I hum, looking around before shrugging"Oh, well! I'm glad you're here"

"Let's get you home" He sighs, putting his hand on the small of my back to guide me off the beach.

I trip over my own two feet and land face first in the sand with a groan. Rafe laughs loudly and picks me up, throwing me over his shoulder.

"If you puke on me, I will sue" He warns me and I giggle.

We reach the car and he places me in the passenger seat, clicking my seatbelt into place. The ride is pretty silent, apart from the quiet music in the background. 

Once we reach the Carrera household, Rafe carries me bridal style up to my room and puts me on my bed. He takes off my shoes and his shirt, handing it to me before turning around to give me a little privacy. I smile sloppily, changing from my dress into the shirt and climbing under the covers.

"You can look now" I sing.

He kicks off his shoes and strips from his shorts before walking over to my dressing table and coming back with a pack of wipes. I stupidly grin up at him as he wipes my make up off and then climbs into bed with me.

"You scare the hell outta me" I whisper, snuggling into his side.

"How so?" He asks curiously.

"Because I'm falling in love with you" I admit and he runs his fingers through my hair.

"Me too" He admits.