chapter 18, first version of cocaine

Once the three teens reached Tannyhill Reese realized she should probably find Rafe, and resume her Kook normalcy. So she bid her goodbyes to Sarah and John B and got in her car driving to the place Rafe and the Death Squad always spent their mid-afternoon time, the gym.

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As the girl approached the group of boys she overheard a part of their conversation. The room radiated of testosterone and sweat.

Reese watched carefully as Rafe pulled the weight up towards his body curling it under him. She couldn't help but drool for a minute, of course, the boy was attractive, it was Rafe Cameron for god's sake.

"Well, we know who did it, right?" Rafe said slightly struggling with the weight still in his hands.

"It was that little geek Pope," Kelce said interjecting his words. Kelce was what Reese liked to call the quiet Kook, he was always terrified of Topper and Rafe so he never really threw his opinion out there, although the kid was probably the smartest out of all of them.

"Pope, yeah." Topper said getting angry. "Rafe, if you wouldn't have jumped him on the golf course, I'd still have a boat, right?" Topper said accusatorily looking towards Rafe. Reese's heart sunk as she stressed worrying about Pope and JJ, but also specifically worrying if she would get caught being at the scene as well.

"Sorry if I, uh... had your back after some Pogue put a... put a gun to your head," Rafe said defending his brutal actions. Reese's body shivered as she recalled the boy's hostility towards her newfound friend and questioned what she was even doing there in the first place. She shook off the doubtful thought and continued to eavesdrop. "Listen, man, I am not the enemy here. Am I the enemy here?" he asked rhetorically. "I'm not the enemy. No. I didn't sink the boat. Pope did. Okay. All right. And you need to force him to take some personal responsibility, bro. Bro, he sank the boat, all right? That shit can't stand. So what are you gonna do about it?" Rafe explained using all of his might, and Kook knowledge.

"Hi boys," Reese said laughing and walking up to Kelce placing a kiss on his cheek.

"RC," Rafe said quietly wiping the sweat off his brows, trying to compose himself.

"Rafe," Reese said slightly aggravated remembering the sight of Pope. "Did you miss me?" Reese said walking over towards Topper.

"Of course." Top said laughing at the girl. "Hey, have you talked to Sarah?" Topper asked quietly turning towards the girl.

"Yeah, just give her some time Topper she just needs to figure herself out," Reese said attempting to defend her best friend while also remembering she was out with John B somewhere right now. Rafe walked over to where the girl stood up grabbing her hand and pulling her along with him.

"Reese," Rafe said her hand still in his. "Where have you been?" he asked his soft eyes finding hers.

"Just around the island, okay? Please just, can we just hang out? Have fun, no interrogation," Reese asked she truly wasn't lying to the boy's face. Yes, she may have been angry at what he'd done but these were her true best friends, they're who everyone wanted her to be with so if she wanted to try and maintain normalcy then she'd need to stick around these people.

"Yeah," Rafe said shyly. "Are you going to Midsummers?" he asked the girl running a hand through his hair.

"Of course I'm going to Midsummers," Reese said laughing.

"Do you uh- want to maybe go with me?" Rafe asked nervously. Reese knew that the boy was going to ask her eventually, this was the year that most couples would have what they liked to call as their 'coming out', and even if they weren't together it was their turn.

"Yeah, yea, of course," Reese said smiling towards the Cameron boy she swiftly wrapped her arms around his neck burying her head in his chest. He quickly found comfort with the girl in his arms. Reese breathed in the smell of the Cameron boy she was so familiar with, cologne and various drugs.

"We're thinking of going to the summer series if you wanna tag along?" Topper asked as Rafe and Reese walked back towards the rest of the group.

"Uh-yeah sure," Reese said slightly confused. An outdoor movie theater was not a place where the Death Squad would voluntarily go, red flag number one.

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The kooks arrived early to the showing and began to make their way to there seats. Reese stood on full alert for anything that could go wrong. All of a sudden the three Pogues walked into the area, Reese's eyes clamped on JJ as she watched him carefully walk to set up his seats. It was taking everything in the girl not to run to the boy, she didn't realize how attached she had truly gotten to him until this moment. Reese's thoughts were interrupted as an arm snaked around her waist.

"Hey, you," Rafe said leaning his head down so their cheeks were pressed against each other.

"Oh hey," Reese said awkwardly slightly jumping at the boys touch his eyes still trained on the Maybank boy. She had never felt awkward around Rafe but for some reason seeing JJ and feeling Rafe's arm felt like something was wrong, like a trick of fate.

"I'm gonna get a drink, do you want anything?" he asked twirling a piece of the girl's hair.

"Um, just a Dr.Pepper please." the girl said finding Rafe's eyes as she turned towards him. His lips turned to a soft smile as he stared deeply into the girl's eyes, everything he had ever felt for the girl grew more and more each time he found her eyes. Yes, the boy was addicted to coke, a drug that would one day ruin his life, but the first drug the boy ever found was Reese Carmichael. He took in each feature of the girl as his first version of cocaine, each piece of information filled his body and left a euphoric feeling, which the boy could only explain as love. He placed a soft kiss on the girl's forehead and walked away wishing he could tell her how perfect she truly was to him.

Reese's eyes flashed towards the Maybank boy as she found Pope and him sitting conversing quietly, she took this opportunity to walk towards the boy, craving for JJ to see her. At the sound of footsteps Pope turned to see the Carmicheal girl.

"Hey Reese," Pope said smiling sweetly, JJ whipped his head to find the girl smiling softly at him, and their eyes connected like they always had. "Reese!" Pope said scared, he turned around to find Rafe, Topper, and Kelce standing staring at the two boys and Reese."Great, the whole death squad," Pope said. JJ quickly smacked the boy's head causing him to turn forward.

"Don't stare, bro,"  JJ said looking towards Reese who crouched confused next to them.

Kie appeared before the three handing them their drinks. "Just saw Rafe, and he said, and I quote, 'Tell your boy that we know what he did.'" Kie said as the three who sunk the boat eyes widened. "What is that?" she asked.

"Just warning you, Angel. If they corner me, I'm coming out swinging, okay? Slice and dicin'. I'm on edge right now." JJ said.

"Yeah, yeah." Pope agreed.

"They're not gonna come at you, they said something about you taking personal responsibility. I don't know I heard them talking earlier." Reese said twiddling her fingers nervously knowing that the Kooks were definitely staring at her.

"What the fuck you knew they knew we did it and didn't tell us?" JJ said looking angrily at the girl. She shook her head nervously waiting for some sort of response. "Whatever, if that doesn't work, I got this right here," JJ said gesturing to his backpack. Reese's eyes widened as she realized that the boy still had the gun.

"So, we just gotta stay in the group. They can't get us in the group."Pope said.

"Like a school of fish," JJ said looking towards Reese with stone in his eyes.

"Stay in the school. Can't leave the school." Pope agreed nervously with the blonde.

"I'm sorry, JJ... Please tell me that you did not bring a gun here." Kie said as JJ sat blindly knwoing that either way he was in trouble. "JJ, there are kids."

"Why havent you gotten rid of that thing yet?" Reese asked the boy. Her anger seeping through her veins.

"No! Guys, I didn't bring the gun. Everything's fine, okay?" JJ lied.

"Wow, thank you. That's really convincing. I love that, JJ." Kie said looking annoyed at the two boys, Reese rolled her eyes at the boy's actions.

"Uh- I should probably get back to them," Reese said quietly. JJ stood slightly as Pope and Kie acknowledged the girl's words. Reese turned her eyes towards JJ looking for something, anything. The boy ignored her staring at the screen away from her, and in that moment the flame for the hatred towards JJ was lit again, he would only ever see her as a prestigious kook.

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(1605)

ello loves

hope everyone is staying safe
currently getting slammed with a
hurricane which is interesting

well rip to jj and reese
and hello rafe and reese
rc squared baby

just trust me okay
everything will work out ;)

i love you all