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❝ i'll always be second best ❞
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𝘚𝘺𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘦'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝

There is a knock on my bedroom door and I look up from my book to see my father's face staring back at me. The first thing I notice is the stressed look on his face and the second thing I notice is my suitcase in his hand.

"Sylvie, I need you to listen to me okay?" He starts, taking a few steps into my room and I sit up.

"What is happening?" I ask in a worried tone.

"Everything is fine. I just need you to come with me" He says but I'm distracted as Rafe appears at the door too.

"Dad, let me take that" Rafe speaks up, holding out his hand for the red suitcase.

Our father hands Rafe my case and the boy gives me a reassuring half smile before walking away with it, heading downstairs.

"I need to go to Nassau and I don't want to leave you alone" My dad lies to me and I scoff.

"Don't act worried for my loneliness. You don't trust me, so you're keeping me at arms length so I can't go running to the cops" I spit out with a glare.

"I know you and your friends were there that night and I know that they are looking for that gun, Sylvie" He admits with a dark expression on his face, making my heart drop.

"I didn't say anything" I promise and I swear his expression softens just a little.

"Of course you didn't" He nods.

I close my book and put it under my pillow, slowly pulling my knees to my chest as I stare up at my father cautiously. The man lets out a frustrated sigh and sits down on my bed, making me feel extremely nervous.

"Have I ever told you how much you remind me of your mother?" He speaks up eventually.

"No" I breathe out.

"You've got her smile and her tendencies of getting into trouble" He tells me and I can't help the small smile that tugs at the corner of my lips.

"Rafe told me once that I remind him of her. He said that it sets him off sometimes" I admit, looking down at my knees "Is that why you hate me, Dad? Do you hate me because I remind you of Mom?"

I hear him inhale sharply and his hand shakily reaches for my own, I let him.

"Sylvie, you're my daughter and I love you. I know I may have favourited Sarah and I'm sorry for that. Things will be different now" He explains to me but I feel nothing but hurt.

"You love me now...because she's dead?" I question, looking him dead in the eyes and he notices his mistake, opening his mouth to backtrack "Don't bother making excuses, Dad. I know I'll always be second best to Sarah"

"You're not second best" He tries to argue.

"Yes, I am. We all are" I argue with him, pulling my hand from him "I know it, Rafe knows it, Wheezie knows it!"

"Calm down" He warns me and I take a deep breath.

Theres a short silence in which my dad gets up and grabs my shoes, holding them out to me.

"Is Rafe going?" I ask the man.

"Yes" He answers simply and I take the shoes from his hand.

"Okay" I nod shortly "I'll go"

✯¸.•'*¨'*•༻❁༺•*'¨*'•.¸✯

The minute we arrive at our house in Nassau I'm taken to my room by Rafe and told not to leave until he comes back to get me, like I'm some kind of prisoner.

For a little while I listen. I read a book, I draw a picture, I watch some tv, I get bored very fast. If my father hadn't confiscated my phone and left it at Tannyhill then I'd probably be texting the Pogues, letting them know what's going on.

Oh shit, the Pogues. They have no idea where I am.

That's it, I've had enough of playing Rapunzel.

I head to the door and before I can even touch the door handle, the door is swung open to reveal Rafe looking down at me in confusion.

"Were you going somewhere?" He asks me curiously.

"I-I was going to check on you" I stutter in surprise.

"Put on a sweater, it's getting cold out" He tells me.

I listen without question, walking over to my closet and pulling out a cream coloured cardigan. I slip the cardigan on over my sage green sundress and follow my brother out of the room.

"Where are we going?" I ask the boy.

"The airport" He answers shortly.

"Already? I thought dad had business to do" I question in confusion.

"Stop asking so many questions, runt" My big brother warns me.

"I'm just curious" I shrug.

"Curiosity killed the cat" He retorts.

We exit the house and I'm met with three trucks, two of which are seated with armed guards while the other holds my father.

"In the car" Dad demands.

Rafe and I climb into the truck with our father and I opt for the back seat, looking around in confusion. I notice the metal containers in the bed of our truck and my eyes widen in realisation.

"Is that what I think it is?" I question aloud.

"Yes, it's the gold" Dad answers with a proud look on his face "We're taking it home"

"Buckle up, kids" He adds.

The trucks all start moving and I watch my surroundings, my focus slipping as boredom sets in. I lean my head against the window and let my eyes fall closed.

We come to an abrupt stop and I shoot up straight in shock, turning my head to see a large group of children run out onto the road. They all start slamming their fists at the officer's car in front of us and yelling loudly.

"What is this?" Dad snaps in a panicked tone.

"It's just some kids" Rafe assures him.

"No! No! Guys, get away from the car!" Dad yells at the kids as they approach the truck "Get away!"

The window next to me is banged on and I jump in fright, turning my head again to see two little boys staring back at me. I wave at them in confusion and they laugh loudly, waving back at me.

"What's going on?!" Dad shouts "Get out of here! Go! Go! Go!"

As the man continues to have a breakdown and Rafe tries to calm him down, I watch as a little blonde girl pops up between the boys and I find myself smiling, the trio reminding me a little of John B, JJ and myself. Another little girl with dark hair runs up with a little boy, adding a mini Kiara and Pope to the group.

"I don't care!" Dad screams "Drive that truck!"

"We gotta go" Rafe tells Dad.

"Mike, let's go!" Dad hollers out the window.

The car in front of us moves forward as all the kids start running away and I wave to the group of small children who wave at me enthusiastically as they run off together. They disappear into the crowd and I hear swearing, causing me to look up and see that the tyres of the officer's cars have been burst with planks of wood full of nails.

"It's a trap! It's a trap!" The officer wails.

"Yeah, no shit!" Rafe retorts.

"Mike, let's go! Let's go goddamn it! Move the car!" Dad demands angrily.

The last of the lingering kids throw water and flour at the windscreen of the officer's cars before dashing away.

"Holy shit" I mumble out in surprise.

"We gotta get out of here. He's got us trapped. They can't go forward" Dad explains.

"Dad" Rafe replies, looking behind us.

I look back and see multiple people coming towards us with wheelbarrows and shovels, yelling menacingly and slamming their fists against the metal in an angry fashion.

"Goddamn it!" Dad curses, starting up the truck again.

"Oh my God, we're going to die" I groan out in worry.

"Go, go, go, go, go" Rafe hurries the man.

"Stay where you are. We're under attack" An officer warns Dad.

"Here, take the alley" Rafe advises Dad "You're good. You're good"

Dad swerves the truck onto the road and I squeal in surprise as my body jerks to the side, my head slamming against the window.

A few boys push a stall onto the road which causes Dad to slam on the breaks and we all lurch forward in surprise, my whole body flying into Rafe's seat in front of me. I cry out in pain and Rafe turns around in fright, looking me over for injuries as I sit back in my seat.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Dad screams at the boys "Move!"

"Get out of the way!" Rafe adds in anger.

"They're part of it" Dad declares, swerving the truck around them.