𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣'𝙨 𝙋𝙊𝙑

After taking the gun to Shoupe last night and practically being shoo'd out of his office we all went home feeling pretty deflated. I then spent a boring day at school before Makoa and I head back to my place, both of us lounging by the pool.

"BRB, gotta piss" Makoa chirps, leaving me sunbathing to slip into my house.

I lay there with my eyes closed until the sun is blocked and I peak one eye open to see Rafe stood over me, fear jolting through me as I sit up.

"You finally done with your mood yet?" He speaks up and I pull myself to my feet, looking at him in confusion.

"I'm not in a mood. I told you that we are over" I declare, not understanding why he's here.

"Come on, baby. You don't mean that" Rafe chuckles "I was high. She meant nothing to me"

"I don't even care, Rafe. You're not the only one who's seeing someone else" I counter confidently, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Who are you seeing?" He questions, all the humour disappearing from his face instantly.

"It's none of your business" I retort simply.

"Tell me who he is, Allison" Rafe demands, taking a menacing step towards me.

"Better than you" I state.

His hand shoots out and grabs me by the throat before I can react, causing me to gasp in a frightened breath. Praying for Makoa to come back, I struggle with the boy and try my hardest to loosen his fist that is choking me.

"Get your hands off her, Rafe!" I hear Kiara's voice scream and Rafe is suddenly knocked aside as she collides with him, his grip leaving my throat.

I inhale deeply, gasping in air and Rafe stumbles, looking at Kiara in disbelief.

"Are you okay?" Kiara asks me in concern, cupping my face in her hands.

"I'm okay" I breathe out with a nod.

A flash of blonde hair passes us and the next thing I see is Rafe on his back with Thomas on top of him, punching him repeatedly.

"Touch my little sister again and you're fucking dead, Cameron!" Thomas bellows in rage.

I stand in Kiara's arms as we watch my older brother beat the shit out of my ex boyfriend who barely fights back, knowing he can't win against the older boy.

"Thomas, get off him!" My dad's voice makes me jump and I turn to see him rush out the house with my mother and Makoa behind him.

It takes a reluctant Makoa and my father to pull Thomas off of Rafe while my mom makes sure Kiara and I are okay, checking us for injuries.

"I warned you to stay the fuck away, Rafe!" Makoa yells at the bloody Cameron boy who drags himself to his feet clumsily.

My dad makes sure Thomas is okay before he storms forward and grabs Rafe by the collar. My eyes widen in surprise at how angry the usually cheery man looks and I share a worried look with my mom.

"If I ever catch you on my property again I will shoot you" Dad threatens him in a tone i've never heard from him ever before "And I don't miss, son"

"I promise you that" Dad snaps before shoving Rafe towards the gate, shooing him out of our back yard.

"Are you okay, Al?" My brother breathes out, tipping my chin up to take a look at my sore neck.

Not trusting my voice not to wobble, I instead throw my arms around the boy and he hugs me tightly.

"What the fuck was that asshole doing here?" I hear JJ's voice and I peel away from Thomas to see him approach us with Pope.

"He choked her" Kiara spits in anger and the boys look at me in concern.

"He didn't think I seriously broke up with him" I answer and they all look at me in confusion "I guess he wanted me to say we were back together or something"

"Is he high or just stupid?" Makoa grumbles.

"Probably both" Pope shrugs.

"Sweetheart, listen to me" My dad gets my attention by placing his hand on my shoulder "If he ever lays a finger on you again, I want you to come straight to me or Thomas. Do you hear me?"

"Okay" I nod in understanding.

"I'm calling Shoupe" My mom blurts out and I notice the tears in her eyes as she rummages through her handbag for her phone.

"Honey, that's not a good idea" Dad warns her.

"Dean, he hurt my baby!" Mom retorts in disbelief with wide glassy eyes.

"I know that, Liz. Please just breathe, yeah?" Dad talks her through her panic "We need to keep in mind that Thomas retaliated and Rafe is in much worse shape right now, so going to the police will only backfire right now"

"He won't get away with this, Eliza" JJ assures my mom, wrapping an arm around her and she accepts his embrace, smiling at the blonde boy.

"You're right" She breathes out, squeezing JJ's hand and looking to me "You're sure you're okay, baby?"

I nod reassuringly and she relaxes her shoulders, looking to Kiara and the boys.

"Thank you for having my little girl's back. You're all good friends" She smiles at them warmly.

"We'll always have her back" Kiara shrugs nonchalantly, Pope and Makoa smiling at my mother.

"Speaking of friends having each other's back, we actually need to steal Allison for a mission" JJ reveals their reasoning for being here, causing Makoa and I to share a confused look.

"A mission?" My mother raises a brow at JJ.

"Yes, ma'am" JJ nods in response "We gotta go to Charleston to get evidence that will clear John B's name"

"Charleston?" It's my father's turn to raise a brow.

"We'll have her back at a reasonable hour" Kiara tells the man, pleading with him through her big brown puppy dog eyes and I watch his resolve crumble.

"Okay, fine. But you kids look after each other, yeah?" Dad warns us.

"Yes, sir" We all agree in unison.

»»-------------¤-------------««

"They're taking it really well" JJ comments and I look up through the windshield of the truck to see Kiara arguing with her parents.

"Mmhm" Pope hums.

"How'd you get this rig? I know your old man didn't let you have it" JJ asks Pope.

"I undid the intake valves on the carburettor. Made it start pinging" Pope explains.

"And now you're just gonna take it to your cousin Jeff's house. Just gonna get it fixed" JJ drawls out before the boys say in unison "Crash overnight"

"I think I'm rubbing off on you, Pope" JJ says with an amused smile "Lying to your old man, stealing his truck. Kinda sounds familiar"

"Shut up, JJ" Makoa scoffs, swatting the hat off the blonde's head and it falls onto my lap from where I'm sat in the back seat.

"All right, that's a sore subject. My bad" JJ rushes out, glancing back at me and I offer him his hat back.

The Maybank boy grins at me gratefully, taking the hat from my hand and I smile back at him, leaning my chin on his arm that is lying across the seat.

"I'd say we have about eighteen hours before he absolutely loses his shit. So as long as we get it back before then, I think we're good" Pope declares.

"I think that's doable" Makoa hums.

"Boarding school?! What are you talking about?!" I hear Kiara shriek and I look up to see her walking away from her parents.

"It's just an option!" Anna yells "It could broaden your horizons, baby, get you out of OBX!"

"I'm not going to boarding school!" Kiara argues.

"It would give you structure, Kiara!" Mike retorts.

"They're not my people!" Kiara snaps, approaching us as JJ and I get out of the truck.

"Look at your life right now! Look at your life!" Mike hollers in anger and Kiara turns her head, looking directly at me.

My heart swells at her silent declaration and I smile lovingly at my girlfriend, stepping forward to grab a hold of her hand.

"It's good to see y'all, Mr and Mrs Carrera!" JJ chirps with a big smile while Makoa and I wave at them.

"Hi, uh, ma'am, sir" Pope speaks up "I-I promise to have her back at a reasonable hour and safe"

"What are you doing?" Kiara scoffs in disbelief.

"He's using your trick, but it's not working for him" I murmur to her and Makoa snorts, covering his smile with his hand.

"Kiara, listen to me! You wanna go, then you can go. But if you don't come back at the proper time, then don't come back at all!" Anna shouts at her daughter.

"She's bluffin'" JJ mutters.

"I don't think she's bluffin'" Makoa counters in disagreement.

"C'mon, sunshine" Kiara huffs out, tugging me into the backseat of the truck with her.

"Y'all have a good day!" JJ waves before getting into the truck too.

"This shit would be so much easier without parents" Kiara declares and JJ shrugs as though to say 'fair enough'.

"You don't mean that" I frown, laying my head on her shoulder as she wraps her arm around me.

The girl doesn't reply but she presses a kiss to my head, silently letting me know that she's mad right now but not at me and I appreciate the gesture more than she'll ever know.