TWO TRIBES / ONE ISLAND

" i'm not as bad as you are rafe..''

❝ no? ❞ he challenges, raising his brows. ❝ that's rich, kie. really. how 'bout all those times you tried to kill me, huh? and then blame me for trying to, what? retaliate? protect myself? ❞

" we're always fighting over the stupidest things, i swear.. "

❝ yeah, ❞ sarah breathed, pulling her lower lip into her mouth before releasing it. she shook her head, ran a hand through her blonde hair. ❝ we can just blame it on the boys. it's easy to put it on them. ❞

" i mean, i may learn my lesson sooner or later. " she laughs. " moreso later or never. "

as much as kie wanted to lecture, she couldn't help but let out a short laugh. sarah was refreshing, a controlled form of chaos in comparison to the boys who were less controlled and more chaos. ❝ i'll remind you that you said that when it bites you in the ass. ❞

"what are you talking about? he shops at all the high end stores. his clothes cost about three hundred dollars. you can just throw anything together at that point." she laughs. topper's sense of style was a joke and it always was the first thing she made fun of when she ran into him. "uh, was thinking of crashing at kie's. maybe. why, you offering? not sure your future girlfriend will be keen on that."

he laughs, ❝ god, i hate that guy. jj told me once that he looks like princess peach and i haven't been able to fuckin' get it out of my head since. every time i see him, it's all i see. ❞ he leans back on his hands, his palms flat on the dock, the smile staying steady on his face. it's not hard around her, nothing is. ❝ she's not my girlfriend yet, and probably never will be. so, yeah, i'm offering. ❞

“take whatever ya need, then,” she said lightly, tilting her head. she was privileged, there was no denying that. “would a hundred do it? maybe two hundred? hell, make it two-fifty if that’s what it takes to make up for it.” truth be told, she was oblivious to just how much money was needed when it came to that type of thing. her brother was the expert, not her. one thing was for certain, though: she was fortunate to be her dad’s favorite, carrying around a wad of cash like it was no big deal.

this was different though, sarah wasn't pitying him. they wouldn't be in this situation if she didn't go all psycho - kook on him and destroy his joint. so, after the moment of hesitation passed, he snatched her wallet from her hand and began to sort through it. a soft scoff sounded as he examined her driver's license. blue eyes faltered from the cash with her offer, and plucked out a twenty before handing it back. ❝ two fifty? jesus, princess, you're a fuckin' life virgin. two fifty would buy you some clean cut coke, not grass. ❞

mustering a smile as he nudged her, she nods, acting intrigued. "riiight. the kook princess." all she wanted to do right now is run and hide. deal with her feelings for him and attempt to get over them. her eyes study him in that momnt he's lost. that smile so big and she knows she lost. "so why not take the risk? if it was that great?" look at her giving advice. pushing him to go after something cause his feelings were there. unlike what she was going. "sarah cameron would be lucky to have you. plus topper is boring. who wants someone with that many short and colorful shorts."

❝ eventually, maybe, ❞ he shrugs, setting back in his own space. this was why he couldn't tell the guys, they'd call him a fucking pussy and tell him to shit or get off the pot. unlike a certain blond, he wasn't interested in playing the field for forever. he's a family guy, with, like, goals or some stupid shit. he offers dallas a grateful closed - lip smile, ❝ right? for how much money the douche supposedly has, you think he'd have a better sense of style. ❞ he looks at her then, really looks at her, and speaks again. ❝ where are you staying tonight? ❞

not the type to read between the lines, if she said it was fine, then it was fine. he didn't do the chick shit, the hidden meanings. much better at acknowledging it how it was. so, he let it drop, allowing them to sit in a comfortable silence as they passed the joint back and forth. his mouth was dry by the time they were done, his body buzzing with a comfortable high. ( he liked being this way most. it didn't make him numb, the things that did that were too risky to rely on, but it did make things quieter. it was all he could ask for. ) he coughed lightly, shaking his head. ❝ i gotta bounce. gotta go see what spare jobs i could pick up for tomorrow. ❞

her lips curved into a small smile, her shoulders lifting in an easy shrug as she replied, “mmm, I dunno… but it’s definitely not the cold that’s gotten to me.” her voice was light but laced with truth, and her teeth caught her lower lip for a brief moment. finally, she gave his arm the gentlest tug, her fingers curling just enough to coax him closer, her tone dipping into something playfully pleading. “c’mon… please? I don't have cooties or anything, if that's what you're so worried about."

attempted and failed to stifle a smile, feet shuffling ever closer to her. she looked cute when she bit down on her lip, a move that he knew didn't only make him react. sarah cameron knew how to draw in an audience, kook princess always getting what she wanted for a reason, and while he was typically good at resisting, he craved the warmth. that's what he told himself as he turned his back to her and carefully crawled onto the hammock, his feet swinging once he got positioned. ❝ i dunno, sounds like somethin' someone with cooties would say. ❞ he put his hands back into his pockets, but not before pulling up his hood to protect the side of his head from the chilled wind. ❝ christmas ain't ever been my favorite holiday. thanksgiving at least has good food. ❞

for a brief moment, her expression softened, her defenses slipping just enough to let the edge of her frustration give way to something more genuine—but only for a second. “…and for the record?” she began, her voice dropping just a notch, teasingly low. “I told you i'd help you replace it. I mean…” her smirk faltered for a moment, hesitation flashing in her eyes before she continued, clearly disliking what she was about to say. “I can always ask rafe. hate talking to him, but hey, business is business, right?” the way she rolled her shoulders said it all—she’d rather chew glass than call her brother, but she’d do it if she had to. just to keep this from escalating further. just to make things right.

his attention was on her the second that she mentioned her brother. fuckin' rafe cameron. a nice reminder of why he was quick to keep sarah at an arm's distance. really, it was a fucking suicide mission to shack up with the sister of the dude that liked traumatizing them for fun and games, but he was apparently the only one to see logic. ❝ nah. you wanna give me some cash, i'll replace it myself. don't need y'er brother goin' around runnin' errands for me. ❞

it was his fault. always his fault, getting his hopes up that the next go - around would be different and then ultimately being disappointed. a ruthless fuckin' cycle. his wallet was empty, especially after he got himself fired from the country club after his run - in with rafe cameron. can't control himself, can never control himself, the body too loud for his mind to tame. ❝ didn't mean t'yell at you like that, ❞ he muttered, biting down on his lower lip after inhaling the smoke into his lungs. he released it when he exhaled, gray billowing from his mouth, and he handed it back over. ❝ just... in a really fuckin' bad mood today. ❞

she frowns before looking up at him. " did you do something that he should've told on you?" she questioned.

❝ like i said, ain't there always somethin'? ❞ he lets out a dry laugh, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck. ❝ it's nothin'. just got pissed and pope'd out at me, not a big deal. ❞

his jaw tensed and flexed, a humorless smile indenting the dimples on his cheeks. she doesn't listen. fuck, she never did. he couldn't be surprised at her refusal to budge, even when he did exactly what she asked for and explicitly made the request. all his money went to the unpaid bills though, his dad on another bender that was sucking up all of their income, and his chest tightened at the sight of weed. so, yeah, as he took his lighter out and sparked it up, it could be said that he seceded. ❝ fine, ❞ he said, gesturing to the spot next to him, a silent invitation. ❝ thanks. ❞

“alright, grumpy,” she teased, her tone light but laced with amusement. the hammock swayed gently beneath her as she lifted a hand, fingers brushing lazily through the air, beckoning him over with an easy wave. "maybe I don't want your hoodie, m a y b e I just want you around." she spoke, her voice soft but sure. her shoulders rose and fell in an effortless shrug, as if to downplay her comment. make it seem far less serious than it was,

his attention shifted back to her as her outstretched hand was visible out of his peripheral vision. blue eyes fixated on her wiggling fingers, head turned back to the house and examined their immediate surroundings, and when it was deemed they were alone, he stepped forward. met her hand with his own, grabbing onto her pointer finger and giving it a tug before pulling away. he stayed close though, close enough that she could touch him, and his lips tugged into a soft smile. ❝ and why would'ya possibly want that? think the cold's gettin' to y'er head. ❞

he was good for it? really, that was what he was going with after both his card declined. "are you though? cause the card situation tells me otherwise." it didn't surprise her that he whipped out the 'my dad will ruin your life card.' she just wasn't sure how much she was willing to call his bluff. she didn't want to cave to him, every molecule of her being wanted to drag this out for as long as possible, but she knew the longer she made this a problem the more the problem blew back on her. she sucked in her bottom lip, and let it go while she considered. "fine, fine. i'll comp it, but you and i are gonna talk outside about how you're gonna repay me for the favor." letting him win made her blood boil. even when he had no money to throw around, he could still throw around his weight and it made difference. "and it's not happening again. don't start thinking that when i'm working you can just threaten to get me fired and your bill will magically disappear."

he straightened again, this time without lowering back down. a cameron always got what he wanted, unless ward was the one giving. ( you're fucked. you went too far this time. he's sick of you, he cut you off, he probably changed the locks on the goddamn door. ) ignore, ignore, ignore. rafe quieted the voices in his head by picking up the drink he knocked with his elbow, tilting his head back and welcoming the liquid down his throat before she could snatch it off the counter to reclaim his bill. everything about his movements proved his pride, not to be damaged, not when he got what he wanted. that ego was evident in the way he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, the way he exhaled, even the way he put the glass back down on her side of the bar. ❝ good choice. i really, really didn't wanna have to do somethin', y'know? i actually --- shit, i actually like you. ❞ he shook his head, as if he was appalled by the very thought of needing to act on his words, as if he would've hesitated. there was a chain of command on this island, and only one of them was on top. ❝ find me when your shift's done. we'll see if i'm still here. ❞