CHAPTER THREE
[3]
song: my name is dark by grimes

A curfew was put in place until further notice they said. It was a nicer way of saying we can't fucking catch this guy so just stay inside.

And everyone obeyed for the most part. Stay in a group of at least three people after sunset, and be off of the streets by 9. It was weird seeing the OBX so quiet during the summer time. Even weirder as everyone thought they were next in line to be brutally murdered.

Camila had been spending the nights at Summer's, as she was too afraid to sleep on her own. "It's totally Celine." Camila says, lying on Summer's bed and scrolling through her phone.

Summer stood in her mirror, taking pictures of herself with an old digital camera. "You really think Celine could've done all that to Tyler?" Summer scoffs, admiring her reflection. "The girl barely eats. He would've snapped her arms like twigs."

Camila thought for a second. "She was always jealous of you and Tyler. Holly was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Oh god, Camila, give it up." Summer turns around to face the girl. "It was just some Pogue who wanted to feel some sort of power in their life, alright? They've probably already OD'd in the marsh somewhere."

"Summer you can't say that." Camila frowns.

The blonde sends her a nasty look. "What are they gonna do?" She says. "Kill me?"

Camila swallows, quieting down. She leans up off the bed. "Well..." She hesitates, knowing this was gonna get a bad reaction out of Summer. "Do you think this is a good idea?"

Summer walks past her bed and over to her vanity, sitting down and applying a swipe of lip gloss, ignoring Camila's question.

"Summer?"

"Yes?" Summer says impatiently, looking at her friend through the mirror.

"I don't think we should go to this thing." Camila frowns, worriedly. "What if the cops come— what if—"

"If you want to stay here alone and get murdered, be my guest." Summer says, standing up and walking to her closet. "I'm sick of sitting in here all night and doing nothing."

Camila shakes her head, looking at the blonde like she was some strange anomaly. "Aren't you scared?"

Summer picks out a purse. A pink, vintage Dior she'd stolen from her step-mom's closet. "Why would I be scared?"

Camila just assumed that Summer's way of coping was pretending that nothing happened. The girl had barely spoken about it, and when she had, it had been to talk about how Holly was a fake friend, and to say that maybe if she wasn't fucking other people's boyfriends, she wouldn't be dead right now.

Summer let's out a frustrated sigh, realizing she'd been too harsh. "There's nothing to worry about. There's safety in numbers, remember?"

Camilla shrugged a bit.

"Can we go now?"

Camila stood off the bed, slipping her feet back into her shoes and checking her reflection in the mirror quickly, before making her way to the window that she'd snuck out of plenty times before.

"Don't be dramatic, we'll go out the front." Summer says, turning off the lights and heading out of her bedroom.

Downstairs, her dad sat in the living room, a tablet leaned on his knee, and a phone on his ear. Across from him sat her step-mom, with a glass of wine and a book. Summer stood in front of them for a while, waiting for either of them to look up and notice her.

She cleared her throat. "We're going out." Summer says says.

Her dad took a second to lift his eyes off of whatever it was he was reading on his tablet. He looks at Summer, then to Camila, then back to Summer. "Right now?"

Summer let's out an annoyed scoff, hoping that part was obvious. "Yes."

He looks at his wife, then back to his daughter. "Isn't there a curfew?"

Summer frowns. "There is, but—" she takes a deep breath. "I really need to be with my friends right now. We just— it helps me cope."

Camila stood and watched a few feet behind as Summer put on her usual show. It was rare that the girl wasn't granted anything she wanted from her father. Because in all honesty, her father, along with the rest of the island, was scared of Summer too. Anyone and everyone would do whatever it took to stay off of her bad side.
.
After a moment, he finally frowned, then nodded. "Go ahead, honey," he said. "Whatever you need."

Summer smiles brightly, spinning around on her heel to face Camila, who was shocked, yet, impressed. "Bye Mr. Sullivan!" She let out as Summer swept her away to the front door.

"Stop flirting." Summer scolds.

Camila giggles as the two pile out the front door. "I'm not!"

—

"Smart, yeah, throw a party in the middle of nowhere surrounded by all the people who have every right to want to kill us." Camila comments, following shortly behind Summer in the sand.

"There won't be any cops here, at least." Summer responds, her nose upturned at the amount of Pogues she was passing by to get to the drinks.

A large fire was burning on the edge of the beach, almost ten feet tall. Around it were kegs, and makeshift beer pong tables. Summer kept turning around and glancing at her car, making sure she locked it. This was the one part of the island she had absolutely no control over. These people didn't care who her father was. If they had a problem, they'd deal with it their way. Which, apparently now meant murder. Unsettling, yes, but it was nothing Summer couldn't handle.

"There's nothing to worry about, right?" Camila mocks, sensing Summer's unease as a group of Pogue's walk right past them.

Summer shivers, making a point to ensure they saw her judgmental glances. "Just get me a drink."

Approaching the fire pit, she felt a bit of ease seeing that her friends were already there, all sat on a big piece of driftwood. "How much did you pay her to come to this side of the island?" Noah snorts, talking to Camila as the two approached the group.

"It was her idea, actually." Camila spoke happily.

Summer forced a smile. "When you you were throwing a party— I assumed you meant at your house."

Noah shook his head. "Hell no. My parents have me on lockdown. They think I'm sound asleep right now."

"I'm gonna catch a disease." Summer mutters.

"So dramatic." Noah laughs, standing up from the log and walking over to her. "Come on, come on, I'll get you a drink." He swings an arm around her and leads her away. Leaving Camila with Celine and Kelce.

Summer squirms, but follows Noah over to one of the kegs. He pulls away and pours whatever was in that barrel into a red plastic cup for her. "I know it's not our usual crowd but we deserved to get out." He says, frowning. "How are you doing?"

Summer groans. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" She accepts the cup from him, and takes a drink.

She hated the way Noah was looking at her. Like he was expecting her to break down to him of all people, so he could be the one to comfort her. She read Noah too well. As much as she loved him, she knew he was anxiously awaiting the day she turned to him for some sort of comfort.

"Hey, Summer." She heard someone say from behind her. She turns to see a blonde Pogue, who's name she'd never be able to remember, walk past her with a smug look on his face. "Come to do some charity work?" He mocks, earning a laugh from his friend beside him.

"If you need some bail money for your dad, you can just ask." Summer gestures towards her purse, a fake-innocent look on her face.

His smirk fades, and she feels Noah tug her away. "Fuck off, bro." Noah says to the Pogue over his shoulder. He turns back to Summer. "You need to chill out with them."

"Why, think they'll kill me?" She raises an eyebrow.

"Uh," his eyes widen. "Yes?" He speaks like that part was obvious, as he pulls her back over to the group.

Rafe was there now, and with him, Topper.

"Already causing problems?" Rafe asks, focusing everyone's attention onto Summer as she returns.

Noah lets out a sigh, "I'm keeping her out of trouble. Don't worry." He scratches the blonde's head like she was his dog, and she swats his hand away.

In the midst of their fading laughter, she looks up to see Rafe studying Noah. He was still, only tapping his finger on the edge of his cup. When his eyes trailed over to her, it was as if he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't.

What was that?

"Aren't you a little old to be going to high school parties?" Summer remarked, tilting her head to the side.

Rafe leaned on the tree, walking over to her. "I'm just sharing my newly found college expertise." He says, eyeing her before he takes her cup out of her hand and dumps it out in the sand. "Like how I know this is disgusting."

Summer lifts her head, hiding a smile. He was so close. So smooth, and charming, and it made her cheeks flush.

"God, will you two just fuck already?" Celine yells from the tree.

They both ignore her. Too preoccupied with each other to acknowledge anyone else around them. Summer would be lying if she said he wasn't making her heart pound.

"I've got the good stuff in my car." He adds quietly.

She glances over to Camila and the rest of the group who were already back to their own conversations. "Yeah?" She smiles softly as she turns back to face him.

It was as if his eyes never left her when she turned away. He nods, the hint of a smirk on his lips.

"Go get it, then." She says after a moment.

Rafe laughs in disbelief, shaking his head. "You are such a brat."

Summer smiles up at him, biting her bottom lip, admiring the way the fire behind him illuminated the curves of his face. "Rafe and I are going to get the good stuff." She says to the group. "Whatever that means."

Celine glances at the two of them with suspicious eyes. "Whoever doesn't come back dead is the killer." She looks around at the rest of the group. "We can all agree on that, right?"

Noah leans off the tree, a concerned look on his face. "I'll come with." He says.

Summer had already started walking back through the sand, but she turns back around after hearing Noah. Rafe put his fist out for Noah to bump with his own. "We're good, man." He says calmly.

Noah glances at Summer then back to Rafe. "Yeah, yeah. For sure." He nods.

Summer turns back around and keeps walking, a smile tugging on her lips as Rafe catches up with her. Slowly, the sound of the party-goers get quieter and quieter as they walk further away, and with it, the light of the fire.

"How was school?" Summer asks, after relishing in the long silence.

Rafe shrugs. "Fine."

She glances at him. "Just fine?"

"What do you want me to say?" He asks defensively, but smiling.

She scoffs. "I don't know. Give me something to work with."

"I'm glad to be back home." Rafe says, grabbing his keys from his pocket and unlocking his car. Summer stood and watched as he dug through the passenger seat. He pulls out a tiny wooden chest from his glovebox, opens it, then takes out a small baggy of pills.

"That's your newly found college expertise?" She scoffs, already interested in going back and rejoining her friends. "Doesn't seem very new to me."

He sighs as he shuts his car door, coming back around to where she stood. "You want one?"

Summer shakes her head no.

He eyes her for a second, before placing a pill on his tongue. "You look pretty tonight." He comments, sitting up on the hood of his car.

Summer crosses her arms, feeling herself reflexively want to look away. "Stop." She starts, a disbelieving smile on her lips. "Whatever you think you're doing— just stop." She was looking at him like he was pathetic.

He shrugs. "What am I doing, Summer?"

"We're not together. You made it very clear you just wanted a hookup so—" she scoffs, "so stop acting all boyfriend-y. It's fucking weird."

She was expecting him to laugh in her face, but he didn't. He was quiet for a moment, just looking at her. "Why can't we be together?" He eventually asks.

Summer narrows her eyebrows. "Why— he's not even in the ground yet, Rafe!" Her eyes went wide.

He ran a tongue over his bottom row of teeth, letting out a quiet laugh as he let his head fall backwards.

"You didn't text me once this entire year. You didn't call, you didn't even come back in town for winter break— you made your point in wanting nothing to do with me. And then you reappear out of nowhere, and expect me to just fall at your feet because you called me pretty?" Her words were laced with pity.

Rafe lifts his head back up to look at her, his eyebrows furrowed together. "Why would I text you?! You were with him!"

Summer wasn't sure how to respond. Rafe knew very well how Tyler treated her, and even more so how terrified she was of being alone. There wasn't a lot Summer could argue with that Rafe wouldn't see right through.

He rubs his eyes frustratedly. "But you're not— anymore. That's what I'm trying to get at."

"We can't."

Rafe looked frustrated, and deeply confused. "Why not?!"

"Because— I— my boyfriend of four years died not even a week ago. Because you're gonna up and leave again in three months—"

"I'll drop out."

Now Summer barked out a laugh. "You're not serious—"

"I will. I don't care. You and I both know I don't need to go to college."

"Oh, jesus." She rubbed her temples. "My friends don't like you." She adds chirpily, after remembering another point. "My dad doesn't like you—"

"Wait— who?"

"Uh— Noah can't stand you. He thinks you're a total prick." She says. "Holly didn't either. And Camila, too, but you knew that. I mean you haven't really gone out of your way to be polite to any of them—"

"So I need to be polite?" He questioned.

Summer laughs, in disbelief of how long this conversation was going on. "No, Rafe. Just— now's not a good time. Now's a pretty awful time. Actually." She turns to start walking back to the party, waiting for him to join her.

"Yeah, you really look like you're grieving." He adds sarcastically. Summer stops in her tracks, before turning back to face him. There wasn't the usual trace of arrogance in his voice. "Just admit it. You're glad he's gone."

"You don't know what you're talking about—"

"I know I'd never lay a hand on you like he did."

Summer almost choked. Remembering the feeling of Rafe's hands on her bare ribs, examining the bruise Tyler had given her only hours before, pushing her into a table.

Rafe had asked her then if it hurt. To which she replied 'yes, of course it hurt.'  Then he corrected himself, asking her if it hurt now, when his hands were tracing around the purple and yellow remnants of another boy. She didn't reply then, but no, it didn't. His hands were too soft, too gentle, to ever hurt her in that way.

"I'm gonna go." She spoke, before turning around to walk back to the party. Telling herself she wasn't gonna turn back around this time, no matter what he said. But he didn't say anything.

She walked back to the party with her arms crossed over her body, taking the time to get rid of all leftover affliction on her face.

It was when she heard yelling, chanting, that she realized something was off. She picked up her pace, coming around the trees back to the beach to see people crowding around a fight.

Summer pushed her way from the back to the front, dodging the sound of people screaming 'fight! fight! fight!'  in her ear. She stood by Camila, who watched in horror as Topper was in the water with some Pogue, John B Routledge, she assumed, fighting.

Sarah was freaking out, begging them to stop. Summer brought a hand to her mouth, hiding her laugh as she watched the two squirm and flail at each other.

"What's this about?" Summer scoffs.

Noah let's out a huff. "Sarah. I think." He says from beside her. "This is why we don't invite Pogues to our parties— guys stop!" He finishes the sentence by yelling.

Topper was on top of John B, holding his head in the water, probably longer than he should've. It was then the blonde Pogue that Summer had had a run in with earlier, burst out from the crowd and charged over to Topper, holding a gun to his head. 

"Oh shit— he has a gun!" Someone from the crowd yelled.

To which, everyone started screaming, and running.

The sound was unsettling. Everyone, Kook and Pogue, had been overtaken by their animalistic instinct to run from danger. Summer, in the split second she had to process it all, wondered if running was enough to save anyone.

Noah tugged on Summer's wrist, which yanked her out of her thoughts as he started pulling her in his direction. "Come on!" He shouted.

"JJ, stop!" Sarah screamed at the kid with the gun.

Summer whipped her head around to Camila, who was running in the other direction, hands shielding her head like that would save her from a bullet. Summer pulled her arm from Noah's grip and shook her head, "I have to get Cami!" She yelled over the sound of people's screams.

Noah didn't have much time to respond, he just ran with the rest of the crowd. And Summer after Camila.

"Okay, everyone listen up!" JJ yelled, holding the gun up towards the sky. "Everyone get the hell off our side of the island!"

a/n
i didn't reread this so ignore the typos 🤭
hope u enjoyed !!

who's next ...?🔪
- jane