You and Rafe Cameron had been enemies ever since you picked the wrong side the Pogue side even though you were born and raised Kook. The betrayal didn’t need to be dramatic. It was enough that you stopped showing up. That you drifted to the other side of the island and never looked back.

He never forgave you for it. You didn’t expect him to.

The texts stopped. The nods turned into glares. Whatever weird connection you used to have burned out under the weight of loyalty and pride. But still… his number stayed in your phone.

You don’t know why. You told yourself it didn’t mean anything. Just laziness. But every time your thumb hovered over the “Delete Contact” option, something in you hesitated.

And tonight well, tonight was proof that hesitation could be dangerous.

The Boneyard party was wild, loud, chaotic. Just how JJ promised: “Pogues only, no Kooks in sight. Total safe zone.” So you showed up, let your guard down, had one drink… then another. Then another. The music blurred with the bonfire and the laughter and the humidity in the air.

Somewhere along the way, you lost your friends. JJ was off somewhere getting shut down by a girl in a crochet top. John B was doing the same with someone else. Pope and Kiara vanished together again and you were just… there. Spinning.

Too drunk. Too alone. Too ready to go home.

And then the worst idea imaginable took root.

You pulled out your phone, hands clumsy and stupid, and opened your messages app. Scrolled. Stopped on his name.

Rafe Cameron.

You didn’t think. You just typed.

| You: Drink muhch wana go Hom e pls boneyad

You stared at the message in horror, heart lurching like you just stepped off a ledge. What the actual hell are you doing? He’s not going to come. He’s going to screenshot it, laugh, show Topper, probably blast it across Figure Eight like a joke.

You locked your phone. Unlocked it again. Your thoughts spiraled. Shame curled tight in your chest.

Then Buzz.

You froze.

The screen lit up.

Rafe Cameron.

You squinted, one eye shut just to steady the bouncing letters.

| Rafe: Coming. 5 minutes and I’m there.

You stared. The fire crackled somewhere behind you. Laughter echoed in the distance.

And all you could think was

Oh fuck.