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𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐒

''Hey, JJ! Saw Mavis tonight. She's beautiful for a Pogue, isn't she?''

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I STOOD IN front of the mirror, trying to steady my breathing as I applied the last touch of eyeliner. My heart thumped with anxiety. This was the first real event I'd be attending that could throw me into the midst of Kooks—people who already believed I was a thief and treated me like I didn't belong. But I couldn't back out. I'd promised John B and Pope I'd be there, and even if they hadn't, my pride wouldn't let me hide.

My reflection stared back at me, and I took in the dress Ashley had given me. The deep scarlet color felt bold, making my eyes look sharper, more intense, and even giving my wavy hair a soft glow. Ashley knew I loved red, that it was my color, and as much as I wanted to pretend I didn't care, it felt... nice that she'd noticed.

I'd met Ashley at the line dividing our worlds, where Kook land met Pogue territory. She'd been grinning when I pulled up, her arms crossed as she held a hanger with the dress wrapped in clear plastic. I don't even know why she was the first person I called once I realised I had no dress for the event. It was like some weird muscle memory.

''I don't know what you're planning, Mave, but you're gonna look amazing in this,'' she'd teased, handing over the dress with a quick, sly smile.

I took it carefully, feeling the soft fabric through the plastic, almost not daring to look up at her in case she caught any vulnerability in my face. ''Thank you, Ash,'' I'd murmured, hoping my tone showed just how grateful I was, even if I'd been quick to add, ''I'll give it back tonight.''

Her smile had faltered just slightly, like she'd expected more conversation, maybe an opening for us to reconnect or at least talk about things we hadn't addressed in ages. But I didn't have the energy to untangle everything between us, not now. So, I'd turned quickly, giving her a small wave as I got into my car.

As I'd driven away, I glanced in the rearview mirror to see her still standing there, watching me go. She'd looked... wistful, maybe. I couldn't let myself read too much into it.

Back in my tiny bedroom, I ran my fingers over the delicate fabric once more. It clung just right, without being too revealing, and had a quiet elegance that I could almost pretend made me feel at ease. Almost.

I took a deep breath, fighting the nerves clawing at my chest. I didn't want to stand out, didn't want any more attention than necessary, but there was no denying that this dress felt like armor, in a way. 

This wasn't about fitting in with the Kooks or even proving a point. It was about standing my ground.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

I SHIFTED, GLANCING around the party as we settled into our corner by the grill where Pope was stationed. The Kooks were everywhere, standing in tight circles that separated us like an invisible wall. I caught sight of Rafe Cameron at one end of the terrace, giving me a disdainful look before turning away with a sneer. Typical.

Kie stepped forward, feigning an English accent that made me stifle a grin.

''Excuse me, sir,'' she asked Pope, ''Do we have to shuck these ourselves?'' She gestured at the oysters on the grill, her tone dripping with mock elegance. ''Cause it might mess up our costumes.''

Pope turned to us, eyebrows raised, shaking his head. ''We wouldn't want that now, would we?'' he chuckled. ''But that accent was bad.''

''Yeah, it was,'' I teased, nudging Kie slightly with my shoulder. ''I was gonna let it go, but he's right.''

She rolled her eyes, clearly unbothered, and shrugged with a grin. Then her expression turned a little more serious as she glanced over the crowd. ''You guys ever seen this many Kooks in one place?''

''Yeah,'' Pope replied, keeping his voice low. ''Last year.''

I watched the sea of Kooks, each one dressed in designer clothes that probably cost more than my car. Their polished appearances almost made this place feel foreign, even though we were all from the same island. I folded my arms across my chest and leaned in, whispering, ''We're in the lion's den.''

Pope and Kie both nodded, their eyes scanning the crowd. ''Exactly,'' Pope muttered under his breath.

He suddenly perked up, looking anxious. ''Hey, have you guys heard from JJ?''

Kie shrugged, forcing a bit of nonchalance. ''No. He'll be alright. He's got the survival instincts of a cockroach.''

''His dad bailed him out,'' I added, watching Pope's expression soften with relief. ''I went by the chateau to see John B, and JJ was there too.''

Pope's brow furrowed, concern laced into his features. ''Is he alright then?''

''I think so,'' I murmured. ''I didn't stay long—I had to get home and change—but he didn't look like he wanted to talk.''

Pope let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping. ''God, this whole mess is my fault.''

Kie shook her head and stepped closer to him, a firm hand on his shoulder. ''Pope, you didn't do this. Topper almost killed you, remember? That's on him, not you.''

I nodded in agreement. ''Kie's right. Don't let them pin this on you, Pope. They were asking for it, stirring things up like they always do.''

Just then, the Camerons made their grand entrance, striding out onto the terrace with a presence that demanded attention. Rose's headpiece was impossible to miss. She held her chin high, oblivious to how outlandish she looked. I could practically hear the whispers and snickers among the other guests.

Pope eyed her with a smirk. ''Here come Lord Capital and the Exploiters.''

Kie stifled a laugh, rolling her eyes. ''She's definitely gonna poke somebody's eye out with that.''

I laughed under my breath, shaking my head in disbelief. ''Who let her get out of the house dressed like that?''

Kie snorted, her tone dry. ''No idea, but whoever it was must really be praying for her downfall.''

Pope chuckled going back to grilling while Kie and I swayed together, laughing and spinning in sync with the beat. The Kooks around us barely acknowledged our presence, which I took as a victory. Then, out of nowhere, I caught sight of JJ, slipping through the crowd with a cocky grin.

He spotted us and made his way over. ''Wow, Mavie,'' he drawled with a smirk. ''You finally look decent.''

I rolled my eyes. ''And you still look like a rat.''

JJ laughed, unbothered, and leaned in. ''That's a compliment. Rats are damn attractive, ever seen Ratatouille?'' He wiggled his eyebrows, and Kie and I burst into laughter.

With a dramatic sigh, he straightened and glanced around. ''Alright, ladies, duty calls. I have to deliver a message.'' He waved a small folded note.

Kie narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ''And that someone is...?''

JJ winked, tilting his head in the direction of the Camerons. ''Sarah Cameron. Apparently, John B's got a thing for her now.'' With a final, cheeky grin, he disappeared back into the crowd.

Kie and I shared a bewildered look, and I felt a strange pang that I wasn't expecting. ''You want to spy on him?'' I suggested, raising an eyebrow.

''It doesn't bother me,'' Kie replied, a bit too quickly, but before she could stop me, I was already moving away, slipping quietly through the clusters of people to follow JJ. I hugged the wall, keeping low to avoid being noticed, my eyes scanning for any sign of him.

Ahead, I finally spotted him standing with Pope. He moved closer until he gave JJ a quick, tight hug. 

''Dude, don't sneak up on me like that right now,'' JJ grumbled, though his voice softened with surprise. Pope held on to him for a second longer, clearly relieved to see him. JJ patted his back awkwardly ''But hey, love you too, man.'' He leaned in and gave Pope a quick peck on the cheek.

''I'm sick over all this shit, man,'' Pope sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

JJ gave him a concerned look, putting a hand to Pope's forehead with exaggerated care. ''You're sick? You don't seem sick.''

Pope shook his head, clearly frustrated. ''I'm sick on the inside.''

JJ's brow furrowed. ''Right. Well, I already knew that,'' he joked. He looked Pope over, clearing his throat as if to shake off the serious moment. ''But we're having fun, aren't we, Pope?''

''Dude,'' Pope replied, his tone dry, ''I have never been more stressed out in my entire life.'' He looked at JJ's face, his eyes narrowing on the bruises around JJ's cheekbone. ''Did Shoupe do that?''

JJ shrugged, glancing away as if it were nothing. ''Oh, this? No. It's my dad. He's got that right jab, can really snap it off sometimes.''

The way he shrugged it off broke my heart. I remembered the night JJ showed up at my door, bruised and battered. My dad and I patched him up, and he spent hours in our kitchen, staring into the darkness without a word. He finally told me what happened a week later, and even then, it felt like each word pained him.

Pope shook his head, clearly upset. ''That looks like more than a jab, bro.''

JJ shrugged again. ''It's nothing that hasn't happened before.''

Pope's jaw clenched. ''I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you take the blame for everything. This whole mess is on me.''

Hearing him say that hurt, even as a bystander, because I knew the weight Pope carried on his shoulders. I wanted to step out from my hiding spot, to reach out and tell them both that none of this was their fault, that we were all in it together.

JJ sighed, resting a hand on Pope's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. ''It's nothing, man. We're all just trying to survive, right?'' His voice softened. ''But I got your back. We all do.''

I swallowed the lump in my throat, reminded once more of why we were all bound together. Each of us had our own scars—some more visible than others.

''It's still my fault,'' Pope muttered, his voice barely audible.

''Shut up,'' JJ interrupted quickly.

''You took the fault for me—''

''Shut up.'' JJ repeated, his voice rising slightly.

''I'm going to tell the truth, JJ. Go to the cops and—''

''Shut up, Pope!'' JJ's voice dropped to a rough whisper, his hands moving to either side of Pope's face, forcing him to look directly at him. ''For once in your life, trust someone else. John B and I got it all sorted out. We're gonna be filthy rich, man.'' He cracked a wide, almost manic grin.

JJ leaned in close. ''We're back in the G-game, baby.''

Pope tilted his head ''Game? I thought we lost the gold game.''

JJ held up his fingers. ''Yeah, well, we're in overtime now. Fourth and one, baby.'' He flashed a cocky grin,. ''And don't worry about me. It's kinda nice to be wanted, you know?''

''Not by the law, JJ!'' Pope called out.

JJ only shrugged, muttering, ''Be right back,'' before slipping away through the crowd.

I watched Pope turn and walk the opposite direction, lost in his thoughts. Blending into the crowd, I trailed after JJ, keeping my distance as he veered towards the locker room. I pretended to wait for someone nearby, glancing around casually to blend in.

Then I heard Rafe's voice cutting through the air. ''Ooooh, now I'm scared.'' Rafe leaned down toward JJ. ''Your face looks really bad. Starting to look like your dad a lot more.''

Without a moment's hesitation, JJ spit in Rafe's face.

Rafe wiped his cheek, looking enraged but still smug. ''Oh, shit. All right. It was—''

''Gentlemen!'' A security guard intervened, and Kelce quickly shoved JJ back, putting on an innocent front.

''Is there a problem, guys?'' the guard asked, glancing between them.

Rafe immediately slipped back into his mocking tone. ''Pardon me, officer. No, there's not an issue. I just—''

JJ interrupted, gesturing toward the security guard with exaggerated politeness. ''Oh, actually, yes. No, there is an issue. Uh, we got a criminal trespass in progress here.'' He mimicked an alarm sound. ''Beep! Call it in, right? Blatant disrespect for private property.''

Rafe mumbled in agreement, trying to look casual.

''I'm in violation of all kinds of shit, sir, but these young gentlemen...'' he mocked, eyeing Kelce's bow tie, ''caught me, and they're about to take me away. So that's what you should do, escort me out of here.'' He held his hands up in a mock surrender, allowing the guard to pull him away.

As they dragged JJ toward the door, he flashed a final grin at Rafe and Kelce, shouting, ''All right. Fix that tie, son! You Powerpuff Girls have fun.''

To my surprise Rafe wasn't done. ''Hey, JJ! Saw Mavis tonight. She's beautiful for a Pogue, isn't she?'' He called, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.

My blood went cold, anger and fear tangling up in my chest. I ducked further behind the crowd, feeling the urge to confront Rafe, but I stayed hidden as JJ ripped himself from the guard's grasp and lunged toward Rafe, fury blazing in his eyes.

''I'll kill you,'' he muttered, voice low and trembling with restrained rage, before the security guard managed to hold him back, dragging him toward the exit.

''Hey, safe travels back to the Cut!'' Rafe taunted after him, a smirk plastered across his face.

I slipped out from the crowd, not caring if any of the Kooks saw me. I followed after JJ, watching as he argued with the security guard on the porch.

''Look, man, I can walk myself. I got legs, can't you see that, brother?'' JJ complained.

''I really appreciate what you did back there, but let me walk by myself.'' He wriggled his arm free, nodding toward a guest holding a glass. ''Oh, Mr. Dunleavy, I see you got your drink there. Mind if I...'' Without waiting for a response, JJ grabbed the glass and downed it in one gulp. ''Aah! Whoo!''

He held his arms up theatrically. ''It's okay, everybody! Do not panic! Leave it to the men and women in uniform.'' He shot a wink toward a nearby woman. ''Rose! Lookin' like Lady Liberty herself.''

''Let go of him! You can't just boot him!'' Kie's voice cut through as she was moving toward the guard.

JJ spotted her, and with a mischievous grin, held up his fingers, mouthing ''one, two, three'' to signal a plan. At ''three,'' he shoved the guard back, freeing himself.

''Mandatory power hour at Rixon's, Kie!'' he shouted as the guard grabbed my arm, as I tried to follow after JJ, forcing me to stumble back.

''Yo, not my girl, sir!'' JJ snapped, shoving the guard's hand away from me.

''Workers of the world, unite! Throw off your chains!'' JJ shouted, raising a triumphant fist in the air. The guard looked exasperated, clearly struggling to keep him in check.

Kie and I exchanged a glance. Her face broke into a wide grin, and without another word, we darted forward, grabbing each other's hands as we took off toward the exit.

I spotted her dad, Mark, standing off to the side, watching the whole scene unfold.

''Don't you dare,'' he mumbled under his breath as he watched us run. But it was too late. Kiara didn't even bother to look back at him. 

With Kie by my side and the noise of the party fading behind us, we sprinted down the steps. We ran, laughing breathlessly, back toward the Cut, where Pope, JJ, and John B were waiting for us.

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