ɪʟʟɪᴄɪᴛ ᴀꜰꜰᴀɪʀꜱ • ʀᴀꜰᴇ ᴄᴀᴍᴇʀᴏɴ & ᴊᴊ ᴍᴀʏʙᴀɴᴋ

𝕋𝔼ℕ

HOPE DRIVES back to her house once she dropped Rafe back to the Cameron's. She swears today was the first and the last time she's going anywhere all alone with Rafe without Topper around them because he's being such a pain in the ass through the drive back to the deck and to his house.

He keeps bringing up the topic about the Pogues and how she shouldn't try to go any near them no matter what. Telling her some known shits how the Pogues are dirty and would spread some germs at them. Or how they would use her for money and probably robbing her.

Hope keeps saying to him that he's so wrong but he always comes out with another remarks. She's ends up just ignored him and pretending to agree with him. That's the only thing that made him to shut up.

"Where were you going?" Topper suddenly popped out as soon as she entered the house causing her to jump a little.

She mutters some cuss under her breath and calming down when it's only her brother. She throws her keys onto the coffee table before she made her way to the couch and takes a sit on it.

Topper still following her like a guard dog, waiting for Hope to answer his question. He's trying not to be paranoid and overprotective like Hope keeps saying, but he can't help himself from to.

Especially when he went home from his hangout with Sarah nd Hope is nowhere to be found and he can't get a hold from her because there's no signal for him to send any texts or even to make any calls.

"I was retrieved my parcels" Hope finally answers after a while, showing up the packages at him.

"At where?" Topper asked more.

"A hotel near the Cut. Don't worry, Rafe was there with me and I'm not planning to have him around me again" she answered, getting straight to the point because she knows he would brag about it.

"Wait, Rafe was with you?" Topper knitted his brow, surprised at the sudden information he's got

"Yeah" Hope nods "I kinda need someone to go with me since you and Sarah went M.I.A and Rafe is surprisingly kind enough to offer himself" she explains, looking up at her brother from the couch while he's stood up.

Topper remains silent for seconds before he continues "Huh" he muttered, like he's been thinking about something "He--he didn't do anything to you, right?" he curiously asked.

Even with Rafe, he's still paranoid if he ever did anything to Hope. It's not like he didn't believe his friend, but Rafe can be a little out of control sometimes, and even he can't handle the boy. And his sister is a sweetheart.

She trusts people way too easily and always kind to everyone. That's one of the reasons he's trying so hard to keep her safe and out from the danger that waiting for her.

Plus, he knows Rafe is struggling and is under the influence of--well something. He doesn't trust Rafe around Hope where he can get really violence, not without him or anyone he trusts to keep her away from Rafe if he starts to get out of control.

"Do something like what?" Hope questioned him back, giving the boy a look.

"You know what I meant, Hope"

"Like trying to grope me or something? Like you thought those boys would do to me?" She raised her brows while asking him back.

"You're still not answering my questions"

"It's Rafe we're talking about. He's not gonna do that to me" Hope let out a small chuckle, she can't help to find it funny for Topper to think about it even to Rafe "If anything, I'm worry about him might accidently punch me instead of trying to grope me"

"That's still not something that you can take it lightly, Hope. What if he actually punch you?"

Topper knows Rafe might not do any of those to Hope. Whether to grope her or even to punch her, but he just can't help to be wary about it.

Rafe is an unpredictable type of person, he's changing a lot than he used to be, than Hope used to know when they were a little. He was there during every phase in Rafe's life and he knows what is Rafe capable of.

"He's not actually gonna punch me, Topper. You're just being paranoid over it just like you always did" Hope whined a bit when Topper get way into it when she was just being funny.

"Okay, alright, whatever. Just answer my damn question please" Topper quickly said when he had enough with her. He just wanted Hope to give the answer he demanded.

Hope makes a face, mocking the boy but she dropped it when Topper gives her his bitchy reaction. She almost let out a big laughed.

"No, but he was being a pain in my ass because I smile at the Pogues and won't stop babbled at me about how bad they are" Hope complaining, rolling her eyes when she remembered about it.

"Wait, why would you're smiling at the Pogues?" Topper frowned, he also not so fond of her action though he's still relief that Rafe didn't do anything to her.

"Because I can and it just a freaking smile from a long distance. It's not like I jump to join them or something"

"Yeah, don't do that" Topper disagrees, shaking his head a little and Hope just rolls her eyes once again, slumping more on the couch.

Topper smiles a little and slowly lowering himself down and takes a seat next to Hope.

There's a loud yet comfortable silence between them, they just sit there and looking out to the space around them without saying anything to each other. Only the sounds of their breathing can be heard, neither of them trying to mutter a word.

Until Topper got something inside his mind and he thinks he can utter it to her. Hoping that it can make up what he just did to her before about the party thing.

"Hey, how about we find a party tonight and crashed it?" Topper suddenly said and that making Hope to snap her neck at him almost broke it because how fast of her movement.

"Really?" she asked, eyes brightening with excitement.

"Yeah, of course" Topper nods. It's the least he can do to make the amends to his sister after what he did.

"I can go to a party and you're not going to berate me for it? or even how I'm going to dress myself?" She questioned him back, trying to get a confirmation.

"Yes and you can wear whatever you want"

"I can go talk to anyone, even though that person is a boy and you're not going to scare him away?"

"I'm not going to scare them away"

"That's means, you're gonna behave yourself and not going to spoil anything by acting like a kid?"

"Yes, Hope. You can do whatever you want and I'm not going to bother you. Is that what you want to hear?" Topper annoyingly said at the constant questions from her.

Hope let out a small chuckle when she got the annoyed expression from him "Seems like a great deal to me" she said, agreeing with him.

Topper beamed when she finally in before he continues with another terms and conditions for her.

"But we still stick we the deal, okay? You stay away from the Pogues and you scream if anyone trying to make you feel uncomfortable, you heard me?" he reminds her about the deal they made.

Actually, a deal that he made for her and Hope just agreed with it just so she can have a little freedom in her life that she's been wanting since forever.

"Yeah, of course. I can do that" she nodded her head, still beaming with excitement.

"I'm not holding you from drinking but I prefer you don't, because it's hard to keep up with you if you're drunk" he adds up

"That's not gonna be a problem, I don't drink. I'm way into my cokes to trade for any alcohol" Hope adds up and Topper nods, satisfied with her response

"So, deal?" Topper hold out his hand towards her, trying to seal the agreement.

She gives him a big smile, her eyes glancing in between her brother and his hand before shd quickly took it and gives him a firm shake.

"Deal"