❝ rule number five: never be seen with a pogue ❞
The war between pogues and kooks continues to rage as a storm of emotion brews between sides, putting loyalties to the ultimate test.
As romance blossoms, treasure hunts unfold, and lives hang in the...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
MATILDA SHOUPE'S MIND RESEMBLED a broken vinyl, endlessly repeating the same tracks of her past, present, and future. It spun relentlessly, 24 hours a day, with a dreadful tune that refused to fade away. Her mind wandered aimlessly, entangled within the labyrinth of her own thoughts. She just wanted one day where she could be herself again, but even that seemed unattainable.
Standing on her balcony, she felt the gentle breeze caressing her damp skin, the thin material of her robe allowing the cool air to easily pass through effortlessly. Water trickled down her back from her dampened hair, and the scent of the ocean filled her senses as she leaned against the balcony railing. Lost in her thoughts, the world around her seemed to fade away.
"Are you trying to give everyone a show or something?" Rafe Cameron's voice shattered her reverie. His words instinctively brought a smile to her lips as she turned to face the two boys sitting on her bed as if it were their own.
Rafe had been her best friend for as long as she could remember. They had met when she was just six years old, Rafe finding a lonely Matilda sitting on a park bench. He had been her only true friend for the longest time. She couldn't even count the number of girls who had befriended her just to get closer to Rafe.
However, their friendship was unconventionally co-dependent, and nobody could seem to penetrate it— until Charlie Hudson. Charlie was the first person who wanted to be her friend, and she wasn't going to just let that go.
Matilda remembered Rafe not being thrilled about the idea of it; it was bad enough sharing her with his sisters— let alone another boy. Rafe gave the boy the cold shoulder for months until Charlie managed to win him over with their shared love for football. Rafe claimed he could tolerate the boy, and that was enough for Matilda.
"I bet creepy Paul would enjoy that," Charlie remarked, sprawled out on his back with a blunt between his fingers.
Matilda made a disgusted noise at the comment, plopping herself down on the edge of the bed. Paul was her elderly neighbour who had a habit of watching everything that went on and eagerly reporting it back to her stepfather.
