Pretty When You Cry ୨୧ Rafe Cameron

thirty nine

The text came at 11:50 in the fucking night. 'Happy birthday, sister'.

She replied. 'Are we gonna be ok?'.

Then he was at Rafe's doorstep with balloons. "Isla, come down!" Rafe yelled, happy at the idea of his girlfriend reconciling with her brother. He knew how much pain she was in. Of course she would be, he was her twin brother and he'd completely iced her out. He figured he needed a little warning though.

"Listen, Routledge. If you hurt her again, I don't care if you're her brother. I will kill you," Rafe cautioned him.

"Nothing you haven't done before," John B joked, laughing awkwardly. "Too soon?"

"A bit," Rafe said unamused. He stepped away and went into the other room at the sound of footsteps.

Isla came down the stairs and her eyes welled with tears, but she faked nonchalantness. "Well then," she said. "Are you gonna say sorry?"

"Of course I'm fucking sorry, Isla. I was— I've been a doofus. I know that everyone handles their shit in different ways now. I just didn't understand, and— and losing Dad, it was... really hard on me, Isla. Really fucking hard."

"I know. I understand that we saw two very different versions of the man," she sighed.

"But I can't lose you. You're the only family I have left, Iz. You're important to me."

Isla wrapped her arms around her twin, feeling the relief of touching his familiar frame. She cried into his shoulder. Despite her problems, she adored her brother. He had been her best friend for a long time before anyone else came along.

"I brought the whole crew," John B pulled away, laughing as he wiped a single tear off his cheek. Isla looked over his shoulder to see Kiara, JJ, and Pope.

"Boo!" a voice behind her yelled, touching her shoulders. It was Sarah coming out of the house. They both laughed. "I know you've been basically living with me, but god I miss talking to you." She hugged Isla tightly.

Kiara joined the hug. "Damn right. Us girls gotta stick together around these dickheads," she joked. Isla genuinely laughed.

"Happy birthday, Isla," Pope smiled, walking up to her. She let go of the girls and hugged Pope.

"I missed you too you nerd," she said.

When that hug was over, she was left with just JJ to greet. Only that was... complicated, giving their most recent interaction.

"Hey, jackass." Isla waved at him.

"Hey, Princess. You've been living it up in Figure 8, huh?" JJ said. Isla loved JJ's unserious personality. Sure, she was well aware that he used humour to cope in hard situations, but it worked for everyone.

"Oh yeah, I'm a Kook now. Forgot to tell you guys," Isla taunted.

"Bitch, no the hell you are not. P4L, Iz," Kiara laughed, nudging her playfully.

"Of course, I'm always gonna be a Pogue," Isla relented with an eye roll.

"Oh yeah, even in those designer pjs?" Pope teased. She was indeed wearing designer pajamas. Pink silk ones with little Dior logos all over them. One of many pleasantries from being with a Cameron.

"Oh shush," Isla chuckled.

"It's true, sister. You're looking very spoiled right now," John B joked.