𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞〚𝚙𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 〛

Chapter 1

Delilah sighed, tugging her earphones out of her ears as the screen of her phone turned black. The music that had been gently rocking her to sleep abruptly ended, leaving her awake and grumpy. 

The road from the Bahamas to the Outer Banks was far longer than what she wished it was. The nine hours long ride was most likely one of the reasons why her parents only allowed her to spend her vacation there every few years. 

At 16 years old, Delilah knew lots could change in 4 years. Yet, the simple thought of seeing the friends she had made in her youth filled her with nervous excitement.

"We're nearly here!" chirped her aunt Elise, smiling brightly.

Delilah smiled back, exhaling in relief. 

Her uncle Ross drove silently, but the twinkle in his eyes displayed exactly how happy he was to have her with them. 

Ross and Elise never had children, their niece was the next best thing. 

The endless bridge leading to the island of the Outer Banks was slowly transformed into lush forests and smaller roads. 

She rolled down the window of her aunt and uncle's black truck, closing her eyes in contentment at the familiar salty smell of the sea. She couldn't wait to go fishing! 

When she opened her eyes, the forest had thinned, displaying elaborate mansions and expensive vehicles. Not to forget the yachts parked on long docks in their backyards. 

Elise chatted away with her husband, as if this exhibit of wealth was the most normal thing in the world. Delilah had learned long ago not to show how much that bothered her. Not to forget that barely a few kilometres away, people worked two jobs in order to put food on the table. 

The poor side of town was called The Cut, home of the Pogues, while the rich lived on Figure Eight and were called the Kooks. She'd exploded in laughter the first time she had heard such ridiculousness. There was an ongoing feud between kids of both social classes and she had promised to herself to never take part in any of it. 

Uncle Ross turned into a paved driveway overlooked by a three story tall mansion with a Southern style. As the rumbling of the engine was shut down, Delilah threw open the truck's door, barely taking the time to send a quick text.

"Feels good to be home," she grinned as Elise wrapped her arm around her niece's shoulder.

"I love hearing you say that."

Delilah, her mother and aunt all had dirty blonde hair, a petite body type and the same sharp features, which made it hard to determine whether they were sisters or not. 

The teenager had hers cut short, the ends skimming her shoulders at her every movement. She had been tired of always having to style her hair before leaving her house. 

Ross patted her shoulder, which was quite easy considering their considerable height difference. The dark haired man stood at least a foot taller than both of them.

"You know where your room is," he said, grabbing her bag.

She followed him inside with a bounce to her step. 

In ten minutes, she was settled in a room she had claimed as hers many, many years ago. It took two more to change from her loose travelling clothes before she was out the door, blowing a kiss to her aunt and uncle. 

The petite girl checked her phone, noting that her messages were read. When she lifted her head, she saw a tall boy with the classic blonde hair blue eyes and dressed like a rich kid. 

The boy awkwardly waited, as if trying to make sure that the pretty girl in front of him was his childhood friend. 

Delilah bit her lip to stop herself from smiling broadly before giving up and running towards him, jumping in his arms.

"Rafe!" she squealed as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey, Del," he said, burying his face in her short hair. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, you dolt," she answered, shoving him in the chest. "Did you end up getting that dirt bike you've been talking about for ages?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling. "I'm getting the details fixed, but I'm going to need help with the mechanics."

Delilah smirked, which in Rafe's eyes made her look like a mischievous fairy. "That's what I'm here for."

It was her love of dirt bikes and mechanics that had gotten Rafe's attention the first time they had met and despite their large age difference, they had bonded over the mutual interest. 

A strong gust of wind threw her hair in her eyes and they both looked up at the darkened skies.

The girl frowned, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Hurricane Agatha?"

Rafe shrugged. "They said something about it this morning at the radio."

"Isn't that lovely," she muttered. "On my only vacation."

The boy chuckled, throwing an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, Del. I'll make sure you enjoy your stay."

"You're the best."

He smirked. "I know."

"Deli?" called out a girl's voice.

Delilah turned, expecting the familiar face walking towards her.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," sneered Rafe, tightening his hold on the girl.

She shrugged off his arm, sending him a pointed stare.

He pressed his lips together in a tight line but backed away. "I'll be in the kitchen."

She stared at his retreating form until he disappeared inside her aunt and uncle's mansion.

"Come on, Kie!" she complained. "Please tell me your relationship has gotten better since last time I was here."

The girl with dark curls shook her head. "I don't get why you hang out with that douche bag. He's gotten worse, I swear."

Delilah rubbed her eyes and sighed. "Kie, please. You know I don't want to hear that."

She shot her a small smile. "I know, I know." Kiara opened her arms, welcoming her in a hug. "I'm happy to see you."

The feeling of disappointment at seeing her best friends looking down on each other melted away in Kiara's arms, a reminder that Delilah had been away from the Outer Banks from far too long. 

Kiara was a Kook, just like Rafe was. And yet, Kiara hung out with Pogues, giving her a bad reputation among other Kooks. Which explained the coldness of the air whenever she was around Rafe and his friends. 

Delilah had desperately tried to settle the useless fight between them, to no avail. Rafe was stubborn, and Kiara had no use for someone who hated the poor.

"I can't stay long," admitted Kiara as they pulled apart. "I have to make sure the boys aren't killing themselves by surfing hurricane waves."

"Sounds fun."

Delilah had hung out with the boys a few times, but had never been close to them. Her aunt and uncle preferred that she stayed around Figure Eight. The further form The Cut, the better.

"There's a party tomorrow night at the Boneyard," said Kiara as innocently as possible. "Perhaps you could go for a walk?"

The Boneyard; a beach on the Cut where Delilah and Kie had often spied on older kids' parties. It was strange to realize that they were the older kids now.

The blonde laughed. "Well, I suppose I could." She waved away her friend. "Run off now! You don't want to miss out on all the fun."

Kie rolled her eyes with a smile and with one last promise of seeing each other soon, Delilah walked back to the mansion, looking forward to her aunt's famous lasagna.

A/N Well hello people! Welcome aboard another adventure. 

Thanks for giving this book a chance!

-Aella