Hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter! Definitely leave a review to let me know! I love hearing what everyone thinks. Only Elora James belongs to me, everything else belongs to their rightful owners.

Chapter 2

#$%#%^#

While her brother was at the meeting with the DCS agent assigned to their case, Elora was back on the figure 8 side working. Their father had gone missing at sea just short of a year ago and technically their uncle was now their legal guardian. Not that it really counts since he hasn't checked in on them in over a week. He hasn't even been in the state for three months and apparently that worried people.

It wouldn't have if John B wasn't such a mess. His grades tanked the last few months and he stopped caring about school. He only ever went to work because they needed to keep the lights on. Part of Elora resented him for how he was acting. While she worked her ass off at the country club and picked up shifts here and there at Kiara's family's restaurant, The Wreck, he was just goofing around with the other Pogues and wasting his life away.

Between her and Kiara, they kept the food stocked pretty decently, and with her extra hours she was putting in, the bills were getting paid. JJ chipped in when he could seeing as he had taken a more permanent residence with them over the past few months. The pull out couch basically now had his name written on it. Except, occasionally, when he brought his party trash back with him to the Chateau. On those night, he took one of the bedrooms. Well, her father's old room or John B's. He'd never take hers, and she was grateful for that.

"Hey, Little Pogue, how about that drink?" A voice called out to her.

Her entire body tensed, already knowing who the voice belonged to without having to turn her head. Rafe Cameron had been a thorn in her side since he returned from school. For some reason, he'd set his sights on her this summer and she couldn't understand what she did to deserve this kind of hell.

"Rafe, I already told you not to call me that here. I'm working." She said, exhausted after already being here for five hours.

Her shift was almost over and then she was free to relax the rest of the night with her friends down at the beach. That is, if she doesn't fall asleep where she stands from exhaustion. She'd been working double shifts all week and tonight was finally her short day. The hours were just starting to tire her out.

Rafe and his stupid hair were sitting at one of the outdoor tables with two of his friends, Kelce and Topper, who at least looked just as annoyed with his friend as she was. "Pretty sure I can call you whatever I want. They don't pay you to bitch. They pay you to serve us drinks and food, Little Pogue. So, uh, get to it." He ordered, smirking as he motioned for her to get a move on.

Reframing the urge to roll her eyes, she clenched her jaw shut and turned to head for the bar. The boy standing there was a few years older than her, but he was from the cut like she was. He understood the reason behind her annoyance better than anyone. "They giving you a problem, El?" He asked, his eyes flickering past her to the table of rich assholes she referred to as Kooks.

Giving him a small smile, she wanted to appear as if she was brushing it off. "Nothing I can't handle, and Topper always tips good because he feels bad. Can I have some sodas, Jake? Thanks."

Jake was one of the reasons she was able to make it through work without pulling out her hair, and his laugh made her heart skip. He was a senior just fresh out of high school and would be attending college next fall. He had one of those big cheesy smiles that made a person want to smile with him and he was actually quite nice to look at. His hair was trimmed short, but he occasionally let it grow during the winter months.

He also might just happen to be her boyfriend.

Jake had asked her out at the end of her freshman year when he was a junior and they'd been together ever since. Things hit a rough patch when her father disappeared and sometimes she could still feel that strain when she had to cancel for work, but somehow he was still around and they were happy.

"Here you go. Hey, uh, what are you doing after work tonight?" He asked as he set the three glasses on the tray for her.

Brushing her hair back, she carefully lifted the tray of drinks. "Oh, uh, I think I'm going to meet the guys down at the beach. There's gonna be a bonfire. Are you coming?"

The look that flashed across Jake's face wasn't one she could read, but it was gone so quickly she was sure she imagined it. "Yeah, I could stop by after my shift. I was hoping we could maybe talk about something important."

Before she could question what could be so important, Rafe's voice spoke over hers. "Hey, how long do we have to wait for a few drinks? Come on!"

Rolling her eyes, she sighed heavily and gave him a mock salute. "I'll see you later. We can talk tonight. Bye."

Approaching the table, she went about setting the glasses down in front of the boys. "Sorry for the wait, soda machine was taking a minute. Enjoy, boys. Kathy will be by to take your order in a minute."

Her attempt to leave the table quickly was ruined when Rafe spoke up again. "Maybe it wouldn't have taken so long if you weren't chit chatting with that loser boyfriend of yours. We're ready to order now. You took so long, we had time to figure it out. Hell, we even picked a dessert for later."

Resisting the urge to make some kind of comment because she needed to keep this job, she cleared her throat and nodded as she pulled her notebook free. "Sure. What would you like, Rafe? The usual?" She asked, her eyes scanning the boys faces briefly as she waited to see who spoke first.

Topper beat Rafe to it this time. "Yeah, just our usuals, Elora. Thanks."

Topper was that guy who thought he was god's gift to the world. He was controlling of every girlfriend he'd ever had, but she had a feeling that was more because his parents had control over every other aspect of his life. He thought he was better than everyone from the south side though and could turn every situation to make it a Pogue's fault.

Still, he had his moments he wasn't a complete asshole. Mainly because his friends could and were worse than he was.

Writing down the order she knew pretty well, she repeated it on the off chance she made a mistake, before pocketing the notebook with a fake smile plastered on her face. "I'll put the order in and Kathy's gonna bring it by when it's finished. Have a good night, boys." She said, quickly turning and leaving before they could drag out the interaction any longer.

Glancing at the time, a more genuine smile broke out across her lips. Making quick time of undoing the strings of her apron. She left the order with the cook and bid everyone a good night. If she was quick, she could make it back to the Chateau to freshen up and change before meeting the others down at the beach.

With one last wave to Jake, she was off and out of there.

Freshly washed and changed into one of her sundresses, Elora found her way down to the bonfire. The party was well on its way. Her friends would already be working the different spots around the party. Kiara was mid rant about some official. Pope was off by the fire chatting up some girl. Her brother was mid story with some of his friends from school, and then there was JJ already making his way toward her with a red solo cup in his hand.

"Your beverage, milady." He shouted over the music.

Taking the offered drink, she was quick to take a big sip of it. Cherishing the familiar burn of the liquid as she swallowed, she gave him a quick thanks before looking around. "Is Jake here yet? He said he'd stop by after work." She asked, her eyes scanning the rest of the party goers.

Oblivious to the annoyed expression flashing over her friend's face, she frowned when she came up unsuccessful in her search. Suddenly her hand was taken and she was spun around and pulled against JJ's chest as his arm wrapped around her. "I'm sure he'll show. Relax and have some fun. You wanna dance?" He said into her ear.

Blushing, she nodded as he spun her free from his embrace. She took another sip, finishing the drink as he pulled her toward the dancing teenagers. The music was louder and it felt as if the beat was thumping in her blood stream. Holding her arms up, she swayed to the music dancing happily.

JJ was moving behind her, his hands on her hips as they moved in sync. Turning, she wrapped her arms around him as they danced. Both had big smiles on their faces, laughing as they just enjoyed the moment together. His arm wrapped around her and she found herself being dipped back. Her dark hair fell back and almost touched the sand. A laugh slipped out from her lips, her fingers squeezing his arms on the off chance he lost his balance and dropped her.

When he lifted her back up, they seemed to have moved closer together as their chests pressed against the other. Her cheeks were flushed as she smiled up at him. He reached up and brushed a fallen curl from her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. It was more intimate than she expected, causing her to blush. She was going to just blame it on the beer running through her system.

It wasn't long before a layer over swear covered their skin and Elora was suddenly parched. Her dancing slowed as a new song came on. "I'm gonna get another drink." She shouted.

She wasn't sure if he heard her over the loud music or if he'd just been able to read her lips, but he nodded and motioned for her to lead the way. With her fingers entwined with his own, she led them back toward where the keg was stationed.

Soon the music had quieted enough she could hear herself think again. With a quick thanks to the boy manning the keg, she accepted a new cup and passed a second to JJ. "That was definitely needed. This week has been exhausting and just draining." She said as she walked the beach with him.

"You work too much." He said, sparing her a glance before tossing back his drink.

He wasn't wrong, but he didn't fully understand it either. While he was rarely ever in his own home, at least he had one that wasn't going to be taken away from him. He definitely had his reasons for never being there, but it was still there.

Brushing her hair back, she found an empty spot to sit and adjusted her dress before lowering herself onto a rock. "One of us have to or else we'd be stuck eating moldy bread sandwiches, or worse, John B and I would be taken into foster care and you'd have to go home. We'd lose the Chateau." She said seriously, her eyes lowered to her cup in her hands.

With a heavy sigh, she leaned down and slipped off her shoes and let her toes dig into the sand. Closing her eyes, she smiled at the moment of peace after such a long week.

JJ took the spot beside her placed his hand on her knee, his thumb rubbing comforting circles into her skin. "Hey, that's not all on you, El. If you take on too much, you're gonna run yourself right into the shallow end. I can chip in more. John B can take on some odd jobs. We'll figure it out."

Leaning over, she kissed his cheek. Her lips might have lingered a moment longer than they should have, but it was just an innocent kiss of appreciation between friends. "Thanks, JJ." She said softly as she leaned back.

"Hey, El!"

Startled, they put distance between them and Elora found herself smiling when she saw who'd been calling her. Standing, she immediately left JJ's side and hurried over to her boyfriend. "Jake, you made it!" She called over, laughing when he caught her and spun her around before setting her down on her now bare feet.

She missed the glare between JJ and Jake as she hugged him happily. Taking her by surprised, he cupped her cheek and lowered his head to kiss her. She happily returned the kiss before remembering they had an audience. His hand had lowered to the curve of her spine and suddenly she felt embarrassed. Pushing him gently, she pulled her lips away from his and smiled.

Her smile faltered by the sight of his annoyed expression. "What's wrong?"

His eyes flickered past her toward where JJ was still watching before he returned his gaze to her and gave her a small smile. "Can we go somewhere and talk? Alone."

Confused by the sudden mood change, she nodded and waved goodbye to JJ before letting Jake lead her off. Jake wrapped his arm around her as he led her away from the crowd of people. Silence had fallen over them and Elora wasn't sure if she was imagining the awkwardness of it or not.

Once they were far enough away, Jake's arm was gone from her waist and he had put a good distance between them. Not a good sign, she realized too late. "What's going on, Jake? You've been weird all day." She said, the suspense getting to her. Clearly she'd been hanging out with Pope too much.

Jake leaned against one of the trees and let out a big sigh. Definitely not a good sign. He was quiet for another minute before clearing his throat. "Look, I've been waiting for a good time to have this talk, but with everything with your dad and then your uncle, it just wasn't a good time, but now I'm going off to college. College, El. There's an entire world out there with different people, different girls."

Oh. She knew exactly where this was going now.

"It's been fun with us, but you're three year younger than me. I know it doesn't feel like a lot in the long run, but we're on two different spots in life right now and it wouldn't be fair to you to keep this going. It's only going to end up messy and it's better if we end this now." He went on, rubbing his neck as if this was harder for him to say than it was for her to hear.

Two years of her life and all he had to say was it's been fun. That hurt. Elora felt like her heart had been crushed. "You're breaking up with me?" Her voice was quiet and she hated how broken it sounded.

Jake had been there when her dad went missing, when they wanted to declare him dead, and all he had to say was 'it's been fun'. He'd been her first everything, he meant everything to her, and she'd just been fun for him. Suddenly the beer she'd drank felt sour in her stomach. She felt like she was going to be sick.

"El, don't be like that. You had to know this was coming. Honestly, it should have happened earlier, but like I said, the shit with your dad had just happened and I didn't want to hurt you." He started to say.

He reached forward and attempted to touch her, but she stepped back disgusted and smacked his hand away. "Don't touch me. Are you seriously saying my father dying was an inconvenience for you? Well, I'm sorry you felt like you couldn't break up with me before now, you asshole." She snarled, her anger hitting her as she turned and headed back for the party. She wasn't drunk enough for this mess yet.

Tears stung her eyes as she grabbed another cup full of something she was hoping was stronger than what's in the keg. Tossing it back, she welcomed the burning feeling coursing through her. She wanted to feel numb. The exhaustion and heartbreak were just too much for her right now.

Filling her cup again, she downed that one just as fast. It wasn't long before she could feel the affects hitting her. Looking around, she tried to find one of the Pogues. She needed their company, but of course, this was the moment they were nowhere to be found.

Her legs felt like jello as she tried to walk and her head just felt clouded. She stumbled into someone, holding her head as the earth spun. "Sorry, my b-bad. Have you seen my brother? I-I need John B."

An arm wrapped around her and pressed her against them. It was too hot to be this close to someone and she needed air. "I can take care of you just fine, princess. You wanna dance?" The arm's owner said into her ear. His breath was hot and she squirmed, wanting him to let her go before she was sick.

"No, I-I don't wanna dance. I want John B." She said, trying and failing to push him off her.

The boy twisted her around and started to sway with her, clearly not accepting her refusal. "Aw, come on, princess. Just one dance. It'll be fun. You'll like it."

There was that word again. Fun. She didn't want to just have fun.

She wanted her brother and the other Pogues. She wanted to stop moving and sit. Shoving at his chest, it felt like she was barely trying. Her arms just felt so heavy.

"Get off me." She pleaded.

Suddenly the body heat from the boy was gone and she felt her knees give out. A new arm wrapped around her and kept her on her feet. "Whoa there, El. I've got you. Pope, can you get her other arm?" Kiara called over.

Her friends had found her. Suddenly there was a new presence at her other side and her arm was lifted around their neck. "What about JJ and John B?" Pope asked, concern for their friends clear in his voice.

Elora lifted her gaze, trying to focus on the blurry figures a few feet away. Even through her double vision, she could clearly see JJ wailing on some boy. John B was trying to pull him off, but he didn't seem to be trying too hard. He wanted JJ to kick this guy's ass.

"They'll be fine. We need to get her back to the Chateau. Come on." Kiara said, nodding her head to motion for him to get a move on.

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Hey, El? I'm gonna lift you up. Hold onto me." Pope said before he shifted her around and lifted her up.

Elora giggled as she rested her head against his. "Have you been working out, Pope? Wow."

Kiara rolled her eyes at the sight of Pope blushing. "Oh, she's hammered."

She wasn't sure exactly at what point she fell asleep, but at least she could sleep knowing she was in good hands with her family.