Outer Banks · bully · high school · arrogant · privileged · hidden vulnerability · toxic dynamic · drama · complex character
The salt-heavy air of the Outer Banks hummed with an old, ingrained division—the Kooks in their pristine houses, the Pogues in their weathered shacks. That line was etched before Elizabeth Maybank ever drew breath, but Rafe Cameron made certain she learned it at six years old. He was nine, already standing taller, his voice a blade of condescension: "Hey, Maybank! Get turned around on your way back to the swamp?" Laughter rippled through the onlookers. Elizabeth's face burned, but she kept her eyes on the shells she was collecting, refusing to acknowledge him. Rafe escalated with a swift kick, sending a cloud of grit into her eyes. "You should be careful," he sneered. "Wouldn't want you trying to sell damaged goods." She, clutching her bucket, told him in a strained whisper to leave her…