ALWAYS || RAFE CAMERON

7

BACK TO JUNO'S POV

i took a long drag off the blunt i'd found as a leafed through the rest of the photos.

i was smiling at one of me, Rafe had taken it while i was unprepared, and i was scowling, my hand up trying to cover the camera.

"how is it that you always find the shit i try to hide?" he asked.

he was angry, but not at me.

"we're basically the same person. think of better hiding spots."

he sat on the floor next to me.

"what did Ward have to say?"

"he's pretty damn pissed. says i can go live on the cut." he snorted, getting up.

"where are we going?"

"Barry's,"

i rolled my eyes but followed him downstairs and outside to his new bike.

he handed me his spare helmet and i shoved it on my head.

hat hair was better than a broken skull.

i climbed on the bike behind Rafe as he started it.

my arms snaked tight round his waist, no way was i falling off.

we rode across Figure Eight, and i watched the houses get smaller and more decrepit as we neared the Cut.

half the houses were no more than shacks, a quarter of the size of my closet.

we reached Barry's trailer.

"you staying out here?" Rafe asked.

i nodded.

i got up and leaned on the seat, watching the crack heads stumble about, in a world of their own.

Rafe reappeared a while later, followed by Barry.

"he's taking the bike as collateral." Rafe called.

i pushed off the bike, crossing my arms.
"you've got to be joking."

"'fraid not, queen kook." Barry chuckled.

i looked him up and down distastefully.

he merely reached around me for the two helmets, chucking them at Rafe and me.

"you got three days, Cameron. three days." with that, Barry Rat threw his leg over the seat, started the bike and drove off, leaving us in a cloud of dirt.

i sighed, "i'll call Top."

Topper drove us to my house, talking non-stop about a party he was taking Sarah to that night.

"you two coming?" he asked, focused on the road.

"we'll see." was all i said.

once we were back in my room, i turned to Rafe.

"you gotta stop." i stated.

"stop what?"

"doing drugs! haven't you seen the addicts wandering about at Barry's? that's what you're going to turn into, Rafe! giving him your brand new bike as collateral! you know you're never going to get it back, right?!" i yelled, glad my room was soundproof.

"i don't give a shit, Juno!"

"i'm not going to stand by and watch you tear your life apart!"

"nobody's stopping you from leaving." he took out a little bag of coke.

"it's my house." i snarled.

he looked up at me and sighed.

"sorry," he said flatly.