Toxic: A Rafe Cameron Story

42.

A FEW NIGHTS LATER

I'm loaded.

I can hardly see straight.

Lights are flashing and music is blaring throughout my eardrums, making them ring.

I've lost everybody. All my friends, Rafe. Everyone.

"Hello?" I say but no one seems to know that I'm even here.

I walk outside instead of being crammed in the house. I see a person standing near the trees far from the house.

"Rafe." I say. "Is that you?"

"Yeah." He responds after a few seconds. "Come here."

His voice sounds different, but maybe because I drank too much.

I stagger toward him, he doesn't move a muscle. Getting closer I can see a van next to him. Must be the rover. But he didn't drive it here? Maybe he went home and came back.

"Rafe. Help." I say when I arrive about five feet in front of him. He's wearing all black, I thought he was wearing a red shirt? Maybe he changed when he went home to get the rover.

He remains silent, body still and not so tall as I remember.

"Are you Rafe?"

"Yes." He says. The voice is still different.

I walk a couple feet closer. My vision is blurred and it's hard to pick out the face in the dark.

"Who are you?"

"Rafe."

"No you aren't." I say when I get closer. "That's not your face."

"Yes it is, you're just a little drunk." He says.

"A little?" I laugh. "More like a lot."

"Let's get in the van so I can bring you home."

"Okay." I nod.

He slides open the door and moves out of the way so I can climb in. I don't remember the rover door opening like that before.

"Go ahead." He says. I hesitate before crawling into the vehicle. The door slams loudly behind me, causing me to jump. The front door opens and Rafe climbs in.

"Why are you up there and me back here?" I slur.

"Just get some rest. We will be home soon okay?"

"Okay." I nod. I rest my head on the soft pillow that's underneath me. Beside me is a blanket that I pull over my body.

I close my eyes and try to sleep but the dumps in the road are preventing me from staying still on the pillow.

"Rafe slow down. What's the rush." I groan.

"Just trying to get you home." He says.

"I'm gonna get sick if you keep flying over the bumps. There's no rush." I groan.

"Don't get sick please."

"Well slow down and maybe I won't." I say.

I hear him mumble something else but I can feel myself starting to doze off. I shut my eyes and suddenly I don't care about the bumps anymore.

*** FLASHBACK TO THE PARTY ***

"Rafe people are already staring at me." I say when we get inside.

"You're fine. They will stop soon." He says.

I look down and avoid eye contact with everyone. This is the first party I've been to since Toppers, so of course everybody is going to talk about me.