asylum [rafe cameron]

six

I wake up, stretching my arms out and my accidentally hitting the wooden wall behind me, making me wince. God, this room was tiny.

I climb down, out of the Hawk's Nest and walk my way to work. Since I'm not staying at the chateau anymore or my parents house, I have to work for money.

I talked to Heyward and he offered me a job - even though that would mean I have contact with Pope after what happened.

But Heyward was an unimaginable father figure, after Big John went missing. Big John was also a father figure to both me and JJ, since ours were abusive and absent.

I walk to Heyward's boat - my job was to deliver packages of beer to figure eight. I see Pope and JJ in front of me, Heyward giving them packages.

I didn't know I would see them now.

Heyward was done giving them packages, and they both turned around, seeing me. They looked at each other, as if it wad the last thing they ever thought would happen.

JJ blankly walks past me. Pope opens his mouth to say 'hi' as JJ shoves him for doing so. Heyward notices and signals me to come over so I do.

"Here you go Gia." Heyward says, handing me the boxes.

"Thank you." I say.

"What's going on with y'all?" he asks.

I shrug.

"Oh, c'mon Gia. I know you." he says, disappointed. I would be too.

"We'll be fine. These packages are really heavy, can I go now?" I ask.

"Course." he smiles.

I walk on the pavement, crossing over to enter the golf course. And that's when I see them.

Rafe smashing the boxes out of Pope's hand and punching him with his free fist.

"What the fuck!" I yell, running towards them.

I try to push Rafe out of the fight but he grabs my waist and throws me down on the ground, making my whole body sore.

"Stay out of this!" he yells at me, continuing to beat up Pope.

I didn't know what to do. I had no strength over him. That's when I see Topper on the side, looking fed up.

"We've got the beer for Kelce's party now dude, lets roll." he says.

Kelce's party? That's what this was all for? Maybe, just maybe I could crash it.

I attempt to stand up, stumbling as my body aches in agony, he really threw me to the ground?

Rafe was about to leave as he smashes his gold club next to Pope's face, making him wince.

"Are you insane?" I yell at Rafe.

He turns around, looking at me coldly.

"You're calling me insane?" he laughs hysterically.

My hand soothes my arm, calming me down, reassuring myself that he won't say anything about yesterday. Instead, he just walks off with Topper.

I can't believe I spent ages smoking with the guy. Crying in his arms. And he treats other people like this. I couldn't even think about him right now.

I run towards Pope as soon as they leave, holding his face in my hands and checking where he was hurt. His lips were bleeding and his head looked puffy. My hand touched his stomach, checking for grazes as he groans in pain.

"Shall I get someone?" I ask.

"You don't have a phone Gia." he mumbles.

He tries to stand up, only to cry even more. I hold his arm, as he wraps it around my head and I help him to safely stand up.

I walk him all the way to the boat slowly, my neck now hurting because of all the weight put on it, but I didn't care. I was doing it for my friend.

"Thank you." he says, sitting down inside of the boat with me.

"All good." I smile.

And that's all we said, other than sitting there in peaceful silence for the next few minutes.

Then, I see JJ running towards the boat, shouting happily because of the money he's made.

He obviously didn't want to see me, but I wanted to see him. And anyways, there wasn't a way of him not seeing me now.

He walks in, confused at why I'm here and why me and Pope have miserable looks on our faces.

"What happened?" his eyes furrow.

"Dude?" JJ asks, when we don't answer.

He looks at Pope, seeing a red circle hiding under his hat, as he takes it off for him.

"What happened to your face dude?" he says, his eyes softening.

"Tell me!" he yells at Pope.

He doesn't answer, and I sigh. I felt so bad for him, he doesn't deserve any of this.

"Fuck. Someone tell me! Gia?" he yells even louder.

"Rafe. Rafe happened." I stutter, not even believing my own words.

JJ sighs, his hands going to the back of his head as he paces around the boat.

"They- they always win don't they. Kooks vs Pogues. They win." he says.

"They don't have to." I mumble.

They didn't think of me as a friend right now because of what happened back at the chateau, but I missed them, and had a plan that they wouldn't want to pass on.

"What?" Pope asks, as JJ also turns to me.

"Kelce's party. Thats why they stole the beer and jumped Pope. Let's crash it." I say.

A smirk appears on JJ's face almost immediately. A slight laugh comes out of Pope's mouth.

"You in?" I ask.

"Hell yeah." JJ laughs.

"I don't know-"

"C'mon man. A kook party. Think about all the not cheap, but expensive beer." JJ says, putting an arm on Pope's shoulder.

"Fine."