𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 ——— pleasing a storm
rafe cameron's image losses ——— 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

✤

          IT WAS STARTING TO GET SUSPICIOUS. And it wasn't because Rafe hadn't spoken for a good ten minutes, because all he could think about was the string bag that had fallen right under my feet just a few minutes ago. Things started to get suspicious because we were driving in total darkness, through some wilderness and in a direction I didn't know.

"Cameron? Where are you actually going?" Rafe took his eyes off the road and looked at me, furrowing his eyebrows. There was a kind of cloudiness to his gaze, which only confirmed my belief that he was in desperate need of filling the void in his sober body. "Ahead?" he replied.

Mhm. Well, yes, that explains a lot.

"And when... you stop somewhere?" Without taking his eyes off me, he replied, "When you tell me where to go"

I couldn't help myself, my hand wandered up on its own, and I slapped my forehead with it. What an imbecile. "Are you making fun of me?"

"And you of me, Lopez?" he finally raised his voice, which frightened me a bit.

"You know what? it doesn't matter" I replied equally irritated, "Just stop somewhere and let's get it over with"

After a while, the car was already at the side of the road, and there was an uncomfortable silence inside. And it was very uncomfortable. I was sure that Cameron was waiting for me to start talking, but I didn't really feel like doing it. Not that I didn't know what to say.

"So?" Cameron finally asked.

"What an idiot you are, Rafe.... You wanted to talk to me, so talk"

"I was curious ... what you actually had planned for yourself," he finally replied, scratching the back of his neck and wandering off somewhere with his eyes.

"Oh, you know..." I took air in my lungs and tried to somehow put a sentence together. I thought like that for a long while, until I finally started playing with my fingers. It wasn't that difficult. I give you money, and you take me to some kook parties. So why couldn't it pass my lips? "You give me cash, and I take you to kook parties"

It was only after a while that my own words echoed in my head. I had another urge to slap my forehead, but I shook off the idea for fear of getting a bruise. Instead, I grunted — perhaps too loudly — and looked in Rafe's direction. "I mean..."

Cameron was staring at the steering wheel with his mischievous grin on his lips. Once again I felt that this was not something I should be doing. "On the contrary," he interrupted me before I had a chance to finish my sentence" I see. And where did you get that kind of money?"

"Well, you know... I earned it, I stole it, they gave it to me themselves..." I started to count on my fingers, but when I saw his eyes on the latter, I quickly added, "But not in the way you think!"

"I wouldn't expect anything different from a pogue" he said under his breath, but I chose to ignore it.

Rafe sat in silence for a while, watching the car that had just passed us. When the car disappeared into the darkness for good, and Cameron gave me a look that was far too strange, he finally spoke. "So... how much is this going to cost me?"

"You? after all, I'm the one paying you" I furrowed my eyebrows, not understanding what he actually meant. "Image loss and things like that, Lopez. If they see me with a pogue, they'll laugh at me"

"I think they do anyway" I replied without thinking, then smiled broadly andlooked at him, "What? Don't tell me you have friends?"

"Want me to drive you home?" he quickly changed the subject.

I bit my lip, again not quite sure what to say. I wasn't going to tell him that my mother had forbidden me to come home at night because she had brought another guest whose name I couldn't even remember. It was none of his business and he didn't need to know about my family problems.

"Actually, I was supposed to spend the night at John B's tonight" I finally replied, "So... you can drive me there"

"I dream about it" he murmured, then started the car.

I hoped Routledge would not ask any questions. I knew he wouldn't have the slightest problem with me spending the night at his house. But what would he say if he saw me with Cameron?

✤

          We were still a good few minutes from John's house, but after thinking about it for a while, I decided it would be better to get there on my own feet. I didn't feel like explaining what I was doing in the same car with Rafe Cameron at such a late hour. Besides... no one needed to know about my plan to get into Figure Eight.

And it's not that I didn't want to tell them, but I was sure they wouldn't understand why I wanted to pay this asshole for a fake relationship. Of course, a small voice somewhere in the back of my head told me that they would find out anyway. All it would take was for one person to touch the domino cube I had built out of my lies, and rumors would spread across the island at the speed of light. I chose to ignore it, though, telling myself that my friends, seeing how good an actress I am around Cameron, would take it a little easier. After all, trying to change my life for the better is not such a big crime, right?

"Actually, you can stop here"

"I didn't know Routledge lived in the middle of nowhere" he replied sarcastically, stopping the car, "And why do you care, Rafey? Think of my image loss. Do you think people in this part of the island want to look at you?"

"Lopez..."

"Yeah, yeah, you don't even have to start" I interrupted him, "You know where to find me once you've decided what to do with our... arrangement" after saying the last word, I bit my lower lip and wondered if Cameron would want to make a decision now.

When I didn't hear a single word in response, I reached for the door handle as slowly as I could. Maybe he was just thinking? I know his drugged brain works much slower, but I would rather know now if I have something to look forward to. I assumed that saying no was not an option at all. After all, despite his wealthy family and status, Cameron had financial problems, and I could help him with that at least a little. But now I wasn't so sure. At first glance, it's clear that this whole arrangement would be exhausting for both of us.... He annoys me just by being, and I probably annoy him by being me - a mere, meaningless pogue.

"Well... bye, Rafey"

Without waiting for an answer, I got out of the car and started walking towards John's house. The urge to turn around was so strong that at one point I accidentally threw my keys on the ground, and when I bent down to pick them up, I glanced at the spot where Cameron's car had just been, but it had already disappeared from my vision.

Without hurrying, I climbed onto the porch and knocked gently on the door. The light was on, but I wasn't sure if John heard me knock. I raised my hand to knock again. The door opened slowly and there was JJ with a bottle of beer in his hand and a look of surprise on his face.

"Ginny! I didn't know you were coming!" Maybank held me in a tight embrace for a long moment, and the smell of alcohol almost immediately entered my nostrils. Patting him on the back, I finally pulled away. "Yeah, me too" I said, stepping deeper into the house, "Hey, Johnny!"

Routledge, seeing me, picked himself up from the floor and also hugged me. However, this time it lasted much shorter, "What's up, Gin?"

"Well, you know..." I sat down in the chair and started playing with my fingers, "Let's just say I have nowhere to sleep tonight"

Sometimes I felt that John was the one who played the role of big brother. He was always there for me in difficult moments, he let me stay with him without saying a word when my mom was going crazy, and even though I was the older one, I didn't feel that way at all.

"You know you can just come and crash on the bed, right?" he joked, handing me a bottle of beer

I was well aware of that. And I was damn grateful.

✤

          This fucking rooster woke me up again. The funniest thing was that each time I promised him — as if he could understand me — that I would take him to Chuck with my own hands, who would later serve him on a plate of French fries. As you can see — I haven't carried out my plan yet, but I will soon! Only John B. can't know about it.

"The princess is already awake?" JJ's slightly tipsy voice coming from my left made me roll my eyes. He was lying right next to me, but his hair was barely visible through the quilt pulled all the way to the top of his head, "Maybank, you still have the strength to make any sounds?" I replied laughing, "How much did you drink last night, huh?"

"Not enough, Ginny, not enough," Maybank threw the bedclothes somewhere behind him and looked at me with buttery eyes, and I knew exactly what that meant, "Where's your joint?"

"I think it's in my pocket.... Or... under the bed?"

I rubbed my eyes lazily before getting out of bed and — obviously to spite Maybank — walked as slowly as I could to the chair where his pants were, but it was only after a long time that I realized something, "Wait a minute..." I turned on my heel in a hurry and looked at him with a furrowed brow, "Did you sleep without your pants next to me?"

JJ pushed the blanket back in response, and my hand, as fast as it could, covered this questionably pleasant view for me.

"Save me those views!"

"Why? aren't they cool? Gin, don't tell me they're not cool!"

God, idiots everywhere. If not that asshole Cameron, then JJ is suddenly even more annoying than usual. What did I do to deserve this?

"So will you give me the joint or should my not—so—cool views go get it themselves?"

Ignoring the blonde for a moment, I pulled out of his pants a blunt and a lighter with a naked brunette on it. I guess I'll have to take it, because it looks pretty cool.

Then I spread out comfortably in my chair and lit up the drug, slowly enjoying the smoke that filled my lungs. This is pretty good stuff, but I don't even feel like asking JJ where he got it.

"All right, I'm gonna go" I handed him the rest of the joint, and he looked at me sourly, "See you later, Maybank"

notes; not my best chapter but... smoking with jj would be pretty cool if you ask me