Now or Never ⇀ John B Routledge [1]

xxxvi. we're fucked, it's fine

The cycle of life goes like this: Birth, Life, Death, Decay and along the way you pay the government a shit ton of taxes. Those were the five guarantees, but there was always a chance that the life stage could end prematurely.

"This isn't what I meant!"

Those words rang through Ashtyn's head as she stared up the barrel of Rafe Cameron's gun. His hand shook, informing the sixteen year old of how distraught the male actually was, but all she could focus on was the gun's silver exterior shimmering in the afternoon sunlight.

Her former best friend was about to kill her and she was powerless to stop it.

John rushed to Peterkins' side, not caring that the unstable Cameron boy still possessed a loaded weapon. She was the only person on that island, other than the Pogues, who stood up for him and more importantly, she knew the truth about his father's disappearance.

He couldn't let her die.

"R-Rafe." Sarah's jaw dropped, never having expected her older brother to do something so brutal to another human being. Rafe Cameron had his issues, and the sibling duo may have butted heads in recent years, but he was still her brother. "Oh my god...."

Luke tightened his hold, preventing his girlfriend's body from collapsing on the cold pavement below as he too stared at his former friend in shock. "What did you do Rafe?"

"Shut up!" His gun panned over their group, stopping on John B who clutched Peterkins radio in his left hand. "Don't try it, asshole."

Ward jumped to his feet, prepared to dismantle the bomb that was his only son. "Rafe-- John B, give me the radio."

"I-" Rafe stumbled over his words as his father extended a hand toward the long haired island native. John wasn't giving in though and Ashtyn knew it was only a matter of time before the trigger of that gun was pulled again.

The mainlander didn't hesitate leaving her brother's side, keeping her hands high as a sign of surrender when Rafe's shaky hand pointed the gun at her. "Rafe, it's me. You need to calm down."

"Stay back!" The dirty blonde took one step back for every two Ashtyn took forward, wanting to keep his distance from the younger girl. If she got close enough, he'd crumble, and that was her plan. "Ashtyn, I said stay away from me!"

Tears pooled at her waterline, threatening to fall as she watched the remnants of her first love disappear right in front of her eyes. "It's okay Rafe. Everything will be okay." With one final breath, the space between the former friends disappeared and the cool metal of Rafe's gun pressed against her chest, hovering over her thudding heart.

"Stop it!" He tried to back away, but Ashtyn's hands held the Cameron boy in place. "Ashtyn you're not supposed to be here. Get away from me!"

Tears finally fell from the young girl's eyes, a smile appearing on her bruised and battered face at the sight of Rafe's own sliding down his cheeks.