𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚜/𝚛𝚊𝚏𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚗

𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚢✫

Blair blandly watched as Rafe's car reversed out of her driveway, her heart still thumping from the awkward car journey home, Barry's face disappearing in the backseat as the range rover sped away as if there was limited time.
The two teenagers spent the morning in the sheriffs department, paying the bail money for barry, who was busted for the possession of a gun; something Blair didn't feel too thrilled about, but she was grateful they released him. The suspect told the whole speech, about how it's for his own protection, that 'this is America' and he could get mugged walking down the street. His words.

The girl took an exhausted sigh whilst debating the welcome she'd receive from her family, her body stood restlessly outside the front door of her house. Blair's eyes scanned the lawn, her eyebrows furrowing at the trimmed grass, the cut hedges.

Her knuckles pressed against the door, the girls body stiffening up by the second at the imagined thought of being face to face with her dad, who she still felt unready to forgive.
"oh! erm, Drew?!" the stranger shouted behind her shoulder after opening the door, revealing the girl who stood with her hands together infront of her, her brown hair straightened and tucked behind both ears, oversized clothing hanging from her tiny body and a dazzled look on her face, noticeable by the way her eyes were disapprovingly scanning this woman up and down.
"you must be Blair?" the woman questioned, a sweet tone behind her squeaky voice, but a swoop of startle tracing along it too.

This woman had shoulder length brown hair, little patches of grey shining through her roots. Her eyes were a generous green, which matched with the blouse she wore tucked into her low waisted jeans, black converse on her feet. She looked in her mid 50's, but Blair thought this woman clearly did everything she could to make herself appear younger. The pink nails, jewellery covering her wrists and her neck, an ounce of blush packed onto her wrinkled cheeks.

"Blair? Blair are you ok?" her dad appeared behind the stranger, the girls eyes moving from the brunette woman of who'm she had studied, and to her father, who had a sparkling gleam in his eye as he visioned his daughter. "yeah, I'm ok" the teenager gave a half assed smile, which disappeared as she stepped into her home and noticed the two adults hands interlacing.
"ohh, I see" she chuckled, her eyes furiously stuck on their touch "this is the replacement" Blair continued whilst staring dead into the eye of the woman, who she now knew, but wished she didn't know, "bit old isn't she?" she laughed again, amused but raging at her dads nerve to bring this woman into her house.
"that's enough" he whispered, careful to not shout at his daughter who he knew just needed time to adjust to their new life. He didn't think shouting and arguing would get them anywhere, that it'd just cause her to run away again, but all he wanted was to hold his daughter in his arms and never let her go.

"how long has this been going on? were you fucking her when mom was still alive?" Blair's words caused a gasp from the two adults, her dads eyes widening as his face oozed apology to his new mistress,
"how dare you say that!" he shouted, his daughters words pushing him over the limit, the short temper on show
"this is a fucking joke" the furious girl muttered, deeply breathing as she prevented the urge to smash every mirror in the house, break anything she could touch "i thought i'd come back here, maybe-" she ran her fingers through her hair, unable to look at this woman "maybe things could've been different and everything would've been ok"
Blair laughed at herself, for thinking these things that now seemed so far out of reach "how stupid am I for thinking you could actually do the right thing, for once?" she directed her words at her father as she gritted her teeth at the sight, and asked herself how he dared to be upset, the tears swimming in his eyes making her even angrier "it's all your fucking fault anyway" she screamed, spitting venom at her father who she despised

"please stop arguing" a voice sounded from the bottom of the stairs, Blair's sister hanging from the banister with droplets running down her cheek. The little girl made Blair's face soften, her muscles which were so tense relaxed at the sight of her, her hair in two braids that she had taught her how to do, but could never get the hang of. "we're not arguing anymore, don't worry about it" the teenager smiled as she opened her arms up, Tasha jumping at the opportunity and running into her big sisters arms as if they'd been separated for years. "I missed you" the girl whispered, clinging onto Blair tightly and resting her small head on her shoulder, "I missed you too pumpkin" Blair replied, closing her eyes as she appreciated the comfort her little sister gave her, but her mind couldn't help but stroll back to the situation with her father

her eyes opened, her grip releasing from Tasha. "where's Jake?" she asked her dad, her eyes bland and emotionless, like her personality shifted in amongst speaking to the two different members of her family.
"he went to the club. He's always there" he sighed, wiping his runny nose with his hand, which Blair quickly realised was free of a wedding ring. That was the last thing that told her she needed to leave.

"I'll be back, ok?" she looked down to her sister, lying through her teeth.
"you promise?" Tash said, not wanting to be alone again.

"I promise"

—————

Her hands searched every compartment and storage space in her car, those hands which were shaking, in need of something to calm her thoughts.
she ripped open the bag that contained the substance that started this whole cycle, but at that point she didn't care what it was, as long as it made the feeling go away.
she sniffed along multiple lines of cocaine as she felt her body ease, the stress melting away from her bones before starting the car, destination in mind.

————-

"Jake" Blair mumbled, pupils wide and body energised, prepared for anything.
Her body paced through the tables and tables of seated people, families of kooks and waitresses dressed in expensive uniform. She approached 4 boys, all with their back to her.

"the keys. they keys to the summerhouse I need them" she said, every movement around her feeling sped up, and her words gave the same effect.
He turned around, his grey jumper drenched in beer that he'd chugged as a dare, half of it spilled onto the bar top. "woah" Jake jumped, turning around in sync with the 3 friends he was with, "where the fuck did you come from" he chuckled, taking another beer from the waitors hand, both of his elbows leant on the bar top as his drunk eyes gazed at her,
"give me the keys" Blair insisted as she held out her hand, feeling too rushed to have even the slightest bit of patience for her brothers arrogance.
"blair what the fuck" rafe sighed, his hand grabbing onto the girls wrist as he pulled her a few metres away from the boys, her body stumbling around as he did so

"you need to stop. listen to me" the boy angrily demanded, earning a scoff from the girl he was talking to, "tell me what to do one more fucking time-"
"or what-huh? you gonna go crying to Sarah? maybe jj? or are they all fed up of you as well?"
"rafe get the fuck out of my way"
"not until you listen to me" his hand still placed a firm grip on her wrist, both of them feeling scorched by the 3 pairs of eyes gazing into them
"I am never going to listen to you. why the fuck would I, rafe? you're a mess. go boss someone else around, some who cares, maybe?" Blair argued, her blood reaching boiling point as the boy stood in her way, and refused to move
"fuck you," his eyes immediately turned dark, "you know what yeah, do what you fucking want" he threw his grip off of her, her body almost tumbling at his power, "Jake give her the keys" he loudly spoke, eyes still enraged and glaring into Blair's

her brother sighed and dived into his pocket, removing the desired key from the loop and handing it to his sister, worried at the state of her, but reassured knowing that at least she'll have a roof over her head, somewhere warm to sleep.