fade away youth// rafe cameron

32-There you go, making it hard to stay on track

After everything that's happened Sarah and Rafe are both back at Tannyhill. They need to be with Wheezie and Rose right now. The rest of us are sitting on the dock at the Château. We're all just trying to relax a little.

"He deserved it, right?" JJ asks.

"Are you joking? Of course he deserved it," Kie insists.

"Never seen anyone blow themselves up like that," Pope says.

"Cross that one off the bucket list," JJ remarks.

I hit him. "JJ!"

"Sucks for Sarah and Rafe," JJ states.

Kie sits down next to John B. He's been quiet since everything happened. "Are you okay?"

"It's not me I'm worried about," John B confesses.

I stand up from the couch when I see Rafe walk through the door. I rush towards him and pull him into a hug. He wraps his arms tightly around me.

"I'm sorry," I tell him. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Rafe nods. "My dad left a video."

"Rafe..." I start.

"He said he killed Big John. He murdered Sheriff Peterkin. He shot Gavin Barnstead," Rafe tells me. "He took the fall for Hunter."

"So Hunters out?" I ask.

Rafe nods. "And back at Tannyhill."

"Rafe you can't stay there," I insist. "Not with Hunter there."

"I know," Rafe says as he nods his head, "I know."

"I'm gonna be here for you, Rafe, whatever you need," I tell him. "You can stay as long as you need. Okay?"

The day seems to drag on. We mostly sit around and fish or just sit in silence.

"Hot potato, hot potato, hot potato two!" JJ roses a beer at John B. But he misses and the beer explodes.

"Impressive catch," I tease.

"Oh!" Pope shouts. "Oh! He shoots!"

"I need another one," John B states.

"One, two." JJ tosses the beer and John B catches it.

"Hey," I tease.

"I'll take that," JJ says as he tosses a beer to Pope. "All right."

"What are you guys doing down here?" I ask.

"Having a good cry?" JJ teases.

"Cry?" Pope asks.

"Cry? What are you talking... We don't cry," John B states.

"You know it's not your fault, right?" Kie tells him.

"You think she'll come around?" John B asks.

"Yeah, dude. She's one of us," Kie tells him.

I smile slightly. "She's gotta. Loving Pogues runs in the family."

Rafe wraps his arms around me.

"Hmm. Sarah's a Pogue," John B says. "She'll come around. Yep. You know, she'll come back to me. Right. You know, I was just thinking about it. I'm gonna do a backflip."

"You're lying," Kie insists.

"I won't do it?" John B asks.

"You won't," JJ insists.

"No way," I tease.

"You got any money?" Kie asks.

"Hold my beer that you already dropped," John B tells Pope.