ROT WITH ME

ix - crave

CHAPTER NINE

            June wasn't one to sugarcoat. Even if majority of the time she preferred to speak figuratively to overdramatize small situations (just to entertain herself, it was the poet in her, what could she say?) especially with strangers she did not care for.

   If being dishonest and blunt toward crude individuals made her a bad person than so be it. Henry was a fool. He only saw in her what he wanted to see. For once in his life, perhaps, he felt as though he wasn't alone in his mind of pretenses but he was. And so was she.

   When June said they weren't the same. She'd meant it.

    Between her heart and her mind, she was more of a thinker. Nevertheless she acted on emotion rather than what was deemed to be the 'mature' way to handle an ordeal. Craving danger like nicotine.

   Pretending to be sensible would only be her playing yet another character and tricking everyone around her. And you see, June was fed up with, not only her own lies but, everyone's need to fit in that elicited false words in the first place. She was fed up with facades. Fed up with death and of betrayal. Of humanity.

   June was sick of humanity the most.

   Until him.

   Rafe made her feel things she had forgotten the sensation of. He made her want things she could never have. Plucked her up from the bottom of his shoe as if she was a lucky penny when in reality she'd been tails up, not heads, and covered in grime that hid the copper shine.

    The first night at his place wasn't anything special. Although he'd tucked her in and told her to sleep well sweetly. And maybe her heart would not stop beating loudly in her chest when listening to his breaths become more shallow below her and maybe she hadn't gotten enough shut eye considering how active her mind was of not only the embarrassment of sleeping in his bed but also worrying about Alara. And even her mother.

   She felt vulnerable.

   She didn't like to owe people things. To accept help from others. It made her uncomfortable.

    A lanterns murky orange flame shot up then as if snuffed out, vanished, the room coated with utter darkness and stillness for only a mere heartbeat before the clumps of silence released and light flickered back in. Inanimate objects and the moving silhouettes of mortals bickering over a game of strategic skill, reflecting upon the walls with the shadows it cast.

   Kennedy bit down at the end of her cigarette, pushing it to the side with her tongue as she watched from the sidelines with her dark supple eyes. As June sat quietly in the corner, flipping through the mystery novel In the Woods by Tana French.

   Waiting for one of them to make the next move. But Waylon's attention was locked on the collective of chess pieces. The gears in his head turning and turning, his face was so visibly plagued with mental anguish that he didn't let even a single sound past his lips in fear of losing focus. Mary argued in his place.

   'Don't be so tense, Way. It's only a game,' Sohan taunted, gaze dancing with dark amusement. Waylon didn't answer. Kennedy crushed the glowing amber end of her British cigarette into precisely the crux of the ashtray, eyes flicking to the clock. Close to four.

    Rafe laughed from the divan, legs stretched out over the length and width of it. 'Yes, only a game with five hundred pounds on the line.'

    Kennedy scoffed. 'I'm sorry? Are you not the one swimming in money?' She gave him a sharp look.

   He shook his head, not answering the accusation, a smile peeking from his lips.

   June tossed the book aside, grabbing her black wool trench-coat from over the curve of a wooden chair. Shrugging it on as she pulled on leather gloves that covered her fingers wholly. Her eyes briefly cut to Rafe's who shot to his feet quickly. Kennedy followed suit.

   Waylon's eyes lit up. He moved his pawn forward, cornering Joe's King. 'Checkmate.'

   Sohan cursed, Mary chuckled. Waylon leaned over the table with his hand out in a way to demand his justly earned money. His hand was pushed away as he basked in victory.

   But its short lived when he finally lifted his deep stare away from the board. Catching sight of his acquaintances dressed to go outside. His gaze flitted to the clock on the mantel as Rafe struggled to put on one of his boots.

   Waylon inhaled sharply. It was time.

   Another gig at The Jester Brew pub in Brighton. June had tagged along, only recently finding out that Rafe was in a band. An actual band that was listened to by millions. She'd never heard of them but the numbers weren't any less impressive. To be fair, June only logged online for book recommendations. Or to answer text messages.

    Five pairs of feet stepped out into the cramped corridors of Finn Cassidy's aunt's restaurant, one of Rafe's, Kennedy's and Camilla's friends. A secret place they were allowed to lounge in, sometimes they'd even hold conferences in the cozy room.

   Mary turned her head. 'Did Ian text back?'

   Rafe bopped his head. 'He's meeting us there.'

   'And Nicole?' Mary glanced at Kennedy.

   'She's already at the pub,' remarked Kennedy while brushing invisible dust off of her jacket. Ascending up a flight of concrete stairs, dragging her hand along the silver banister of safety as Rafe emerged from behind her along with June then Sohan, Waylon and Mary.

   A reason they had chosen to visit the restaurant was because it was pretty close to the venue. Their instruments and what not were set up earlier in the morning when June hadn't yet woken up since they were performing local. Tickets sold out in a matter of three minutes when posted up on their website.

   June observed the way they interacted with childlike wonder in her eyes. It almost felt like she was walking down the streets of Brighton with a strange family that had abducted her.

    Their laughs shared the same tone. Their steps were almost synced. Except her own. She looked down at her feet, falling behind. A sense of not belonging biting at the back of her head. She was being silly, of course she didn't belong.

    While Rafe and Sohan teased Waylon, Kennedy halted in place. Looking over her shoulder at an expressionless June before grinning and cutting the distance between them. Unexpectedly entwining her arm with June's. Then skipping ahead and hauling her up next to everyone else.

    Kennedy dipped her head slightly, whispering. 'Don't look so nervous. You'll enjoy yourself, I promise. We're pretty good.'

   June smiled. 'I have no doubt about it.'