Little Dove - Rafe Cameron story

5

Valerie

I've been hanging out with Sarah more. She broke up with Topper at midsummer and is with John B now. I haven't been around the pouges since the whole Jj thing. I'm still scared of him. My parents have been beating me more as Leno is at the house less again.

I get up off my floor and change my clothes into what I wear all the time. Baggy leggings, t-shirt, and flannel. That's been my outfits recently cause I don't fit into anything else. Sarah said she would give me her old clothes that don't fit her cause she's been needing to get rid of them but I told her no.

I walk to Sarah's house so I can be around her. I walk in and go to her room. Rafes room is open so that means he's out somewhere. To be fair I didn't see his car either so I can look and see what's hes hiding. I keep walking to Sarah's room.

"Hey Val thought you were coming tomorrow?" I shrug. "Leno gone.." She nods her head and lays down in her bed. "Well I'm seeing John B in a few so you can stay if you want till I get back." I nod my head. We lay down and look at her ceiling. "Anyone you like?" I look over at her. "Ew no." She laughs and turns her head. "Rafe seems to have taken a liking into you Val?.." I look at her confused.

"Ew n-no n-never." She sits up. "I'm for real Val." I shake my head. "N-never." She stares at me. "Come on ever since the bonyard party Rafe has been wanting to be around you." I shrug. "I don't know Sarah..." Her phone goes off and she looks at it. "John B wants me. Bye Val." I wave to her and she walks out. I slowly walk out and walk into Rafes room closing the door a bit.

I look around seeing nothing but guy stuff around. I go into the bathroom and see nothing. I go to his dresser and pull it open and look in it. My hand hits something small. I grab it pulling it out. A razor blade...why. I flip it around and there's dried blood on it....what...is he hurting himself...

"Valerie." I turn around and drop my hand. Rafe standing by the door looking at me. "You don't know how to stay out of business?" I stare at him. "I mean i could say the same about you Rafe." He nods his head and walks up to me. "That's fair." I stare at him. He moves closer to me and places his hand on my face moving my hair back from my face and grips my hair pulling my head back and grabs the blade out of my hand.

"My business is nothing of your business." I look up at him. His hand still holding my head back. "But why? Why do that to yourself?" He lets go and places his hand on my cheek. "I could ask you the same thing little dove." I look down. He's right. Why am I judging him for how he copes with his problems when I'm practically doing the same thing but my scars are on the inside and not outside like his.

I look back at him. "Ca-can I see..." He looks at me in shock. "No." I look at his arm that's holding my cheek. There's blood on the sleeve. I grab his belt loops and push him on the bed and sit on his lap. "Pl-please I wanna see how b-bad it is..." He looks down at his arms and sighs. He moves his arms to his jacket and takes it off slowly revealing his shirt and then takes off his shirt.

There's cuts all along his chest, my eyes go down to his arms and they are all on his arms. I grab one arm and touch it. He winces in pain but watches me. "You don't have to do this Rafe.." I whisper to him. He looks up at my eyes. "You don't have to starve yourself to be pretty...you are no matter what.." I look at him in shock.

"I know the signs." I look down at my lap. He grabs my hands and looks at me. "Sarah had one. When she was younger...I've seen all the signs in you that I saw in her...I was the one who told her to tell your brother when she saw you throwing up before midsummer..." I look at him.

"You made her tell Leno!" He looks at me confused. "She's worried about you...she knows what it did to her and she doesn't wanna lose you like that...cause we almost lost her. She was on the verge of death before she got better and your getting close to that...I've seen the weight loss. It's too much...you get dizzy with just standing up..." I shake my head. "I'm fine. I only need to lose a few more and I'll be better." He looks at me in shock.

"How much is that few more Valerie! When your dead!" I look down. "I ca-can't stop Rafe." He sighs and pulls my head to his chest. "I know Dove...I know." I move my head and hold out my pinky. "We get better for each other. You stop cutting and I stop starving. So we save each other cause we can't do it for ourselves." He looks down at our laps. "Fine." He wraps his pinky and looks at it.

I smile at him and he grabs my waist and flips us around so his on top of me. He lays his head on my chest and goes to sleep hugging me. I wrap my arms around his body and fall asleep holding him. Cause this is what we really need is knowing someone is there for us no matter what....