Rafe Cameron: The boy next door

Chapter 1: Backstory

The realization really hit me when I woke up this morning. I'm going back to a real school after 2 years of being homeschooled.

Let me take y'all a little back in time. 2 years ago, my mom got diagnosed with cancer. It was a really hard time for me and my dad. My mom went through chemotherapy and a few months later, she was cancer free. Atleast that's what we thought...

Five months later I got called out of school by my dad telling me to get to the hospital. It was my mom. When I got to the hospital, it was confirmed. My mom's cancer was back. When I heard those words, my body sinked through the ground. It was the most shit feeling possible.

Days passed and my mom just got worse. I sat next to her hospital bed every night. I couldn't sleep knowing my mom might not make it. I was so damn tired, but I just couldn't close my eyes at night. At least I started home schooling by then so now I don't have to worry about going to school in the morning.

Three weeks after my mom got diagnosed again, things didn't get any better. I was sitting in her hospital room when suddenly, the monitor started going crazy. Doctors started storming into the room checking her vitals and her breathing. Tears started rolling down my face. In that moment it felt like my heart was gonna explode.

Standing there I just felt almost frozen, but when I heard the monitor flatlining, I felt my lungs closing and my heart dropping. The doctor slowly turned to look at me when he said the most heart tearing words possible.

"She's gone."

Those two words absolutely broke me. I started screaming and crying so hard as if I was the one dying. I couldn't breath. I couldn't speak. Why was this happening? Why me?

A week after my mom passed away, it was her funeral. I didn't want to go. I didn't want to say goodbye so soon, but I had no choice. When me and my dad got back home after the service, he looked at me like he was trying to tell me something.

"Y/n. Can we talk?" he said finally.

"Sure dad. What's wrong?" I said as we both sat down on the couch. He looked at me and then at the ground.

"Dad? Are you ok?" I asked as he looked back up at me with tears filling his eyes.

"We're moving to OBX next month. We're going to live in your grandparents' old house on Figure 8. It was left there for us after your grandparents passed. No one has been in that house for 4 years." My face felt warm and pale when I heard those words.

"What? Why? Mom just died and you're thinking of moving miles away?!" I said when my eyes started watering.

"Y/n it's for the best. I won't be able to live in this house without your mother. Everything in this house is going to remind me of her death. We both need a fresh start."

A month passed and we were finally moved in to the house in OBX. It hurts to think we just left mom like that. All our memories of her are stuck in L.A. Even though we were so far away, it did feel nice to start with a new chapter in my life.

"This house already feels like home dad. We did one amazing job!" I said to my dad when he gave me a cheeky smile and a high five.

"Hold on. Not completely. I know what could make it perfect!" My dad said picking up a picture frame out of the last box. "There. Now it feels like home." He said with a tear rolling off his cheek.

The picture in the frame was a beautiful polaroid of my mom that my dad took of her when they were still dating.

"She was the most gorgeous women in my life. I still can't believe she's really gone." My dad sat down with tears filling his eyes.

"Dad, I know it's hard but we have to stay strong. She's not completely gone." I said before I hugged him.

"What do you mean 'not completely gone'?" My dad said with a confused look in his eyes.

"What I mean is, she's still in our hearts so she's not completely gone."

"Yeah. I guess you're right." My dad said breaking our hug.

"Are you still ok?" I asked.

"I don't know. It's been a really long day and I'm exhausted. I think I'm just gonna go to bed." My dad said when he stood up from his chair almost completely weak and drained from exhaustion.

"Yeah, you do that. I'll clean out these boxes." I said.

"Thanks Y/n. Good night. Love you." My dad said when he kissed my forehead good night.

"Good night dad. Love you too"

"Uh, Y/n. One more thing. Are you gonna be fine taking the bus to school tomorrow? I just want to take the day off."

"Of course dad. Rest as long as you can. I'll take the bus."

"Thanks." My dad smiled at me before walking up to his room.

I could see my dad was really not doing great. It would be good for him to take some time off. He really needed it. I mean, he just lost the love of his life and it broke him completely. He misses her and it's hard on him to wake up without her in his arms. My parents relationship were different than other grown ups. They were like two kids running around on a playground. They were really each other's soulmates.

While I was finishing up with the cleaning, I only had the boxes to throw out. I went outside to put the boxes next to the trash I threw out earlier today and suddenly heard someone screaming. I quickly turned around to see where it came from. I caught sight of my next door neighbours.

It was surprisingly a really attractive guy with greasy curtain bangs and a dreamy body. He was with a girl. She was stunning with her blonde hair waving in the wind. With it being dark outside, I couldn't see much.

I turned around to go back in the house when I heard the boy screaming again.

"Hey! You! Are you new here?" He shouted at me.

Just as I was about to answer to his question, the girl put her hand over his mouth. She looked really embarrassed.

"Rafe! Seriously, shut the fuck up! Can you please just act sober for literally 5 minutes." She said to him. She then turned to look at me. "I'm so sorry. My brother is being such an asshole." She said as she put the boy's arm around her neck and supporting his weight on her.

"It's cool. I guess I'll see y'all around?" I said as she struggled to hold the boy up straight.

"Sure will. Goodnight!" She turned around and walked to the front door and in to the house.

I got back to the house and locked up. I went to my room and threw myself on the bed. I was so damn tired. Though I couldn't go to bed without taking a shower first. After I was done showering I started getting my things ready for school, which was the next day. When I was finally done, I got in bed and almost immediately fell asleep.