Golden Hearts | Rafe Cameron

32

July 1

32

Today, we're going on the annual family trip together with the Cameron family. However, this year, I'm even less in the mood to go away because of how everything turned out yesterday. Rafe hates me. My dad hates me. Sarah and I have just made up, so I don't know if she hates me for leaving her. My brother hates me for dating his best friend, and Rafe's dad and Rose hate me because they think I got him into that fight.

What's the point of life if everyone hates me?

I haven't finished packing yet and I'm sitting on the steps leading to our house, waiting for the rest of my family to get ready. My parents have booked a car that can accommodate 10 people so that we can all travel together. However, I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'd rather avoid the others as much as possible. Especially Rafe.

The Camerons are walking towards us, all cheerful except for Rafe. My mom goes up to them, her voice full of joy. "Hi! Are you ready?"

"We're totally ready!" Rose says happily before hugging my mom. The adults load everyone's bags into the car, but I sit on the steps quietly.

"Adeline! Your bag!" my mom calls out, but when she doesn't get a response, she comes over to me and takes the bag from me. "Please, try to be a little happy. I hate it when everyone's so mad on our trips."

I sigh loudly and get up to walk towards the car. If she only knew.

Ward decides to drive, so my dad sits in the front seat next to him. In the second row, my mom and Rose sit, along with Wheezie and Sarah. That means I have to sit in the back with Nathan and Rafe. What's even worse is that when I get in, I realize I have to sit next to Rafe. I think about complaining but realize it's too late since the car is already moving.

I put my headphones in my ears to avoid the noise from everyone else. I just want to sleep. Just forget about everyone else. Disappear from this world and enter a more fantastic world. A world without problems. A world without a stupid dad. A world without fake love. A world where you get to decide what you want in life.

After a while, I take out my headphones and start listening to the others' conversations instead. Rafe is silent and clearly angry, ignoring Nathan when he tries to talk to him, only responding with small "mhmm" sounds.

"Do you know my secret?" Wheezie asks Sarah. Now everyone else is quiet, and the only voices heard are Wheezie's and Sarah's, even though they think they're whispering.

"No, what?" Sarah whispers back loudly.

"A few weeks ago, I saw Adeline and Rafe kissing," she says, laughing loudly, and I notice my dad glancing back at me, and Rose looks at Wheezie with a questioning look.

Rafe hits the seat in front of him hard, making Rose turn around to face him. "Rafe!"

"I know. Adeline admitted herself that she's in love with Rafe yesterday when we played truth or dare," Sarah says, looking back at me with a teasing look. She said that loudly because she wanted the others, especially Rafe, to hear, but why in front of everyone? I know it's not true. I only said it for the sake of the game.

I feel Rafe's eyes on me, but I avoid his gaze. Nathan's eyes are also on me, but the others seem to try to ignore the conversation because suddenly Ward turns up the music playing from the radio.

"I hate this," I hear Nathan whisper under his breath.

Me too.

But I don't say it out loud.

The journey continues, and eventually, we arrive at a house we're renting for the next few days. It's a nice house right by the beach with a large pool in the backyard. We all pitch in to unload the bags into the house just as it starts to rain.

Once inside the small house, Ward stops to pick up a piece of paper. "To avoid chaos, I've decided how all of you will sleep. Sarah, Wheezie, and Adeline, Nathan and Rafe, Rose and I, and then you two," Ward says and points at my parents.

I'm relieved I don't have to be with Rafe, but it's probably because of everything they've heard lately about us. It's as if they want us to date, but only pretend, and not do things for real. Everything is just so weird right now, and I hate it.

I go into the room where I'll be sleeping with Wheezie and Sarah. It's a cozy room with a bunk bed and a slightly larger bed on the side. I don't know where they want to sleep, so I put my bag on the floor and wait for them to come in after me.

"I claim the top bed!" Wheezie says, climbing up the ladder to the bed. Sarah laughs and takes the bed underneath her, leaving me with the last one.

Sarah notices that I'm a bit quieter and more withdrawn, prompting her to sit next to me on my bed while Wheezie is busy unpacking her things in her bed.

"How are you?" Sarah asks, looking at me with a rather serious expression, as if she knows that Rafe and I have been arguing.

"I'm fine," I say, smiling, but it's hard to fake the smile.

"No, I know it's not good. Tell me, you can talk to me," Sarah says, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I sigh loudly, still unsure if it's best to talk about everything or not. Because I don't want to worry Sarah unnecessarily.

"Addie..."

"Rafe and I argued yesterday," I say, but I don't mention anything about my dad. No one can know about that, even though Rafe kind of knows a bit about it.

Sarah looks at me as if she's not surprised. "You two have had a bit of trouble accepting each other, but you'll work it out, you'll see," says Sarah, giving me a hug. "Do you want to say why you argued?"

"It was because we were with the Pogues," I say, thinking back to the argument we had. It wasn't fun, even though I shouldn't really expect better. We hate each other, that's the truth we can't forget.

"It's good that we're away on vacation now so you can focus on other things. Trust me, you'll solve the problems," Sarah says, smiling. "Boys can be difficult sometimes."

"Boys are really weird," Wheezie says from her bed.

"Cut it out, Wheezie," Sarah says, laughing.