𝑇𝑊𝐼𝑁 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸 𝑀𝐴𝑇𝑅𝐸𝑆𝑆 / 𝐽.𝐵.𝑅

WHAT HAPPENED

Alex was buzzing, her head high in the clouds-no, higher than the clouds, higher than anything. Every sensation felt dulled and amplified at the same time, like she was floating through life but also hyper-aware of everything around her. She'd smoked more than usual, and now her mind was swimming in a haze, but it didn't bother her. In fact, she loved it.

As she wandered aimlessly down the road, her thoughts bouncing between random topics, she heard a voice behind her that immediately made her spine stiffen.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the infamous Alex Borden."

Rafe. Of course, it had to be him.

She turned around slowly, eyes narrowing as she took in his smug expression. He looked like he always did-entitled, arrogant, the world at his feet just because his daddy was loaded. Alex didn't have time for his crap, not today.

"What do you want, Rafe?" she asked, her voice sluggish from the weed but still laced with irritation.

Rafe chuckled, stepping closer, his eyes gleaming with a sick kind of pleasure. "Just wanted to see how you've been, you know? Since you've been hanging out with those Pogues. I bet they've been rubbing off on you, huh? You're practically one of them now-nothing but trash."

Alex's fists clenched automatically at her sides, her knuckles white from the tension. But she kept her cool, or at least tried to. She wasn't in the mood for a fight, but Rafe was pushing all the right buttons.

"Shut up, Rafe," she muttered, turning to walk away. "I don't have time for your crap."

But he followed her, his voice dripping with mockery. "What, no witty comeback? I thought the great Alex Borden was smarter than that. Guess you're just like them. All bark, no bite."

That was it. The straw that broke the camel's back.

Before Alex even realized what she was doing, she spun around and swung. Her fist connected with Rafe's jaw with a sickening crack, sending him stumbling backward. The pain in her knuckles barely registered as she stepped forward, punching him again. And again.

Rafe tried to fight back, but Alex was too far gone, too full of rage, too high to care. She unleashed all her pent-up anger on him, every punch fueled by the months of frustration, the heartache, the endless spiraling thoughts. She didn't stop until he was on the ground, groaning in pain, his face bloodied and bruised.

Breathing heavily, Alex stood over him, her bloody fists still clenched, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She looked down at him, the reality of what she'd just done starting to sink in. But instead of feeling regret, she laughed. A wild, manic laugh that echoed in the quiet street.

"That's what you get, Rafe," she muttered, wiping the blood from her knuckles on her jeans. "Don't mess with me again."

Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving Rafe lying there on the pavement. Her knuckles throbbed with every step, but the high still clouded her mind, numbing the pain. She needed to clear her head, and there was only one place she could think to go.

The Wreck.

By the time she arrived at Kiara's family's restaurant, the sun was beginning to set, casting an orange glow over the water. Alex pushed open the door, her knuckles still raw and bloody, but she didn't care. She strolled in like nothing had happened, her high keeping her in a weird state of euphoria.

The Pogues were all sitting at their usual table, laughing and talking, but when they saw her, the conversation immediately died. John B was the first to notice her hands.