Crash ~Justin Bieber~

Chapter 23 ~ Spooked

(Randy's POV)

That night after half an hour of travel our horse and carriage finally reached the restaurant at the top of the Sled Dog Race tack. Inside, the staff served up salad and bread while the bartenders brought out hot drinks spiked with rum.

"One before the race boys?"

"Dad," Rachel stared, "You're not supposed to willing offer minors alcohol"

"Hey - there on vacation"

Justin and I both happily took a drink.

"Great Justin," Rachel sighed "You are going to be leading me down an icy slope, drunk"

"That's the least of your problems" Justin teased, "I'm planning on shutting my eyes the entire race. I think its better to let the sled direct itself"

"Justin no!"

"Dustin no!" he mimicked

"We should go tubing tomorrow night"

"Yeah," Justin agreed, "We're finally tall enough to get off the kids track. Are you in Rache?"

Rachel wasn't listening; she was staring at her drink in confusion.

"Rachel drink it, it will warm you up,"

Rachel listened to me and sipped at the edge of the cup.

"It tastes like burning..."

Justin laughed, "They should put that on the bottle"

"Boys" My dad called down the table to us, "You both need to take care of Rachel tomorrow - I have to return home for a short visit,"

"Why do you need to leave?" I asked.

"One of my patients isn't doing so well - I need to check up on him,"

I left it at that. My dad was a great doctor and he left for emergency visits all the time. But Rachel said that this time was different.

"It's Oliver's dad," Rachel said quietly, "He's sick"

I looked to Justin who didn't seem too bothered.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked.

"Cancer," she said simply, "In his throat,"

"Is it - bad?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "No Randy, cancer in the throat is great"

"You know what I mean. How far along is it?"

She didn't know.

"It's bad enough for dad to be flying home, so it's pretty bad"

I had known Oliver for three years. I had hung out with him, schemed with him, fought beside him, but rarely had we ever talked about our personal lives. I wasn't sure how to feel.

"Do you care?" Justin asked me.

Justin clearly didn't so I shook my head, "I feel bad for his dad, but not for Oliver"

Justin seemed content with that answer.

"Justin I have decided that I would like to drive our sled,"

"No"

"I have great directional skills"

"Terrific Rachel. It's so hard to guide a sled when the only option is to go down the mountain"

"See Cody - they can't even get along, we have this won"

We did have this won.

Rachel and Justin's competitiveness towards each other greatly disabled their own sled.