fade away youth// rafe cameron

19-UNDEFINED AND OUT OF MIND

I head back to my house. Rafe is there waiting for me.

I smile at him. "Hi." Rafe looks pissed off. "What's up?"

"What's up?" Rafe asks. "What's up is my girlfriend and her friends just pulled a home invasion."

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"Listen, the guy that you robbed is a bad man, Adeline," Rafe tells me.

"I know, Rafe," I state. "Trust me I know."

"Barry just paid Hunter and I a little visit," Rafe tells me. "He gave me this, okay?" Rafe holds up his arm and I can see a burn on his wrist. "Said it was a little warning."

I grab Rafe's wrist and look at the burn. "Rafe... I'm..."

"Please just listen to me, Addie! Listen to me!" Rafe yells. "You stole from him, all right? What do you think he's gonna do to you?"

I shake my head. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I'd give Barry his money back, like, yesterday," Rafe tells me.

"I don't have it," I tell him.

"Who does?" Rafe asks.

"JJ took it and ran off." I sigh. "I'm sorry you had to get involved in this."

Rafe puts his hands on my upper arms. "Adeline, you need to be careful. If JJ doesn't give Barry the money back, you're all in danger."

I put my head on Rafe's chest. "God how did this summer turn into a shit show so fast?"

Rafe wraps his arms around me. "Please just be careful."

I look up at Rafe. "I promise you I won't be an accessory to any more robberies." Rafe chuckles. "But I do have to go find the robber and get the money back."

Pope, Kie, and I head to John B's house knowing JJ will be there. We park out front and start walking towards the backyard.

"Gotta be done before my scholarship interview in the morning," Pope tells us.

"Okay, well, we gotta focus," I state.

"I know. It's gonna be fine," Pope assures. "We got John B and JJ inside the well, and me and Addie up top. Kie, you and Sarah will be outside transporting."

Kie smiles. "Yeah, we got this."

Walking into the backyard I see a hot tub and someone sitting inside.

"What the hell?" I ask.

"Who the hell is that?" Pope questions.

Lights come one and I see JJ sitting in the hot tub. He pops a bottle of champagne.

"What did you do, JJ?" Pope asks.

"I got a jet going straight in my butt right now," JJ says his speech slurred. "Y'all should get in immediately." JJ holds up a bottle of champagne. "Salud."

"How much did this cost?" I question.

"Uh... Well, with the generator, the petrol, and oh, hey, express delivery..." JJ chuckles. "...pretty much all of it, yeah."

"All of it?" I ask.

JJ nods. "Yeah, all of it."

"You two spent all the money in one day?" Pope asks.

"Yeah, burned a hole right through my pocket," JJ tells him. "But, I mean, like, come on, guys, like, look at this! Finest in jet-based massage therapy, that's what they told me." I shake my head in disgust. "Addie, what? Can't a man have a little luxury in life? Come on, all this scrimpin' and scrapin'..." JJ's voice wavers. "I mean, like... guys, we... You only live once, right? Enough of this emotional shit. Get in the Cat's Ass. Come on."