rafe cameron x highschool!gf - aftermath
Rafe had spent the night crashing at Barry’s, ghosting everyone. He did that whenever something happened, didn’t need to say anything and Barry would let him in. He didn’t care. As long as he got Rafe’s money.
“What did Daddy do this time? Cut off the trust fund? Ground you for wrecking another boat?” Barry asked him
Rafe shook his head, wiping his nose. “Nah, surprisingly nothing.”
Barry frowned, leaning back and taking a drag from his cigarette. “Then what’s up? This is the most I’ve seen you do in a while. Something big must’ve happened.”
Rafe hesitated, his hand twitching as he reached for the bottle on the table. He took a long swig before finally muttering, “She’s pregnant.”
Barry froze mid-drag, lowering the cigarette from his lips. “Shit,” he said after a beat, exhaling slowly.
“Yeah,” Rafe said flatly, sinking into the couch.
Barry took another drag, eyeing Rafe carefully. He knew Rafe well enough to recognize when he was spiraling. “Damn.. thought you two were all good—always going on about how perfect she is. What happened?”
Rafe let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair. “We were good. We are good. I don’t know, man. I messed up. Forgot a condom, she’s pregnant, and now my life’s over.”
Barry smirked, flicking ash onto the table. “Well, it’s not like you didn’t see this coming. You’ve been playing with fire for a while now.”
“Yeah, thanks for the wisdom,” Rafe snapped, grabbing the bottle again. “Really helpful.”
Barry held up his hands defensively. “Hey, I’m just saying. Guess the perfect girlfriend isn’t so perfect now, huh?”
Rafe shot him a glare. “Don’t. Don’t even start with that.”
Barry shrugged, watching as Rafe leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his face buried in his hands. “What are you gonna do about it?”
Before Rafe could answer his question, the front door slammed open.
“Rafe!” you yelled, your voice cutting through the haze like a knife.
He blinked, his bloodshot eyes snapping to her. “What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” you repeated, your voice rising. “What the hell are you doing here?!”
Barry chuckled under his breath, clearly amused. “Looks like someone’s in trouble.”
“Shut up, Barry!” you snapped, glaring at him before turning your attention back to Rafe. You didn’t know what was making you so angry, the pregnancy hormones or that you thought Rafe wouldn’t do this to you, “You left me!” you screamed, your voice trembling. “I told you I was pregnant, and you just… walked out like it was nothing!”
Rafe shifted uncomfortably, sitting up slightly. “I needed time to think—”
“To think?!” you interrupted, her hands shaking. “You left me alone all night, Rafe! Do you know how scared I was? How hurt? I thought you’d come back, but no, you’re here getting high like none of this matters!”
“Of course it matters!” Rafe shouted back, his voice defensive. “Do you think this is easy for me?”
Your anger boiled over, and you shoved him in the chest, hard enough to make him stumble back against the couch. “You think it’s easy for me? I’m the one carrying this baby, Rafe! I can’t run away to Barry’s or get high to forget about it. I don’t have that option!”
Your voice broke, and the tears you’d been holding back all night came pouring out. “I needed you, Rafe. I needed you to be there, and you weren’t.”
For a moment, Rafe didn’t say anything, the weight of your words settling over him. He looked away, guilt flashing across his face.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, his voice barely audible.
“Sorry doesn’t fix this,” you said, wiping your tears away. “You can’t just run away when things get hard. You have to grow up.”
He nodded slowly, his expression conflicted. “I…I’ll try.”
You stared at him for a long moment, you made your way back to the door to leave, “I’m going back to my house. I’m gonna tell me parents and see what they want me to do. Text me and let me know if you’re actually gonna step up or if you’d rather stay here with Barry and be a deadbeat.” you slammed the door.
“Well, that went about as bad as I figured it would.”
Rafe didn’t say a word. He was still sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the floor, his hands twitching against his knees.
Barry tilted his head, studying him. “So, what’s the play here, man? You just gonna sit there like a dickhead, or are you actually gonna do something?”
Rafe finally looked up, his eyes red and glassy. “I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do,” he said, his voice raw.
Barry shrugged, flicking ash into a nearby tray. “Pretty sure she spelled it out for you, bro. Step up or don’t. But I gotta say, she doesn’t strike me as the type to wait around forever.”
“Yeah, thanks for the insight,” Rafe snapped, his voice sharp with frustration.
Barry raised his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I’m just being real. I mean, it’s not like she’s asking you to solve world hunger or some shit. She just wants you to act like you care. And judging by the look on her face when she left? You’re running out of chances to prove that, country club.”
Rafe leaned back on the couch, rubbing his temples. “It’s not that simple.”
Barry snorted. “It’s exactly that simple. You either step up, or you don’t. You keep acting like this, and she’ll make the choice for you. And trust me, it won’t end in your favor.”
Rafe glared at him, his jaw tightening. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Barry shrugged again, taking another drag. “Maybe not. But I know one thing—she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to your sorry ass. And if you screw this up, it’s on you. Not her.” Barry shook his head, letting out a low chuckle. “Man, I don’t know how you managed to get a girl like that in the first place, but if I were you, I wouldn’t push my luck.”
Rafe didn’t respond, but the weight of Barry’s words settled heavily on his shoulders.
