ONE FOR THE MONEY - rafe cameron

chapter eighteen

gina and kiara throw on pajamas and head to the living room.

kiara plops on the couch and grabs the remote.

"what genre movie should we watch?"
"i'm thinking horror."
"good idea." she starts clicking around.
"i should make some popcorn."
"yes, that'll literally make the movie."
gina gets up and jogs to the kitchen.

she grabs a bag of popcorn and tosses it in the microwave. as she waits for the popcorn to be done she hears the front door open up.

gina looks back and sees topper.

"hey top!" she smiles at him.
"hi." he says trying to keep his eyes open.
"you tired?"
"yeah that's what's up with me." he mumbles and slowly walks up stairs, almost falling every few steps he takes.

the microwave beeps and gina opens it up, waits for the bag to cool down, then pours the popcorn into the bowl.

she walks back to kiara with the bowl in her hand and sits down, placing it on the table.

"did you really ask if he was tired?"
"yeah, he looked tired. his eyes were all red and he was dragging his feet." kiara laughs.
"gina, he was high." gina scrunches up her face.
"no he wasn't. he was at an important party, they don't get high at those."
"he was definitely drunk too."
"no, he said he was tired."
"no, you said he was tired. he just went along with it."
"oh shit, my cousins drunk and high right now."
her jaw drops.

"what do you think he was doing?" kiara giggles.
"i don't know, maybe weed?"
"definitely bigger. he's got a lot of money."
"i can't see him doing anything farther than weed."
"i can."
"that's cause you didn't grow up with him."
"i grew up knowing him."
"that's different."
"how?"
"you two aren't related."
"okay, so it is different. but he definitely did something bigger than weed."
"should i check up on him?" kiara nods.
"what if he's dead." gina punches her arm.
"don't joke like that."
"sorryyy." the two girls get up and walk upstairs.

topper's door was shut for the most part. there was a small amount of space in between.

gina softly pushes the door open, the two girls see topper face down on his bed.

"what are you doing?" gina asks.
"enjoying life." topper replies.
"while being high and drunk?" kiara jokes.
"shhh." he moves his head up and puts a finger on his lips.
"what happened at that party?" gina crosses her arms and stares at topper, who was barley able to move his body.
"did some business." he mumbles.
"is the party still going on?"
"yeah, rafe drove me home early."
"and didn't come in and say hi?"
"guess not." gina looks and kiara and throws her hands in the air.

"i sense something bad is about to go down."
"you're damn right." gina starts walking away and kiara follows.
"wait!" topper yells.
"what."
"help me take off my shoes." the two girls make eye contact then walk back into topper's room.

"fine." they rip the shoes off then toss a blanket on top of him.
"thanks."
"whatever." gina shuts off the light then they start walking downstairs, then out to gina's car.

they get in the car.
"is there any way i can talk you out of this?"
kiara looks at gina.
"talk me out of what?"
"don't act dumb, you know you're going to find something you won't like."
"than rafe shouldn't have lied."
gina pressed on the gas pedal then drives over to the cameron's house.

kiara and gina walk inside. they see passed out people, people doing drugs, people dancing to music, people drinking and people making out everywhere.

"shit, so he threw a banger without you." kiara looks around.
"i swear if i find him in bed with another girl."
gina runs upstairs.
"wait up!" kiara follows her.

after going through multiple rooms they get to rafe's. gina goes to open the door but it's locked.
she starts banging the door, til it's opened.

not by rafe.

but by another female.

kiara's eyes get wide.
"what do you want?" the lady ask as she smacks her gum. she was wearing booty shorts and a laced bra that was practically useless.
"who the fuck are you?" gina shouts.
"chill out bitch, why are you here?"
"don't tell me to chill out, where's my fucking boyfriend?"
"who's your boyfriend?"
"rafe cameron."
"honey he's not in this room. he's downstairs in some fancy office. you might not like what you see, if you're not into that shit. just warning you."
gina takes a deep breath.
"so you two weren't in here having sex?"
"no, the fuck? i don't even really know him, i heard he had a girlfriend anyways i'm not no homewrecker."
"oh, well thanks anyways."
"no problem, i'm jancey by the way. but go get your mans." she laughs.
"i'm gina, and thanks again. but please don't have sex on his bed, cause you know.. me an hi-"
"you don't gotta explain it, i got you."
gina nods and runs back downstairs and knocks on ward's office door.

another unfamiliar face opens this door.

"who are you?" a guy that was obviously on something asks.
"it doesn't matter, where's rafe?"
gina crosses her arms.
"what do you want him for, little lady?" the guy smirks.
"don't fuck with me, i'm not in the mood."
"damn the girl's got sass." he chuckles.
"you're a douche." gina goes to push past the guy, but he grabs her.
"hey, let go of her!" kiara pushes the guy and a bunch of other men in the office stand up and start to surround the two girls.

one of the other men grab kiara who kicks and screams at them.

"you don't know what you're getting yourselves into, i'll let go if you bitches leave."
the man's words sends shivers down gina's spine.
"gina?" gina hears her name come from a familiar voice, her boyfriend.
"rafe, what the hell is going on?" he looks over and sees kiara.
"what, you're here too?" he squints his eyes.
"barry, james, let go of them."
"alright country club." the man holding gina says.
"barry's your name?" gina asks.
"yeah?"
"well it sucks, and you suck."
"oh you got me there!" he sarcastically makes fun of her.

rafe and kiara walk up to gina.
"you alright?" kiara asks.
"yeah, you?" kiara nods.
"look-" she slaps him.
"what the fuck gina?!" he holds his face.
"what is this rafe? are you a fucking drug dealer?"
"i can explain." he groans.
"please do, tell me why your goons are grabbing me and kiara when we say we're here to see you?"
"i'm doing this for us."
"if you were really doing this for us than these people would atleast know who i am."
"i'm sorry babe."
"no i'm sorry, cause i didn't know what i was getting myself into when i asked your ass out."
gina grabs kiara's hand and starts to walk out.

"no, don't go!" rafe grabs gina's shoulders.
"what do you want?"
"i'm doing this for my family too, i'm getting our money back so we can keep our house."
"there's different ways to do that!"
"you know damn well they aren't as fast."
gina looks at kiara.
"get in the car." she hands kiara her car keys and she walks away. gina looks at rafe again with nothing but disappointment and fear in her eyes.

"please don't look at me like i'm a monster."
"those guys could've hurt kiara and i."
her voice cracks.
"they won't do at all now that they know who you are." he rubs her shoulder.
"please don't leave me." he tears up.
"rafe, i don't think i can deal with this. you got my cousin into this shit too."
"i'm sorry." he connects his forehead with gina's and she breaks down. he holds her face as he separates their foreheads.

"i need you, gina."
"rafe i can't-"
"i'll try my best to not get you into my shit no more."
"really?"
"yeah, just please don't break up with me." he wipers her tears.