Rock Bottom (Sequel to How it Happened is Irrelevant)

12

A/n: For a little while, POV's will be switching A LOT more than How it Happened is Irrelevant and even earlier in this story. 

I walked around the bus with my eyes closed, feeling around crevices as I did so. In the darkness, my hands ran over the interior of my temporary home. My fingers found something oddly shaped and textured, so I squeezed it. 

"Will you please let go of my nose?" A voice asked. Immediately, I let go and jumped back. "Thank you."

I continued my blind trail onward, patting all around as I went. Eventually, my fingers found the plastic I was looking for. I squinted my eyes as I put the sunglasses on. Even with them though, it was still far too bright for anyone. I sat down and put a hand over my head, feeling the hangover rush all throughout me. 

"Hungover much?" The person who'd been speaking earlier asked. I realized then that it was Craig. 

I held up my middle and index fingers with a small space in between them. "Little bit," I whispered. 

He shook his head as he went through a cabinet. Eventually his fingers landed on a bottle of pills. I honestly thought he was about to give me another lecture, but instead he gave me two of them and a cup of water. 

"What's this?" I asked, taking both items from him. 

"It's aspirin. For the headache," He explained. I gladly swallowed the pills down with the water. He picked up a pair of sunglasses from the counter. "And you can wear these instead. They're polarized."  I took them and put them on. 

"Aren't these Robert's?" I asked, touching the corners. 

"Probably," He shrugged. 

"I would kiss you, but that seems wrong."

"A simple 'thanks' will suffice," He answered.

"Did you sleep?"

"What's that to you?" He started making himself a cup of coffee. I took this as an obvious 'no.' "I'll sleep when you're clean."

"I'm either a junkie or a drunkard, take your pick." I crossed my arms.  

"I pick sober."

"You drink too!"

"Not as much as you."

I took the sunglasses off and pinched the bridge of my nose, breaking. "You're right," I choked the words out. "You're so right." A small sob escaped me. I stood up and left before he could say anything. 

"Did you make TJ cry?!?" Someone asked. 

I shut the door to the bus and was immediately attacked by a swarm of people. "Uh-uh-uh- You guys are here early. Just, uh, gimme a few minutes and I'll be right back," I told the crowd. They parted for me to go while I rubbed my eyes of the water falling from them. 

I ran off to the drugstore, ready. I was so ready. I had an elaborate lie all thought up in my head. I would say I needed a syringe for my kid, and just....just.....just..... find a needle or something. I would use one of those balloon things or some shit like that. I pulled my hair. What am I doing? I'm not going to do something that crazy, am I? I don't care how moronic I am, the issue in it of itself is the drugs. More will only make it worse, not better. 

It would be reassuring to know that I have the tools to make it happen though.....

Craig's POV:

"Did you make TJ cry?!?" Kevin demanded, emerging from the bunk area. The door slammed shut behind TJ as he left. 

"I- I didn't mean to!" I raised my hands defensively. "He's never done that before...." I recalled. 

"You and I know that's not true. He does so break every time we say anything critical to him when he's not drunk. You know that!"

"Why are you so upset about this?" I asked, genuinely confused. He sat down on one of the seats. "What's it to you?"

"I dunno," He said. "It's just hard to ever see you two happy again when things are like this. And when you guys aren't happy, no one else is either."

I ran my fingers through my hair. "What should I do?" I really didn't want an answer. When TJ said he would kiss me, my lips tingled with longing. The empty feeling that would briefly fill me for moments before now plagued me almost constantly. I hated it, but I really did miss being with him. I wasn't wrong when I said it would be worse a month ago, but I didn't think the 'disease' would progress quite so fast. Even through all of this, I know he's a horrible person. 

"I've told you what you should do. You still love him, and you know it." He leaned forward and put both of his hands on his knees. "I'm gonna just cut to the chase here, get the fuck back together with him. I'm sick of this back and forth. I know you think he's bad. I know you don't want to have anything to do with him. The sad truth is, the two of you made each other better."

"But-"

"RONNIE TOLD YOU TO DO IT!!" He shouted at me. "JUST FUCKING LISTEN TO OUR ADVICE FOR ONCE!"

I was taken aback. "I-I-I you're probably right." He stood up and started pushing me off of the bus. 

"Go find him before he kills himself." I practically fell down the stairs. Outside, there was a small group of people waiting for us. 

"Have you guys seen TJ?"  I asked them.

"He was crying. He went that way," One girl told me, pointing in the right direction. 

"Thanks." I ran off to find him. 

When I caught up to where he was, which was just outside of a drugstore with a cigarette between his left middle and index fingers, TJ was pacing back and forth rapidly. He ran his fingers through his hair with his opposite hand, as if internally debating something. I approached him slowly, then grabbed his arm when he was about to take another drag of the cigarette. He looked at me and his eyes hardened. "Have you come to fortify your argument?"

"I've come to apologize." I let his arm go and he took a drag of the cigarette, blowing the smoke into my face after he dropped his arm once more. "And to enjoy the 'essence of TJ.' The horrifying odor of vomit, stale alcohol, and cigarettes really does wonders for you, you know."

He rolled his eyes, starting to walk away from me. "Then I don't really wanna talk to you."

"That's too bad. You live with me. You don't have a choice." I crossed my arms. "But I'm not really here to comment on your health choices."

He stopped and looked back. "You're not?" He took another drag, this time blowing it away from me. "Then why are you here?"

"Last time I tried asking this, I was under the influence. So, I've come here with a sober confession." I made sure my arms weren't crossed, so as to remove any signs of hostility. "I miss you. The more I try to tell myself you're bad for me, the more clearly I remember everything I love about you. And I intentionally put that in the present tense. I really didn't know how much I loved every stupidly 'mundane' thing about you until I couldn't have it anymore. You might have smothered me, but I took it for granted like a fucking idiot."

TJ stood still for a moment, but then he dropped his cigarette, stomped on it to put it out, and cupped my cheek in his hand. "Really?"

"Really."

He kissed me for a moment, lips softer than ever. It was short, no tongues. He let me go and pulled away slowly. He shook his head. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two pills. "I can't give this up. I'll try, but I'll fall. You won't stay if I fall."

"In sickness an in health, right?" I asked, putting my hands on his shoulders and pulling him closer to me. Our foreheads touched. I held him there for a long moment. "I won't let you fall."