How To Stay Afloat (BxB)

Chapter 7: Brothers

"Is that a pregnancy test?" Carla asks me, gasping when she takes a look at it.

"What? No!" I yell, almost finding it funny. "It's a drug test." I say. "How the fuck does that look like a pregnancy test."

"Oh." She mouths and bends over to look at it closely. "Five babies?" She asks jokingly, looking at the five test stripes.

"Don't tell me they all show positive." She says and I roll my eyes.

"Only one is. The second one." I explain.

She inspects it a little longer and then gasps. "Oh fuck. Did you take the test?" She asks me and I nod.

"But the result wasn't clear at first. My parents think it's negative." I say. "At least I hope so."

"Oh, that's lucky." She says, smiling and then she furrows her brows. "Why did you take it anyways?"

I sigh loudly and let my back hit the mattress. "Where do I start?"

Carla rolls over so she's on her stomach next to me, her elbows lifting her up. "Can we turn on some music?" She asks me and I hand her my unlocked phone. She searches for some music and then turns on something relaxing on my stereo. I take the time to think about how to start. She turns back to me, waiting for me to start my story.

She looks pretty concerned for some reason. Like, even more than before.

"I had this friend group. We used to smoke weed together occasionally. We hung out almost everyday. Kevin, Jared and Danny. I've known Kevin my whole life, Jared joined our group later and Danny just hung out with us at school mainly." I start and Carla nods, showing me she is listening.

"Jared was the one who got the weed. But he started taking other stuff, too. At the end of the last school year he died of an overdose." I explain and look over at her. She reaches over and takes my hand, squeezing it lightly.

"That must have been hard." She says.

"My parents were convinced that I would end up like him, so they made sure I don't hang out with Kevin anymore and decided to move here a year earlier than planned. Today I was kinda freaking out at them, blaming them for lots of stuff so my dad forced me to do this drug test." I explain.

She rubs circles on my hand with her thumb.

"Why did you freak out afterwards?" She asks me.

"I don't really know. I think the whole situation, fearing it would be positive." I explain and then groan. "It was just so awful."

"Sam. I'm so sorry. It's my fault you smoked. Oh god if you had told me I would have never suggested trying it out." She starts babbling.

"Carla." I say, interrupting her. "It's fine, I smoked a few days before that as well."

"Oh." She says, falling silent.

"So." She sits up on the bed. "What was going on with you when I called you?"

"I don't know. I couldn't breathe and it was like I couldn't think straight." I explain, trying not to remember how it felt.

"Has this happened before?" Carla asks.

I shake my head no.

"I think it was some kind of anxiety attack." She explains. "I've had those, too."

"You did?" I sit up a bit, resting on my elbow.

"Yes. I got those regularly. But it hasn't happened since I came back from my trip to sweden." She smiles. "I know how awful it can be. There are a few tricks I learned that can help."