𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 - 𝐋.𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧: 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

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Maybe in some delusional way, Stacey thought that she'd be better with Stacey. And she was for a while, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't long enough. 

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"Yo Rue!" Stacey called, knocking on the window to the angsty teen's bedroom. Rue staggered towards the window and opened it. "Hey, what's up?" "Let's go over to the Fez, I'm down again." She whispered. Rue shook her head and let out a heavy sigh. "Shit I can't Stace, I'm on lock down again." 

Stacey rolled her eyes and cursed under her breath. "Dude, please. Come on. Remember I got some shit in the mini-fridge." "Bro, I'm trying to stay clean for Jules. You should do the same for Lex, c'mon she hates it when I get wasted. Does she even know you do drugs?" "Rue..." "Does she know?" "No alright, I just- I don't want to hurt her. You already know how bad I am with feelings, why would I subject her to another person who does drugs." "Why would you keep secrets?" Rue countered before closing the window and walking away from the window.

"Rue! Get your ass back over here!" Stacey yelled, banging on the window. Rue shook her head and left the room leaving her friend stranded outside, left by herself. 

She walked down the alleyway behind Rue's house, kicking small pebbles off the sidewalk. Just thinking. She let her feet gravitate into the regular pattern and direction of "home". Sometimes, she puts her body on autopilot and just lets her mind run free. Thoughts consumed her every mechanic-like movement. 

It was a schedule for her. Living that is. The same routine of waking up, brushing your teeth, brushing her wild hair, throwing on some clothes, and going to school. Walking back to wherever she came from, getting stoned or drunk, then falling asleep. Then restarting the whole thing over. 

However her mind refused to follow the schedule, it moved from one thing to the other faster than a heart attack could kill. School, Lexi, drugs, her future, being a criminal, her parents, if she had a different life, Rue, psych wards. Many things clogged her brain. And the only thing that could pull the plug was drugs. Which is why she found herself on the doorstep to Fez and Ashtray's flat. 

"C'mon Fez, open up." Stacey banged on the door. 

"Al'ight al'ight I'm coming, you ain't gotta do all'at." The teen heard the high school drop out groan from behind the door, before pulling it open.

Fez was the sweetest guy you'd ever meet. But he was also the scariest when it came to the serious crap. "Wassup Stace, what's goin on. I ain't see you here in a minute." Stacey let out a breath and looked around. "Nothing, I uh I got a girl now so that's something." "Oh for real?" "Yeah, I really like her." She said with a soft embarrassed smile. Fez nodded and opened the door wider to let one of his friends in the flat. 

"So what else is up? You been staying clean?" He asked. Stacey shifted. "Nah not really, it's kinda why I'm here, Fez." Then the realization hit. "Shit, Stace, I can't help with that no more. The police came, we flushed that shit. We ain't got nothin' here and if we did I wou'nt help you." "C'mon Fez, we know each other! We're friends, just hook me up!" "Nah, I ain't doing that." 

Fez started nudging Stacey towards the door, signaling to leave. "No, Stacey, I can't do that." "Yes you can! You totally can!" "Nah." "C'mon just a beer!" Fez rolled his eyes and a stream of breath before clicking his tongue and calling out for Ashtray.

"Yo Ash, get me two Heinekens." His voice echoed in the halls. The 5"2 fourteen year old came out from Fez's grandmother's room and trudged into the kitchen, grabbing two cold bottles of hard beer and walking out, handing them to Fez. "Thanks, dude." 

"One for you and for your girl. I'on want you getting wasted by yourself a'ight? Have someone watch you, I'm worried about you bro." Fez ordered. Stacey nodded and put the two bottles in her backpack before hugging Fez goodbye and walking down to Lexi's. 

But she was blinded. Her brain was back on autopilot and her feet naturally walked towards Lexi's place. But her brain was somewhere else. Almost machine-like, Stacey pulled a Heineken out of her bag and cracked off the cap on the edge of the sidewalk before gulping down a huge amount of the beer, almost half the bottle gone. She pounded on the front door to Lexi's house and took another sip.

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Stacey never had a high alcohol tolerance, in fact it was extremely low. That's why drugs were her favorite thing, alcohol was a close second, but it was also something that destroyed her. And that was why Lexi was extremely worried seeing her girlfriend in that fucked up state.

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"Oh my god, babe, get in here!" Lexi whispered hurriedly, pulling Stacey in for a tight hug. "Why are you drinking? Where even were you? And how'd you get-" "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" Stacey said, as she brought her index finger to Lexi's lips. "No questions." She whispered in return. 

Lexi frowned and brought her wasted girlfriend upstairs to her room before her own mother got home. "Stace, why?" "I don't know, I'm tired." Lexi sighed and tucked Stacey into her bed. "No, I don't wanna sleep." Stacey slurred, taking one last drink from her bottle before her caring girlfriend took it away earning a whine. 

"Noooooo..." "Yessssss... baby, you don't need to drink right now. You need to sleep and take a break." Stacey rolled her eyes and pouted, acting like a child. Lexi then rolled her own eyes and went into the bathroom to pour the remaining contents of the green bottle into the sink.

"Lexi?" "Yes?" "Can you hold me? I need you." Stacey yawned.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧
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𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟗𝟖𝟗 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───