Seaglass Promises in the Midnight Sky

Snitches Get Stitches

Just as Lorraine was reaching the top of the staircase, Laurel was stepping out of her room and closing the door behind her.

Lorraine was about to turn down the wing that held her and Belly's room when Laurel called out to her.

"Lorraine, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure." Laurel led her back down the stairs and out onto the back porch. It was a sunny day so it was no surprise that the backyard was empty. Belly probably wasn't even in her room at this hour.

"I want to preface this by saying that no one's in trouble." Laurel started, sitting on one of the porch chairs and gesturing for Lorraine to do the same. Lorraine took the seat offered wondering if Laurel had also noticed the change in Belly's attitude.

"We're just worried, alright?" Lorraine nodded in an attempt to show she was listening. Laurel had only talked to her once like this before, a few years ago. She was worried about Taylor and the kinds of influences she was being exposed to. Lorraine promised she was watching out for her.

"Is Conrad doing drugs?" The question came out of nowhere for Lorraine, she could barely even process it. She was sure that no one knew about the weed and she wasn't about to snitch but the idea that Laurel might be talking about harder stuff was shocking.

She was even more surprised that Laurel thought to ask her when she barely even knew Conrad. It seemed like the kind of thing Belly or Jeremiah would know more than her about.

"Not that I know of," Lorraine answered. She couldn't tell if her response helped ease Laurel's worries or not.

"Okay, thank you," Laurel said with a smile, but she still seemed troubled.

"Why are you asking me anyway?" The only thing that made sense was that Laurel was just asking everyone, just in case.

"He would never tell his brother or Steven, he's too protective over them to expose them to any of that stuff." She explained, Lorraine hadn't seen enough of the boys' interactions to know what to make of any of their relationships. But she noticed that Laurel was still leaving out one candidate.

"And Belly?" She prompted.

"Susanna seems to think he would. I'm not so sure."

Not knowing what to say to that, Lorraine headed back inside.

She got interrupted again from her quest to find Belly, this time by Conrad looking as though he just woke up and likely trying to go to his room and get more rest. He mumbled out a good morning and started for the stairs. She almost let him go ahead of her but just as he began the trek, she opened her mouth.

"You should give me your phone number." She realized afterward that there was definitely a better way to word that.

"Damn, Lorraine, you're bold." He joked, a smile lighting up his face.

"Again, fuck you, just give it to me okay?" The smile on his face grew and Lorraine noticed her mistake. After she got his phone number she was going to call a cab and leave the country as fast as she could.

"Don't say it. The next words out of your mouth better be numbers." She warned. He complied, that smug smirk of his never leaving his face.

"Was that all or...?"

"Yes, go away now." She ordered, creating a contact for him with one hand and shooing him with the other. He chuckled to himself as he left, if his back wasn't turned she would have flipped him off.

She made her way to the room she shared with Belly before texting him.

😎Daddy Zucko😎

Laurel thinks you're on drugs

It was less than a minute before he responded.

Fr?

Yeah she literally just asked me if I

knw anything

You didn't tell her about the weed right?

Of course not

But if you are doing coke or something

plz tell me now I've seen that shit go so

bad and I am not getting within ten feet

of a hardcore drug addict again

I am not doing coke

Heroin?

PCP?

Lorraine. I only smoke weed. Calm down.

Alcohol?

That's not a drug

Well... no.

But you need to learn how to share.

Is this why you wanted my number?

Yes

What did you think?

Conrad?

Bitch.

Btw if that's your contact name

for me I'll kill you.

What's mine?

Oh so you are alive

Don't sound so worried

I made your name a crab emoji

You didn't

Prove it

She was feeling triumphant until she heard a door open in the hallway.

No wait

I take it back

Go back to your room