How To Stay Afloat (BxB)

Chapter 83: Told you so

TW: This chapter contains a lot of violence and triggering content.
It's also a long ass chapter and definitely not christmas-y at all.

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Back inside Caleb and I are on the same side again.

The family dinner is kinda peaceful after that, too. At least for a while. My mom and aunt both drink a few glasses of wine together and soon they're really close again. At least for now.

I guess that's just how siblings are. Competing with each other, fighting, making up.

Caleb and I have our ups and downs. Mainly because I fuck up all the time. But at the end of the day he'd do anything for me and I'd do anything for him. We're brothers.

"Can I also try the wine?" Mike asks as my grandpa pours me a glass.

My parents laugh.

"Definitely not." My aunt says and pours a juice in a wine glass for him instead.

She grabs her own wine glass and sips off it. "We don't want you to end up as an alcoholic or worse, a drug addict." She says and I'm like 90 percent sure she just glanced directly at me.

The question now is does she know about my drug rehab or did she just refer to Jared's death and me smoking weed?

"Are you trying to say something?" Caleb asks her with a sweet smile. He looks exactly like he did when he told our grandfather that he has a boyfriend. Ready to start drama.

She looks over with her eyebrows raised. "Huh?" She asks and then shakes her head dismissively. "Oh, no, no. Just in general." Another short glance in my direction.

She looks at both of her children. "You know what drugs do to you, right?" She asks.

Mike rolls his eyes. "Drugs are illegal and dangerous and they're gonna ruin our lives." He preaches.

God. This is fucking stupid.

Kevin would love to be here. I just know he'd be really fucking excited to hear this. I should give him a call some time.

"Saying that won't keep them away from drugs, you know?" I say with my arms crossed.

It clearly didn't work for me.

"What strategies do you suggest then?" She asks me with her eyebrows raised and a slight smile on her lips.

"Okay. This is enough." My mom steps in. "How did you find out about Sam's drug rehab?" She asks my aunt.

She looks surprised. "Drug rehab?" She questions.

Oh man, mom just accidently busted me.

"Who's in drug rehab? Samuel?" My grandpa asks, looking shocked.

Everyone's looking around the room, at each other with questioning looks.

It's almost hilarious.

Everyone starts asking questions while my mom looks at me overwhelmed and with an apologizing expression.

I lift my hand up. "Guilty." I say, gaining everyone's attention.

"I'm in a drug rehabilitation facility right now." I explain. "Okay, no actually it's a mental hospital, but for drug rehab."

Looks of surprise and disappointment settle on my grandparents. The news seem to come out of the blue for them. Nice. Looks like my parents didn't tell them about anything.

"Surprise?" I say hesitantly.

My dad sighs. "Thanks for the clarification, Sam." He says.

"You take drugs?" My little cousin, Andrea asks.