Misfits (#2)

52.

Hudson.

It's the middle of the night when we hear crashing. Me, Luca and Ria are awake in the lounge room. Whilst they decided the kitchen was the best place to heatedly make out, I was just trying to play a fucking video game.

Ria's cheeks are flushed but neither of them hesitate before bounding into action too. We rush towards Everest's room. Concern for him hangs over everyone in the apartment, like a palpable thing we're waiting to be triggered.

Luca flings open the door and everything's trashed. The room's fucking chaos. I knew we had to keep a better eye on him. He's like a bomb on the precipice of exploding ever since he left the hospital.

"Ev?" Luca calls out and he turns further into the room. The bathroom door's slightly ajar so Luca pushes it open.

Everything's just as trashed but it's like he's kept a sacred bubble around any of Violet's things. Bottles are broken and toiletries are scattered across the ground that's starting to pool with water from the open shower. But even her toothbrush, her hairbrush, they're perfectly in tact. Right where she left them.

Everest's standing shirtless, scarily still with his head bowed, fingers clutching the edge of the sink. I've officially nicknamed this guy Everest from hell. Because he's literally terrifying. And he's not our Everest anymore.

It's only gotten worse and he's only gotten crueler, shutting us all out in an attempt to deal with the fact Violet's gone. Normally, he would cope by drinking or fucking but he's not doing either.

Ria had told us how the two of them had made a pact to keep him from drinking. None of us really knew how bad Everest had gotten.

He was day drinking at school, smoking joints every morning and partying harder whilst the rest of us passed it off as his usual behaviour, concerned with our own shit. We unknowingly let him drown. For a while, they let me drown too.

Fuck, we're shit at being a family sometimes.

But we tried to be better. We've thrown out any alcohol, not wanting him to regress now that we'd learned of the pact and the effort Everest made.

Taking her away, it's like the last parts of him that had been fighting are gone too.

Luca tentatively approaches him and for the second time, pulls Everest from whatever dark stupor he had fallen into. He snaps him out of it, turns off the shower and guides him back into his room.

"She's at Rockley." His voice is rough, hunched over his knees.

I try to contain the visceral anger I feel towards Dean Delaney and focus on Everest. She's in Massachusetts. A whole world away from each other.

I knew Everest was playing with fire from the very first moment he had started interacting with Violet. She was too closely connected to Dean, to a family who hated him. Everest and Violet, they were fated for disaster and I've always known it. As it went on, I'd never seen him so happy. I'd hoped it could turn out some other way.

Now, they're apart. I don't know if he's gonna be the same.

"We're gonna get her back, Ev. It's okay." Ria tries to console.

Val walks in at the commotion, rubbing at her tired blue eyes. That blonde hair sticks up everywhere, wearing a white tee that says free hugs in big yellow letters. She's looking back at me.

My eyes involuntarily run over the length of her legs. I can't tell her to fuck off right now though so I keep my hard gaze away from her as she hops up onto the bed, sat right by me. Literally. Her legs are crossed, knees touching mine.