All The Lies You Tell - MATTHEO RIDDLE

Chapter 23

⚠️ Addiction

          My body aches as I struggle to move my feet up the stone steps. I don't remember there being this many stairs. This day has been a long one. I had another Herbology project due and for some odd reason, I completely forgot about the whole thing. It wasn't until last night after I was already laying in my bed that I had remembered. I was only able to get two hours of sleep and now I am utterly exhausted. It's so unlike me to forget something as big as a project. I don't know why I did. I've just been so distracted lately. I won't let this happen again.

Now that all of my daily classes are over, I can't wait to jump into my bed and sleep until the next morning. Finally, I made it up the never ending staircase. I turn the knob to my room and step inside. I let out a sigh of happiness at the sight of fresh sheets. I practically sprint towards it when suddenly something catches my attention.

Liv is in here. I almost didn't notice her presence. It seems she had the same idea as me. She's slumped down on her bed. Although I assume that she's awake by the fluttering of her eye lids.

"Hey Liv.", I whisper. The fluttering doesn't stop, yet she doesn't reply either.

"Liv?", I ask again.

Still no answer. Now I know she has got to be faking this. Is she trying to trick me? I walk over to the edge of her bed and roughly shake her. Even then she still doesn't move. My heart starts to race as worry builds inside me. Why isn't she waking up?

"Liv!", I shout. I move her body back and forth at a quicker pace.

Finally I see her eyes slowly start to open. I let out a loud breath of relief and slouch backwards onto the bed. She sits up on her elbows and stares at me, squinting one eye.

"What's going on?", she asks groggily.

I put my hand on my chest to try and slow my rapid heartbeat.

"I thought you were dead!", I yell.

"Dead?", she exclaims. "Now why would you think that?"

"Because you weren't moving!"

"I was only sleeping, Hermione. Don't you think you're being a bit excessive?"

"Liv.", I say sternly. "Are you hung over right now?"

She pretends to think. "Maybe a tad bit.", she admits with a giggle.

I'm fuming. "Liv, you have to stop this."

"Stop what?"

"Getting drunk every night! It's not healthy. I almost had a heart attack!"

"My drinking habits are, quite frankly, none of your business."

"Have you been asleep all day? Did you not show up for classes again?"

"You're not one to judge, now are you? I'm not the one who was up all night because they forgot about their project that was due the next day."

"No, you're just the one who was up all night getting drunk just like you have been everyday for the past few weeks."

She huffs at me and stands up. She spins on her heels and gives me a hard glare. "I refuse to sit here and listen to this nonsense. My drinking is not a problem. So what if I like to drink every once in a while? It's not a crime! Just ask you're criminal boyfriend! I'm sure he knows all about what you can and can't go to jail for."

My lips part as my eyes lightly widen. I'm in such disbelief that she would speak to me like this when I'm only trying to help her that I can't even find any words to say. She stands there with the harshest look coating her features. Her arms are crossed and she's just daring me to talk back. She's not herself, I try to remind myself. She's not thinking properly right now. She needs help.