fake baby class. [ chaesoo ]

eight ; am i wrong?

Here is a second part to the last chapter.

*****

March 29th, 2022

"And that was the last time I picked up a bottle."

A round of applause comes from the crowd, Roseanne forces herself to clap along.

She still doesn't know why she's here, she beat her habit years ago. It was just a stupid mistake. She's the youngest in the crowd and she feels their eyes on the back of her head.

It makes her skin crawl.

She was able to avoid impatient care, Polis University agreed to keep her on so long as she attended AA meetings and therapy once a week. Even so, Seojoon kept her out of school for a week, insisting it was to keep an eye on her.

"I don't know what you kids do at school," he said.

Today will be her first day back if this meeting ever ends.

Their councilor takes the podium as the applause dies down.

"We have time for one more story, anyone want to share?"

Roseanne sighs, leaning back in her chair. She checks her phone, one hour till her first class.

"I only have one on my list who hasn't shared yet, would you care to come up?" He says with a friendly smile.

Roseanne sighs, she forces herself to stand and make her way to the podium. Another round of applause comes up and it has Roseanne rolling her eyes.

She stands behind the podium, scanning the crowd debating whether or not she really wants to tell them her story.

"Hi, I'm Roseanne," she says.

The crowd mumbles a greeting back.

"I'm here because I relapsed. I was sober for almost a year." Roseanne says, surprising herself with her admission.

She finds herself wanting to say more, she feels the guilt bubbling up from all those years ago.

*****

August 12th, 2019

Roseanne tips the bottle back, wincing at the burn in the back of her throat as the amber liquid flows down. Her lips pop off the bottle and she wipes at the dribble of bourbon running down her chin.

It's been a week since Roseanne murdered her mom.

It was an accident, but it was her fault. She told her mom she didn't want to drive, she wasn't ready. But she pushed her and looked at what happened.

She's dead, and it's all Roseanne's fault.

She takes another gulp, the liquid unsettling her empty stomach. She drinks and drinks until she reaches the bottom of the bottle. She tosses it across the room, with her growing collection.

There's a knock on the door, Seojoon attempts to peak his head through the door, but Roseanne has blocked the exit with a pile of dirty laundry.

"Roseanne? It's time to go," He says, eyes bloodshot and red.

The guilt tears at her insides. Her father doesn't cry, she's never seen him cry. Not until she was in that hospital bed, with a bandage on her forehead.

The first time she saw her dad cry was when he told her that her mom was dead.

She died on impact, all because Roseanne swerved into the other lane to avoid killing some stupid birds.