𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴-𝘙𝘶𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘸𝘴

twenty nine

"James Simmons...." The old woman's voice was almost annoying, the way she said his name with a tone of annoyance as he sat inside the waiting room. He remembered the odd looks he got the second he walked into the hospital asking to see Maeve. Of course the girl had just gone back to see her mother's body with her older brother, and James had to sit here like a helpless child and wait.

It had been exactly twenty minutes and the woman behind the reception desk called his name. He didn't need to even get up before Maeve walked into the area. He stood up almost out of instinct "Maeve" he kept his tone low in case she didn't wanna speak.

He saw the way she looked slightly out of it as she looked up at him, he saw that same look almost all the time. Those gloomy eyes that were full of sadness and grief, death was a constant feeling in his life. He had gone to so many hospitals, so many funerals. She looked almost small compared to him as he hugged her, he pictured the little girl who would run around with him at the trailer park.

The same one who was trying to escape their shitty parents, no amount of bruises or tears would make the other ask about what happened. They kept silent most of the time, walked around in bliss before they were called off back home. The endless cycle repeated and then James just watched the world around him shift into uncertainty. She sat down, the hospital chairs were uncomfortable but she didn't seem to mind.

James would've sat down beside her but she seemed hellbent on being alone, especially when she looked down at her crossword desperately. He would've made a snarky joke to lighten the mood but he didn't. He felt like he was suffocating as he picked at his fingernails, a habit he developed in the last few months. He would've grabbed a cigarette, but they were inside a hospital and it felt wrong.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sight of Sean, the boy holding onto his bag as he walked towards Maeve "alright well I'm going". James didn't even know the boy was back in town, given his sudden disappearance months ago. Sean was always the type who ran off without any sort of explanation.

James remembered the boy always being around and he remembered the nights they'd sit behind a random ass building and get high. Sean definitely wasn't a good influence but deep down he cared, even if his way of showing it was bad and confusing.

James didn't miss the bloodshot eyes and the twitchy hands, Sean was clearly out of it. The boy looked like a wreak as he weakly waved at Maeve before he made his way outside. James let out a heavy breath as he ran off after the boy, he felt lightheaded just thinking about everything. It hadn't even been a full day of him being sober for a year and James was tempted to get into old habits.

He always knew for a fact Sean was always prepared, his bag reeked of weed half the time. Not to mention his baggy sweater that for some reason always had random shit inside the pockets. James didn't mind the rain, in fact it brought him comfort as he let his hood weakly sit atop his head. "Hey Sean!" he would've smacked himself for being such an idiot but part of him at this point didn't even care anymore.

He smiled weakly as Sean approached him, the boy holding his hood downwards, he hated the rain. "James, I heard about your whole overdose. Appears my mother did the same shit, doesn't surprise me, I mean you survived man, you're a lot smarter that's for sure. Nothing can take you down James".

Sean chuckled slightly as he patted James shoulder "Maeve ain't like me, I see the truth. My mother was always bound to end up like this, I mean shit man, once you experience that first high, you never go back. Life's a big waste of space anyways".

James would have grabbed the bag himself, took whatever was inside but he didn't. "You should take this seriously, you know, Maeve doesn't deserve you acting this way. You'll just end up like your mother if you keep going down this pathway Sean".