The nightshade 5

The beginning

I never really knew what it felt like to belong to a family, but when I met these people, I guess you could say they were the closest thing I ever had to one.

They were my gang, the Nightshade Five. There was Hazel, Aiden, Evelyn, Jadien, and me, Ace. We stuck together, did our thing, and looked out for each other. At least, that's what I thought until I started to notice some things that didn't quite add up.

Aiden, our fearless leader, had been acting a bit off lately. He'd always been the one to have our backs, to make sure we were safe and sound, but now it seemed like he was more focused on himself.

He'd disappear for hours at a time, and when he'd come back, he'd be sweating bullets and his pupils would be the size of quarters. I tried not to think much of it, but it was hard not to wonder what he was doing.

Hazel, Aiden's little sister, had always been the one to keep us grounded. She was the voice of reason when we needed one, but even she seemed a bit distracted these days. She'd catch me looking at Aiden suspiciously and just shake her head, like she knew something I didn't.

Evelyn, our 15-year-old lesbian, was the heart of the group. She'd always been there to lend an ear or offer a shoulder to cry on, but even she seemed to be feeling the weight of something heavy.

Jadien, the only one of us who didn't have parents, had been taking care of Aiden more than usual. He'd cook for him, clean for him, anything to make sure our fearless leader was okay. And then there was me, Ace.

I was the newest member of the gang, the only one who didn't have a family to go home to. I'd been living on the streets since I was ten, when my abusive parents kicked me out for being queer. Basically the same as Evelyn if I think about it.

But with the Nightshade Five, I found a place where I belonged, a place where I could finally be myself.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right, but I didn't want to rock the boat. After all, this was our family, and we stuck together through thick and thin.

But as the days went by and the weight of whatever was going on began to settle heavier on my chest, I knew that I couldn't ignore it anymore. I just hoped that when I finally brought it up, it wouldn't tear us apart.

One evening, as we were all huddled around a fire in an abandoned alley, I mustered up the courage to broach the subject.

"Um, guys," I said, my voice barely audible over the crackling flames, "I've been noticing that Aiden's been acting kinda off-key lately. Like, really off. And Hazel and Evelyn too. Is everything okay?"

There was a moment of silence as they all exchanged glances, and then Hazel sighed heavily. "Look, Ace," she began, "I've been meaning to talk to you about this. Aiden's been dealing with some personal stuff, and he's been hiding it from all of us."

"Like what?" I asked, feeling a knot forming in my stomach.

Hazel hesitated for a moment before continuing. "He's been using drugs," she said quietly. "He's been hooked on this stuff for months now, and it's only getting worse."

My heart sank as I processed this information. I'd known Aiden for as long as I could remember, and the thought of him hurting himself like this made me want to cry.

"But how could he do this to us?" I asked, my voice shaking. "To all of us?" Evelyn placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"It's not your fault, Ace," she said softly. "And it's not any of our faults either. This is something Aiden has to deal with on his own. But we're here for him when he's ready to get help." Jadien nodded in agreement, while Aiden looked away, unable to meet our eyes.

"Yeah," he muttered, "I'm sorry. I should've been stronger. I should've been able to stop." I wished I could tell him it was going to be okay, but I wasn't sure if it was. All I knew was that our family was hurting, and we needed to find a way to heal.

Hazel glanced at Jadien, then back at Aiden. "We can help you," she said gently. "We'll get through this together, just like we always do." Jadien nodded in agreement, his expression a mix of determination and concern. Even though Aiden had been the one to bring us all together, we knew that we couldn't lose him.

Evelyn squeezed my shoulder reassuringly before standing up. "Why don't we all take a walk? Get some fresh air, clear our heads. We can talk about this more once we're away from here." The others nodded, and we all rose to our feet.

As we left the alley and stepped out into the dimly lit street, I couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to change for our little family. But I was determined to be there for Aiden, no matter what.

We walked in silence for a while, the sound of our footsteps echoing off the abandoned buildings. Finally, Hazel spoke up. "So, what do you think we should do?" she asked. "Do we confront him about it now, or do we give him some time to sort things out on his own?"

I glanced at Aiden, then back at Hazel. "I don't know," I said honestly. "But I think we need to be there for him, you know? Let him know that we're here for him, and that we love him. And when he's ready, we can help him get the help he needs." Evelyn nodded in agreement, her expression solemn.

Jadien cleared his throat. "I'll talk to him tomorrow," he said decisively. "We'll find a way to get him clean. We just need to be patient and supportive." I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. We might not know exactly what the future held, but I knew that together, we could face anything.

As we continued walking, our steps began to slow, and we found ourselves drifting apart slightly. Each of us lost in our own thoughts, grappling with the news about Aiden and trying to figure out how best to help him. After several more minutes of silence, Evelyn finally spoke up.

"You know," she said softly, addressing no one in particular, "sometimes when things get really tough, it's easy to forget how much we mean to each other. How much we rely on one another. But even when things are at their worst, we're still here. We still have each other's backs."

Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, there was an unspoken understanding between us all.

Eventually, we reached the end of the block and turned back toward the alley where we had met. As we approached, Aiden looked up and saw us returning. His expression was a mix of relief and shame, and it tore at my heart.

I wanted to tell him that everything was going to be okay, but I knew that the words alone wouldn't be enough.

We walked back over to him, and without a word, formed a circle around him. It was a symbolic gesture, one that meant we were there for him, no matter what. As we stood there, silent and together, I couldn't help but feel a sense of hope begin to creep back in. Maybe, just maybe, we could get through this together.

word count: 1285