Addiction - Bobby Nash

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Amelia Nash - 18

Amelia Nash was a bright, determined young woman who had always made her father, Bobby, proud. But college life at USC was proving to be more than she could handle. The stress of academics, the pressure to fit in, and the overwhelming fear of failure had driven her to a dark place. Desperate to escape the mounting anxiety, she had turned to drugs and alcohol.

Amelia stared blankly at the textbook in front of her. The words seemed to blur together, refusing to make any sense. She was sitting in the middle of her Intro to Psychology class, but her mind was miles away. The professor's voice droned on, but Amelia couldn't focus.

She looked around the lecture hall, noticing how effortlessly her classmates seemed to follow along, taking notes, and engaging in the discussion. A wave of frustration and inadequacy washed over her. She had always prided herself on her academic achievements, but college was proving to be a different beast entirely.

Finally, the pressure became too much. With a deep breath, she gathered her things and quietly left the classroom, ignoring the curious glances from her peers. Outside, she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes and trying to calm her racing thoughts.

---

Amelia stumbled back to her dorm room, her head pounding. She had tried to go to another class, but the same feeling of overwhelming anxiety had driven her out. Her phone buzzed with a text from May.

May: Hey, where are you? You missed our study group.

Amelia didn't reply. She couldn't face her sister, who seemed to be handling college life effortlessly. Instead, she sank onto her bed, pulling a blanket over her head. The darkness was a small comfort in a world that felt increasingly out of control.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Bobby and Athena were sitting in the living room. Athena was reading a book while Bobby flipped through a photo album, his mind drifting to thoughts of Amelia.

"Do you think she's okay?" Bobby asked, his voice tinged with worry.

Athena looked up, sensing his concern. "She's a strong girl, Bobby. College is tough, but she'll manage."

Bobby nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. His instincts told him that Amelia was in trouble, but he didn't know how to reach her.

---

That evening, she found herself in a dilapidated apartment building in a seedy part of town. She had been introduced to a group of men by a girl she met at a party. These men were dangerous, the kind of people who thrived on others' despair. Amelia knew she shouldn't be there, but the promise of numbing her pain was too tempting.

"Hey, you got the cash?" one of the men, a tall, tattooed guy named Jake, asked her.

Amelia nodded, her hands shaking as she handed over a wad of crumpled bills. "Yeah, here."

Jake smirked, counting the money before handing her a small bag of white powder. "This stuff's strong. Be careful with it."

Amelia nodded, not really listening. She just wanted to escape, to feel nothing for a while. She found a corner of the room and prepared the drugs, her mind racing with a mix of fear and desperation.

"Hey, you okay?" a voice behind her startled her. It was another man from the group, his eyes cold and calculating.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Amelia mumbled, trying to focus on what she was doing.

The man chuckled, shaking his head. "You don't look fine. First time?"

Amelia didn't respond. She didn't want to engage with them more than necessary. She just wanted to get high and forget everything.

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