Being in a group home wasn't ideal for anyone, but for the six teenagers, it was the best they could get out of the crappy system. In other's eyes, it was an odd way to form a friend group bonding over being in the same abusive home. But in their ey...
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TWO YEARS AGO •AGE FOURTEEN•
Walker snatches the large vodka bottle from my hands, chugging a large amount. I take a long drag from my blunt, staring at him lifelessly.
He doesn't stop, only gulping down as much as he can. "Alright buddy," Jack coaxes, lowering the bottle from his lips. Walker burps drunkly.
"C'mon, he's had a hard day, let him have some fun," I say, making little smoke rings.
"Fun isn't drinking yourself to death," Jack snaps, placing the bottle behind him securely.
I glance at Walker, both of his eyes are swollen shut, along with prominent purple hand marks along his neck and a busted lip. Once again Walker had taken a beating for one of us, only this time it was worse, way worse.
The new girl Alea, hadn't learned the rules yet and stupidly made herself dinner with some leftover pasta. Along with that Quinn had dropped a plate when doing the dishes, fueling Robby's anger.
Despite Walker knowing Alea for a day and Quinn dropping the plate had nothing to do with him, he stepped in. We were all in our room, listening to the repeated sounds of flesh hitting the hardwood, over, and over again. It went on for an hour.
I would have gone and helped but the pain medication that Sammy gifted me gave me no motivation to even move, let alone storm into the kitchen and pull a man who weighed triple my weight off one of my best friends.
Walker lays down on the ground, stretching his arms above his head. His shirt rides up revealing purple circular marks that I can only assume were caused by Robby's fists.
"Man," I mutter, "he got you good."
"Tell me bout' it," He responds back, leaning against the railing of the fire escape.
"I have an idea of somewhere to go so the girls don't catch us," I voice. They went on a 'walk' whatever that means.
Walker and Jack look at me confused, before nodding.
•
Thirty minutes later I'm sitting down on old leather couches with a bunch of seniors as annoying pop music plays in the background. I avoid the gaze of Jack who is now making out with a hot blonde on the sofa, and Walker who takes intakes more alcohol.
"I don't do coke, you know this," I grumbled, glaring at Sammy as he did some weird ritual with the white powder on the coffee table. "Well, my supplier got busted so it's either you do this till I can get my hands on whatever shit you like or you don't get high."
"Fine, but only till you get my shit." I sit on the ground next to him. "Kratom, I like Kratom."
"Yeah, I know kid," He mumbles, snorting a line and then motioning me to. I obey doing it quickly.
"Fucking Christ." I rub my nose, glancing at the teen across from me.
"When I was fourteen I was reading Pokémon cards," one of them says, throwing an arm around a quiet redhead.
I shrug. "Been doing it since I was eight." It's not something to be proud of but it's the hard truth, I've been an addict before I even knew what an addict was.
"Yeah yeah, I'm a fuck I know, no need to remind me." I groan, getting off the chair and heading toward my friends.
"C'mon Walker this was a bad idea." I grab his arm and he whines but lets me lead him toward Jack anyway.
I shove the senior of Jack, mentally throwing up looking at the lipstick stains all over Jack's lips as I yank him up.
As I drag them both out of the party one thought lingers in my mind. I'm hitting rock bottom and dragging my friends down with me.
•
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READ THE NEXT CHAPTER IT SHOULD BE OUT RIGHT AFTER THIS ONE! :)
