Addict.

29

Whenever the door leading to his father's room was closed, it was a sign not to disturb his father until the door opened. Chester turned back towards his room. On the way there, Chester felt uneasy about something. His father always locked the room whenever he didn't want to talk to him, but this time, he didn't hear his father lock the door. He didn't think much of it and went inside to grab whatever money he had on him.

'Did I take off the clothes from outside?'

Chester went outside his backyard and grabbed his dried clothes. He went inside and started folding them. When he was done, he went inside the bathroom and looked at the heater. There was no hot water, so Chester turned on the cold water. He grunted as it his his back. The cold water ran down his body, and he felt the bruises he received. Chester took his time examining himself. His whole body was covered in big purple dots and bumps. His face was healing up a bit, but he still had bruises. Chester ran his fingers through his body. He was feeling every bump and bruise with his fingers. Chester hadn't realized he was bruised this badly. His shoulder still had that small scrape that was almost fully healed from falling on his shoulder. His right arm still had that wound, which was opened. It was filled with his sweat and dead skin that was on his body. The wound was probably infected, judging by the way that Chester touched it. It released some pus when he squeezed a lot. He needed to clean it, so Chester brought his arm through the running water and started to clean it off of the pus and dirt that it gathered. Chester  winced a bit from the pain, but he managed to clean off the wound. After he was done cleaning himself, he got out of the shower and got some clothes for him to wear. Chester put them on and walked up to his bed, where he sat down and exhaled. He took a towel and started drying his hair off. Chester squeezed the towel, and from a fit of anger, he threw it at the ground.

'I shouldn't have done that. Now the towel is dirty.'

He thought to himself. Chester reached down to grab the towel. He cleaned it off a few times and left it next to him on the mattress. Chester stood inside his room for a while before deciding to go out to get something to eat. Chester took the keys on the kitchen counter and walked out of the house. He locked the door and started walking towards a shop. Chester arrived at the shop, where he usually bought his groceries from and walked in. It was boiling hot outside, but as soon as he walked in, he felt the cool air. Chester walked around the store and took a few ingredients. He checked if he had any money on him and found a 20 dollar bill. It was going to be enough to make dinner, at least. Chester took the ingredients needed to make some mac and cheese. He also took some chicken to cut up. Chester looked around the store to find a carton of milk and some eggs. When he got them, he went up to the counter and paid for them. Chester walked out with a grocery bag. He looked right and left before crossing the street and walked towards his neighborhood. Chester passed by a Café. It was the Café he and Mandy visited. A bitterness inside him rose, and he heard someone calling his name. He turned around and saw none other than Poco sitting on one of the chairs with the last person he expected him to be with. It was Emz. As soon as his eyes landed on Emz, he could smell the intoxicating perfume that she always wore on her. Chester started walking towards him.

- We were just talking about you right now.

Chester arrived at the front of the Café.

- Glad to be the topic of discussion.

Chester said.

- Sit down, please.

Chester sat down on one of the unused chairs near him.

- I didn't expect you to be into a taller woman.

Chester said with a laugh. Poco blushed a bit from his comment but quickly regained his posture and cleared his throat with a cough.