Katie in tow I jog to my front door, fumbling with my keys trying to find the familiar one with the black nail varnish mark. Katie grabs them from my hands, locates it and unlocks the door in one fluid movement. She smirks slightly and I sigh a sound a relief that she's sobering up. She wasn't too bad when I found her tonight which is both a blessing and a curse because she's aware enough to remember but struggled enough to need the drugs.
The house is silent apart from the faint rumbling of the boiler and our footsteps. I turn to the kitchen, Katie hot on my heels and grab the familiar essentials. A bottle of water for the night accompanied with a rehydration tablet and a bar of chocolate from the fridge.
Tucking the water under my arm I grab Katies hand with my now free one and lead her up the stairs, despite having been here hundreds if not thousands of times she still acts shy at times.
Much to my advantage my room is directly at the top of the stairs, and in two strides I'm opening my door and stepping inside with my blonde bestie beside me, who quickly shuts the door with little to no noise.
"Your pyjamas are still in the wash from the other day, you'll have to wear something else two seconds" I tell her, taking her hand from mine.
In the comfort of my room we're both calmer, more aware, and much more tired. My movements feel lethargic as I dig through my organised drawers thanks to my mother, to find something for her to wear.
Katie comes to my side, picking a t-shirt from the drawer and a pair of joggers from the one underneath. Whisking herself away to the bathroom without a word leaving me reeling as I process the night.
I hurriedly strip out of my joggers clothes, my tshirt forgotten in the car, and change into a pair of green joggers, they're the old kit from last term and I refuse to accept they won't fit me soon because I want to hold onto their tattered comfort forever. Seems like I have an issue letting go of things eh?
My room is bordering on a sauna, but if I open any windows every moth in a ten-mile radius will flock and my fear can't cope with that, so I'll just sweat my arse off instead.
My bed however is a cool reprieve from the heat, the cold making me aware of the night, just as I start to panic about my lack of ability to help Katie she wanders out my bathroom. Clad in clothes that are sizes too big for her.
"I'm not going to ask you to open the window because I know you'll cry, but I seriously cannot breathe in here" Katie groans, bare feet padding over to her side of the bed.
"Want shorts instead?"
"None of them fit me Ol, you're a giant now for god's sake, they're falling down my legs I look like coco the clown"
"Very funny, just roll the joggers at the waist"
"Fine" she grumbles, and I can hear her messing with the fabric in the room before slipping beneath the covers
I turn to face her, inches between our faces and smile, though it most likely is lobsided as sleep pulls me under.
"Ol"
"Yeah?"
"Can you-" I cut her off knowing what she's going to say
"Come here" I mumble, opening my arms as she shuffles into them, wriggling her way into my space and even deeper into my heart
"Goodnight Oliver" she sighs, her words whispered onto my skin.
"Goodnight Katie" I hum contentedly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before everything fades to darkness.
