Two lives.

39. "Don't worry, I got you."

June 6th
3:12 PM

The lounge was quiet except for the low hum of the TV. We—me, Skin, Ophelia, Twitch, and Lucifer—were all sprawled across the couches, watching SpongeBob with an almost concerning level of detachment.

I sat between Skin and Ophelia, my head resting lazily against the back of the couch. Twitch and Lucifer had claimed the other couch, both slouched so far down it was a miracle they hadn’t slid onto the floor.

No one spoke. No one laughed. We weren’t even watching the episode—just staring at the screen like zombies. The kind of stillness that only happens when a group of people is collectively too tired to move but too restless to do nothing.

Ophelia stretched out, her legs draped across both me and Skin. “This,” she sighed dramatically, “is officially the most boring night of my life.”

Skin barely glanced at her. “You say that every time we have a slow night.”

“Yeah, and every time, I mean it.” She rolled her head back against the couch, groaning. “We need to do something. Anything.”

Lucifer, who had been half-dozing, cracked one eye open. “Like what? There’s nothing to do.”

Twitch waved a lazy hand toward the TV. “We could change the channel?”

Ophelia scoffed. “And watch what? More brain-rotting cartoons?”

“I like brain-rotting cartoons,” I muttered, shifting to get more comfortable.

Skin smirked, nudging me with his elbow. “That’s because you have the attention span of a squirrel.”

I shoved him back playfully, but before I could come up with a comeback, Andi walked into the lounge.

The second she stepped inside, the energy in the room shifted.

She looked bad—pale, sweaty, her chest rising and falling too fast like she couldn’t catch her breath. It didn’t take a genius to tell she was panicking.

Ophelia was the first to react. She shot up from the couch and practically rushed toward Andi, her protective instincts kicking in immediately.

“What? What happened?” Ophelia asked, her voice sharp with concern as she grabbed Andi’s arms.

Andi covered her face with her hands, shaking her head.

Twitch was on his feet just as fast, his usual laid-back demeanor vanishing. “What happened, ma?” His voice was calmer than Ophelia’s, but there was an edge to it. A tension.

It was strange, the way Twitch and Andi had bonded so quickly. He’d only been back here a few days, but already, he was protective of her. Their friendship didn’t make sense, but at the same time, it did. Andi was loud, carefree, a little reckless. Twitch was her opposite—serious, put-together, always thinking before he acted. But somehow, they fit.

Andi finally dropped her hands, her face blank, but her voice tight with anger.
“All of my shit is gone.”

Ophelia blinked. “What do you mean?”
The rest of us—me, Skin, and Lucifer—were dead silent, sitting up straight on the couch, too afraid to move, like any sudden motion might send Andi spiraling even further.

Twitch took a step closer. “What shit is gone?” His voice was lower now, more serious.

“All of it.” Andi’s eyes darted around the room like she was trying to convince herself this was real. “My weed. My vapes. Everything.”

Silence. Heavy.

“I don’t know where any of it went.” She exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair, her words tumbling out so fast it was like she couldn’t control them. “I—I know I didn’t just lose it. Someone took it.”

Her voice cracked on that last part, a mix of anger and something else—something deeper.

Fear.

“I’m scared,” she whispered. “They took all my stuff.”

The silence stretched between us, growing heavier with each second. No one knew what to say. The only sound filling the room was the low hum of the speakers crackling to life.

"Greyson Marshall to the office."
The lady’s voice rang through the speakers, echoing slightly.
"Greyson Marshall to the office." She repeated.

I frowned. “Greyson?” I glanced around. “Who the hell is that?”

A loud sigh came from beside me as Skin pushed himself up off the couch.

“Well, fuck.” He ran a hand through his hair, scratching the back of his head before stretching like this was just another inconvenience in his day.

Lucifer let out a scoff, shaking his head as he stood and made his way toward the others gathered near the entrance. I took that as my cue to follow.

“What did you do?” Twitch asked, his accent cutting through the tension, sharper than usual.

Skin shrugged. “Nothing. I’m a child of God.” His tone was all innocence, but the smirk on his face said otherwise.

Andi didn’t look convinced. Her eyes followed him, laced with a quiet kind of panic, like she was already connecting the dots—like her missing stash might be the reason he was getting called to the office.

Skin caught the look and turned back, his smirk softening. “Don’t worry,” he said, flashing her a quick, reassuring grin. “If this has anything to do with you, I’ll cover for you.”

Andi didn’t say anything, just pressed her lips together.

Skin gave her one last nod before turning on his heel and heading down the hall, his usual swagger in place like he had all the time in the world.