Water Tower

Chapter 27

*MICHAEL'S P.O.V.*

"Just get changed Mandy. I'll be in the car." I can't even see straight. I walk out of away from Amanda, knocking over a display in the process. I push open the front door and walk towards the car. "Fuck!" I cruse, forgetting where the car was parked. I look around, looking like an idiot, until I find the car. I walk quickly over to it and unlock it. I get inside and sit in the passenger seat. I open the glove department and pull out something I've been needing. Mandy can't see this or she'll be so disappointed in me. 

I tired.

I tired so hard, but I found myself going back to it. Once you're addicted, you're forever addicted.

***

"Please Amanda!" I yell. I want to chase her. Tell her I'm an idiot, but I can't get myself to do it. I've kept things from her and she probably doesn't even trust me anymore, so what's the point?

"Goodbye Michael." I watch her get into Luke's car and drive away. I should've done something. I don't know why I have to be so stupid. I pick up the closest thing to me and throw it against the wall. My feet carry me to my room and I find myself throwing stuff against the wall, knocking things into the floor and ripping things apart. "WHY DO I HAVE TO BE SO STUPID!?" I yell, sliding down the wall, tears streaming down my face. I don't know how long I've been sitting here, but I hear the front door open and I'm running towards the door.

"You're an idiot." Luke says.

"Wow, tell me something I don't already know." I say, "Is she okay?" 

"No, but that's your fault, you already know that." Luke says.

"Okay, stop making me feel any worse than I already am." I tell him, going into the kitchen and getting a glass of water.

"Just go Michael." Luke says after a few minutes of silence.

"What?" I ask. " I have no where to go." 

"Well, it's either you go to rehab or you're out of here." Luke says. "I love you man, but I can't keep up with this shit." 

"I have nothing Luke. I don't have a job, I quit college, my parents think I'm a slob." (;D) I lay my head in my hands. "I don't have the money to afford rehab anyways." 

"I'll give you some, but you have to pay me back." Luke says.

"What?" I ask.

"I'll pay for you to go to rehab, but you have to pay me back. I want you to get better Michael. I know how much you care for Amanda and I know you don't want her to go through all your drug shit." Luke says.

"What kind of drug shit? I just do them." I say.

"Michael, there has been guys that show up here looking for you cause you haven't paid them. Michael, would you want Amanda to open the door and be met with those guys?"  He says.

"Fuck no!" I say. "I won't be able to live with myself if something happened." 

"Then get help Michael!" Luke says, grabbing my shoulders. "Do it for us. Do it for Amanda!"

***

I did go to rehab, but for about a week. 

I couldn't handle it. The withdrawals were intense and everyone kept telling me "Oh, you'll have them, but after awhile, they'll be gone." I didn't know how long I could handle them, so I left. The only person that knew was Calum. He got a hold of some of his friends, they let me stay with them and gave me what I needed. 

How did I pay Luke back?

I sold, stole, basically anything that you could do to get money, without having a job.

I feel bad for doing this to everyone, especially to Amanda, but this is the life of an addict. Some our successful in rehab and they're clean forever after that, but then there are some that aren't so lucky and I'm one of them. 

I have been off of them for awhile, because I didn't have any money for any, until I got here. Lovely Calum got tickets for Amanda to go anywhere she would like to go. That was originally the plan of the present, but I needed money once I got back. So, I asked Calum if he had any work for me and he said he did in California, so it's basically like Nashville all over again, but this time I'm going to try to not fuck it up. So far I'm not doing very good.  

I finish up and decide to go inside and get Mandy. I stumble out of the car and walk into the store. I notice her hugging some guy and walk back towards the dressing room.

"What the fuck!" I say, walking towards the dressing room. I was going to go after the guy, but I want to know why Amanda did that. I open the door and shove her back into the dressing room. "Who the fuck was that?"

"Michael." She says, "He was just an old friend." She says, pressed up against the wall and not looking at me.

"I don't fucking believe you. This is why you wanted to come down here. Not to see your mother, but to come and fuck some other guy. You're such a bitch." I say, harshly.

"Michael, that is not the reason. Why do you think that?" She says, her voice shaking a bit.

"You fucking hugged him!" I yell.

"Michael, please stop yelling. He was a guy I went to school with while I lived here. He is gay, there is nothing to worry about." She says.

"I don't give a fuck. The only fucking guy you should fucking hug is me and your dad, if you ever see him." I maybe a little high, but I know for a fact that I shouldn't have said that. "Wait, I didn't mean that."

"Wow Michael." She says, pushing on my chest. "That was fucking low. You don't tell me what fuck I can do and you can go fuck yourself." She says, pushing past me and opening the door. I grab her arm and pull her back.

"You do not walk away from me." She finally looks up and looks me in the eyes. I soon see disappointment in her eyes. "What's wrong?" 

"You." She says in a small and quite voice.

"What about me?" I ask.

"You're on them again, aren't you?" She asks. I don't answer and she shakes her head. "Michael, did you even go to rehab?"

"Yes." I say.

"How long?" She asks.

"A week." I say, looking down.

"Are you guys ready?" Her Mom shows up.

"Yeah, let's go." Mandy says, tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Her Mom asks, wrapping her arm around her daughter.

"Nothing. I think I'm going to head home tonight." Mandy says. 

"We're leaving?" I ask her.

"No, I am leaving, you're not."