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Chapter 21: Return to School

I slumped down on Ivory's doorstep, the liquid courage I had chugged earlier feeling less like an emotion-numbing blessing and more like a curse to my already unsettled stomach. It was necessary though, if my head hadn't been so fuzzy I never would have worked up the courage or shrugged off my pride enough to beg for forgiveness.

It was all in vain. I was no farther along than I had been yesterday or this morning. Ivory wouldn't forgive me, and no one else would talk to me. Alone again, I trudged back to my house, barely able to walk in a straight line.

Unexpectedly, my phone began vibrating in my pocket. It was a call from an unknown number. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kennedy? It's Scarlett. I wanted to check up with you and see how you were doing after Sacha's party," the girl on the other end explained.

Scarlett. I could faintly remember a hand guiding me to the washroom, talking with me while I lay on the floor, introducing her as Scar to Ricky and Ivory....

"I've been better," I replied honestly. "Things are pretty rough right now, actually."

Scarlett paused for a second. "Have you been drinking again?"

"What? Why?" I asked, shocked. How could she tell?

"Your words are slurring together; you're talking weird. Don't you notice it?"

I frowned. I couldn't notice anything different about my voice. I felt the same as I always did; maybe a little more light headed than usual, but I didn't think I was drunk. A few glasses, er, bottles of wine wouldn't do that to you, would it?

"Never mind. Kennedy, where are you?" Scarlett asked.

"I'm walking home from Ivory's. She refuses to forgive me." I laughed. Wait, that wasn't funny, was it?"

"Don't move. I'm going to come pick you up. I don't trust you walking by yourself in this condition." And with that, she hung up.

Reluctantly, I sat down on an old tree stump and waited for Scarlett. Maybe she was right; I probably shouldn't walk around in this state. It was stupid; I didn't know why I drank so much of my mom's wine. It was as if once I started, I couldn't stop.

Minutes later, a car pulled up beside me. As Scarlett stepped out of the driver's side, I took a good look at her, ashamed that I had completely forgotten what she looked like. Her long brown hair and eyes did look slightly familiar, despite the fact my fuzzy brain didn't remember much.

"Oh Kennedy." She sighed when she saw me perched on the tree stump, probably looking like a complete mess. "What have you done to yourself?"

Her look of disapproval made me lower my head in shame. She was right, what had I done to myself? Over the course of 48 hours I had gone from straight A student to passed out drunk. "I don't know," I whispered.

Scarlett grabbed my hand and helped me stand up and walk over to her car. I got settled into the passenger seat and shut my eyes, already the feeling the twinge of what was sure to be a horrible headache.

Scarlett climbed into the driver's seat and turned the car on. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.

I shook my head, but then nodded slightly. Scarlett gave off that aura of safety, as though she were a person I could trust.

"Okay," she said. "Go ahead."

"Well..." I squinted, unsure of where to begin. "I guess it started a long time ago, when I first became friends with Aubrey, Hailee and Sacha. Things were really great for a long time, but then things got kinda... shaky."