Better

Chapter 14

I was awake again by nine o'clock, and immediately knew what had woken me up. I wanted drugs. I'd managed to drop them cold-turkey, somehow. But I still had cravings all the time. The only thing that kept me from relapsing was Tanner. I was more addicted to him than I'd ever been to Heroin. I knew how disappointed he'd be if I got high again. I couldn't lose him.

So I got out of bed and went into the kitchen. Alyssa stood by the stove.

"You hungry?" She asked when she saw me.

"Not really."

"Okay. Is Teej going to be up soon? I want to make him something good for his birthday."

"I don't know. He's still out cold." I sighed, "Hey, do you have any cigarettes?"

"Sorry. I don't smoke. But there's a gas station a block over."

I changed quickly and left the apartment. I needed something to distract me from what I really wanted. So I went to the gas station, bought a carton of cigarettes, and headed back to the apartment.

A girl joined me in the elevator just as the doors were closing. She was tall and thin, with long brown hair and pale skin. She smiled at me politely. But I could see her glancing at the scars on my arms. Once we hit the third floor, I got a little tired of it.

"Never do drugs." I told her.

"I won't." She sighed, "I've got someone really important to think about."

I watched her move her hands to her protruding stomach. I guessed that she was pregnant.

"Congratulations." I said, smiling.

I couldn't imagine bringing a person into this world.

We got off at the same floor, and turned the same way. It started to freak me out when she followed me to the end of the hall.

"Wait, you live here?" She asked me.

"Yeah. Just moved in."

"Isn't this where Tanner Dunn lives now? He moved out of his mother's, right?"

"Yeah. You know him?"

She nodded a little, seeming kind of upset now.

"My name's Bailey. I came to talk to him. Can I come in?"

I hesitated, but I let her inside. Alyssa was sitting on the couch, and looked shocked when we came in.

"You two know each other?" She asked us.

"I found her in the elevator." I shrugged, "She said she knows Tanner."

"Uh, yeah. She does."

"Baby, is that you?" Tanner called to me before anything else could be said, "Come in here! I want to show you something!"

"Who was he talking to?" Bailey asked quickly.

"Me." I said, turning to her, "Why?"

"He called you baby?"

"Well, he's my boyfriend."

"Tanner's gay?"

"No. He's just, with me. Does that matter?"

She looked horrified. But I could tell it wasn't because she was disgusted. I had an idea of what this was about. And I was hoping like hell I was wrong.

"Babe, I-"

Tanner came out of the bedroom since I'd ignored him. He seemed really shocked when he saw Bailey.