Tripping Down 12 Steps Into Malibu

Step Three

We believe that we must turn somewhere else for help.

All these steps were so beautifully simple. Of course he believed that he had to turn somewhere else for help. He was here, wasn't he? He wouldn't be here if he didn't feel that way. This step should have been the first step.

Brendon grabbed his towel and got ready to jump in the shower. He could have just used one of the towels already in there. But this was the towel he'd gotten from Dallon's house. It made it feel more at home when he used honey things.

He walked past his roommate who was laid out on his stomach in the middle of the bed. Brendon could never tell if he was asleep or not. His face pressed directly into the pillow. How was he breathing? He probably wasn't. Ryan was probably a vampire. That's why he hated outside so much. And why he was so pale and thin. His undead lifestyle would also make sense with his evil attitude. Damn vampire.

He tried to close the door as quietly as possible when he walked into the bathroom. Because no matter how much a dick Ryan was, he didn't want to disturb his sleep. If he was sleeping.

Brendon turned the shower water to it's hottest temperature. Reaching his hand under the water as a test. He shrieked, yanking his hand away from it. Usually the water didn't get that hot. He turned the knob for the cold water and waited for them to blend. Again, he tested the water with his hand before getting in. This time it was good enough.

He stripped out of his T-shirt and shorts. Throwing them in the corner of the bathroom. Knowing Ryan was going to come in later and make him pick them up. He sat on the closed toilet top to make taking his socks off easier.

When he bent down to remove the first one, his hand scraped against something hard and round on the floor. He lifted the discolored rock into his hand. Bringing it eye level to get a better look at it.

Holy shit, it was a crack rock! He immediately closed his fist around it. Hiding his hand behind his back. As if he was going to get in trouble for even touching it. Rolling his eyes, he laughed at his own fear. He was in the bathroom with the door closed and the shower running. No one was going to come bursting in.

He opened his hand to look at the drug again. It was pretty small where rocks were concerned. No, Brendon wasn't a crack addict, but he'd been around it enough in the drug world to know what one should look like. And this was a cheap one. Ryan didn't strike him as the cheap type.

Ryan also didn't strike him as the dumb type. Who was stupid enough to sneak drugs into a rehabilitation center? How was he supposed to get clean if he was hiding crack all over their room? Oh, well. That wasn't Brendon's problem.

Eventually, your roommate becomes your second self.

Pete's words filled Brendon's head. What if he was right? What if Ryan doing bad would make him do bad? He couldn't risk that. He needed to get out of here as soon as possible so that he and Dallon could get married and live happily ever after. There was no way he was going to let someone as insignificant as Ryan, stop his happiness. They were both going to get clean. Whether he wanted to or not.

Brendon grabbed his shirt and shorts from the floor. Rushing to put them back on his body. He opened the bathroom door just as quickly as he closed it. Ryan was still in the same position as before. He glanced around the room. Thinking of other places Ryan might have drugs. There was no way he was going to be able to search the room and not get caught. He needed to tell someone else. Someone with the authority to search their room.

He didn't bother putting on his shoes as he rushed out of their room. Jesse's office was just down the hall. Without knocking first, Brendon opened the door. Jesse was sitting at his desk looking through a pile of papers. The man didn't seem angry to be barged in on. In fact, he was smiling.

"Brendon. Come in. Take a seat." He motioned to the empty chair across from him.

Hesitantly, he walked over to the desk. Lowering himself into the chair.

"You remember my name?"

"Of course." He laughed. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I-uh need some advice."

"Okay." He placed the papers in his hands down and give Brendon his undivided attention. "With what?"

"Let's say, hypothetically of course-"

"Of course." He nodded.

"Someone snuck drugs into the facility. And they hid them in their room."

"That's a serious problem." Jesse was no longer smiling. "They could be kicked out of the facility."

"Oh." He whispered.

"Did you sneak drugs in, Brendon?"

"No, it wasn't me. It was Ryan!" He blurted out without meaning to.

"Ryan Ross. Your roommate?" He didn't want to say it again so he nodded instead. "That's a big accusation to make. Do you have any proof?"

Brendon's hand subconsciously tightened around the crack rock that was still pressing against his palm. He stared into Jesse's dark eyes. Debating if he should just hand it over. It wasn't like he was going to use it. He didn't need that kind of drug. The smartest thing for him to do would be to just hand it to Jesse. So that's what he was going to do.

"No. But I know it's hidden in our room somewhere."

"Okay," Jesse nodded seriously. "We'll search your room."

A/N: Sorry for taking forever to update this. I just felt like no one really cared about this story so I didn't even bother.