She Gets What She Wants [Watty's 2016-2018]

Chapter 36

I'm holding onto one of Derek's hands the whole way. After they wouldn't stop fidgeting he reached over and surprised me by kissing the closest one, and then never leaving them.

I would be blushing like crazy, and the sunset would look more romantic if it weren't for the situation. I'd never suffered a panic attack, but maybe this was it.

I couldn't rack my head for any reason why Hailey would be scared. Terrified even. Out there somewhere for me to come find. This was not the way I expected to spend my Winter break, but honestly I don't know what I expected anymore.

All I could do was watch the numbers on the digital clock pass by as the annoying colon in the middle of the hours and minutes appeared every second. I was going to go crazy.

The heater was on, but I suddenly was feeling claustrophobic. I lowered the window, defeating the purpose of the warmth coming through the vents. Derek was too nice to say anything.

He was good company. Even if we didn't speak, it was nice knowing there was someone to rescue you when you were trying to rescue someone else. I'd ask him what was on his mind if only I could figure out mine.

There was a fear creeping up on me that Hailey wouldn't be there when we arrived to the town she phoned me from.

The streets were busy, and people just seemed to cross the streets without caring if a car was coming straight at them.

There was a drunk wobbling around a liquor store, yelling profanities at nobody in particular. Then there was a mom yelling at her son who didn't seem to chair as his eyes seemed stuck on a woman in a short skirt sitting on the dirty ground.

The grimy atmosphere made me wish I was back home in the quiet, harmless streets.

Why would someone like Cole be living in an area like this one?

It went well with his rocker kind of image I guess, but I'd prefer to live in the Heights mansion, even if it were with Alyssa.

"Keep an eye out, I think the we just need to get a little up ahead if we're looking for Sycamore," Derek's face came out calm, and I was grateful for it. He was in control of his emotions, while I wasn't.

I move my hands so that his isn't on top anymore, but in between. He looks over momentarily.

I don't see her at first, but when we're about to turn the corner I see her. Her face is covered by her hoodie, but it's her.

"Hailey," I say and Derek stops the car.

It doesn't take me more than three seconds to push the car door open and reach her.

She doesn't even react to my arms going around her. When I tilt her face up I feel her skin clammy, and her eyes just scarily rolling around in their sockets. Her lips are chapped, and there's eyeliner on her cheek that I rub off.

"Hailey," but she continues to look drowsy even after I say her name.

"Hailey come on, we came to get you."

"Let me take her." Derek lowers himself to pick my best friend up. I hold open one of the back doors for him to place her, and rush to the other side to sit next to her.

Derek passes me the seatbelt and I secure it around her. Her head turns back and forth.

"Here give her some of this," Derek hands me a water bottle from the trunk of the car, and I carefully hold Hailey's head urging her to drink up. She looks like she's about to vomit all over the car, but she doesn't. At least not yet.

"Hailey what happened?"

No answer.

"Where's Cole?"

She finally looks at me. Well she stares. Eyes watery red. I've never seen them this red.

"Cole?"

"Yah where is he?"

I think she's going to give me an answer, then out of nowhere begins to loudly sob into my shoulder.

Derek and me look at each other, confusion on both of our faces. Worry mostly on mine.

"Cole! Like Christmas coal!" She yells out and then starts laughing like a hyena.

"What?"

"Get her out of her sweater, she's starting to really sweat." Derek's right. My friend's probably suffocating and close to dehydration in what she's wearing. Derek moves to turn the heater down. I'm thinking that Hailey's just drunk, and that she'll be fine until I realize that things are worse.

I gasp, and Derek rushes over to see what I've just uncovered.

"Shit."

"Derek what do we do?" I feel my own eyes start to burn. I don't want to be here. I want to go back to yesterday, when I wasn't seeing what I'm seeing now.

Small nasty veins, and blisters mark up her unusually skinny arms.

I've never seen these types of markings up close, but it's not hard to figure out what caused them.

"We need to get her to the hospital right now." Derek closes the door after jumping out to get behind the driver's seat.

I'm holding onto Hailey, racking up my brain for answers to questions I can't even vocalize.

I don't know how really heroin works, but I want Hailey to live.

I want her to get better, and stop swaying against me.

Stop moaning and laughing and scaring me.

I want to know why she did it.

And I want to know where the fuck Cole is.