Hooked The Making of an Addict

Chapter Seventeen: Poison

We didn't return home until Jake received the all clear call from Oli. I wondered how he knew where we were. CeCe's mom had left but said she would return after the court date. The judge would have to release CeCe back into custody of her mother. 

Ann and Michael weren't as upset as I thought they would be. They understood the situation. They knew it wouldn't be good for CeCe to go home but there was nothing they could do. Nothing anyone could do. 

They all knew what had happened to her. But there was no proof other than the scars. Her dad admitted to beating her and they wrote it off as abuse and sent him to jail. They never bothered investigating any of the other claims. That's how it works now. Unless you have millions to hire power lawyers the state doesn't bother. They don't feel like they need too. 

And then everyone wonders why criminals are still running around the streets. Why murders go unsolved. Why children get hurt every single day and feel like they can't stop it. The excuse now is it's out of there control. All of the laws working to help some are killing others. Nothing but an endless loop of contradiction leading to all the evil that we see. 

Oli, Noah, CeCe and I sat in the basement while Ann and Michael thought they were having a private conversation upstairs. 

"What about emancipation?" Noah suggested. 

"I have a week. I can't just snap my fingers and become emancipated." CeCe snapped. 

"I meant work towards it. It can't possibly take that long."

"No judge is going to grant her mom custody then turn around and grant her emancipation." Oli added. 

This went on well past midnight. We all had school in the morning but Ann and Michael didn't bother us. The longer I was here the more I felt like they truly understood what it was like to be like us. 

"Just don't worry about it okay?" CeCe finally said in defeat. "I have a week left and I want to enjoy it."

Both Oli and Noah nodded. I wasn't going to stop trying that easily. I could tell she didn't want to be at home. She didn't want to live with her mom. I felt like there was a lot more to her story than she was willing to tell. Her mother seemed sober to me. People do change. But CeCe wasn't willing to allow that change. She refused to even give it a chance.

Oli and Noah went upstairs both saying they needed to go to sleep. I stayed in the basement, alone with CeCe.

She sat on the floor in the corner with her knees pulled to her chest. I hated how broken she looked. Shattered to the core. I wanted to know what happened. I wanted to know every detail about her. But she wasn't ready to share and I didn't want to force her.

"She said I would still be going to the same school. She didn't want me to have to switch again." CeCe finally said breaking the silence. 

"Well that's a good thing right? Maybe she's really trying."

"She always does this. She will sober up long enough to get the court to agree to send me back and then she will have a big party. Then shes back to being an addict. This isn;t the first time she's came back for me."

"Maybe the judge will see that she's just going to do it again."

"Do you really think any judge actually cares? They laws state if a child can go back to the biological parents they have too. It doesn't matter how many times she does this. I'll always have to go back."

I knew that this was about her but I suddenly felt worried. What if my dad came back for me? I didn't have any proof either. I only had the scars he left. Was I going to end up back in my old life?

"I'll be fine. I'll just have to deal with her for a few months and then call social services."

"I'm sure Ann and Michael would still let you hang out here. that would at least let you get away from her most of the time." 

"It doesn't really work that way with her. If I'm not at school I have to be at home."

"Oh." 

"We should do something fun."

"We should go to sleep." She said completely defeated. 

I just nodded and walked over to her to help her up. She didn't even bother taking my hand. She just stood up and went up the steps. 

I hated this. I finally had everything fixed. Everything was right. But it seemed like life was just going to continuously throw hurdles in my way of success. It would keep putting poison in my drinks and I would eventually run out of the antidote. 

I finally gave in and walked upstairs. I was about to walk up the steps to my room when I noticed the front porch light on. CeCe had never gone to her room. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to console her but I knew she wanted to be alone. I was a little worried that she might run. 

I waited by the door for a moment to see if I could hear her. She was crying again. I wanted to go out there. But I knew what it was like to want to be alone. So I went to my room. 

I didn't sleep. I kept thinking I could hear her walking past my bedroom. I finally gave in and went downstairs to check on her. The porch light was off and the door was locked. I knew she never came inside. At least not to her room because I jumped out of bed and checked every single time. 

I decided to check the basement. She wasn't there either. I really didn't want to risk waking Averi up by checking in their room but I had too. I needed to know she was safe. 

She wasn't in her bed either. 

I started to feel panic set in. Whenever she sneaked out she left the door unlocked. But she didn't tonight. I had the sudden realization that she was running. She didn't want to go back to her moms and she was going to do whatever it took to get away. 

I debated on waking Ann and Michael up. Should I give her time to run? Would she be safe? 

I decided to check the park. If she wasn't there I would wake up Ann and Michael. I quietly opened the door. I didn't want them to wake up if it was unnecessary. I took off running as soon as I was off the steps. I had regretted my decision to leave her outside by herself. 

Once I finally arrived at the park I checked the tree we always sat at. Nothing. I checked the play ground. Nothing. Fields. Nothing. She was no where. She had really left. 

Without a goodbye.