Hooked The Making of an Addict

Chapter Twenty Two: Always

All of us froze. Jake hadn't been expecting anyone. Although he hadn't been expecting us either. 

Jake motioned for both of us to go upstairs. I stood up slowly and walked as quietly as I could to CeCe before taking her hand and pulling her up the steps. 

Another knock came as we entered Jake's room.

"We shouldn't have come here." CeCe whispered to me. 

"It's going to be okay. No one knows were here." I whispered back.

"Jake please I know their in there." Ann yelled from the other side of the door. 

CeCe looked at me terrified. We both knew if we walked out this door Ann would be taking us back to the house. But I would be the only one that stayed. 

"Just take a deep breathe. Jake will cover for us." I said trying to calm her down. 

"Not against Ann. Not when she's that mad." CeCe said, he voice shaking. "He's going to open that door and she will be up here any minute."

"Then we should get out of here."

"What?" 

"We can go out the window. It's not that far of a drop. I had to do it sometimes when my dad would completely lose it." I said seriously. "I promise you won't get hurt." 

She smiled at me and moved to the window, opening it and throwing the bag out. I stepped over the window sill and let myself hang by my hands for a moment before letting go and falling to the ground. 

"Now just do the same thing. I'll catch you." I whispered loudly. 

CeCe nodded and climbed out. She barely hung there for more than a second before dropping down. I collapsed my knees under me and we both fell to the ground laughing. 

"Shh. In case she's still outside." I whispered. 

"I never expected you to be like this." CeCe whispered back. 

I rolled my eyes knowing what she was implying. I was the good kid that did everything to stay out of trouble. Which I was, but sometimes things called for measures a little more drastic than avoiding a punch. 

I grabbed CeCe's hand and started to run. She was laughing wildly behind me. 

"You need to quiet down before someone hears us." 

"I can't help it." She said excitedly. "This is incredible."

"What?" 

"Were going to be free."

I smiled and continued to run with her until we were back at the bus stop. Both of us were out of breathe and covered in sweat. 

"What now?" She asked with her evil grin returning. 

"Did Jake give you any money?"

"No. Did you grab the pills?"

I nodded.

"Then we have money." She proclaimed. "Let me have them. If I'm not back in twenty minutes, or someone shows up then run. Meet me in the woods at the park where we were the first night."

I nodded and handed her the pills. She took them and began weaving her way through the crowd. I suddenly felt a nervous rush in the pit of my stomach. I started to wonder if she was going to just take off without me. I didn't want to lose her I was just now getting her back. 

I waited nervously on the bench, checking the clock on my phone every few minutes. It was nearing the thirty minute mark. She told me to leave at twenty but I couldn't.

"Aaron!" CeCe finally yelled across the bus station.

I stood up and walked over to her. 

"How far can we get on two hundred bucks?" She asked when I got closer. 

"How did you get that much?" I asked in shock.

"I should have got more but I was just trying to get cash fast. I'm sorry it took me so long." She gave me a kiss and dragged me to the ticket desk. 

"Where too?"

"As far as we can get on this." CeCe said as she put the cash on the counter. 

The ticket person looked at us suspiciously but gave us two tickets anyways. We took them quickly hoping to avoid any possible questions.

"Looks like we board in ten minutes." I say looking at the ticket to a destination I didn't recognize. 

"Good, we have time to do a couple of these before were stuck on there." CeCe said pulling out what was left of our pills. 

"What if we need more money?" I asked. 

"We can worry about that when we get there." She smiled handing me three of pills and taking three for herself. "Do you want to take them or snort them?" 

"Let's just take them. I don't want to miss the bus and get stuck in a crappy seat." 

"I say we head straight for the back." She said with a wink. 

I smiled, downed the pills, and sat down waiting for our bus to be called. CeCe sat down in my lap with her arms around my neck. 

"Thank you." She whispered. 

"Always." I whispered back. 

"Forever and ever."

"To the end of the universe." 

"Promise?"

"With every ounce of life in me."

"I love you."

"I love you too." 

She leaned her head on my shoulder and sighed. This had been a really long day, full of questions, full of excitement, just full. I hoped we would finally get some rest on the bus. I just wanted to sleep. 

"You saved my life." CeCe whispered into my neck.

I kissed her forehead and laid my head down on hers.

"Bus 32 is now boarding." A voice came over the loud speaker. 

"Ugh. I was just getting comfortable." CeCe groaned. 

"Me too." I said checking my phone. 

"Is that the phone Ann gave you?"

"Yeah."

"Get rid of it. She only gave them to us to keep track of us." 

"What?"

"I don't know. It's some spy app parents can put on their kids phones."

"Is that how she knew we were at Jake's?"

"Probably not but it will tell her where we are now. That's why I ditched mine when I left."

I looked at my phone one last time before tossing it in the nearest trash can. 

"Don't worry. When we get away from here we can both get new ones." CeCe said walking towards the bus. 

I nodded and grabbed her bag. As we were boarding the bus it occurred to me that everything I owned was still at the house. I suddenly felt sick. I wasn't worried about the clothes, but I was about to leave behind the only thing I had left of my old left. My mother's necklace. 

"Don't overthink it." CeCe said before getting on the bus. 

I wanted to turn around and beg for forgiveness from Ann and Michael even if it was to just get my mother's necklace. But I couldn't. I didn't want to keep living in my past. I wanted to look towards the future. 

I could feel myself craving the feeling she gave me. Craving the high from the drugs. Every molecule in my body told me not to do it. 

I took one more look around and boarded the bus. 

As much as I knew I shouldn't it didn't matter. 

I was hooked.