Gone The Story of an Addict

Chapter One: Starting Over

"CeCe where are my socks!" I yelled from the living room. 

It had been three months since we left. We had managed to make friends quickly and found a place to stay. Four hundred a month to rent a room with a mini fridge and no one cared where we were and what we were doing. 

We were free. 

"Here. Jesus stop yelling." CeCe said handing me a pair of her socks. 

"These are yours." 

"I can't find yours." She shrugged and sat down on the couch, lighting up a joint. "You want some before work?"

I took the joint from her and took a few puffs before putting on her socks and my shoes.

"I'll be home by five." I said kissing her on the forehead. "What time do you get off?" 

"I don't work today." 

"You going to be okay by yourself?" I asked.

"I'll be bored but I'll manage."

"I can call out." I said sitting beside her. 

"You've already called out twice this week. Now go before your late." She said giving me a quick peck on the lips. 

Something was off about her today. I couldn't tell what but she wasn't acting like herself. I started out the door and she called me back in. 

"Can you stop by Mason's on the way home? He's got a bunch of d's he's trying to get rid of fast." She asked. 

"Yeah how many you want?" I asked without hesitation.

"Just however many he will give you. And don't let him try his bullshit prices on you this time."

I nodded and began to leave again. 

"Aaron."

"Yes?"

"Maybe you should stay home."

"What?" I asked confused. 

"I don't know just go before your late. We need the money."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." she replied as if she were confused by my question. 

I sat back down beside her.

"I can stay home, it's just a job I can find another one." I said putting my arm around her. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing is wrong Aaron just go to work." She said sadly. 

"What ever it is you can tell me. We're in this together."

"It's really nothing, I'm just not feeling well this morning. I think I might be catching a cold." 

"Are you sure that's all it is?"

"I'm positive. I think I'm just going to go back to bed." 

"I love you." I said and gently kissed her on the forehead before standing up to leave. 

"Promise you won't hurt me?" She whispered.

"I couldn't hurt you without hurting myself first." I promised her as I walked out the door. 

I knew something was wrong with her and it was more than just a cold. The last time she acted like this she ran. I was almost to scared to go to work. I didn't want to leave her alone. I didn't want her to leave. 

I walked slowly to work, not caring if I was late. I needed time to think about what was going on. I had to calm myself down or I was for sure going to get fired today. 

"Where have you been man?" Jose said as I walk through the door to the kitchen. 

"I'm like five minutes late." I said putting on the ridiculous apron they made me wear. 

"Dude we've been calling for hours. Tyrell dipped out early the dishes are backed up."

I looked over at the sink and rolled my eyes.

"My phone is out of minutes." I shrugged before getting started. 

"If you'd quit wasting your money on all that shit for your girl you'd have money for your phone. She's going to have to stop all of that dumb shit soon anyways." He said before going back to his station. 

What was he talking about?

"Ignore him. He's such an ass." Amelia said as she was scrapping a plate. 

"Hey Ame." I said watching her add to the ridiculous pile of dishes.

"How's Cecelia?"

"Good?" I said questioningly at Amelia's sudden interest. 

"And you?" She smiled.

"I'm fine." I answered even more confused. 

"Heard any good news lately?"

"No?" 

"Any bad news?" 

"No? Did I miss something?" 

"Got to go customers are waiting." She said quickly before grabbing a plate off the warming counter. 

What was going on today? Why was everyone acting so weird? What the hell did I miss? I put a load of dishes through the dish washer and filled all of my sinks to let the rest soak before stepping outside to hit the joint a few times. I walked over to the corner by the dumpsters where Selma was smoking. She was the owner and didn't really care what her employees did as long as it didn't affect their work. 

"Oh Aaron I'm so glad your here. I figured you would have stayed home after hearing the news." She said with a sad look on her face. "You can go home if you want I can get someone else to come in."

"What?" I asked. 

"I know it's rough hearing you have a baby on the way at such a young age. Why don't you take a few days off if you need too." She said emphatically. 

"What baby?"

"Oh dear I think I've stuck my nose where it doesn't belong again."

She put out her cigarette quickly and began to walk off. 

'Wait what are you talking about?" I yelled after her. 

"I think you need to go home and talk to Cecelia honey. I'll find someone to cover your shift today."

She walked back into the restaurant leaving me outside shaking in fear. Did she say baby? She couldn't have said that. I must have been hearing things. There's no way CeCe was...I couldn't even think the word. 

I suddenly felt sick. This couldn't be real. I must have gotten some laced pot or something. This was just a dream. A hallucination. It would all go away when I came down. I looked at the joint in my hand and decided not to light it. I couldn't smoke anymore of this, it would just make the hallucinations worse. 

I put the joint in the dumpster, walked back into the kitchen and started doing the dishes again. I just had to ride out the high. That's all. Just ride it out. I could feel my breathing quicken. I could feel the panic setting in. Nothing was worse than realizing when your having a bad trip.