Another Lifetime

Chapter 23

DeAnna Kastell

Chris pulled up outside my house and waved from his car. "I'm going out with Chris and Adrien!" I called up to Frank as I climbed up from the couch, putting the sketchbook down on the coffee table but leaving it open on a continuous contour line sketch of Frank in uniform; it was a new style I was trying and it had been taking me a while to get it right.

"What are you doing?" He asked me.

"Adrien needed some emotional support for telling his parents why he came home," I informed me, "which means Brian is probably going to get punched in the face by someone that isn't me," I added and ran out the house before he could ask anymore questions.

I got into the passenger seat and cranked up the radio then realised I'd left my bag . "So I heard you and my boy had a small bonding moment over Brian being a dick," Chris said as he turned the radio down like an old man.

"Yep, and now we have to help Adrien explain to Brian and their parents that not only does he have a drug problem but he's also done time related to his drug addiction," I said, wanting to just strangle Brian little but I wouldn't because I have self control now.

"We're here for Adrien, Brian is irrelevant right now," Chris reminded me and he was right, like always.

"I know, I know, it's just Adrien only just got six months sober, and his brother going off about addicts might really set him back," I justified and I was getting fidgety, needing something to do but I didn't bring a bag with me so no sketchbook and I didn't really have any good game apps on my phone currently.

Chris pulled up on the curb outside the Sawyer-Jameson household and I texted Adrien to tell him we were outside.

"Think he'll ease into it or just rip off the bandaid?" I asked Chris as I opened the door.

"Not a clue kiddo, lets find out," he told me and climbed out of the car. I got out and shut the door as the front door opened.

"Let's do this shit," I said seriously and adjusted the way my muscle shirt was tied up around my waist, and by my muscle shirt I mean X's.

"You look like you're wearing your boyfriend's clothes," he told me as we walked up the path.

"So? I pull it off," I defended and he shrugged.

"I think you're trying too hard to be the girl you were when you first got sober," he told me, "just be you and stop trying so hard," he said and Adrien stepped over the threshold of the house.

"Does Brian know you invited me to the family meeting?" I asked Adrien as I hugged him.

"No and he won't until you both walk into the room," he told me, "probably will work out that its drug related when your fantastic presence enters the room," he said and invited us in with a gesture.

"You've got this Adrien, we're just here in case you need some help explaining things," Chris told him, "as your sponsor and your friend," he said quietly, not wanting the parental figures to overhear before Adrien could tell them.

"Okay, let's do this," he said and it was mostly to psych himself up for this. He opened the door to the living room and gestured for us to enter.

"What are you doing here, Dee?" Mr Jameson asked me.

"I'm here for Adrien, he's my friend and asked for my support," I said and moved aside for Chris and Adrien to enter.

"Dee, we had no idea that Brian was cheating on you," Mrs Jameson told me and she sounded sincere, whereas her son was giving me major level dirty look.