Cannabis

Chapter 5

"Very well done, Miss Slater! You've indeed done a  very nice job."

Abigail stood proudly beside Mrs. Hawthorne in front of her classmates as the aged teacher applauded her for securing the highest marks in her assignment.

"I never thought she would like it", she said jokingly to Derek while returning to her seat.

"Oh please! You're not the one to talk. You're the class topper! Ma'am definitely likes your work.", Derek said with a pout.
Abigail laughed.

The class continued in its own pace and when the last period came to an end, Abigail started packing her stuff.

"Hey."

She heard a familiar voice. Looking up, she saw him. It was Tyler, her ex-boyfriend. She evaded him and headed straight for the exit, walking in an abnormally fast pace.

"Hey! Wait!", a persistent Tyler followed her.

Vexed at his obstinacy, Abigail turned to him. "What else do you want with me, Tyler Brooke? You cheated on me, broke my trust and slept with Demetria. What else is there to be explained?!"

"I broke up with her so that I can be with you again. Please give me a second chance! I promise I'd make it up to you."

"Second chance?! Where does that come from? What do you think of me? A bimbette? Oh how wrong you are."

"What're you trying to imply?"

"I'm trying to imply that you are after my money. You don't love me a bit. You just love my money. You're trying to be the fortunate husband of the heiress of the Slaters' property. You've been trying to get your hands on my inheritance, huh? I know it all. I know that your love for me is just a counterfeit. You are fake!"

Tyler gasped as Abigail elevated her voice to the highest level. Still, Tyler made his last attempt.

"Don't you remember the beautiful moments we spent together? Did you forget them all?"

"I don't need to remember them because you pretended it all. You faked them. I have no place for fake people in my life. I don't need you. You may go."

Saying this, Abigail walked away from the spot she and Tyler were arguing, where curious people and onlookers had made a gathering already. Defeated, Tyler started muttering hateful curses to his fuming ex-girlfriend who was already gone.

"I'm home", Abigail said with monotone in her voice.

Atiqah, her sister, ran towards her. Abigail held her head, anticipating the impending headache.

"Abby, you broke up with Tyler?" Atiqah taunted her.

"I did it a week ago. Who gave this news to you so late?"

"Demetria...."

"Oh her? She's actually the star of this entire drama."

"But why?! Why in earth did you have to break up with him?"

"Because he cheated me with Demetria. Just because I refused to sleep with him he slept with her! He's a hoax!"

"But if I were you, I wouldn't have minded at all. First of all he's a hot guy and secondly, I also have 3 boyfriends at a time. It's not that gross as you think it to be."

"I'm sorry, Atiqah, but I'm not cut out to follow these so-called conventions. If I'm being loyal to a guy, then I expect them too to be loyal to me. And if that guy can't afford to be committed to only me, then he's free to leave."

"You sound like an old hag."

"Is that so? Then I'm quite happy that I'm an old hag."

She gave a crafty smile to Atiqah before locking herself in her room. She let out a sigh, feeling that same thing engulfing her mind.

Loneliness.

She undressed and put on her regular clothes, the ones she wore at home, a simple white tee and shorts. She unpacked her bag and a certain something caught her eyes. It was the clear file where she had neatly kept her latest assignment, for which Mrs. Hawthorne has showered her with praise. She picked the file up and took out the white, stapled pages from it.

Flipping through the pages, she saw what she was wanting to see.

Name : Erose Miller
Age    :  21
Sex    :  Male
Blood Group : AB+
Registration number : 12606

The above mentioned person is having acute Substance Dependence Syndrome since last seven years. He was admitted to the esteemed rehabilitation facility four years ago. He is an inmate of  the C-section of Well Being Rehabilitation Center.

Abigail never figured out why she felt different whenever she thought of the incident that happened in the rehab some days back.

With much difficulty, she had obtained these data about Erose from Sarah, which Sarah herself procured from Dr. Windscuttle's documents.

A smile crept unknowingly to her lips.

"Maybe I should go visit him once more....."

To be continued....