The Accident: Based On A True Story

Chapter Nineteen

I knew it, it was Monday again and the cuts on my arm seem to be adding up. As I sit behind the bleachers, it hurts to move my left arm. Not because of the cuts but because the scabs from them keep rubbing on jacket sleeve.

"Can I join?", Keegan asked walking up with his lunch in a paper bag.

Smirking, I reply, "Sure."

He sat next on the right side of me, leaning against the back of the bleachers like I was.

"So how's your day been?", he asked.

"Better than the last. How are you and Candace doing?"

"We haven't really talked. Not really my type.", he replied.

"I didn't realize you had a type.", I responded.

"I didn't either.", he said as he took a bite of his apple from his lunch bag. "So Leah and Sam. You guys good?"

"You heard? They were being stupid and no didn't want to deal with it.", I told him.

"They care you know. Even if they don't know what you need right now or how to show it in the way you want."

"I know.", I replied.

(Text message from Liam to Casey) "At school?"

Smiling I texted him back.

(Text message from Casey to Liam) "Yeah.. I can't wait for you to get to know me better to stop asking me that question."

I guess Keegan saw my phone.

"Liam?", he asked.

I hesitated because I don't want to hurt his feelings but told him.

"Yeah. Biker guy."

"Oh the one who never shows up to school?", he asked but I think he already knew.

"He's actually a pretty good guy."

"Case, be careful. I've heard some crazy stories -"

"Keegan, don't. I'm not asking for permission or stories of rumors.

"I just think you're getting involved in something that's not going to do you any favors right now."

"Wow. Good to know what you think. Thanks for the advice. It was great seeing you Keegan but I think we're done here. I'll see you around."

As I walked away, I got another text.

(Text message from Liam) "Wanna chill after?"

(Text message to Liam from Casey) "How about now?"

By the time the bell started ringing, I hopped on Liam's bike and we drove off with Keegan, Leah and Sam watching.
I battled with leaving early but once I did, I felt great. A sense of freedom and and power overcame me as the wind blew my hair back. We somehow ended up at Carmen's house who had an early day at her school.

Sitting in her spacious living room sipping on drinks, Liam says,
"I brought lean."

"Lean?", I asked.

"Yeah, sizzurp? The purp?" Knowing that I didn't get they tried explaining it.

"The stuff Lil Wayne is always drinking. Its cough medicine mixed with sprite.", Liam said

"Yeah but not any cough medicine. You can only get it if they prescribe it to you."

"I'll get cups.", Liam said before walking to wherever the kitchen is.

"So what are you working on?", I asked Carmen.

She had like three textbooks out and was writing.

"College applications. See if I can prove to my parents that I'm putting work into these apps, they promised to pay for beauty school for me. One of the major ones. So I thought, why the hell not. I'm going regardless but why not try to get a free ride and to a better school."

Liam walked back in with three cups half filled with sprite. After setting them on the table, he pulled out a small bottle of lean and poured some in each cup.

Picking his up he says, "Cheers."

Carmen and I picked our cups up. In the back of my mind, I knew I probably shouldn't do it. But that thought was fighting with the one that kept telling me to. Just once. Experimenting is a part of being a teenager. I'm not sure if drugs are what they meant by experimenting but Loam and Carmen do it all the time and are doing fine.

"Cheers.", I say as we clink our glasses together and take a drink. Ugh what is this crap. It tastes like... Medicine. They must have seen my face.

"It's never good.", Carmen said.

"Yeah but you get used to it. It's pretty good actually.", Liam said.

"So how do you get all this stuff?", I asked Liam.

"Friends, dealers. Everyone has something in the Hills.", he replied.

"Yeah because everyone here has more money than they can handle. Its not just the kids who have stuff. Housewives, doctors, even the police. I've gotten stuff from people who you would never think would be in the game.", Carmen added.

Within twenty minutes, I could feel the affects of the drink. Everything kind of slowed down and while my brain was processing things, it wasn't processing anything long or difficult. Imagine feeling half awake and half asleep but being completely awake. So far, that's the best way I can describe it.

"So where are your parents?", I asked Carmen.

"Business trip. They won't be home until this weekend."

Most of the time, I think my mom is just gone away on a trip. It eases my mind. Not like she ever went on trips though. We never could afford it. She saved one year so we could go to Jollyland when Ryan and I were eight. Its a small amusement park a couple hours away. She didn't eat the entire day just so that we could get stuff at the park and we did. Ryan didn't put down that plastic sword for an entire year.

If you're wondering why Sarah didn't help us, she was in school at the time and living paycheck to paycheck then. But I doubt mom would have asked for help from her own child.

Hours passed and eventually, all of us knocked out from the lean. When I woke up at eleven the next morning, a Tuesday, it's like the time had flown by.

"Dammit!", I said under my breath after seeing the time on my phone. Liam and Carmen were already up.

"Ugh, I'm late for school.", I said as I sat up on the couch I fell asleep on.

"We wanted to let you sleep.", Carmen said.

"You were sleeping like a baby.", Liam added.

Yeah, because I haven't slept in nearly a month without having nightmares of the accident, if I sleep at all. I still feel drowsy from that lean yesterday but I didn't have one dream or nightmare.

"It's just one day. School will still be there tomorrow.", Liam continued to say.

It felt wrong.

"My sister is going to kill me.", I said.

"It's not like you always do this, right?", Carmen asked.

I shook my head.

"She'll get over it.", she told me.

Honestly, she won't ever notice. Standing directly in front of Sarah doesn't even get her attention. They're right. I bet she's with David right now so it'll be fine.