This Is How I Disappear

Chapter 8: The Ghost Of You

-Time Lapse-

*Quinton's Pov*

It'd been at least a few weeks since Xander was released from the Hospital. He left Trent and moved back home with Zeke. He spent a lot of his time holed up in his room, doing his three jobs again. I hung around around Zeke's a lot, Xander had so many peoole come there and ask for artwork. He had many tattoo scheduals also so he was super busy.

I sat in the empty room in Zeke's apartment, we were both playing Guitar, but sometomes Zeke switched to drums. Lucas sometimes xame over and played his bass. "Do you think he's quiting drugs?" Zeke asked quietly, but I heard him over the music.

"No. I don't think he's going to." I said truthfully. We finished our cover for Teenagers. There was loud coughing fron the other room. We both walked in there, Xander stood by the kitchen counter coughing.heavily. he had the coffee maker on, a cigarette in his fingers and his eyes shut tight.

"Hey, you alright?" Zeke asked, I closed the Spare Room door and wr walked over to him. Xander looked up at us, his eyes were bloodshot. He was an off pale., almost grey white. He looked sick.

"Yeah." Xander mumbled, his coughing died down. There were thin lines across his wrists where the tattoos didn't touch. The thick gauze still covered his stitches from the wounds he tried to kill himself with.

I went up veside him and hugged him lightly, he huggrd mr back awkwardly. "Im gunna go shower." Zeke announced. He walked to his bathroom. Xander finished making coffee and made a cup, we walked to his room, his room was..whoah.

The room was dark, lit by several coffee scented candles. Band posters and drawings covered the walls again. His bed was un-made and blankets were strewn everywhere. Papers, beer cand, liquor bottles, and pencils svattered the floor. At his desk there were papers and a crystal ashtray. There was a large easle and a cavas with a zebra painted on it. The room smelled like him and cigarettes and coffee.

I sat on his bed, his dresser had a large box on top, it was full of cds and books and sat next to his kickass stereo. He had a black thick fleeze blanket over the window. Xander sat next to me, his skin still pale in the goldeb glow of the candles.

"I'm happy you're back." I said looking at him. He made a crooked smirk.

"Me too." Xander said. I watched him finish his coffee and I slowly finished mine.

"What have yoy been doing?" I asked. I leaned on his shoulder and looked up at him.

"Ya know...work." Xander answered with a gentle roll of his wrist motioning to the art. I could feel him shaking.

"Who gives you drugs now?" I asked.

"Logan. But I haven't yet." Xander said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Don't need to." Xander replied. I loojed at him, was he going to get clean or was he just waiting until he ran out?

XxX

-Time Lapse-

Its like he's a ghost of his former self. He's still himself, but different. I sometimes sat in his room watching him paint morbid scenery from nightmares. The people in them had blurred faces so I couldn't tell who they were.

Xander was still on drugs, but I had seen him cracking open syringes and dumping them downbdrains. He was doung them less. But he still seemed more and more sickly. I didn't worry. I started to worry when. Lucas just disappeared. They all did. They wouldntbanswer their phones, texts, shouts. They wouldn't answer doors either. Zeke had no idea where they wete. Sunmer necer answered the front door either.

~~~

A/N: :o so whered they all go? Wanna know? Comment on how I did :) maybe ask for more? Thabks -Gerard