Loving Under the Influence

Two: "Thinking About Liquids."

It actually is going to be hard because not a moment after she steps into the house her aunt is down her throat about shuffling through her bags and taking a first check. She's shoved into a bathroom, the door shut behind her and her bags separated from her and she just hopes Leslie doesn't take her guitar pick. It's the one she got from her grandpa, also the one she first used to snort coke with but, of course, she didn't say that when Leslie questioned her through the bathroom door.

She sighed to herself, staring at the ceiling as she tries to coax herself in peeing on into this stupid cup. Her leg jumps as she waits, rolling her eyes back as she tries to think of as many liquid things as she can. Juice, water, waterfalls, coffee, milk, rain, uh...water. Wait, no. She's thought that already. God, what else is a liquid? Oh, tea, melting ice, the ocean, rivers, streams.

She nearly jumps in surprise when she finally does pee because her hand is starting to cramp up and her legs are going numb from sitting for so long. She finishes, securing the lid on the cup and tilting it onto its legs. Is it okay for a seventeen year old to just know the process on how to drug test herself? She chooses to ignore the question from her conscious, washing her hands and drying them before opening the door to have Leslie already standing there.

She holds her hand up in surrender, moving to the side to allow her aunt in as Gia stands back to wait for her to move out of the bathroom. She does so, deciding to leave Leslie to do what she needed and wrapping her arms around Gia.

"Oh my god, I washed my hands, you weirdo. Give me a hug." She wraps her fingers around Gia's wrist and yanks her into a tight embrace, making the younger girl laugh as she wraps her arm waist.

"I know you probably didn't want to come but I'm happy you did instead of going with Aunty. I think you and Rue will be great together."

Rue. Dani hadn't seen Rue in four years. Honestly the girl hadn't crossed her mind that much because her mind wasn't always there after Rue had disappeared from her life. More forced than leaving on her own since her dad deemed Rue a bad influence when her drug problem emerged into the light. Rue wasn't a bad influence, Dani's sister was. Dakota was the one that got Dani into this life, Dani was just smarter than her sister and was able to hide it for the past two years. Well, until last Friday.

She nodded at what Gia said, keeping the girl in her arms and leaning her cheek against Gia's head as they swayed lightly in place. Looking over at Leslie, she smiled when Leslie revealed that her test was coming out clean. Dani knew it was going to be clean, three days ago was the last time she used her trusty guitar pick because it takes those three painful days to get it out her system.

"Though your test is clean, you're not getting these back." She takes Dani's pack of cigarettes from her back pocket, holding them up and the teen nods with a slight groan. "Yeah, yeah. Go unpack we have to leave in a few."

Dani nodded, leaving Gia to the hallway as she disappeared into Rue's room. She shut the door behind her, silently turning the lock and letting a breath of relief push past her lips when it was practically quiet as it clicked into place. She went over to her bags, looking for her wedged boots and peeling back the bottom of it to find the rest of her cigarette. A smile graced her face as she sealed the shoe back into place as she goes into the closet. It's separated through the middle, most likely for her and Rue to share properly but all she does is drop her bags onto the floor and deeming her unpacking over.

She left the room, pulling the hood over her head as she tucked her hands into the front pocket of her hoodie. As soon as her aunt sees her, she's grabbing the keys and Gia starts tugging her shoes on. They leave out to the car, Dani forced into the backseat to up hold the rules of shotgun, not that she minded because she could slant her legs into the other seat. She leaned her head back onto the window, staring at the sky to see if she could find the moon. Star staring durning the day isn't smart at all, Dani sadly had to learn that from experience her first time on LSD.

She lifted her head from where it laid against the door, Gia exiting the car in a haste to tackle Rue to the floor. Leslie was less enthusiastic about getting over to her daughter, Dani getting out as well and leaning up against the car. She smiled at the sight of the family wrapped into each other, giving a short wave when Rue looked her way. Rue untangled herself from her mother and sister, wrapping Dani in a hug as the slightly younger girl laughed.

"Do I have to share a room with this crusty donut?" Rue questioned to no one in particular.

"Crusty donut? That's the name?"

"Yeah, give me some slack. I just got out of rehab, not all there yet." She looked away like her eyes with a cloudy, a weird motion of her hand as Dani chuckled at her odd way of showing she just got off drugs. Rue stopped when she caught her mom's eyes, nodding, "Right. No drug jokes. Forgot."

Leslie shook her head, grabbing one of the bags in the floor as Rue sighed, keeping her arm around Dani's shoulder and pulling the girl with her to get the last bag off the floor. They put everything into the truck, Dani and Rue claiming the backseat of the car to lay their legs across to the other. Dani took her phone out when it buzzed, Rue nodding at the phone to show the unknown number was her.

{From: Rue}
I'm glad you're here. I'm pretty sure having you here will make my rehabilitation less insufferable.

{To: Rue}
Yeah, we'll get you sober so you can come up with a better jeer than 'Crusty donut'.

She looked over at Rue, watching a sly look cross the girl's face and she rolled her eyes, knowing Rue was probably going to make her contact name Crusty Donut.

{From: Rue}
You know you love it, my crusty little donut.