Parenting

31

a few months later
JUSTIN'S POV
I was worried. So worried. Ava and I had gone to some parties recently and we drank a little, or at least I did. I'm worried about Ava, she's been drinking more and more and I can't stop her. She also started smoking, she thinks I haven't noticed but I have. I'm worried about her, I mean yeah I've drank too but she's getting dangerous. Her parents are surgeons so I'm sure it's easy for her to hide. It was after school and Ava had to go home with her siblings since her mom and dad were both at work. I decided that I want to go to her parents because I'm so worried about her. I got in my car and drove to the hospital. I knew which one it was because Ava always talked about her parents, she was so proud of them. I parked in the visitors lot and walked inside. I was nervous, I didn't want to ruin my relationship with Ava, but she is my girlfriend, and I'm worried.
AMELIAS POV
I was just done my afternoon rounds with Edwards and I was signing a few papers for the nurses.
"Mrs.Hunt?" I heard. I looked around and saw Justin.
"Justin? Hi, honey are you okay? Are you hurt?" I asked and walked over to him.
"I need to talk to you, I tried to find Mr.Hunt but I didn't know where to look," he said.
"Is everything okay?" I asked.
"Can we talk somewhere private?" He asked.
"Sure, is everything alright?" I asked as we started walking down the hall to my office. I was so worried. I opened the door and he walked in. He kinda stood there awkwardly and I felt bad.
"You can sit," I said and sat down behind my desk.
"You're a neurosurgeon I hear," he said, "impressive."
"Thank you," I said.
"So uh," he said and looked around my office,
"I Uh have something I need to tell you about."
"Okay," I said, super worried.
"Um well you know Ava and I have been going out a lot, we've been going to parties, and not to incriminate myself or anything but I mean we've drank a little, but Ava. I'm worried about her, and she's started smoking. I'm just worried and I didn't want to start a fight with her so I thought maybe talking to you or Mr.Hunt would help," he said. I swear I could feel my heart stop. My baby girl, Ava, smoking, drinking, she's falling down my path.
"Okay, thank you Justin for coming here and telling me, I will definitely talk to her tonight," I said.
"I'm just really worried," he said.
"Me too," I said. I walked him out to make sure he got to his car safely and I felt like I couldn't breathe.
"Amelia!" I heard Owen call. God I couldn't talk about this now.
"Amelia!" Owen said again. I looked at him and I wanted to cry. He ran over to me and I tried to push past him and he grabbed my arm.
"What is wrong? Why was he here?" He said softly.
"He-he," I said, trying not to cry.
"Amelia," he said softly, "honey what's wrong?"
"Justin said that Ava has been drinking and smoking and that he's worried about her," I said. He didn't say anything and pulled me into a hug. Our pagers went off and he kissed my head.
"We'll-we'll talk about this later," I said.
"Amelia," he said softly, "take a break, you can't work with this on your mind."
"It's 911 Owen I have to go," I said sadly, I kissed his cheek and ran inside.
LIAMS POV
All my siblings were home by now. We had to be home to "watch" Noah and Riley, I mean they didn't need to be watched but they were still young so my parents didn't want to leave them home alone. I needed help with my English homework and Ava and I had the same teacher so I figured I could ask her.
"Hey Ava," I said and opened her door.
"Liam!" She yelled. I looked at her and she was smoking out her window.
"Close the door!" She said.
"Ava!" I said.
"Shut up!" She said. I closed the door and grabbed the cigarette from her.
"What is this?" I said, "you don't smoke!"
"It is not that big of a deal!" She said.
"Ava!" I said, "Do mom and dad know?"
"No, and they're not going to," she said.
"Ava," I complained, "why?"
"It makes me cool," she said, "Liam I literally have no friends besides Justin, this makes me cool."
"Well I think you're cool without smoking," I said. I heard the front door open and I panicked.
"Twin pact!" Ava said.
"Fine," I said, "what do I do with the cigarette!"
"Give it time me!" She panicked.
"AVA," my mom yelled. My mom opened the door and Ava was so busted.
"I was just leaving," I said.
AMELIAS POV
I was freaking out. Drinking? Smoking? Sounded like the teenage me. I unlocked the front door and I had to talk to her.
"AVA," I yelled. I opened her door and she was talking to Liam.
"I was just leaving," Liam said.
"Good idea," I said. He walked past Owen and I had no idea what to say to her. I wanted to yell at her. I wanted to scream. I wanted to punch a hole in the wall.
"Why is your window open?" I asked, "it's cold out." I knew what she was doing, hell I used to smoke out my bedroom window too.
"I needed fresh air," she quietly.
"Then why do you have a cigarette behind your back?" I said.
"It's not what it looks like I promise," she said sadly.
"Then what is it Ava?" Owen said.
"I-I," she stuttered as she tried to come up with an excuse, "you wouldn't understand."
"Ava there's no excuse!" Owen said.
"You don't get it!" She yelled.
"Do not yell at your father!" I said.
"Don't yell at me!" She said.
"I will if I want to because you're smoking and drinking and that's unacceptable under this roof Ava!" I said.
"You don't get what it's like to be a teenager mom!" She said crying, "you don't understand what it's like to have no friends!" I looked at Owen and sighed.
"Can you give us a minute?" I said.
"Yeah," he said and walked into the hallway and closed the door. I looked at Ava and I was furious.
"Ava I don't care what bullshit excuse you have this is unacceptable!" I said.
"Mom you don't get it!" She cried. I took a deep breath and sat down.
"Ava," I said, "whatever you have hand it over." She sighed and got up and handed me a box of cigarettes and a few vapes, and a bottle of alcohol. She gave it to me and sat down on the bed.
"Is that it baby?" I asked. She nodded.
"I'll be right back," I said. I walked into the hallway where Owen was pacing.
"Owen," my voice was shaking, "take this before I do something."
"Okay," he nodded and took everything from me, "you okay? Do you want me to go in there?"
"Do I look okay?" I snapped and walked back into her room. I was shaking, my addiction was so triggered right now, I was so scared I was going to fall back into my old ways.
"Mom are you okay?" Ava said, "why are you shaking so much?"
"Ava," I said calmly, "please listen to what I have to say."
"Okay," she nodded.
"I was in your place once, a lot worse than you, but I was. I did drugs a lot worse than this Ava, but it doesn't make it okay. That's why I'm shaking so much, because I see myself in you right now, the side of me that I don't like. The disastrous side. The unhealthy side. The life risking side. Don't do this to yourself, I'm sure you have a teenage justified answer, hell I came up with a million, but don't do this to yourself, it is not worth it," I said. She was silent and looked at me.
"I'm sorry," she said crying, "I just want to fit in mom, I have no friends, I just have Justin. This gave me friends." I started crying and got up and hugged her.
"I thought it did too," I said softly, "I really thought it did. Until I died."
"You what?" She said and looked at me.
"I died, from drugs. I overdosed in my living room and your uncle Derek had to resuscitate me and bring me to the hospital. That really shook me, I was sober for a long time, then I fell back into it again, and it got worse, and I lost people I loved because of it. Please don't go down that road baby," I said. She looked at me and didn't say anything.
OWENS POV
I was listening to Amelia and Ava talking. I figured she was better to talk to her since she understood.
"I died, from drugs. I overdosed in my living room and your uncle Derek had to resuscitate me and bring me to the hospital. That really shook me, I was sober for a long time, then I fell back into it again, and it got worse, and I lost people I loved because of it. Please don't go down that road baby," Amelia said. I didn't know what. I didn't know she died, I don't think anyone knew that besides Derek.
"I'll be right back," Amelia said. She opened the door and saw me standing there. Her eyes widened and she tried to push past me.
"Amelia what is going on?" I said.
"Owen let me go," she said.
"Amelia!" I said.
"You weren't supposed to know that!" She said crying, "Nobody was supposed to know that!"