Scars | ✔

Chapter 14

Clem put another cigarette to her mouth. She had been smoking for a few days now; getting them off of the guy she had met her first day with the Everette family. She had been doing it in secret, since her new family didn't seem like the kind to accept the smoking part. It didn't really matter to Clem, though. It was a nice way to cope with her past; with not being with Marshall.

Every second she was away from him, her mind was cluttered, and her nights were restless. She had, had her family take her to every hospital in town, and none of them had a 'Marshall Barn' emitted there anymore.

Had Nurse Elizabeth lied to her? Was Marshall really dead, and she wasn't informed? Clem surely hoped not. Just the thought made her want to puke. She had hope, though. She had hope that she would find Marshall. One day or another, Marshall would appear. One day.

Clem continued to meet up with that drugstore dude. He had started to give her more than just cigarettes now. Alcohol and drugs were high on the list.

She had found these great ways to cope. It helped her feel a little better. Clem knew that it wasn't good for her, but it just felt so good. They seemed to take her mind away from depressing things for a while.

But it was only a matter of time before she was caught.

. . .

"Hey kids! It's Disco Broccoli here with my friends! Are you ready to join us on our adventure? Come on!" Clem stared, fully immersed in the TV show AJ was watching. She remembered watching it as a kid, but watching it now was different. She had someone to watch it with.

Clem watched as the theme song started to play, making her smile as it took her back to when her parents would turn it on.

"Disco Broccoli, Beet Nick, Rock n' Roll Rhubarb, Calypso Cauliflower, too! This here crew wants to play with you! Disco Broccoli and Friends, Disco Broccoli and Friends, Disco, Disco, Disco Broccoli and Friends!"

Clem watched as the four main characters jumped out onto the screen as the word 'Friend' finished the theme song. The episode started with Disco Broccoli and his friends freely singing in their garage. It progressed to the villain, 'Terrible Tomato', destroying all the healthy food in town, to which Disco Broccoli and his friends have to defeat him and bring back all the healthy food. It ends with the hero's singing and dancing on stage about that day's adventure, and how kids should eat healthy.

Hm. So this was a show to get kids to eat healthy. Okay. Speaking of, Clem was getting pretty hungry. She didn't really want to bother AJ, since he looked pretty into the show, but she was afraid to get something herself.

"Uh.. Hey.. AJ?" Clem asked, playing with her wrist.

"Yeah?" AJ perked his head up at the mention of his name, smiling at Clem.

"Can I.. have something to.. uh.. eat?"

"What? Of course! You don't need to ask!"

"I don't?" Clem was a bit surprised. AJ smiled widely and nodded, handing Clem his Disco Broccoli plush.

"Can you hold this? I'll get you something!"

AJ ran off, leaving Clem in the room by herself, holding the toy close to her. She felt weird. Like, something she only felt with Marshall. Every time Lee, or Carley, or Luke or AJ came into the room, she felt what she had only felt between her and Marshall for the longest time.

Love.

It was odd. Other than Marshall, she hasn't loved anybody since her parents. She didn't want to feel those things, but she wasn't going to push them away either.

She was only scared of what might happen to them.

AJ came running back in, two apples in hand. He handed Clem one and took a bite of the other.

"Thanks, AJ.." Clem said as she took a bite, ravishing in the taste of her favorite food yet.

"No problem! I like apples, too. You like apples, right?" AJ asked, mouth full as he continued to babble on to Clem.

Clem only laughed, covering herself with the blanket as AJ snuggled into her, continuing to ask questions.

. . .

"Goodnight Lee!" AJ said as Lee reached the top of the stairs, Luke and Clem following behind. Carley smiled as she led AJ into his bedroom, getting him ready for bed.

"Night Clem!" AJ yelled from his room as he jumped on his bed.

"Goodnight." Clem responded, a huge smile evident on her face.

Lee took Clem to her room, leaving Luke to go to bed himself, and tucked her in.

"Goodnight sweet pea." Lee said, placing a kiss on Clem's forehead. Clem flinched at the sudden contact, but soon smiled back up.

"Goodnight Lee." Clem said. Lee smiled and left the room, shutting off the lights and closing the door.

Clem immediately shot up, rustling through her bedside table. Finally, Clem found a small needle and a bottle. She took a deep breath as she got prepared for everything, then-

Poke.

She let the substance enter her blood flow, sighing in relief. She didn't want to do any of this, but as she grabbed the alcohol glass from her drawer, as well as a cigarette, she knew that this was the only way.

That was, until Carley came in to say goodnight.

Clem instantly jumped, trying to hide her already open glass bottle of alcohol, lit cigarette, and needle on the bedside table. Carley stood frozen.

"Uh.. Uh, what did you need?" Clem seemed to stutter. What was she going to do? Beat her? Give her away? Carley cleared her throat, walking over and planting a kiss on Clem's cheek. She turned and grabbed all the bad things her daughter has been doing, and walked out of the room without a single word.

Clem could hear talking. She could only assume it was about her, since the closed door muffled the voices.

The talking went on. It only made Clem more anxious. They were definitely planning to give her away now.

Clem slowly got up, making her way out of the bedroom. Luckily, Carley and Lee were downstairs, and couldn't see her. Clem made her way to AJ's room, quietly shutting the door back.

Lee was yelling - and crying? Yeah, they were both crying. More talking, more yelling, more crying.

Clem slowly shook AJ awake once to his bed.

"AJ? AJ.." Clem mumbled softly. AJ slowly opened his eyes, smiling when he saw Clem.

"Hi-" AJ started to say, his mouth being covered by Clem's hand.

"Shhh." Clem hushed, putting a finger to her mouth.

"Sorry." AJ whispered. Clem played with her wrist a bit.

"Can I.. stay the night with you?" Clem asked shyly. AJ's smile only grew wider when Clem asked that.

"What?? Of course you can!" AJ said, scooting over so that Clem could lay down.

Clem smiled and got in bed, being covered up by AJ as he snuggled in close to her.

"Oh, and Clem?" AJ asked quietly.

"Hmm?" Clem hummed in response.

"I love you." AJ said with a sigh, already drifting back to sleep.

"I love you, too," Clem said. "Goofball." she said quieter, not loud enough to be heard by AJ.

Still, she felt a small smile on her neck, signalling that he might have heard it anyway.

,,Oh well." Clem thought to herself as she let sleep take over her body.