In This Life (Sequel to 'In Another Life')

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I had been her best friend, the one that she could trust anything with, but I went and threw that back in her face for drugs. "Denise, look at me! Do I look stoned? Or half dead? I didn't take the bottle! Okay, I did take a pill. I found the bottle earlier today, and I took half a pill, because I didn't want to bring the mood down, and I came back in to take the other half, because I was starting to hurt again." "Terra-" She started, but I cut her off. "I DIDN'T take the bottle. I swear it Neece!" "Then who T? Because it's not in there. Did you move them? Hide them somewhere so that you could take them when you wanted too?" "NO!" I yelled, starting to get mad, because she just kept accusing me of taking the bottle. "THEN WHO?!" "I DON'T KNOW!" I yelled back. "We have a houseful of people who have been in and out of this house. We don't really know what they do on their own time." She narrowed her eyes at me for a moment, gauging my reaction I'm guessing, before she nodded. "Fine. If it wasn't you, then it was Amber. It had to be." She started towards the door again, but I grabbed her arm. "No, you aren't gonna just go out there accusing people Neece. We don't know who it was! We don't know them! We only know of them. You forget that Aryia is a recovering addict too? And Elias? You can't put the blame on one person because you know they used to be an addict! It's not right." She stopped in her tracks when I said Elias's name, but I could tell she was still fuming. "What do you expect me to do then T? Just let it go? Someone STOLE from us! Someone went through our medicine cabinet, and STOLE from us! I don't want that kind of person in my home!" I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. I was starting to get a headache. "Denise, I don't know what to do. I promise that I didn't take them, but I don't think we should just go out and start raging at our friends. Accusing them of things that we don't know for sure they did. Because if they feel what I just felt when you were accusing me, they won't be our friends for long." She glared at me and crossed her arms. "Do NOT try to make me feel bad for accusing you T. You know that's the first thing that you would think if the roles were reversed. You even admitted that you found it and started taking them! You see where I'm going with this? I am sorry, if you didn't take them though." I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them to meet her gaze. "IF I didn't take them? I just told you that I didn't! If I did, I wouldn't have told you that I took the one fucking pill! You know how hard it's been for me, getting through this WITHOUT taking fucking pain pills! I've worked so hard to stay away from it all. Do you thing that I couldn't get them if I wanted them? I know how the underbelly of any town works, including LA! Hell, it's even easier in LA. It wouldn't take me any time at all to get someone to deliver me drugs, like a twisted version of PostMates! I DIDN'T TAKE THEM!" I was breathing heavily, and my nerves were wound so tight, I felt like a rubber band stretched so far, that it was about to pop. I understood why she didn't believe me. I did. An addict can lie with the best of them. They can make you feel like you're in the wrong, while stealing, cheating, and lying behind your back. Hell, I did things that I never thought I would do, just for drugs. But I knew that I didn't do this, and it was pissing me off that my best friend didn't believe me. "Hey, yo, what is going on in here? We can hear the screaming all the way outside!" I turned my head towards Colby, who had just walked into the room, and closed the door behind him. "That bottle of pills that you gave me is missing," Denise retorted, throwing her hands up, then letting them drop. I watched Colby's face drop as he met my gaze, disappointment in his eyes. "Colby, I didn't! Oh my God, you guys are making it to where I just wanna say fuck it, and go get drunk, or find something else to forget what is going on! I DIDN'T TAKE THE FUCKING BOTTLE! DO YOU NEED TO SEARCH ME? SEARCH MY ROOM? JESUS CHRIST!" I was done. I was so fucking done with this. I stalked past Colby, out the back door, and straight to the cooler. I grabbed a White Claw and popped the tab, then turned it up, gulping it as fast as I could. "TERRA WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" I brought the can down, and found everyone staring at me. I didn't care. "I'm getting drunk," I replied to Aryia, who was rushing over to me. "No, you're not. Give me the Claw. You don't really wanna do this. Whatever it is, it'll pass. You're strong and you can deal with it." I felt the tears well up in my eyes, as I stared into his hazel ones. "No one believes me anyway, so what's the point? I can't fight it if no one fights with me," I gasped out, my voice catching with the tears that threatened to overflow. "I'm here. I'm fighting with you. Elias is fighting with you. We may not know you that well, but we know what you're going through. You can do this. I promise. Now give me the can." He reached out and placed his hand over mine, taking the Claw from my hand. I collapsed into his chest, sobbing. He brought his arms around me and rubbed my back comfortingly. "It's okay. You'll make it. I promise that you'll be okay." I listened to his comforting words, as I just let the stress, anxiety, and hurt pour out in my tears. "Terra, baby girl, come talk to me please." I glanced up, seeing Colby standing next to us, sorrow in his blue gaze. "No," I choked out, pulling away from Aryia.