Abused Foster

Thirteen

"We're back!" Jennifer calls through the house as she opens the door and walks in.

"Finally! I was about to call and see where you two were." Shaun replies as we walks in from the kitchen with a beer in his hand.

I try not to think too much of it and eat another spoonful of ice cream.

"Oh we weren't gone that long. Where are the guys?" Jennifer asks, looking around.

I wonder the same thing. I haven't heard them since we got back.

"Oh they're," Shaun responds, gesturing towards the back door.
"You can come hang out with us back there, we have another chair along the side of the house. Just remember what I said." He says, turning to walk to the back door.

I blink and look up at Jennifer, who smiles at me in return.
"C'mon, you'll be fine," she says, following Shaun.

I watch them walk towards the back door, contemplating for a moment before I trail behind them.

"Nice of you to join the party! Where's Add- oh, woah," Jace says as he notices me come through the doorway and shut it behind me.

"Jace," Shaun warns, smacking him in the shoulder.

"What?!" Jace retorts, acting as if he wasn't just checking me out.

Shaun rolls his eyes, and I look over at Jennifer who took a seat by Karl, the other empty chair being on her other side, so I'm sitting between Shaun and Jennifer.

I slouch slightly in my chair, pulling my legs up so my feet are on the chair as well and I continue eating my ice cream.

Oh, it's almost gone.

"Pass me the pipe," Jennifer says, pointing to the long glass piece laying on the table, which has some green stuff in it.

I'm guessing that's marijuana.

"Here," Jace huffs, not wanting to give it up.
"I just packed that, too."

"Shoulda smoked faster," Jennifer says, sticking her tongue out at him.

Karl hands her a lighter, and she lights the bowl, sucking for a few seconds before pulling her lips from it, and blowing a big cloud of smoke out.

"Nice one!" Shaun says, smiling as he grabs one of the smaller pieces standing up with water in it.

I huff, watching as he sucks through the big hole on top and burning the marijuana in the bowl, which is closer to the bottom.

"Pass me the bong," Jace says, glaring at Jennifer as she takes another hit off the pipe.

"Chill I'll pack the next one." Jennifer says, blowing her smoke at Jace's face before passing it to Karl.

So that's what they're called. A pipe and a bong.

"Why won't you let Addison try?" Jennifer huffs, looking over at Shaun.

"Hm? Oh, she's too young. You know that." Shaun says, looking up at her.

"I mean, my birthday is in a couple weeks.. I'll be nineteen," I pitch in.

Shaun sighs and rubs the sides of his nose.
"I don't want to get in trouble for supplying a minor. Same for the rest of you." Shaun says, looking at everyone.

"Well, I'll take the risk!" Jennifer chirps, a smile spreading over her face.

Shaun lets out a heavy sigh and looks at her, folding his arms.
"Her lungs aren't even fully developed yet." He replies, raising an eyebrow.

"Neither were yours when you started! You told us all you were sixteen when you started. That's basically three years younger than she is now, since she's almost nineteen!" Jennifer argues.
"She looks like she's never even tried it before, she hasn't said a word and has been watching us since we got here."

"She has a point." Jace says, looking over at Shaun.

Shaun sighs and slumps in his chair, defeated.
"Fine. Just a small hit or two. I don't want her having a panic attack, this being her first time." Shaun gives in, but expresses his concern.

"Yay!! Here, let me pack a new bowl. This ones out." Jennifer says, tapping the ash out of the bowl.

I watch what she's doing, as she opens the circle metal thing that was sitting on the table.

Ohh, I guess that grinds it up? A... grinder?

She packs the bowl, and then passes it to me.

I look over to Shaun, who's watching.
I'm sure it's just to make sure I'm okay.

"Hold it like this," Jennifer says, placing the pipe in my hand and putting my thumb over the hole on the side of it.

"Oh- hold on, that's awkward." I say and adjust my grip on it, until it's sitting comfortably.

"Then you keep that hole covered until you want to finish your hit," she says as she picks up her lighter.

My nerves start going off, but before I know it, I have the pipe to my lips and Jennifer is lighting the bowl for me.
She keeps the flame on it for a second, and after a couple seconds, I pull my thumb off the hole and bring the pipe away from my lips, almost immediately coughing after, the smoke coming out in a huge cloud as I do.

"Here's a water," Jace says, passing a water to Shaun, who opens it and holds onto it until I'm ready.

"Oh.. my god," I say between coughs, until I finally stop.
"That hurt but.. can I have another?" I ask, still coughing lightly as I grab the water from Shaun.

"In a bit. Let yourself recover," Karl replies as Jennifer takes a hit.

I nod lightly, and take a sip of water, which immediately soothes my throat.
I continue sipping off the water, as it gets passed around the table until it comes back to me.

"I gotta go to the bathroom, I'll be right back. Keep an eye on her." Shaun says as he stands up.

"I'll be fine," I laugh, the effects of the marijuana already hitting me.

"Just one more, you probably have a super low tolerance." Jennifer says, as she lights the bowl for me again.

I pull my thumb from the hole, and blow it out, a bit steadier this time. I still cough, but not as much as last time, and sip off the water again.

The effects start to really hit me, and suddenly, I'm slightly dizzy.

"You okay, Addison?" Jennifer asks, looking over at me.

I nod and smile lightly.
"Yeah.. I kinda wanna go lay down though," I say as I start to stand up.

"Wait- hold on! You might fall," Jennifer warns, noticing how high I am.

"Whoa-! I got her," Jace says as he catches me from falling after I trip forward.
"I'll bring her upstairs. Just let Shaun know I brought her to her bed so she can rest," he sighs as he starts leading me towards the back door.

Where is Shaun anyways?

"Come on- don't trip again," he says, noticing my feet barely picking up from the ground as I walk.

"You're not my dad!" I retort, which Jennifer laughs at.

Jace looks down at me, and opens his mouth, obviously trying to figure out what to say.

"It's okay cutie," I laugh, not realizing what I just said.

"Huh?" Jace asks, looking down at me, his eyes slightly wide.

"Excuse me?" Shaun asks as he walks into the doorway, his eyebrows raised.

Oh shit.