Lure of the Monster

Serious Help

As Chance turned onto my aunt's street, I became a little more aware of the situation that we would be walking into. I cursed, running a hand through my hair.

"You're going to have to cause a distraction," I told him as I stared out the window. "My aunt threatened to send me off to a treatment facility if she caught me using again."

Chance arched an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, so just keep her distracted while I run upstairs and grab some things."

"Just act sober." I gave him a look. "What? I did it all the time and my mom never got suspicious of me. Parents want to act like they're smart and all, but sometimes their fucking blind."

"My aunt's a nurse and her boyfriend is a psychologist. Pretty sure that's not going to work in this case."

"Oh," Chance said, frowning.

I nodded as he pulled over to the curb a few houses from my aunt's. The lights were on inside. I should have figured that she'd be up waiting for me. Chance reached over and took my hand.

"I know that we literally just met tonight, but you've got this," he said, squeezing my hand lightly. "Just think, you can have so much more fun once you're out from under her grasp."

"Whatever," I said as we climbed out of the car. "Just keep her distracted for a couple minutes while I grab my shit."

"Will do," he said, saluting me. I stared at him over the roof of the car. "What?"

"We're fucked," I breathed, turning around and walking towards the house. I motioned for him to go to the front door while I went through the back.

As I slipped around the side, I finally noticed that there was an extra car. Noah's. Why did she have to get him involved? I wasn't his problem anymore. I'd never been his problem. I was my own problem. Didn't she realize that he deserved more than the drama I involved him in?

I crouched down and listened as Chance rang the doorbell. A few moments later, I heard it open and several voices speak. Even doped up, my heart seized as I heard them questioning Chance. Apparently they believed that he was the type that I would involve myself with. They knew me better than I realized, I thought as I snuck around the back of the house.

I peered in the kitchen door and, not seeing anyone, slowly opened it and darted towards the stairs, slipping up them as I listened to Chance prattle on about knowing me and any leads that he may have about where I am. It was all a load of horse shit. He was directing them towards one of the abandoned buildings that addicts when to when they didn't have any place to go and the shelters wouldn't take them. I wasn't that far gone yet.

I darted into my room and grabbed my duffel bag out of the closet, quickly stuffing clothes into it. I didn't pay attention to what I grabbed. The basics. Pants. Shirts. Socks. Underwear. Some sweatshirts. A pair of shoes. I stuffed my stash of money and the remaining drugs I had hidden. I grabbed my old phone out of the bottom of my desk drawer and dug around for the charger before shoving it into the bag. My laptop was in Chris' car. I was pretty sure th at I had everything I needed.

I opened the door, shouldering the duffel bag, and ran into someone's chest. I stepped back, looking up into Noah's eyes.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he hissed, shoving me back into the room and closing the door. I could hear Jane's voice rising downstairs as she shouted at Chance. "Do you know the hell that you are putting everyone through?"

"Hm, well, sorry that everything's not all puppies and rainbows," I snapped, moving to go around him, but he shoved me back.

"You smell awful," he said, narrowing his eyes at me. "Are you high right now?"