He's Not Like Them- Troyler AU

Chapter 15- Red

Tyler’s POV-

 

“I’m afraid because I do too,” Troye whispers and I see something change. His eyes sink and he lowers his head.

 

“Troye, it’s okay, we’ll make it through this,” I try to comfort Troye.

 

“No, no, you can’t, Tyler,” Troye snaps back and stands up abruptly.

 

“Troye what’s wrong?” I ask calmly.

 

“I can’t hurt you too, Tyler,” Troye says and turns to run, almost whipping me with his wings as he expands them and starts gliding away. I don’t follow him. I have a feeling he wants to be alone.

I lie on my bed and stare at the blank ceiling.  Why is everything so confusing?

 

Troye’s POV-

 

I don’t know where I am going. I need to clear my head. Everything seems cloudy and out of focus. I know what I need. What I want. The withdraw from anexe is really affecting me now. My blood feels too thick pulsing through my veins. My arms and legs feel too heavy. My throat is dry. But my eyes feel like they are swimming. I don’t know what else to do. Tyler will be fine. I know where I‘m going.

 

I land about 20 minutes later, after flying as fast as I could, on an all too familiar doorstep. I find the key I was given on my key ring and take a deep breath. I slip the door open and flip the light switch near the door. Of course... nothing, nobody has paid a light bill in forever, I’m sure of it. I bring up some small flames in my palms and look around. I walk to the window closest to me and slide the blinds open to let in what little light is coming from the afternoon sun. I open some other windows, enough to be able to look around without my flames. I even light a few candles I found. The rooms are still how they were when I left. Organized chaos. We had so much junk but everything had a place. I know because I spent most of my nights continuously cleaning this house as punishment for whatever happened that day. I walk up to my mother’s room. She always kept a secret place for whenever somebody came by they wouldn’t find her guilty pleasures. I run my hand along the wall behind her dresser until I feel a bump. I slide my fingernails underneath it and pop open the little door. I huff and stand back up to push the dresser away when I realize the door can’t open. I never knew what she hid in here but I am eager to know I push the dresser past the door and plop back down in front of it. I pop the door open again and peer into the little safe-like opening. It can’t be more than 7in by 7in but it is jam packed with stuff.

 

I take each item out each by each. A wad of money, sweet. A perscription bottle. A picture of me and my dad, I smile at the bittersweet memory. I still remember this was taken at a park on my 8th birthday. I look at the bright smile on my dad’s face. We used to have so much fun…used to. nothing was the same after my first year at this academy.  I turn back to the safe, sucking in a deep breath, and continue pulling things out.  Another prescription bottle. A satin, blue pouch, I zip it open and find several light blue pills inside. I have no idea what it is. A plastic baggie with maybe 30 anexe pills. I sigh and put the bag aside. Not until I’m done with this. I pull out a few more random keepsakes and random pins or magnets. Then at the very back, the very last thing is a red box. I take it out and unlatch the lid. a fading note sits on the top. I pick it up and read the neat cursive, One sip brings you to another world, a marvelous place. I laugh at the cliche, obscure humor and unwrap the tissue paper surrounding what’s inside. I pull out a small, glass bottle with a blood red substance inside. I sure could use a happy place right now. I lean against the wall and unscrew the cap. I tilt my head back and carefully let a sip slide onto my tongue. I let it mix with my saliva and then I swallow. I slip the rest of what’s left of the bottle in my pocket and wait for it to kick in.  It leaves a bitter taste on my tongue. Nothing happens for a few seconds but then I start to feel my chest tighten. My eyes feel heavy. I let out a shallow breath but nothing comes back to my lungs. My vision is blacking around the edges, so I let my eyelids close and try one more time for a breath of air. I’m always turning up with nothing and this is no different.