The Flames of Medicine

25

Claire

I'm running home from school, drenched and holding my tears in. It's been a month since I was taken in by Laura and live with Landon and Sarabeth. I see the familiar street and run even faster than before barging in to the house.

I look towards the living room and see Laura having sex with some dude and the syringe with the white powder next to the spoon and lighter on the floor. She didn't even notice me, or if she did, she didn't acknowledge me, just like the past month. I close the door to my room and throw my now muddy backpack on the floor and let myself slide down the wall not being able to hold my tears in anymore.

*ding*

I check my phone and see that it's Sophia.

Sophia Karter <3

S: Hi hon! I won't be able to go over this week for our weekly review, i have to postpone for next week okay? Anything new or anything u want to tell me?

S: Hope all is well! Laura just gushes to me about you every A&l,;./time i call to check on u :)

I stare at the screen and just throw it on my bed.

I hate this.

I start to feel my chest get tighter and I know what's about to happen. I get my Hamtoro plush and cuddle him to my chest as I lay down on the floor trying to fight the tears.

I hear a soft knock on my door.

"Claire, I'm coming in."

"no."

"I'm not asking okay?"

I hear fumbling with the door and see it open.

Landon walks in soaking wet as well with a dry blanket. He looks at me and sighs throwing the blanket around me.

"please talk to me Claire."

"nothing happened, I just didn't want to stay in school. That's all."

"Clay, I saw what happened. I saw them throw your books and push you. I saw them."

"nothing happened."

"Claire. You have to report this! You have to tell the principal or someone in school so that they are aware that those bitches are following you and hurting you!"

"YOU DON'T THINK I'VE DONE THAT? I SPOKE TO THE TEACHERS. 2 TEACHERS. I SPOKE ABOUT IT TO TEVIN. NOTHING HAS CHANGED. NOTHING. NO ONE WANTS ME. NO ONE LOVES ME. i'm not capable of ever being loved." I sob out as I clench the blanket to my body shaking trying to get some air in.

"Clay," he skoots closer to me on the floor. "Clay, you deserve to be loved and i know the situation with Laura is not the fucking best. It's one of the worst. But i'm liking having you around. We've only been friends for a month, so give me some time, but you're starting to be the best thing in my life because I have someone that self deprecates like me, laughs with me, laughs AT me, understands my low points and also doesn't question the stupid shit i sometimes do because you do stupid shit sometimes that I find weird but we can be weird together and --"

"Lan you're rambling." I say chuckling a little.

"oh. but you get what i mean right? Clay, I was miserable before you got here. Yeah, Sarabeth is here too, but she's in kindergarten. I can't even talk to her about what a boner is and how embarrassing it is to get one during science class. Like WHO gets turned on in biology lessons?"

"well, the mitochondria is the power house of the cell, and maybe it powers YOUR cell."

Landon burst out laughing as I started to chuckle, then laughed with him.

"see? she's great but she can't make comments like that. Claire, please, don't go through this alone. Talk to me about it okay? Let's promise each other that? That we'll talk to each other? no one else listens or pays attention to us. so let's be the difference we need in our lives. I want you to be the happiness in mine. I want to be the best thing in your life like you are in mine."

I looked at him with tears in my eyes as he said that seriously and staring at me with tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

"I -- i'll try --"

"no, promise it Claire. We already live a life of misery. We can't give in to it. I'm promising it to you so you have to promise it too. I don't want to lose you."

i sighed but I knew he was right.

"I promise Lan. I promise."

I smile.