Roommates || Tayler Holder

Part 25

trigger warning- overdose mention, suicide mention, drugs, alcohol abuse

Cleo's pov

questions were asked, stories were told, laughs were shared, and we had 4 shots left.

"Ok, my t-turn again." I stuttered. He picked up a glass and shot it down.

"Who's Charly?"

Tayler sighed and ran his hand through his air. 

"She doesn't go here, we met a while ago at a party. We hooked up that night and a few nights after that. She had a boyfriend so we would sneak around and sh*t. Not my proudest moments but yeah. After a while we just called for "stress relief" and when you left I called her."

"So you fu*ked her cause you missed me, smart move."

"I regret it ok, my turn to ask. Drink,"

I downed my shot and was ready for him to ask me anything/

"Why haven't I met Sierra?"

"I- ask-k me something else."

"No, who is she? You said I get to ask whatever I want,"

⚠️It starts here⚠️

This would be hard so I took my next shot, "Ok, she's my sister. Was my sister I guess, she's dead now. She was depressed and going through a lot. She lived by no one's rules, marched to the beat of her own drum which marched her to parties and drugs and then to the grave. She would sneak around and I'd cover for her, she lived with my grandma because my parents couldn't stand her. She'd still come to visit me though, secretly of course. My parents didn't want me hanging around her, thought she'd corrupt me, or some shit"

 "Cleo, I'm so sorry."

"No need, she's gone. A lot of stuff I have no I wouldn't have without her, the boys, field hockey, everything. She kept me out of parties and in the library. She would tell me that I was like Queen Cleopatra, above all this dumbness of the world. I just really wish she was here today. She kept her life a secret from me, my sister was like a stranger. All I knew about were some of the drugs she took, heroin being the worst," 

⚠️Ends here⚠️

He looked at me racking his brain for something to say.

"Let's call it a night, I'm all secreted out."

"But I still have 2 shots," 

I smiled at him, "I'll save those for another night." I went to bed and fell asleep right away.

I started stirring and I could hear my sister calling my name.

"Cleo help me, please help me,"

I was running to where the voice was coming from, there was a hallway with a light at the end. With every stride I took the voice got fainter and fainter, the light getting dimmer and dimmer.

I started calling her name. 

"SIERRA! WHERE ARE YOU! SIERRA!"

+

Tayler's pov

I was trying to fall asleep after hearing Cleo's story.

From her side I could hear her tossing, then she started yelling.

I went to her bed but she was still sleeping and crying. 

"Cleo, wake up. it's not real. You're ok,"

She woke up slowly and started crying. I held her while she cried.

She started hyperventilating. I rubbed her back slowly, "Cleo, look at me. I need you to calm down before you pass out ok. Let's name some restaurants because I know I'm hungry and we haven't gone shopping yet ok. I'll start, Wendys. McDonald's..."

"C-Chick-,"

"Yeah, Chick-fil-a. Love their fries,"

"Y-yeah," 

She started slowing down her breaths, I held her hand and looked into her eyes. 

"Thank you Tayler, I don't know what happened. I thought I saw Sierra, she needed me and I-i couldn't help her. I let her die,"

"You were having a nightmare, Cleo, it wasn't your fault. You're here with me, ok. Do you want to call Daniel?"

"No, I don't want to worry him. Can we go somewhere?"

"Yeah, get dressed and let's go." she walked to the bathroom and closed the door. 

+

We got in my car and just drove around. 

I put on the radio and turned it down. Loud enough for us to hear but quiet enough that if she started talking I could hear. 

"You up for some food?" My treat," I looked to see if I had gotten any reaction from her.

A small smile formed on her face, "Can we get (your fav fast food)?" 

"I was hoping you'd say that, anything for the princess."

+

We got our food and parked in the back of the parking lot. I turned on the lights and we ate in silence for a little.

"Do you wanna come watch my game on Friday?"

"Of course, I've never watched field hockey but it seems fun. Can I invite the others?"

She nodded and we went back to silence. 

The night seemed to last forever as we sat together, I was contemplating trying to start a conversation but didn't want to pressure her.

I just enjoyed the comfortable silence.

"We should head back now, I don't know about you but I have like 4 classes tomorrow," I chuckled.

"Yeah, we should but can we make one more stop?"

+

"Why are we here Cleo?"

She had taken us to a graveyard.

"So you can meet Sierra, c'mon."

I followed her through the dark, there is no way she could see anything. It's like she could feel her way to the grave.

"Here, Sierra I brought a friend. Remember the boy I told you about? This is him,"

I again found myself looking for something, anything to say. 

"H-hi Sierra, it's nice to meet you."

"Oh shit, I didn't bring you any flowers I'm sorry,"

"Oh um here," I pulled out a piece of paper from my back pocket and gave it to Cleo.

She looked at it and smiled, "You drew this?"

I nodded. 

She gave it back to me, "You place it," 

I knelt down and placed the drawing on her stone.

"Now you've met her," she sighed. I engulfed her in a hug.

+

dear reader

hi

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate

my brainpower is being used for high school essays so please comment ideas

i love you all

xoxo shelley