Davis spent his lunch hour hiding in the library, college brochures spread out in front of him. A small stack of stickie notes helped him mark where the closest NA meetings were to the various campuses. He had another year of high school after this one, but his latest mantra was all about preparedness.
Plus it gave him something to do. Something so he didn’t have to think. Because if he let himself think, he would start thinking about the fact that Cason Martin’s name had been on the schedule for the clinic that day.
Oh, this campus has a meeting on-site. He wasn’t going to think about Cason Martin, a girl he wasn’t sure he could pick out of a line-up, but a name he knew nonetheless. He could think about NA meetings and staying sober.
A distant cacophony pulled him from his thoughts of college NA meetings and not thinking about Cason Martin. Alexis Foster came into the library like a bull. She hurtled through the bookshelves, elbows rocking displays, her entire body crashing into tables and study carrels. Davis hid in the school’s library at lunch for just this reason.
Alexis demanded attention.
“Hey there, Davis.” Her body leaned on the round table separating them, her arms stretching out to reach him. “You’re looking good.” She looked at him through makeup-caked lashes.
“What’s up, Alexis?” He tried to keep his voice down, not wanting to draw attention to them. Really, he wanted her to leave. And more importantly, leave him alone.
“A date.” Her speech was only somewhat slurred. “There’s a thing tonight.”
“I’m pretty busy here.” He motioned to the books and college packets spread in front of him. It was nearly April and Davis had a lot of catching up to do on college visits and essays.
“You know these things don’t start until late.” She didn’t recognize a blow-off when it happened. “You’ve always been my favorite.” Alexis started to reach for him, but Davis moved back before she could.
Davis ran a hand through his short brown hair; he sometimes wished he still wore it long so he could pull it. “I was never your favorite. I brought good dope.”
“I bet you could still get good dope.” He smelled the chemicals that clung to her. He’d bet she hadn’t showered in a week.
“No thanks.”
“Come on, I hear that Ethan has got a ton of new shit.”
“Alexis, I’m not into that anymore.” He stood then, trying to get her away from the prying ears of everyone in the quiet library. Alexis moved in, reaching for anything she could touch on him.
“I need you,” she whined, tugging on his shirt sleeve and moving in closer to him. Davis could see the depths of her addiction then, bloodshot eyes, exhaustion, but also being so wired she almost vibrated.
He shouldn’t talk to her. He should pull away and find another place to hide, but Davis let her pull him, taking him out of the library and into an empty classroom.
“I know, I screwed up. Okay? I owe Ethan a lot of money.”
“I can’t help you.” He moved away from her quickly, putting empty desks between them. “I don’t do that type of thing anymore.”
“You can help me!” she begged. “You can get drugs from that hospital.”
“No, I can’t.” The idea alone was stupid. “Alexis, I can’t just open up the drug locker and get stuff.”
Like a balloon that had a slow leak, Alexis began to dissolve in front of him. “Davis, why did you do it?” Sadness etched into her tired eyes.
“Do what?”
“You left me.”
“I was arrested.”
“I’m sorry about all of that.” She was whining, moving toward irritation in nanoseconds. “I shouldn’t have told the cops that you had the dope.” When he turned away from her, she only got louder, rage replacing the sorrow from just seconds before. “Your rich parents and fancy lawyer got you out of it anyway.”
“Shut up, Alexis.” And there was the truth. He knew she didn’t want him to come to the party tonight; she wanted his parents’ money to come to the party.
“You got a slap on the wrist,” she said. “Now your life is a movie of the week with the happy ending and everything. He’s going to kill me, Davis.” Tears came fast and furious, leaving dark streaks of makeup under her sunken eyes.
“Tell your parents.” He softened, his desire to try and help her coming through.
“They kicked me out.” Her words stopped him. Alexis had been to countless psychiatrists and programs, but still managed to find a way to use. Never ready to give up the lifestyle. “I’ve been living with people.”
“I’m sorry you were kicked out.” There would be no helping Alexis Foster. She had to be the one to decide to be sober.
“You’ve got to help me, Davis!” Manipulation poured out of her. She tried anything she thought would get him to help her. “This is all your fault!”
“This is not my fault.” Anger flared over his words. “I can’t fix this for you.”
“You got me hooked.” Even in withdrawal, she knew exactly where to hit for maximum punch.
“I didn’t make you use.”
“I used because I wanted you to like me and now I can’t quit.” There was a truth there that Davis didn’t want to think about. He knew that when he’d first offered to show her how to crush up the prescription pain pill, how to get the best high, that she’d been doing it because of him.
“You don’t want to quit.” His shoulders sagged in defeat.
“How would you know?” She was yelling. He knew any minute a teacher would return or someone would hear her.
“You can get help.”
“Oh yeah, what should I do?”
“There are ways to get help, protection, people who want to help you.”
“Maybe I’ll just tell Ethan that you’ve got my money.” Davis ignored the stupid threat.
Ethan wouldn’t come after Davis.
Right?
“You can get help.” He tried once more, wishing he could find the girl he’d known before. Before scoring had become their only desires.
“Fuck that, Davis.” She spit. Her personality switched again, anger lacing her words, her posture. “I just need money to get him off my back.”
“I know.”
“I only ever liked you for your money, you know.”
“I know, Alexis.”
If you go, you could get high. The words tickled his brain, down his spine, over his extremities. And instantly, he could taste the high. Feel it pulling on his stomach and speeding up his heart. God, it would be so easy.
“Just give me the fuckin’ money.” She started toward him, rage pulsing from every pore of her exhausted and used body. “I can make your life hard, Davis.”
“Is there a problem here, Ms. Foster?” One of the teachers on hall duty found them, and Davis had never been more grateful for them.
“No, Mrs. Lewis.” Alexis sounded like the model student. Not an addict begging him for money.
“Mr. Channing?”
“I’m fine.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, feelings of hate began to stir in his gut. Alexis was garnering him unwanted attention from teachers, he knew that Mrs. Lewis was going to think he was using again. Damnit. “I was just leaving to go see Mr. Williams.”
“Ms. Foster, you’re coming with me.”
“The hell I am.” Alexis screamed. Davis left. He didn’t need to watch her come apart right in front of him.
He ran from the room and straight to Mr. Williams in the guidance counselor’s office.
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