Part 1 (2/2)

”Get off.”

”I just did,” he mumbled against my belly.

”Get off of me,” I clarified, using all my force to push at him and sit up all at once.

”Where are you going?” he asked as I got off the bed and hastily grabbed my clothes.

”What? You want to cuddle?” I tugged on my pants and glared back at him.

He shrugged.

”Go find your f.u.c.king wife.” With that I left the bedroom, pulling my s.h.i.+rt over my head as I went.

I sat s.h.i.+vering on the bus home, my legs drawn up against my chest, my arms wrapped around them. I wished I'd brought my one-hitter. I wished I had some pills with me. I wished that the o.r.g.a.s.m I'd gotten had been enough to still the rapid thoughts I was having. This s.h.i.+t had never happened before. Usually s.e.x calmed my racing thoughts just like weed did. Typically I felt good after doing it and both my body and mind were sated.

But it wasn't like that. I felt worse now.

I was left to deal with the s.h.i.+t playing out in my head.

Shhhh! Quiet, Sophie. Don't wake your mother.

I wanted to puke. I felt sick. Biting the inside of my cheek was the only thing that kept me from screaming. The blood that pooled in my mouth did nothing to settle my stomach or my mind.

I went quickly to the great big house that sat back from the road and hoped like h.e.l.l he could make the s.h.i.+t in my head stop. I couldn't deal with this. I didn't want to deal with this.

Shhhh! Quiet, Sophie. Don't wake your mother.

I s.h.i.+vered and rang the doorbell, relieved when someone answered.

”Just give me something. Please?” I practically begged once inside Aiden's room. I knew he'd be holding. He made a lot of money slinging drugs, and he wasn't the type of guy to be out of what his customers wanted.

”You just said you had no money, Sophie. The s.h.i.+t's not free, you know.”

I nodded. ”No, I know. I've got money, just not on me.”

His eyes narrowed. ”I'll give it to you, but you'd better pay me tomorrow.” He went over to his dresser, pulling open the middle drawer. ”Now what do you want?”

I peered inside, thankfully feeling myself go slightly numb at the mere sight of my choices. ”That,” I answered, pointing. ”And a couple of those.”

It was only after a line was up my nose that I began to feel better. ”Do you want to do one with me?”

Even though he was smiling, he shook his head. ”I sell that s.h.i.+t, I don't do it. It'll rot your brain, not to mention your nose cartilage.”

”'s fine with me,” I said. ”What do I need nose cartilage for?” I did one more line and s.h.i.+vered as the energy, the chemically electrified charge, coursed through me. I stood up and ran my hands through my hair. ”Thanks.”

His eyes were hard and when I tried to leave, he wrapped his hand around my bicep. ”I f.u.c.king mean it. You'd better pay me tomorrow. I don't have time for this 'just give me a little more time to get the money' bulls.h.i.+t. Got it?”

I nodded, sniffing as my nose tickled and burned. ”Yeah,” I huffed. ”I've got the money at home. I'll give it to you tomorrow.”

”Good.” He released my arm, but one of his hands moved to my chest as the other came to press between my legs, and he bit at my lower lip as my eyes slowly closed.

Shhhh! Quiet, Sophie. My eyes snapped open and I pushed Aiden away, which made me stumble backwards until I hit the door, the doork.n.o.b sticking me hard in my lower back. I didn't want to have s.e.x with him.

”I'll give you the money tomorrow,” I repeated as my hands found the k.n.o.b behind me.

He licked his lips and smiled. ”Good.”

Thank my deity of choice, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, that I had enough brain power to buy a few Vicodin from Aiden too. Monday was not going to be easy to handle.

I got up and immediately smoked out when I realized Tom was already gone. While I waited for Jason, my pot connection and ride to school, I took two halves of a pill.

I hadn't slept at all Sunday and spent my entire night pus.h.i.+ng thoughts around in my head, so I spent the first part of my day sleeping through all my cla.s.ses. I liked it. I was sure that I had dreams, but I couldn't sleep long enough to remember them. Before I knew it, I was smoking out again with Jason in the woods.

When I got to the greenhouse for Horticulture, Elliott was already at our table. I'd taken another half of the painkiller and was incredibly high, but still very, very tired. ”Hey,” I said in greeting, never meeting his eyes.

He searched my face and it made me incredibly uncomfortable. I turned away as I sat down. I should've bought more c.o.ke from Aiden yesterday. A b.u.mp would've been great right about now. I pillowed my head on my folded arms.

”S-S-SSSophie?”

I didn't look up when he said my name, but I didn't want him to be upset that I didn't respond. He'd take it as me not liking him or something, and then the kicked-puppy look would appear. ”What, Elliott?”

”Are y-you o-o-okay?”

Closing my eyes, I tried to banish what I heard in my head. Shhhh! Quiet, Sophie. Don't wake your mother. I nodded against my arms. ”I'm good, Elliott. Don't worry about me. I'm fine.”

”Are y-you g-going to take n-notes?”

I shook my head. ”No. I'm sure it'll be more of the same.”

I wasn't sure if he said anything else because I let my mind drift off on a codeine-induced wave of numbness. I think I might've fallen asleep, since I started to have thoughts of beds and bodies in the hidden depths of night falling away from me.

Before I could get into Jason's car to leave school, I felt a strong hand wrap around my arm. ”You have my money?”

I looked up and saw Aiden. f.u.c.k. ”I forgot it at home.” His hold on me tightened. ”OW! Jesus! I have it, just not here.”

He pressed me back against the door of the car and leaned in close. ”Don't play games, Sophie. Give me the f.u.c.king money.”

”It's at home.”

”What the f.u.c.k?” Someone growled behind me.

I turned, very happy to find that Jason had finally made it to his car. While Aiden moved away just an inch, he tightened his hold on my arm. I'd be surprised if I wasn't bruised.

”You'd better tell your girl here that she needs to pay me my money.”

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