Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Heroin?
I’m glad Mike and the guys didn’t see this. He would’ve sure as fuck called CPS. I speed clean the rest of the apartment, including the charred pot, before closing the windows that are blowing in chilly air. By the time I make it to our bedroom, I’m tired as hell. I’m glad I already showered at Ms. Frazier’s.
“The Hunger Games,” I state as I walk into the room, flicking off the lights. “You never cease to surprise me, kid.”
“I figured we needed something different.” She curls up on her twin bed, hugging her pillow to her.
I kick off my shoes and sprawl out on my bed. “You okay, Roux?”
“Yeah. You?”
“I’m good.” I let out a heavy sigh. “I’m gonna get us out of here one day.”
“I know.”
“Don’t ever forget.”
“Never.”
I wake to laughing. Loud and high-pitched. Mom. She’s fucked up from the sound of it. Music blares from the living room. God, I fucking hate her sometimes. Yawning, I roll over and grab my phone.
Four sixteen.
What is wrong with these people?
I should have just gone over to Cal’s. David, Cal’s dad, would have given me hell about my mom and shit, but he would’ve let us stay. Now they’re going to wake up Roux and she’s already struggling in school enough as it is without losing sleep on top of it all. I’m just about to tell them to shut the fuck up when the door flings open. A massive body fills the doorway.
Alejandro.
I tense up, sitting up in the bed.
“Where’s Roux?” he slurs.
I’m on my feet in the next instant. “Get the fuck out of our room.”
“Don’t talk to me like that, shitstain.” He laughs, swaying in the doorway. “Roux and I are gonna play a game.”
“You’re not playing shit with Roux.” I storm around her bed and shove him into the hallway. “Stay the fuck away from my sister.”
Alejandro is bigger than me and is always packing heat, but he’s so damn wasted all the time he’s no match for my youth. He recovers and swings at me. I get clipped on my cheekbone by his fist, but I dodge most of it. Slinging my elbow up, I nail him in the nose. He makes a groaning sound and then stumbles back to the other bedroom he shares with Mom. I hear her fussing over him, which pisses me off.
“Tell your dickhead boyfriend to stay the fuck away from us, Mom.”
I don’t wait for an answer. I stalk into the living room to unplug all the shit making noise. An empty Tupperware container that once held lasagna sits on the coffee table where Alejandro and Mom must have dug in. That small thing sets me off more than anything that’s transpired tonight. They know I bring that shit home for Roux and they don’t care. Selfish motherfuckers. I grind my teeth all the way back to our room. As soon as I get the door closed, I drag our dresser over to it to keep that fucker out.
Eventually, I fall back into bed, exhausted as hell. I’m just drifting to sleep when I hear Mom’s loud ass moans and the headboard hitting the wall.
Anger bleeds from me and defeat consumes me in the darkness.
Why is life so fucking hard?
I just want to be normal and have normalcy for Roux.
Thankfully Alejandro doesn’t last long. By five in the morning, I’m drifting back to sleep. I fall asleep imagining a life where we can relax. Where Roux is safe. Where we don’t have to drag dressers in front of the door or put out kitchen fires.
And then, I think of him.
He’s the last thought on my mind before I pass out completely.
Hollis the pretty fucking rat.
Hollis
My phone buzzes in my pocket as I pull into the school parking lot. This time, I avoid parking next to the Ford Explorer and choose a spot several rows back. Of course, in the empty lot, I stick out like a sore thumb. With an annoyed sigh, I swipe open my phone.
Lucas: Saw your dad last night. He looks like shit.
I’m irritated that when I finally get a message from Lucas, it’s referring to my father, not catching up.
Me: Yeah? Why?
Lucas: I don’t know. Just looked tired and angry.
Me: That’s his signature look. How are you doing? How’re Jamie and Wendell?
I know I sound fucking desperate, but I ache for my old life. When it was filled with friendship and laughter. Where Lucas and I would flirt all the time and most everyone chalked it up to a bromance. How we’d sneak off and make out, sometimes jacking each other off within earshot of our teammates.
Lucas: Jamie’s still a dumbass. Wendell’s out for the season. Broke his ankle.
I wince, knowing how much this hurts the team. Wendell was one of the best.
Me: Fuck. That sucks.