Flick

XXVIII

"In the morning," I agreed, hardly registering my voice. Nick sighed again, and continued through the living room, not saying a word about the weight of my body pressed into his. "Is Jackson here yet?" I said through a yawn. My head throbbed mercilessly. I looked around one more time for my best friend to come and save me. I was sure he was the only one who could.

"Not yet, kid. Not yet."

"What's wrong with her?" A scraggly female voice whined from the living room. Erica Daily sat up off the couch, glaring at me and her oldest son. The stench of weed and alcohol radiated off her in waves. It made the nauseous feeling in my stomach 10 times worse.

"Don't know. Found her sleeping in the hallway. I'm gonna go put her in Jacks' bed." Nick muttered with a soft sigh. I didn't say anything. I didn't feel like I had the air to even try. "She said someone hurt her."

Erica looked directly at me this time, her gaze burning into my watery eyes. "Someone hurt you, baby?" She asked, a sharp edge to her voice.

I shrugged. "Guess so."

"We're gonna talk about it in the morning, Ma. She needs some sleep." Nick cut her off before his mother could press me any further.

Erica nodded slowly and lied back down. "I'll fuck 'em up for you baby girl. Just say the word and I'll do it."

I nodded against Nick and the older boy led me down the hall and into the bedroom he and Jackson shared. The floor had been littered with needles the last time I was here. But it was clear now. Jackson's bed was still made. He hadn't been in it. I wondered if he had even been home. Worry flooded my tired body.

"Where's Jackson?" I asked for the third time that night. I needed him. So much more than I would ever admit. I felt sick again. Nauseous. Like my stomach was flipping itself inside out.

"He's..." Nick trailed off, watching me with furrowed brows like he wasn't sure what to tell me. "He's out, okay? Not here yet." The unsatisfying answer made my heart jump in my chest a little faster. I needed him here. Out was not here. Out was somewhere I was not. Hot tears stung my eyelids. I blinked them away fast, looking up at Nick with an expression he couldn't seem to decipher. He didn't try very hard to figure it out.

"Are you okay now?" Nick asked, dropping a soft blanket over my body.

I shrugged. "Am I ever?"

Nick frowned and smoothed down the wild strands of brown hair away from my face. "No," He said softly. "But you will be. Someday." He took a step back from the bed, away from me and my fragile state of being. "We'll talk in the morning okay? Get some sleep, lord knows you need it." He sighed and clicked the lamp off, leaving only the lighting in the hall to keep me from the dark. I layed there as his silhouette filled out the door frame, seeming to watch over me from a distance.

"Good night, Flick. Sleep well. We'll all be here for you in the morning."

And for some reason, I didn't doubt that was true.

-FLICK-

A gasp escaped my mouth when I felt cold skin pressing against me.

"Shh, it's just me," Jackson whispered, getting comfortable in the bed beside me. I sighed and flipped onto my back, looking at him with tired eyes.

"Where've you been?" I asked groggily. For the second time that night, I had no concept of what time it was, nor how long it had been since I last shut my eyes. I felt less hazy than I had last time. More aware of my surroundings and myself. I put a hand to my forehead as if that would soothe the throbbing feeling in my brain.