Push (Josh Ramsay)

Burning brighter still

I sat up to find myself in an unfamiliar environment unlike the one I had nodded off in. Where the hell am I?
"Hello" I called out in terror.
"Mabel?" A muffled voice questioned as the door opened to reveal a worried looking Josh. What the hell.
I frantically asked, "Josh? Where am I?"
"My house." Oh dear god.
"How did you- Why the fuck did you bring me here?"
"I stumbled across you passed out in the fucking woods Mabel. What was I supposed to do? Just leave you?"
"Actually yes Josh! You just met me today. And now what?! Do you think you have to protect me or something because I can handle myself?"
"Mabel."
"No no you know what I should just get going."
"Mabel wait"
With that I stormed off, a thousand thoughts buzzing through my head. Does he know? What if he saw? Of course he saw. Did he carry me? Oh god I'm so fat. Was he able to lift me? Why did he think- what- why does he seem so- why does he- how did he even stumble on the clearing?
I rushed down the foreign hallway looking for the exit to his fucking house. Get me out of here. I had finally located the door when I realized that I didn't have my bag.

While storming back to what I presume was his room I ran into a body and thumped to the floor. "Mabel I swear every time I run into you you're on the floor"  he chuckled, extending his hand which I refused.
"Get away from me Josh! Just give me my bag!"
"Mabel you know I can't do that until we talk about it"
"It?" please don't
"You know exactly what I'm talking
about" no no no no no
"Fine." I muttered, adding a faint "asshole" under my breath.
"Sit."
Here we go

He started off by mentioning that he had stumbled across my body in the clearing. He had held up a pack of cigarettes to explain that he would go out to the clearing after school as it was a quiet place to think and write while he smoked a cigarette or two. Today however he had noticed me laying in the small bed of grass nearly unconscious. He explained that he had originally intended on just sitting in the grass near me while waiting for me to return to a normal state, however it seemed as if it were about to rain. That's when he carried me to his house. I then thanked him for helping me and silently hoped he wouldn't bring it up.

But he did.
"Mabel"
"Josh"
"You know what conversation comes next and I know it's uncomfortable but it's one that we need to have"
"Fine."
And with that he scooted in closer. His breath smelled faintly of cigarettes, and his blue hair clung to his forehead which had formed delicate beads of sweat. He looked nervous; His eyes no longer had the twinkle I had met just a few hours prior.
"Mabel I don't know how often you smoke nor is it my right to know. I'm not here to lecture you ok so just hold on while I explain. I have a point I want to make. Addiction is like a fire. It's a fire ok. It starts out as just a little spark. That first time, you know, when you say "just once." But it isn't just once. It catches fire quick. Every single time you do it again, you're giving it more fuel. This makes it to continue to burn brighter and brighter. Before you know it, the fire is out of control and you can't extinguish it yourself."
"I can't tell anyone.."
"If you have a problem, keeping it a secret makes it so much stronger"
"I know.."
"Mabel?"
"Yeah?"
"You have to tell someone. You have to get help for this. It will consume you."
"You don't know that"
"I do" what the hell
"Josh..."
"Mabel"
"How-?"
"Because.."
"Josh"

"I've been there."