Adopted by Stromae

quinze

Maelle woke up the next morning, having forgotten everything of the night before. In addition to this, her head felt like it was going to explode.

She tried to think back to what caused the pounding in her head, but thinking made it worse. That was when she remembered everything; the party, the shots, Paul putting her to bed; everything.

She laid back down, placing a hand in her forehead and sighing deeply. At the time, Paul didn't seem too angry, but she knew that in the morning, he would be capable of giving her a full-fledged scolding and, to follow, a full-fledged punishment.

If she had it her way, she never would have gotten out of bed, but the glass of water, bottle of aspirin and note next to her bed told her that she needed to go downstairs  is at some point.

Maelle,

Take the aspirin and drink the water. Come downstairs to see me when you are ready to talk.

Paul

Maelle smiled slightly as she read the note from her foster-father. She also knew that she was in for one hell of s punishment.

+

Maelle sat at the kitchen table with Paul across from her. His arms were crossed, as if he was attempting to look intimidating. In her situation, Maelle would find a Disney princess intimidating, so there was no need to go to extraordinary measures to do so.

"I need you to understand that was you did was completely irresponsible," Paul spoke for the first time.

Maelle nodded, "I know it was. It was probably the most irresponsible thing I've done in my life. If I could go back in time, I never would have gone," She told him honestly. If someone had told her a year ago what she had done in the recent months, she never would have believed them.

Paul looked surprised at this. He expected a few snarky comments, which was what he usually got from the seemingly impossible teenager in his care, "Why did you do it, then, Maelle?" He asked her quizzically, "Were you pressured into going by that other girl? The one who brought you here?"

Maelle shook her head, "It was her idea to bring me there and, sure, she pushed for it, but I'm capable of making my own decisions. I don't get pressured into doing anything I don't want to do," She told him, "I head that alcohol made you feel better, sometimes. I needed that, Paul. Too much has happened too quickly. I just couldn't take it anymore. You probably don't understand," She sighed sadly.

Paul closed his eyes. He never wanted this young girl to dig herself into the same hole that he had, so he needed to stop this before it began, "Maelle, I need you to understand how dangerous alcohol can be, so I'm going to confess something. That you cannot repeat," He began, sighing quietly, "I was an alcoholic. Or rather, I still am an alcoholic, but I've been sober for years. That part of me will never leave. I will never not be an alcoholic, no matter how many days I have been sober." He looked down. If he saw her face, he may not have been able to continue what he needed to say.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Maelle asked him quietly.

"I can't just tell you empty threats of the dangers of alcohol. You need to really understand how much it consumes your life, how dependant you can get from it. I have firsthand knowledge that I plan on sharing," He cleared his throat before continuing, "I started drinking to compensate for everything. I had a bad day; I drank. Something went wrong; I drank. I was feeling sad; I drank. It made me feel good, but mostly just numb. Eventually, a couple years ago, after realizing that I couldn't quit my myself, I checked myself into a rehabilitation centre. My drinking almost ruined my life, Maelle," Paul told her, finally looking her in the eyes.