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My heart is literally on the floor, My mind is racing, the room around me is spinning, the edges of my vision have gone hazy, and for some reason, I'm still drinking.

***

I wake up sitting against the wall, cold and groggy. When my eyes finally focus, I find myself against the door that leads to the balcony. My heart drops to my stomach when I come to terms with the reality of my situation.

I'm here. I'm in ruins, but I'm here. While the rest of my family is back home in Philadelphia.

It's been three weeks since I've spoken to them. But oh my word, it feels like years.

The messages and missed calls are piling up. They're worried, but they don't know why.

I pull myself to my feet and step to the rail. I have to close my eyes.

The world around me seems to shake. It rumbles with the sounds of the life. The roar of traffic and even the buzz of indecipherable conversation coming from nearby balconies.

I draw in a deep breath and let it out with a sigh.

I don't want to meet Cory and Topanga's child.

It isn't against either of them. But the fact of the matter is, they're advancing in life. They're moving forward. I'm not sure I can handle speaking to them when every step I take feels as if I'm moving backwards.

I'll be gone before this baby comes.

I'm no longer taken aback by my morbid thoughts. They come and go just like influenza.

And I've got a bad case.

***

I stand out on the balcony for a long time, watching the streets buzz beneath me. They don't sleep, and neither do I. I've never been so restless in my life.

I fell downhill quicker than I had ever imagined, and it's a slick slope.

I finish off my bottle of Budweiser and drop the bottle off the balcony. I watch it fall for quite some time, and I don't even hear it hit the ground.

I reach down and grab another bottle from the pack by my feet, popping the top off with my teeth and starting in on another drink.

I swore to Cory that I'd never drink again. Things got bad back home when I first started drinking... Almost tore me and Angela apart. I didn't stop there though. After my dad died I fell right back in.. it took Cory a long while to get me back out. He's since expressed to me how much that scared him and made me swear on my life that I'd never drink again.

I do care about the promise I made to Cory. Just not what I swore it on. Maybe if I had sworn on his life, or Angela's life. I'd be more careful. But standing here, on the edge of the balcony, 17 floors above the ground, four and a half bottles into another six pack, I don't really care that much.

I won't leave again Not without a proper goodbye. Not leaving Cory and Topanga thinking I'm so excited about their baby, and Angela thinking I'll come back for her. I couldn't do that. No. I'd have to at least write a decent letter, and I won't be able to do that until I've at least slept a decent few hours.

We'll see how long I last.

I think about calling Cory, telling him everything, apologizing, quitting my job and running back home. But I'm not that weak, I can last a little while longer. I finish off my drink and head back inside, crashing on the couch for only God knows how long.

***

The best part about Los Angeles has been the work. I space out entirely when I enter news scenes and start interviewing folks for my column. It's really as if the job was meant for me. I hate to toot my own horn but I really am a natural at this.

I'm doing very well and it's been recognized already. A month into work and my names already buzzing around the main office. The high I get off the attention there is amazing. These people don't know me. I can be literally anybody, and they wouldn't know the difference.

I smile, I wave at them and I tell them I'm doing well. It's easy to lie when the people asking you don't truly care how you are. I mean, after all I'm here for the work and nothing else, right? Nothing else. So I might as well put everything I've got into this job. I'm determined to make the best of my short time here, there will be a name left when I'm gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Hi everybody! I swear I never thought it would take me a year to get this next chapter out and I'm so sorry. I hope you all are still here to enjoy my story and I hope to write more for you in the near future!

xoxo, ~Maddie

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