Lure To The Woods

XV

When I was finally allowed to check myself out of hospital, I welcomed the outside world with open arms. Mum loaded my balloons, get well soon cards and flowers into the car, watching me act like an idiot with a cocked eyebrow. She was still pretty mad- her mind was convinced that Xavier had been funnelling me drugs and that I was protecting him. 

If only she knew it wasn't quite as simple as drug withdrawals.

I wish I could chalk that terrifying episode down to me being reckless with drugs, but I honestly didn't know what it was. It had been driving me crazy- trying to figure out what was wrong with me was fruitless. I honestly thought I was going to die at one point that night; the pain was harrowing.

Xavier had promised me my long awaited answers and I planned to get them as soon as possible. I'd had a lot of downtime to think about everything and I wasn't letting him back out of telling me now. I needed to know.

"Come on, it's late. I'd like to get home." Mum waved me over to the car, starting the ignition. 

I jumped in, filled with relief that I was finally leaving. I wasn't a big fan of hospitals at the best of times, especially not when the doctor was kind of unnerving. He was absolutely adamant that I must have taken something, pushing that theory onto my mum- who in turn blamed Xavier. Little did she know, my friends were the ones who did the drugs, not Xavier. Hell, one of them was a damn drug dealer. 

"Straight to bed tonight." Mum lectured, "You need all the rest you can get. I don't think you should be going to any parties, not for a while. You should know better than to do drugs, Cam! I'll be keeping a closer eye on you."

"I told you, I don't take drugs." I groaned.

It wasn't a total lie. I do drugs, but I hadn't done the drugs that they were accusing me of doing. That doctor had an agenda, I swear to god. My friends had all visited this morning, bringing me gifts to make me feel better. I was glad they didn't mention Xavier, because it would have set my mum off again. 

I knew for a fact that what I was experiencing that night wasn't drug withdrawals. I had a feeling it was all connected to Xavier and judging by his reaction to me being in the hospital, I was right. All I needed now were answers. 

My stomach growled- I was really looking forward to normal, non-hospital food. I hadn't been in there long, but it was long enough to make me see junk food in a new light. I had taken it for granted, when I should be thanking my lucky stars that I didn't live on a diet of hospital food. Also, I was literally dying for a cigarette. I had left my pack in my room, since I had obviously left in a rush, and I couldn't smoke my friends stash when they visited because Mum was watching me like a hawk.

I may be eighteen, but she'd still throw a hissy fit if I told her I smoked regularly. Especially now that she thought I was some druggie teen. I blame the doctor for that entirely; what a dickhead thing to say.

We pulled up to the house and I breathed a sigh of relief. I had spent way too much time cooped up in a room with Mum, so it was nice to have the opportunity to have my own space back. I was glad she found me when she did and I appreciated it, but there's only a certain amount of snide, accusatory remarks I can take. 

Mum unlocked the front door and I bounded upstairs, telling her that I was going to go straight to bed, since it was late at night. I looked around my room, my stomach sinking. Everything was exactly how I left it that night, the bathroom light still on. Good thing she'd turned the shower off, or that would probably still be running too. 

I locked my bedroom door behind me, switching off the bathroom light and going straight for my snack collection. I grabbed a packet of biscuits and a bag of crisps, taking them to my window. The immaculate sea salt and cider vinegar taste came highly anticipated after only eating unseasoned potatoes in different forms for a week.