Sugar // Marliza

22

TRIGGER WARNING please read at your own discretion, skip if you think you'll be triggered because honestly it is quite dark in this chapter and gets very very sad

- Eliza -

After our night out with Aaron and Theo and the calmness with which I fell asleep, I wasn't expecting Maria to be tapping me awake in the middle of the night.

"Hmm?" I muttered, barely awake. She looked up at me, exhaustion in her eyes.

"Your phone is going batshit crazy. It's literally blowing up." She mumbled, pointing to the nightstand where my phone was plugged in as her eyes fell shut again. I woke up a little and leaned halfway out of the bed to check it. I saw texts that spanned from one minute ago to hours ago when I had arrived back home. They were from Alexander. I woke up a little bit more seeing his name across my screen, turning my brightness down as my eyes were burning.

I didn't read any of the messages, but instead decided to just get out of bed and go to the hall to call him. I clicked the call button next to his name as I stumbled through the dark dorm into the dimly lit hallway.

"Eliza?" He whispered after picking up immediately. Something must be wrong, he never texted me this much and his voice seemed quick and breathless.

"Alex, what's the matter?" I asked softly, a bit of anxiety pricking in me. When he heard my voice, he let out a shaky sigh and began to speak again.

"Can you just... do you think you can come over, please? I know it's late and I know you're probably tired and I woke you up but I really need-" He started before I cut him off, my mom-friend instincts kicking in for my best friend.

"Of course, Alex. I'll be over as soon as I can. Do you want me to stay on here?" I said, fully awake now as I silently re-entered the dorm to grab my shoes and tell Maria where I was going. She nodded and I kissed her on the head as Alex responded and I began to walk into the hallway again.

"Yes, please, if you can. I need to know you're safe on your way here, it's better for you to stay on the call. I-I'll explain when you get here, okay?" He said as I speed-walked out of the building, practically running through the streets of New York, passing bars and clubs where people were still talking, laughing and drinking. I must look crazy right now, in my sweats and old t-shirt, a pair of slip-on shoes tossed in my feet with my hair in a messy ponytail on my head.

I finally arrived to Alex's dorm, and the door was unlocked. John didn't appear to be home right now, so I made my way to Alex's room where he was sitting on the floor.

The problem he wouldn't tell me about was evident the moment I got there and immediately sent panic coursing through my veins as I scrambled to call 911. (trigger warning in advance before i describe what's going on).

There were bottles of pills scattered across the floor, open and covering the carpet with a colorful array of medication. Alex was leaned against the bed with red-rimmed eyes and red splotches seeping through his sweatshirt. He looked like he was fading, but he slowly looked over to me with a sad smile.

"I'm so sorry, Eliza." He whispered as I called for an ambulance, feeling tears rushing down my own face. How could this happen, how could I not know? How could I not realize and put together everything he'd been saying, every story and moment of his life he'd been recalling to me over the last months? He was getting ready for this all along, trying to leave his story to someone who could tell it for him once he was gone.

"Alexander, please don't leave me, please." I cried, pulling him into my arms. His breathing was slowing and I knew that if the ambulance didn't hurry up, this was it.