Rosalina was nervous and excited all at once. She couldn't believe she was taking a leap of faith and doing this. She went into the studio and Coraline smiled, "Good to see you made it. Let me show you where you'll be working." She lead Rosalina over to a make up area that was filled with everything Rosalina could ever dream of having. "We want each one to look sexy of course but to look their part," Coraline explained. Rosalina nodded, "You can count on me." When Rosalina got to the first model, she slipped completely into her element.
When Zack and Ricardo joined the rest of them for lunch with out Rosalina, Vance raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me Rose took that job," Christopher said, before Vance could ask. Ricardo nodded with a smile, "We dropped her off before coming here." "What job," Vance asked. "She got a job offer from this studio to be their make up artist on their latest project," Zack explained. "She was excited and nervous." "What studio," Lester asked curiously. "Perfect Shot," Ricardo answered. Peter straightened, "Wait, she's working for Coraline Hester? That woman is a photo genius." "We looked into some of her work when Rosalina first told us about the offer," Ricardo said with a nod. "It's all impressive." "I can't wait to see the final result," Peter said excitedly.
They talked about the upcoming shows and some new club members that Vance was looking into. The doms were going to be at the club for a bit helping Vance look over a few things while the subs were hanging out at Ricardo's. Christopher was the one to pick up Rosalina from work. "How was it," Christopher asked as he saw her bright smile. "It was amazing," Rosalina said and talked about how great it was how happy she was that she took this opportunity.
When they got back to the house Zack gave her a kiss and asked her the same thing. Zack was happy and asked if she wanted in on their game of dominoes. She sat down across from Dominik and noticed he wasn't in the best of moods. "What's wrong Dominik," she asked him. "Just my fucking brother," Dominik muttered. "He relapsed again," Rafael told her. "He keeps saying he'll get clean but every time I turn around he's snorting something again," Dominik said. "It's fucking pathetic. I guess that saying once an addict, always an addict is true." Zack and Christopher flinched at his words, both knowing Ricardo and Rosalina's past. "That's not true," Rosalina said, hiding her pain. He doesn't know, she said to herself.
"Yes it is," he said to her with a nod. "He keeps saying he'll get clean but after a month or so he relapses. It's fucking pathetic that people love the shit despite it literally killing them." "But not all addicts relapse," she told him, getting angry. He scoffed, "I don't believe that for a fucking second." "Well you should," she said. He raised an eyebrow, "And why should I? Not once have I met someone who was addicted and not relapsed after they got clean." "You've probably met them, but because they don't talk about it, you don't know," she said to him.
Zack and Christopher shared a look but before either of them could say anything Dominik popped off. "You're so full of shit Rosalina. Once an addict, always an addict that's been proven time and time again."
"Then I guess I'm a fucking rarity," she said. "Three years, not one single relapse. But I guess that counts for nothing cause after all once an addict always an addict." Dominik, Peter, and Rafael sat there in shocked silence. "Rose," Dominik whispered. "I..." Rosalina shook her head, as she walked away, "I don't wanna fucking hear it."
Zack ran a hand over his face. It went from zero to a hundred in the blink of an eye. "Zack," Dominik said. Zack held up a hand, "You didn't know Dominik." Zack went and followed after Rosalina.
Peter looked at Christopher, "You knew?" He nodded, "Yeah." Dominik put his head in his hands, "I fucked up." Dominik hated himself at that moment. He hurt one of his closest friends, and he didn't mean too. He had to make this right.
Zack ended the phone call with Ricardo, having told him everything that happened as he watched a pissed off Rosalina pace back and forth mumbling things in Spanish.
Ricardo pinched the bridge of his nose and saw Mitchell was on the phone, with most likely Dominik. After ending his call he looked at Ricardo. "What's going on," Vance asked. They explained what was going on and Lester and Vance knew this wasn't going to be an easy fix. "He started off the call declaring he fucked up three times in a row and he wants to fix it," Mitchell said with a nod. "He didn't know though," Ricardo said. "Rosalina doesn't talk about her past."
"She tried to defend though, said he could have met an recovered addict and not know it because they don't talk about it," he said with a sigh. "He claimed it was a big hint that he was just too pissed off to see." "I think it best we get back," Vance suggested and they all agreed.
When they got there, everyone was tense. "They're upstairs," Christopher said to Ricardo. Ricardo nodded and went up the stairs. He opened the door to the room and saw Rosalina pacing back and forth and Zack letting her vent out her anger. "I get he doesn't know my past and he was saying those things because he was hurt for having trusted his brother and his brother broke that trust, but I can't help but be so mad."
"He wants to fix it and apologize," Ricardo said to her. "He didn't mean to hurt you." She ran a hand through her hair as she sighed, her anger starting to leave and her tears coming in. "I'm not really mad at him specifically. I just got so heated over that statement. It takes me back to that time I hit my lowest point. I didn't mean to snap at him, and I tried staying level headed because I know he was just saying it out of anger and pain due to his brother. I just couldn't control myself." "I think it would be a good idea for us all to sit down and talk," Ricardo suggested. "You don't have to tell them your past, but you can explain why it hurt you." Rosalina thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay."
Zack and Ricardo took her hands and they went downstairs. Dominik sat on the couch with his head in his hands between Mitchell and Rafael, both trying to comfort him. Lester and Peter sat on the love seat together while Vance sat with Christopher in his lap in the arm chair. Rosalina sat in the other arm chair while Zack sat on the arm of it and Ricardo just stood behind it, leaning his elbows on the top of the chair. "I'm not mad at you Dominik," Rosalina said with a soft sigh. "What pissed me off is the saying once an addict, always an addict. As I mentioned I'm three years clean without a relapse. Getting clean was extremely difficult though." She then shared her story with them. They all hung on to her every word as she spoke. Christopher had already heard her story once before but every time he thinks about it, his heart cries out for his friend.
She wiped her face as she finished speaking. "I finally have a life that makes me happy," she told them. "I wanted to make that change for myself because I wanted to know what a life without drugs is like. That declaration of once an addict, always an addict is something I prove false every day. Not everyone can do it though, they have to want too like I did. I did everything I could to ensure I couldn't relapse. I moved to a city that I didn't know a single drug dealer in, and I stayed away from those I could tell were using. I understand your anger Dominik, and it is justified because what he is doing is going to kill him. However, it's possible your brother may not want to get sober. I don't share my past with many because the first one I told was my ex dom and he kicked me out because he believed in that statement. I was scared that if I shared it with all of you, I'd be looked at differently. I was even terrified to tell Zack and Ricardo. It's because when I told them, and they still stayed with me, that I am trusting all of you with this."
They were all silent for a few moments. "Recovered addicts are normal people that blend in like normal people," Ricardo shared. "I'm a recovered alcoholic, but I'd like to think that when people look at me, they can't tell. I didn't want to get better till I almost died of alcohol poisoning and Vance had to talk some sense into me. After that I had his support with the daily phone calls from Lester and Mitchell to let me know they believed in me. There is something we all struggle with, but with the right support it won't feel like a struggle. Not everyone has the strength to do it on their own, I know I couldn't. There are times I still look at a bottle of alcohol when I'm stressed and want to drink myself into oblivion but I don't because I know I have something far much better than a drink to help me." "It's good your brother has someone like you to support him, but like Rosalina said, he may not want to get better. If that's the case, then it's not healthy for you to watch as he throws his life away," Mitchell said to him. "Your brother I do believe is a lost cause and needs extreme measures if he wants to get better. I know it's a shit thing to say but it's the same thing over and over with him and that's not healthy for you baby. Just do yourself a favor and cut that toxicity from your life." Dominik sighed softly and nodded. After that they all talked more, getting closer on a more emotional level, exposing their pasts and gaining understanding with one another. In the end, it may strengthen and bring them closer than they ever thought possible.