"Are you going to tell me what's up or do I just keep driving?" Seb asked glancing at me briefly.
"Not that important, do you uh.. do you have any of those pills you were selling at the bakery the other night?" Seb pulled over now turning the engine off.
"Look I don't know if that's the best-" Seb reasoned but I cut him off.
"If you're not going to give them to me then I'll just go somewhere else." I snapped not knowing what was coming over me.
"Fine, just wait. I'm only giving you three for now, you might crash after these because it's your first time." Seb agreed pulling a small packet out of his pocket with three little pills.
"Crash?" I questioned taking the packet from him.
"When the effect wears off, you could get jumpy as fuck." Seb pointed out glancing down at the packet he'd given me.
"Take me home." I spoke and Seb simply nodded before turning the van around and heading back towards my street.
It was quiet between us the whole way back, I didn't tell him about Lip and he didn't try to ask what happened anymore. I unclipped the seat belt as he pulled up outside my house, I opened the door to step out but he caught my wrist before I could leave.
"Promise me you'll be careful with those pills." Seb stated seriously, his eyes locked on mine.
"Yeah I will, relax. I'll see later." I shot back pulling my wrist from his grip, I climbed the steps of the porch and patted my pockets for my key.
"Shit." I mumbled under my breath thinking that maybe I'd left it inside.
I decided to try and open the door, it wasn't locked which was unusual for grandma. I slipped inside nevertheless careful not to make much noise, I picked up the key from the dish by the door and locked it. I walked upstairs cringing when the wood creaked beneath my feet, I stopped still to listen for any movement but couldn't hear anything.
I walked into my room and pulled the hat off tossing it across the room, I ran a hand through my hair and pulled the packet out of my pocket staring down at the three little pills. I opened the seal and took one of the pills out, I held it between my fingers before bringing it up to my lips and swallowing it.
I put the packet in a book in my nightstand and pulled out a half empty bottle of vodka, I screwed the cap open and took a gulp welcoming the burning sensation through my throat. I waited feeling no different so I kept drinking the vodka until I felt a little tipsy, it was around forty minutes later when I first felt it. My fingers felt lighter, it was almost as if I weighed nothing. I looked around the room my vision was blurry and I struggled to contain the sudden bursts of laughter.
I laid back on my bed and stared at the ceiling lifting my hands up and waving them through the air. I could smell the crisp, cold breeze blowing in through my window. I felt like I was on cloud nine, I felt like I could do anything. I stood up and climbed out through my window onto the flat roof which was covered in snow, I laid down spreading my arms and legs out. I giggled and took another gulp of vodka, I burst out laughing when the bottle spilled slightly. I placed it standing near my head and moved my arms and legs back and forward to make a snow angel, the crunch of the soft snow filled my ears. It felt amazing, I felt happy and it took the earlier hurt I had been experiencing away.
I gather some snow in my hands and threw it off the roof, I stumbled gripping the vodka in my hand before crouching down to get back into my room. The rush was my favourite part, I felt like I could climb a mountain if someone asked me to. I stood up on my bed soaking the covers with my wet shoes, I jumped up before falling flat on my face. The bottle smashed next to me and I laughed again finding it hilarious.
I hadn't slept at all when the sun came up, my head started to spin a bit. My vision was a bit blurry, I shut my window almost slipping on the wet floor at the far side of my bed. I rounded my bed to see the smashed vodka bottle on the floor, I heard footsteps coming upstairs. I scrambled for the blanket at the end of my bed, I threw it on the glass and kicked it under my bed making sure not to leave any glass behind. I got into bed pulling the damp covers over me and waiting to see who opened the door, the handle twisted after a knock.
"Morning Bethany, is everything alright? You seemed upset after you came home from work, did something happen?" Grandma questioned stepping into my room and shutting the door behind her.
"It was just a silly disagreement with Ian, I'm sure we'll sort things out today." I lied straight through my teeth hoping she wouldn't be suspicious and leave soon.
"He's been a good friend to you and silly disagreements aren't things to lose friends over." Grandma reminded me and I gave her a small smile.
"Bethany, it's so cold in here.You should've told me, maybe I should buy a small heater for this room until I can get somebody to come look at it." Grandma added looking around the room.
"You don't need to do that, I woke up early to see the sunrise although there wasn't much sun with the snow. I left the window open for a little too long." I brushed off and grandma raised her eyebrows at me.
"Oh right, well maybe leave the sunrise watching until summer. There will be breakfast downstairs in a few minutes, you should start getting ready for school." Grandma advised and I felt my hands sweating as they clutched the covers.
"Yeah I'll be right down when I get changed." I responded waiting until she left and shut the door behind her.
I laid against my pillow with a sigh, that was fucking close. My mouth felt all dry, I was sweating a bit more too. I got out of my clothes from last night and changed, I walked across the hallway into the bathroom and brushed my teeth.
I grabbed my book bag and went downstairs to the kitchen, Grace sat eating pancakes dosed in syrup happily. I sat down at the table across from Grandma, she had already left two pancakes on my plate. I sprinkled some sugar and lemon juice over them, I felt Grandma's eyes on me.
"Bethany, you look a little under the weather. Are you sure you haven't caught a cold?" Grandma worried, I felt my heart beating faster in my chest.
She wasn't catching on was she?
"No I'm fine, just a little tired." I replied with a half smile, she seemed to buy because she didn't say anything further.
"Come on, Beth. Debbie and the guys will be waiting for us." Grace urged with some pancake still in her mouth.
"Grace, don't speak with your mouth full." Grandma warned, I stood up from the table and she started to clear it.
"I'll help you?" I offered picking up my plate but grandma waved me off.
"Nonsense go get to school and make things right with Ian." Grandma declined and Grace looked at me in confusion when Grandma said Ian.
"Okay, we'll see you later." I called over my shoulder following Grace out the door.
Debbie and Carl were walking down the steps of their house across the street with Ian coming out the door behind them. I sighed in relief with no Lip in sight.
Grace ran ahead to join Debbie and Carl, Ian waited for me and I felt my teeth chatter from the cold.
"Hey you look like you died and came back to life, what the hell have you been up to?" I asked with a laugh.
"Just didn't sleep much last night after the fight with Lip." I told him and he narrowed his eyebrows looking at me.
"You had a fight with Lip?"
Shit he hadn't told Ian.
"Yeah I thought he would've told you, I found him on the steps of Steve's house with a lot of beer. He told me about Karen and Frank so I sat with him, but then he got angry because I wouldn't sleep with him. He was drunk and asked me what was wrong with him? He then accused me of being jealous of Karen. I took yours, Fiona's and Kev's advice. I told Lip how I felt about him and he said he likes me but he still has feelings for Karen, I was pissed at him for the way he spoke to me so I left." I explained and Ian shook his head.
"He's such an idiot, I don't get why he still wants Karen after what her and Frank did. He's really losing out on a great girl." Ian pointed out and a smile rose to my lips.
"Are you hitting on me?" I teased trying to lighten the mood and change the subject.
"Maybe if I wasn't gay..." Ian trailed off with a smirk.
"It all makes sense, that's why he's moping around. He's staying at home too, he can't face what people are going to say about the video." Ian added adjusting his backpack on his shoulder.
Lip running away from his problems, there's something you don't see everyday.
It was last period and I was heading to physics, I was looking forward to getting through the class and just getting home. It was a bonus not having to see Lip or so I thought, he was already sat at our bench when I walked in.
I shivered as I sat down next to him, I had been getting cold shakes the whole day. The projector was turned on for the slideshow and I cringed at the light, I looked down at the table. I felt Lip's eyes watching me the whole time.
"Are you okay?" Lip asked, I felt like his eyes were studying me.
"Lip this would be a lot easier if we just didn't talk, I'm really tired and just want to get home so if I can just be left alone to get through this last period that would be great." I answered and he didn't say anything else for the remainder of class, in fact as soon as the bell chimed he left ahead of me.
Maybe this wasn't going to be as hard as I thought.
Author's Note;
Hopefully a twist you guys didn't see coming with Beth asking Seb for drugs. I am in no way an expert on drugs at all, far from it. I've been doing my research to try and make it realistic but this is my first time writing about drug usage and unfortunately I can't get everything right.
Do you think Beth is going to start taking drugs more often?
Did her grandma suspect something?
Did Lip suspect something?
Leave a comment below and please vote if you enjoyed the chapter, I'll try update soon again but I have been experiencing a short period of writer's block. Fingers crossed it's all over, thank you all for the support. This story has blown up thanks to you guys so I'll see you at the end of the next chapter.
UNEDITED