Chapter 54
Colton's POV
"I'll be back later to pick you up." My dad said as I got out of the car.
"Okay." I sighed, closing the door. I walked in the front doors of the church that my group counseling was held in. This was my first day in this new group and I'm nervous. It's all teens who have an alcohol problem of some sort, not that I have a problem. I just made a mistake. Fuck, I don't even know where this meeting is being held. I stood in the entry way, hoping to see some sort of sign.
"Excuse me sir, can I help you?" A little old lady asked, walking up to me.
"Yeah, uhm, fuck this is embarrassing- damn wait I mean- fuck. God!" I exclaimed.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"Look, it's embarrassing that I'm saying this in a church but I'm here for some sort of teen alcohol group counseling meeting. Do you have any idea where that would be?"
"You're a little young to be drinking, aren't you? Anyway, just follow me. I know exactly where it is." She walked down the hall until we came to two doors with a sign that said 'sanctuary'. She led me into the large, dark room and around a corner until we came to a door that had bright light shining through it.
"Here you are." She said, opening the door.
"Thanks." I said and walked in. An adult and four other teenagers were sitting around a table.
"Welcome, you must be Colton." The adult smiled at me, standing up.
"I am." I said as she walked over to me.
"I'm Angie, your counselor." She said, holding her hand out to me.
"Hi." I said, shaking her hand.
"Have a seat." She said. I nodded and sat in an empty chair, looking at the other kids in the circle. One girl and three other guys.
"Okay, lets start with having the four of you introduce yourselves to our new member." Angie said, looking at the other kids.
"I'm Dylan, 17, failed a grade because I couldn't stop drinking. Parents made me enroll in this."
"Thomas, 15, got caught with alcohol at school."
"Isaac, 16, went to a party and got drunk. Parents flipped and put me in here."
"Isabella, 16, got caught buying alcohol with a fake ID."
"Okay, Colton, why don't you tell us a little about yourself."
"Uhm, I'm Colton, 16, I'm required to be here by the state."
"Why does the state require you to be here?"
"I got a DUI." I sighed.
"Tell us more Colton." Angie pried.
"Fuck this, I just have to be here. I don't have to say shit."
"Colton, this is the first step to solving your probl-"
"I don't have a fucking problem. I was at a party and got drunk. I got behind the wheel and I crashed my car into a tree. It was a mistake. Look, drinking and driving isn't cool, I know. Nothing I can do about it now."
"You can cooperate. The faster you cooperate, the faster you're done." I sighed and looked at Isabella. She was really pretty. She has shoulder length blue hair and brown eyes with pale skin.
"My girlfriend had just told me she was cheating on me so I dumped her and went to the party we were supposed to go to together. I got shitfaced, rebounded and freaked out when I realized I was out past curfew. I tried to drive home but ended up crashing into a tree. I woke up in the hospital with a sore body, surrounded by my parents and sister. I had totaled my car but I walked away with a few minor bumps and bruises. The doctors basically said I was lucky to be alive. I fully believe it was because I was drunk, because you know how your body is totally relaxed when your drunk. Yeah, that shit, that is why I am alive. Anyway, I spent a few days in the hospital and was led out of the hospital in handcuffs and put in juvie for four days. I got out, got my license suspended for a year, got fired from my job and have over $1000 in fines that my dad is making me pay all by myself."
"So, your girlfriend really hurt you?" Angie question. I looked at her like that was a stupid question, because it was.
"Of course she did! I loved this girl and gave her everything I had. I-I wanted a future with her and it was the first girl I had ever felt that way about. I ditched my friends and made them hate me and I even let my grades slip so I could hang out with her more. She was cheating on me the entire time and she thought it was okay." I said, my voice cracking. "Anyway, that's enough about me." I sighed and quickly wiped a stray tear away. Angie continued with the meeting and halfway through, we took a break to get some food or go to the bathroom.
I was in the kitchen, eating a sandwich when Isabella strolled in. She was only about 5'1" so she was tiny compared to my 5'9" frame.
"Hey." She smiled.
"Hi." I said, finishing up my sandwich.
"So, what do you think of the meeting so far?" She asked.
"Sucks. Not much different from what I suspected." I shrugged. "How much longer do we have on our break?" I asked.
"Five minutes."
"Thank god." I groaned, leaning on the counter. "I don't want to go back in there just yet." I chuckled.
"How long are you in these meetings for?"
"27 left."
"Oh." She said and I nodded.
"How about you?"
"I keep getting caught with alcohol, so." She shrugged and I nodded again. "Hey, do you need another rebound?" She smirked.
"Uh, sure." I smiled.
"Follow me." She said, grabbing my hand and pulled me out of the kitchen.
"Wait, now?"
"Of course! When did you think I meant?"
"I-just-we're in a church Isa-"
"Call me Bella. We're not actual in the church-church part...technically. Do you want to do it or not? We have to make it fast."
"I do, but I don't have a cond-"
"I'm on birth control."
"Okay, okay, let's go." I said and she pulled me into a storage closet.
***
"I'm going to run to the bathroom to make sure I don't look gross." She said, giving me a peck on the lips before running to the bathroom. I walked into the men's bathroom and splashed water on my face, running my fingers through my hair. I walked out of the bathroom to see Bella running back to the meeting. I followed her and sat back down.
At the end of the meeting, everyone gave me their phone numbers because we are 'each other's support systems.' I truly only cared about Bella's number.
I walked out of the church to see my dad waiting for me.
"Hey, how'd it go?" He asked as I got into the car.
"Sucked." I said as I put on my seatbelt.
*******************************************************************************************
15 COMMENTS FOR NEXT CHAPTER (NO SPAM)