Hey! Sorry for the wait, but a few things held me up in posting this chapter, including writer’s block, my birthday and practicing my bass.
Anyyywaaayyyyy…I had to do a bit of research for this chapter, due to the content, so I wanted to make it as realistic and believable as possible.
I hope you guys think it’s realistic enough and WELL worth the wait, so enjoy the chapter!
Much Love! xo
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Chapter 27
I woke with a start. There was rain beating the windows this dreary Wednesday morning. I groaned and stretched. I had an uneasy feeling, a feeling that something bad was going to happen today.
I dressed in a daze and packed my books with a sigh. As I carried my school bag down the stairs I tripped over Elliot who gave a yelp.
“Stupid creature.” I muttered, but quickly apologised anyway and carried him downstairs in my bag, his favourite past time.
“Tabby, take the dog out of the bag!” my mother said, in between buttering toast and trying to stop Ethan spilling milk over the counter.
I rolled my eyes, but took him out anyway. I didn’t like mornings, and as I passed the calendar reading December 6th, I had that uneasy feeling in my stomach again.
“You okay Tabby?” my mum asked, rubbing my shoulder as she passed to fill the boys’ lunches.
“Yeah, I’m fine, just tired.” I lied.
She didn’t look convinced, but shrugged.
I got up and took a look at my advent calendar, five doors were un-opened, and I rubbed my eyes and sighed again.
“Tabby, honestly, stop worrying your little head, Paloma and you told Mrs Turner everything you needed to, so stop fretting.” My mum said sternly, handing me a plate of toast.
I pushed it away, “I’m not really hungry.” I mumbled.
“Tabby, you are not leaving this table until you’ve eaten something.”
I couldn’t argue with my mum, it was too early in the morning.
***
Not surprisingly, Bree was again absent from school. I sat alone on the bus as I had done for the past couple of months. It seemed strange how much Bree had changed since September. A voice at the back of my head screamed ‘because of her drug taking!’ but I tried to ignore it.
I walked off the bus in an unhappy sort of trudge, annoyed at how Bree wouldn’t even tell her mum her problems, let alone me, her best friend.
I rubbed my eyes, deciding on what to do as Paloma wasn’t here, so I decided to head to the library and do some research.
The library was a small and dusty place, full of surprisingly modern books and twenty three computers. I sat down at one; nearly all of them were free, apart from one where some boy sat with his back to me.
I logged on, typing in my password self consciously, but no one was looking at me, and the boy had some headphones in anyway.
I never set foot in the library usually, so this was kind of a novelty for me.
I opened up the search engine straight away and searched ‘Talk to Frank’. I let my cursor hover over the search button for a while, deciding if I really wanted to search this. I sighed heavily and did so anyway.
I scrolled to the website and searched ‘cocaine.’ I chewed my nails, hoping no one would come over and see I was searching class A drugs. The page finally loaded, and I read, feeling my stomach churning heavily. ‘Taking cocaine makes users feel on top of the world, wide-awake, confident and on top of their game – but some people are over-confident on it and so may take very careless risks.
Its effect is much like speed (amphetamines), but is usually stronger and doesn't last as long.
After a big night on cocaine, it's not unusual for people to feel like they've got the flu. When the effects of any cocaine use start to wear off there can be a very strong temptation to take more, particularly with the long ‘come down’, the crash period sometimes lasting for days afterwards.’
I gulped, reading over the sentences again and again. I remembered how Bree had felt ‘like she’d had the flu’ and how she’d be happy one moment, then almost depressed for days afterwards. I decided to carry on reading the risks.
‘Crack and cocaine users have died from overdoses. High doses can raise the body's temperature, cause convulsions and heart failure. Risk of overdosing increases if crack is mixed with other drugs or alcohol.
Over time, snorting cocaine will seriously damage the cartilage in your nose that separates the nostrils; and it is not unknown for heavy users to lose their cartilage and end up with just one really big nostril and a misshapen nose.
Using cocaine a lot makes people feel depressed and run down. It can lead to serious problems with anxiety, paranoia and panic attacks. Heavy crack users may take heroin to try to dull their cravings, so they may get hooked on heroin as well.’
I was in worry overdrive now. I remembered her nose bleed, her depressed mode. I felt sick, death from overdose? Heroin addiction? I couldn’t read anymore. I quickly shut the window down, hoping to god that Bree hadn’t got in that deep and she’d be here today, bright as anything, drug free.
I laughed to myself, I was totally hoping for the impossible.
“What’re laughing at over there?” someone asked.
I turned to see the boy who had been facing away from me. It was Matt.
“Oh, nothing really.” I lied, giving him a wry smile.
“Ah, the old ‘nothing’ excuse.” He smirked. He was being quite verbose again today, which I found very strange.
“No seriously, it wasn’t anything funny actually.” I said seriously, logging off and getting up to go.
“Ah right, private eh? Females are a mystery to me.” He said, following me to get our bags.
“It’s not really that private, you can know if you want.” I told him. He did have a right after all, this did affect more than Bree.
“Nah, I’m good. I really don’t want to know that badly, especially if it’s relationship troubles.” He wrinkled his nose in disgust.
I laughed for real this time. “No, nothing like that.” I answered, thankful that I had someone to take my mind off what I’d just read.
“So, have you heard anymore from Bree then?” Matt asked as we exited straight onto the tennis courts.
I shook my head silently. “No, I’m going to go and see her tonight though, see what’s happening.”
He nodded. “Cool, do you want me to come with you?” he asked.
I shrugged “Okay, it would be nice for some moral support.” I laughed.
“Well, Jake’s always going on about looking out for you, so I figured I’d be doing that.” He shrugged, hauling his slipping gig bag further onto his shoulder.
I giggled.
Matt looked at me quizzically.
“Nothing.” I sniggered.
He shrugged.
“Oh, there you are.” Paloma’s voice greeted me as we arrived.
“I should really be saying that to you.” I poked her.
“Yeah, whatever, I can’t help the way public transport runs these days.” She shrugged. “Hey Matt.” She added.
Matt gave a little wave. “Well, I’ve got to go to drop this guy off.” He said, patting his bass like it were a small puppy or baby.
“Okay, I’ll see you tonight, about 6.30?” I said.
“Sounds good.” He smiled. “See you two later.” He gave a final wave then headed off to music.
Paloma turned to me. “Are you having a kinky little affair with Matt now?!”
I frowned at her. “No, since you weren’t here, he offered to come to Bree’s tonight with me.” I said matter of factly.
“You asked a teenage boy over your best friend?!” she hissed.
“Yes. You weren’t here. He was very gentlemanly about it.”
She thought for a moment then pouted. “I’m coming anyway.” She said.
“Good. I was going to ask you anyway.” I turned to her apologetically.
She laughed. “I knew you were, I just like messing with you.”
I slapped her lightly.
“So, 6.30. Does that mean I can come to yours for dinner after this talk?” she asked eagerly.
“Trust you to ask that.” I said. “Yes, of course.”
“Great, then I’m definitely coming!”
***
This December was bitterly cold, and I huddled further into my jacket as I waited for Paloma and Matt outside my house.
My dad had just driven up our drive. “Hello Tabby?” he asked, raising his eyebrows as to why I was randomly standing in the driveway freezing my nuts off.
“Hello dad.” I replied. “Good day at work?”
“The usual.” He answered, raising one eyebrow. “Errm, why are you waiting in the driveway?” he asked, eyeing up my purple hands.
“Paloma and Matt are coming to see Bree with me.” I explained.
“Ah, right. Well, don’t get too cold, okay?”
“I won’t dad.” I smiled.
He gave me a nod and walked inside, greeted by my squealing brothers, who were currently playing pirates with saucepans from the kitchen.
I hopped up and down, trying not to die. I took out my phone, struggling because my hands had gone numb.
I sighed, it was 6.31. They were late. Paloma I understood, but I thought Matt being a musician was good at keeping time.
I decided to run in for some gloves. When I came back out, Paloma was running up the drive.
“Oh god, I’m so sorry Tabby! I was trying to find thermal underwear!” she puffed, just as Matt came up behind her, then started laughing, because he’d obviously only heard the ‘thermal underwear’ part.
Paloma looked at him furiously. “I hope your balls freeze.” She hissed.
“Now, now ladies. Come on, let’s get this over with, Mrs Turner usually gets back at 7.30 on a Wednesday, so we have an hour.”
“Cool, just to say, I won’t get involved too much, I don’t want to pry.” Matt said.
“Aww, you’re so lovely, why are you still single?!” Paloma cooed.
Matt blushed, but didn’t answer.
“Come on then, let’s leave, now.” I said.
The other two nodded, and we set off to Bree’s, to what I’d find out later, would be my worst nightmare.
***
Paloma knocked loudly on the door.
We waited.
No answer.
She knocked again. We waited even longer.
Paloma began to get huffy. “But the lights are on!” she exclaimed.
“How about we try the back? She might be listening to thrash metal and can’t hear the door over her headphones.” Matt suggested.
“Good thinking Batman!” Paloma said, “Let’s go!” she ran round the back.
We got to her sliding decking door. I pulled it. Thankfully it was open.
“Hello?” I called out.
There was no answer, but it sounded like there was someone moving upstairs.
“Bree? It’s me, Paloma.” Paloma tried.
Matt just walked in silently, closing the door slightly.
He wrinkled his nose. “It stinks in here.” He remarked.
Me and Paloma suddenly started sniffing like deranged Bloodhounds. “Yeah, it does. Like, really sweet, but sickly.” Paloma shivered.
“It smells like…weed.” Matt added.
My heart skipped a beat. I gulped.
“Come on, let’s see if she’s in the study or something.” I said, trying to keep my voice even, leading them to the office Mrs Turner usually used for work.
I opened the door cautiously. No one was in there.
“Weird.” Paloma remarked, just as we heard someone moving around outside the door.
“Bree?” I called, heading to open the door, and seeing someone flash through the living room.
I ran after them, breaking into a mini sprint with my already battered Converse.
The intruder was definitely a guy. He wore a checked coat with a grey hood. I knew who it was instantly. Calvin.
“Calvin!” I bellowed, as he ran outside and jumped the fence into next door’s garden.
He looked back briefly as he ran, his eyes wild, his expression petrified.
I walked back into the house briskly, ignoring the stitch in my side.
“It was Calvin.” I told them, when I’d got back, breathlessly.
“The little creep.” Paloma said.
“Then where’s Bree?” Matt piped up.
Me and Paloma looked at him, dumbstruck, and then gave each other a wild look.
“Shit!” Paloma muttered as we thundered up the stairs.
“Hurry Matt!” I said, as I knew Matt would be terribly confused.
It was dark upstairs, so I hit all the light switches I could see and shoved open the door to Bree’s room.
I stopped dead as I saw her.
She was lying on her bed, motionless, pale white. Her lips were blue.
“Fuck.” I let out a stifled sob.
“What is it?!” Paloma screamed, coming in behind me.
I ignored her and finally found my feet. I ran over to Bree’s body and grabbed her wrist. It was ice cold. I tried to feel for a pulse.
I could feel the tears coming down my face. I was cussing under my breath, frantically trying to find Bree’s pulse.
“Tabby, Paloma?” Matt asked, appearing at the doorway.
I turned to him, panic stricken. He took one look at Bree, and then went white as a sheet.
“Matt?!” Paloma shouted.
He didn’t hear her. His eyelids fluttered, and he passed out with a thud.
My heart was racing. “Bree, please Bree wake up.” I whispered, trying to find a place on her body that didn’t feel dead.
I started shaking, saying her name over and over again.
“Tabby, move away, seriously, step back.” Paloma literally just dragged me off her body. I backed up against the wall, starting to hyperventilate.
I was sobbing uncontrollably.
Paloma tried to take Bree’s pulse like I had. She shook her head, and took out her phone. “Hello, yes ambulance please. My friend, she’s unconscious. Yes, I think she took an overdose. What drug? I think it’s heroin.” Paloma spotted the needles just as I did. They were lying on her bed, next to her body.
“No, I think she may have a slight pulse, but my other friend, I think she’s having a panic attack, and our other friend who came with us, he just passed out. Yeah, the address is 23 Meadow House.”
Paloma hung up and came over. “Tabby, please, breathe.” She whispered, stroking my face.
I started to cry even more, and I noticed Paloma’s voice was getting more wobbly the more she talked to me.
“Don’t worry, please don’t worry, Bree will be fine, the ambulance is on it’s way, they said the police will have to get involved too though.”
I nodded. “Matt.” I hiccupped.
“Oh god, yeah.”
We both scrambled to find Matt, lying outside, his head bloody after knocking it on a phone table. He was out cold, but I could see him coming around slightly.
“Put his head in your lap, I’ll stay with Bree.” Paloma instructed.
I nodded, finally getting my breathing under control.
She went back into the room, and I could hear her talking to someone. I didn’t know if she was on the phone or trying in vain to wake Bree.
I placed Matt’s head in my lap and tried to wipe the blood off his face.
“Mmmm, Tabby, my head.” He mumbled.
“I know, it’s okay, an ambulance is on the way.” I whispered, dropping my tears on his face.
“Your jeans feel soft.” He laughed quietly, as he gained more consciousness.
I laughed slightly, not the best thing to do when my friend was in there drugged up, but I couldn’t help but smile.
“Thanks.” I whispered.
There was a loud knock at the door. Paloma rushed out of the room and down the stairs to answer.
Next thing I knew, there were three paramedics in the house, two went straight to Bree and one came to help Matt.
She looked young, and very pretty, and she propped Matt up even more on me. Secretly, he was probably enjoying all this female attention, his head slightly in my chest and a pretty ambulance lady cleaning his bloody head.
Everything went by in a blur.
I tried to stay calm, but suddenly, it had all dawned on me. Bree was doing something worse than coke, heroin. And Calvin was still getting his claws into her. And now he’d left, running away like a coward, because she was practically dead.
Suddenly, I burst into tears again.
I hadn’t noticed Paloma coming out of Bree’s bedroom, but suddenly, Matt was being treated against the wall and Paloma was soothing me, stroking my hair, whispering it would all be okay in my ear.
I tried to feel reassured, but how could I?
Bree had got in way too deep, we all knew that, and now she had drowned.
And I felt it was all my fault.