Chapter 28: Caught Up

My phone vibrated in my pocket. Less than 4 percent of battery. Stormy texted me.

I miss you.

Come back home.

<3

The text messages made me blush. I put the phone away before Kiera could see. I told Kiera that I should probably leave, just in case Gordo shows up early. She hated the idea and called me a pussy, but kissed me before I left. She offered me a ride, but I did not want to trouble her, even with my broken feet and blood-soaked socks. I walked back to my house, excited that Stormy has decided to let me back into her life.

It was hot that day. I smelled horrible and was covered in sweat. I hadn't showered for at least a week at this point. I used my shirt to dry my face and hair. I rang the doorbell out of respect. Stormy opened it and looked at me like I was an unwanted tweaker, but she let me inside. Her eyes were glued to the bandage on my arm.

I explained how I desperately needed to shower. She looked around the house suspiciously then nodded her head. I grabbed a stack of clothes from my room and entered the bathroom. When I took off my socks I ripped off layers of skin and calluses and began to bleed. I made red footprints on the tile as I hissed through my teeth. Not even the dope could conceal all of the pain.

I took a two minute shower, brushed my teeth and put on deodorant. Stormy was waiting for me on the living room couch.

"So what did you want to talk about?" I asked.

Stormy looked like she had a lump in her throat. She squeezed her fists into her lap. My father came from around the corner.

"Papa?" I looked at Stormy, then back to my father.

His eyes reflected his broken soul. He had not seen me in quite some time. Despite my physical appearance, I could not help but to lie my way out of this.

"I got in an accident…"

"Are you on drugs?" he asked, but it seemed he knew the answer already.

I looked at Stormy accusingly, then back to my father. "No, I'm not. I swear! What did she tell you? It's just weed, Papa! If I was, my eyes would be dilated. Are they?" I stretched my eyes open, inviting them to inspect my pupils. This seemed to make things worse.

Stormy was crying. "Please, Kashi… You need help…"

"No, I don't, I told you that I'm only smoking weed." I started pacing, unsure what to do. I walked into the kitchen area and there was a police officer hiding next to the fridge. Before I could run I noticed another police officer down the hall exiting Stormy's room. He walked down the hall toward me. I heard the front door open. Another one…

"How could you do this to me?!"

Stormy and Papa both cried as I shouted at them of their betrayal. The officers cuffed me and I truly became pathetic. "Please, Papa! PAPA! Don't do this, no no no, officer, I'm not high. I don't do drugs. Really, please please please—"

The officer started patting my pockets and found a bag of jib, courtesy of Kiera, along with my trust crack pipe.

"What's this, then?" the officer asked.

I had been caught and my begging had shifted to anger. No reason to hide anymore. I straightened my spine. "What the FUCK does it look like?!"

The officer shook his head and confiscated my stuff. I tried to pull apart the handcuffs but felt so weak. They dragged me out the house and put me in the backseat of a cop car. The seats were hard and painful on my bony ass.

I stared out the cop car toward what used to be mine and Stormy's house. Papa and Stormy were talking with the police. I thought about my mother and my sister. I had abandoned them. And Stormy… She felt so helpless that she somehow contacted my father? What has my life become?

I had a premonition. It might have been because I was high, I don't know… But I saw a flash of the life I wanted. This could be the first step toward that, right? To be free from this demon. Could I do it? I did not know. But this was it. I looked at the sky through the shut window, saying goodbye to the last high I may ever have.