Chapter Twenty-Four: "Game Changer."
"I HAVE MY prescription right here, I just need a refill! Please!" I say exasperatedly, throwing the bottle around the pharmacist's face, showing them my name.
"I need proof of citizenship," he says calmly. "Without that, I can't give you your prescription."
"But I don't have my citizenship," I groan. "I moved here a month ago; I don't have any of my ID."
"I'm sorry." He apologizes. "Either that, considering you're underage, I need parental consent."
"Listen here, buddy," I growl, starting to grow more agitated. I've been here at the pharmacy for the past twenty minutes trying to get my antidepressants refilled and this doctor refuses to give them to me without my Canadian citizenship or my parents proof so I'm not getting them for uses other than it's strict direction.
"I just moved here from the States. I also just got out of prison two weeks ago from the jail here and I don't have any ID on me. My parents shipped me off here and haven't talked to me since. I have the bottle and my past receipt for it; this has to be enough! I've been out for a week now and I'm going insane. Please! Please give me my prescription. I'll give you my doctors number!"
"You have your doctors number on hand?" He asks, and I nod vigorously and desperately. "Alright, I'll call them. I'm sorry, but I still can't give you your medication today. It needs to be made and confirmed. I'll call you when it's ready, okay?"
I slump over the counter, but nonetheless, I sigh and nod. I don't mind waiting a few more days, but I'm having difficulty sleeping at night without crying and having to occupy myself without getting any ideas.
"Thank you." I whisper defeatedly. He gives me a sad smile before I walk out down to the school. I decided to take my lunch break as a time to catch the pharmacy. Class should be starting any minute now, but I'm not making any efforts. My mood is glum, and I look like a walking zombie. Going a day or two without my prescription is one thing, but not having it for nearly two weeks when I still need them, is another. I've never had withdrawals from a pharmaceutical, so I'm actually internally freaking out.
"You look awful." Is the first thing that comes out of Carly's mouth when I see her in the hallway. She has two girls on her arms, which I assume is her friends because she mentioned that they're at school again.
"I feel it too." I sigh, running my hands over my face.
"Where were you at lunch? We missed you."
"I had to do something," I tell her, and turn towards the girls on her arms. "You guys must be Bella and Becca."
"We are." The two girls say in harmony. They're sisters, but they definitely look fraternal. Bella has more of a square face with blue eyes and black hair, while her sister has the same shade of blonde I do with hazel eyes and a more rounder face. At first glance, you can't tell they're even related.
"It's nice to finally meet you!" They smile widely, and I nod.
"Likewise." I say softly.
"We heard you're Mexican! We love your cuisine." Becca giggles.
"Oh." I mutter. Jeez, I never realized how much I missed Mexico and its food.
Man, these thoughts are going to kill me. Hopefully the pharmacist can get me my meds and fast.
"What's wrong?" Bella asks, frowning at me. I shrug, and continue my way to my locker.
"I'll see you guys later." I say. "Bye, text me later Carly."
"Yeah, okay." Carly replies, and I feel their eyes on me as I trudge down the halls.
***
"Are you freaking kidding me?! First my antidepressants and now my appetite suppressants? Oh my heavens this can't be happening!" I shout once I dig through the secret compartment in my nightstand drawer. I made it, having the nightstand being too open and I didn't really want to go to the closet to grab my safe and do everything the longer way, so I just made the secret attachment so it could be easier.
It takes me a few moments to look around, and my ears flare up once I see that everything in here is arranged differently than it was this morning. I had another study session with Atticus which took place at the library, and I came home later than expected. I was hungry but felt sick due to my withdrawals so I decided to take the suppressant to relief my hunger, only to find more than half of the remains I had left were missing.
Someone must have been going through my stuff.
"Brookie! Dinner!" I hear Lucas call up to me.
"Coming!" I holler down defeatedly.
"How was school today, dear?" Ella asks me once I pop into view. I shrug at her, a little sigh escaping my lips as I took my usual spot between Louis and Lucas.
"It was okay. I'm still not catching onto some of the subjects. Though, of course that probably makes sense considering I need a tutor in every subject."
"I'm sure you'll be okay," she reassures me. "It'll just take some time and practice."
"Maybe." I frown. "My other tutor is still MIA so now I'm failing those two subjects he's supposed to be helping me in."
I glance up at her as the food is passed around, and see Liam and Landon squirm a little in their seat. I glance at the others to see they're equally as confused, but I ignore it.
"Your tutor still hasn't talked to you?" Thomas asks. He managed to get off early to have dinner with us, so Ella was fairly happy about it. She's barely seen him at all this week and if you ask me, he's starting to become distant and pushing everyone away.
I know this because I did the exact same thing to my family.
"No," I reply softly, grabbing a bun roll and buttering it. "Apparently he hasn't even talked to the teacher either, but has said yes to helping me."
"It's a he?" He asks, his voice low and protective; it's nice to know that I'm finally starting to get some emotion over this family. Whether it be good or bad, I'm not sure, but Thomas has never had a daughter and all his sons like to hitch and ditch, so maybe it's that fatherly instinct?
"Both of them are he's, yes." I nod.
"Hopefully this one ain't trouble like the other." He grumbles.
I choose not to continue the conversation because I know exactly why he's being so gruff. I don't want to dig into family history, but if they're going to make problems with Atticus and I, then I'll have no choice than to get answers.
I avoid talking about him, and we don't come here so there's nothing much more I can do but get rid of him, but he's saving my ass in chemistry; I need him.
"So how is your arm?" Lucas asks from beside me, thankfully changing the subject.
I glance down at him, then at my arm. "It's doing okay, Lucas." I say with a smile.
"How did things go at the doctor?" Landon asks, and I freeze.
"Crap." I mutter underneath my breath. "Um, it went well."
"Anything wrong?"
"Nope!" I squeak. "Everything is fine and dandy."
"Hmm, okay," he trails. "So your check up was at the pharmacy?"
"No." I grunt.
"Then why were you at the pharmacy?" He presses.
Was he stalking me?
"I was refilling my pain medication." I lie.
"But I thought everything was, as you quote, 'fine and dandy'?" Liam interferes.
"It is." I seethe. "I still have some pain so I needed a new prescription. Questions are answered, I'm done speaking, subject is dropped."
The table falls silent, and I sigh, hating how I'm always the subject at the dinner table. I look through my lashes to see Landon squirm uncomfortably, and I huff deeply.
After dinner, it's quite late so everyone's heading to bed. Landon and I are the last ones downstairs, so I stop him as he walks to his door.
"If I find out that you're taking my meds and stalking me, you'll have hell to pay." I growl, glaring at him. Having someone else in the house know Spanish helps because I can have conversations without anyone knowing, but like now, I can hiss and growl 'threats' and know that only the receiver heard.
Landon looks unfazed by my threat and he scoffs. "Why not tell me the truth?" He shoots back, and I let go of the collar of his shirt, looking around to see if anyone is listening, but the halls are empty.
"The truth is none of your business. I'm not questioning you about why you hate Atticus so much, so stop questioning me about my past and what I take to escape from it."
"Maybe I can help," he says softly, his tone changing drastically. "Maybe I can help you move on."
"You can't." I say sternly. "Nobody can. Nobody will but myself and the wounds are still too fresh to talk about. Let me do me, Landon. Stop trying to get involved."
And with that, I walk away up to my room, praying to God that the pharmacist got an approved prescription transfer from my doctor so I can stop going insane.
***
"So, what do you guys think about the movies tonight, hmm?" Carly voiced as we sat in our usual spot in the cafeteria, alongside her four friends. Needless to say, I was quite worried I'd be the odd one out in the group, but it turns out, I fit in well. They know the same things that Carly does, but they seemed a lot less curious and not squealing as much as Carly is with me and Atticus. Bella and Becca are up for the idea of Atticus and I 'having a thing', but the boys could care less. It made sense, since boys will be boys, but I thought it was because they were gawking at me.
The two guys are attractive no doubt. Nathan, who is well sculpted with blonde hair and brown eyes, is the said bad boy of the two. He's about 6'1, but since his legs are shorter than his torso, it makes him look somewhere in the 5'10-6 foot range. Jackson is the shyer one. I want to say he's about 5'11, but everyone taller than me is kind of hard to measure. He looks dangerous since his hair is black and spiked, and his eyes are a very bright green. He wears darker shades of clothes that make the dangerous look look more dangerous, but honestly, he's such a sweetheart.
"Movie sounds good," Jackson agrees.
"Yeah," Nathan nods. "What were you thinking?"
"Ooh! I want to see that one where those group of friends get trapped in the school and it's haunted by that boy who got hung during a school play!" Becca says excitedly, clapping her hands to try and remember the movies details.
"The Gallows?" I suggest, a low chuckle escaping.
"Yes!" She snaps her fingers. We're going to a movie theatre that plays movies that had already been in theatres. It's kinda like a theatre that plays a whole variety of movies that had already been out, except they're on big screens instead of small TV ones. It actually is a pretty good idea. They even have days where they play very old Disney movies that are hard to find.
Like the Lion King, for example.
"I've only seen that movie in Spanish so it'd be nice to see it in English." I say, chortling. Carly laughs with me, and links her arm with mine.
"Oh no, honey, we're not actually watching the movie." Carly says.
I frown and furrow my eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
"We're going to sabotage it," Jackson fills me in.
"Yeah!" Bella smiles. "Instead of having some cliché horror film, we're going to put on some hardcore heavy porn instead."
Oh my God. "Oh my God." I voice my thoughts.
My purpose was to come here and stay out of trouble, not bounce back into it. It's so tempting and sounds so much fun, but on the other hand. . .
No.
No, your parents shipped you off here. The world is yours! As long as you don't end up in handcuffs at the end of the night, then you're free to do whatever you please. Head low, voice hard to recognize, and attire unnoticeable. You got this.
"Sounds like a plan."