After sitting through dinner, taking a twenty minute shower, and changing into my softest pajamas. Will texted me.

Will: Come over?

Aaliyah: I'm tired, I just put on my pajamas anyway, nothing sexy about that.

Will: Please, I miss you. I just want to see you.

Aaliyah: I need sleep.

Will: I need you.

I sighed, rolling out of bed. I'd known the second he'd texted me that I was going. I did blush, and cringe at the last text. But I felt, the heat in my cheeks, and I let that win over. I pulled off my pajamas, and dawned black leggings and a lacy white camisole. I let my hair down from it's ponytail, I even put on makeup, not like it wouldn't get ruined anyway. But I felt pretty. Prettier than pajamas would ever make me feel. I pulled on a hoodie over everything. After expertly dismounting from my window, I found my bike leaning against the side of the house. I knew, if I took my car that my mother would see the headlights in her window, and freak out. So biking it was. Plus I had calf muscles to rival a ballerinas. The bike ride took me maybe twenty minutes, and I was breathing so hard it felt like my lungs might collapse. When I knocked on the glass of his window, his face appeared almost instantly. I watched him swallow something, and then open the window. I collapsed onto his bed. He smiled seeing me. Rubbing my back with one hand. It almost seemed like he was stumbling.

"You came." He whispered, laying down next to me.

"You really thought I wouldn't?" I gasped. He laughed, tracing the the curve of my neck and shoulder.

"I knew you would." He said.

I hated him for saying that. He knew I would come, if he wanted me too. He knew I would show up.

"I suppose I'm predictable."

*******************

This time, I did not fall asleep at Will's house, I stayed for an hour, and when he tried to hold me afterword I found my clothing and slipped from the window. Home again, I didn't risk a shower, afraid my mother would ask why it was necessary for me to shower twice in four hours. I pulled my pajamas back on, and took of my makeup. Which as predicted, had been ruined with the sweat that had dripped down my forehead. I collapsed into bed. When I awoke, it was to my mother's frantic voice.

"Lia? Liaaa?" She was saying, over and over again. I propted myself up on my hands, trying to blink away the sleep. She shoved her phone into my hand. It was a text, from Sarah, Jacobs mom. I saw two words, and I was wide awake, and stone cold sober. Will overdosed. I read the rest of the text. It went like this:

Sarah: Hello Charmaine, I'm sorry for texting you so late, or early I suppose. We are at the hospital at the moment, Last night, William overdosed on drugs. I was going to ask you, to ask Aaliyah, if she ever witness Jacob using any kind of drugs. We aren't sure what caused Will to overdose, although the doctors believe it was a combination of painkillers and fentanyl.

I didn't say anything. I had been with Will last night. I had known he was stumbling around, and definitely not sober. Although, I assumed he was drunk or stoned maybe. Not in the midst of an overdose. I set the phone down.

"Well have you?" My mom pressed.

I was so wrapped up thinking about Will, I forgot the rest of Sarah's text.

"Have you witnessed Jacob using drugs before?" She asked, her voice frantic. I felt a wave of relief fill my body.

"No mom, he doesn't."

"Good, because I sure will not have my daughter dating a drug user. Sarah's kids are always so well behaved, and kind. For goodness sakes, I used to babysit Will. He was such a sweet child. So kind." She said, her voice awash of concern.

It was me, who suggested that we go to the hospital, so she could be some comfort to Sarah, her best friend. I was surprised she wasn't there already. She readily agreed, ignoring the fact this was my second missed day of school in a week. When she left the room, I slipped the little pill from it's container, and swallowed it with the tea she had brought me. I wondered how it would me feel. If it would calm the jangling nerves dancing through my body. I felt sick to my stomach, I had been there, I had been there. I kept repeating in my head.

The entire drive there, my mother had her knuckles white on the steering wheel. Meanwhile, I was just wishing for the pill to kick in. I watched, the familiar buildings passing by. I looked at all the pedestrians, milling about on the streets. Pulling into the hospital parking lot, it finally did. I felt, not high as I thought I would. I felt tired, but mostly content. It wasn't like weed, I just felt happy, but not uncontainably so.

Will, as it turns out was in the ICU. My mother wrapped, and wrapped her hair around her finger, the entire elevator ride up. We met Sarah and Don in the waiting room, along with Jacob, whose face was pasty pale. He glanced away, seeing me. I still hadn't told my mom we were no longer together, and no certainly wasn't the time. Sarah, was sitting in a mess of used tissues, and her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"Sarah." My mother said, outstretching her arms. Sarah practically collapsed into them. I took an awkward seat next to Jacob. Who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Char, you didn't have to come." She said. My mother shook her head. Handing her the thermos of chicken soup she had prepared for them. Sarah nodded gratefully, passing it to Don. Once everyone was settled. My mother asked:
"How did all of this happen?"

So Sarah, trying to hold back tears. Told us.

"It was around 1am in the morning, he heard a thud from Will's room. I thought he may have fallen, and hurt himself. When I opened the door, there he was, he-he-" She burst into sobs. Don, rubbed his wife's back. Then he continued the story, in a voice awash with heartbreak, but still strong.

"He was face down on the floor, a bottle of pills next to him. He was covered in his own vomit, when I spoke to him, he said nothing. He was practically foaming at the mouth. His skin was all pale and cold. I thought he was dead." Don told us, as Sarah buried her head into his shoulder.

"He was dead Don!" She exclaimed through tears.

"He was, the paramedics had to resuscitate him twice on the way here." He told us, gruffly. My mother, gripped Sarah's hand.

"Have you heard anything yet? Have they said what it was?" She questioned. Sarah shook her head, shaking with sobs.

"No, only that they are closely monitoring him. He may have sustained brain damage." She said, her voice shaky. As if on cue a doctor appeared. A tall thin woman with black hair braided intricately down her back. She carried a clipboard, and rushed up to us.

"Mr. and Mrs. Moore?" She asked.

Sarah and Don stood quickly.

"Please, is he okay?" Sarah asked. The doctor looked down at the clipboard. Though a smile flickered over her mouth.

"Yes, William is doing much better. However, he came in with what is considered a lethal does of fentanyl in his system, as well as Oxycontin." She stated. Sarah and Don nodded. There eyes brimming with tears. Jacob, was on his phone.

"Can we see him?" Don asked. The doctor nodded.

"Yes, follow me."

"Aaliyah stay here with Jacob okay?" My mother asked, as they disappeared down the hallway, Sarah clinging to her husband. I had never seen her such a reck.

"Are you okay?" I asked Jacob. He set his phone down, and shook his head.

"Yeah. I thought this might happen." He says nonchalantly, for someone who's brother is in the ICU in what is apparently, critical condition. Jacob sure is chill about it..

"What do you mean?" I ask, hesitantly.

"He's being using drugs for years, every kind. My parents have paid for every rehab imaginable. He never changes." He says flatly.

I know I should, but I don't believe Jacob. I know Will, he's kind, and loving. He held me while I cried. He isn't a junkie, he's not dangerous or mean, he wasn't any of those things, but junkies were those things.

"Does Millie know?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"Millie and I aren't a thing." He said.

This, took me by surprise. I wouldn't have expected this, especially not from him. I thought that i knew that was the reason he had left. Apparently not.

"Were you?" I asked. He cringes.

"We were, she and I- we-" He stammered. I raised my eyebrows. Then I realized something. I put my hand over my mouth.

"Did you fuck her?" I hissed.

I knew the answer, before it even left his lips. He looked away from me, his eyes sparkling with guilt.

"Yeah."

I had no reason, no human reason, to be angry with him. So I decided to not be. I just nodded. I ran a hand through my hair, I felt a lump forming in my throat.

"We weren't together though." He said.

"Me and you?" I asked.

"Yeah." He said, placing his face in his hands.

I wasn't mad at him, or maybe that was the pill. I wondered if this was the feeling, that Will had been chasing when he overdosed. I looked over at Jacob, how could it that we were so in love before? Before I went and changed everything. I hoped he would never know, what I had done, because I had broken my own heart by doing it. So I didn't have to break his. We sat in silence for ten whole minutes. There was one thought going through my head at that moment, all of those ten minutes, I worked up the nerve to say it.

"I miss you." I whisper.

He looks over at me, tears glimmering in his blue eyes. He looks like the boy I fell in love with, he's beautiful, handsome, my first love.

"I miss you too." He says, leaning closer to me.

He brushes a strand of hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear. I smile, our lips are inches apart. If I close the two inches between us, his lips will be mine. Just as I'm thinking it, he closes the distance. I can taste his breath, mint toothpaste. I pull away from the kiss, looking into his eyes.

"I love you Aaliyah." He whispers into my ear. And I believe it.

He buries his face in my lap. I run my hands through his hair. It is then I realize, I have never felt more alone. I have also never felt worse about myself. Ten minutes later, Sarah, Don, and my mom have come back. Sarah smiles, seeing us.

"Oh Aaliyah." She says.

Jacob sits up, his face awash with concern. He looks tired, I'm only seeing it now. The exhaustion, but it's the kind sleep doesn't fix. The kind I feel, everyday.

"How is he?" He asks. Sarah sits down on the other side of him.

"He's okay, he's still pretty out of it, we have arranged for him to go to rehab, once he is discharged. Jacob, surprisingly looked angry.

"You really think that it's going to work?" He snaps. I reach for his hand, he takes it, he's trembling. I look at him, his normally soft features are hardened, with anger.

"Jacob." Don says, in a harsh tone.

But Jacob continues.

"This is the fifth one, in five years. It won't work. Another 20,000 dollars gone, because of your son, you can't force him to get clean, especially if he doesn't want to." He snaps, standing up.

My mother makes eye contact with me, looking concerned. She opens her mouth, as if to de-escalate the situation. I shake my head. She closes it.

"Jacob. Enough." Don snaps.

Jacob returns to his seat next to me.

"Maybe we should all go get some coffee, let Jacob and Aaliyah visit with Will." My mom suggests. Sarah nods:

"That would be good."