Status: Slow But Sure
I'm Adopted: Vengeance Edition.
77
Jackie's POV
Two weeks prior.
"I mean, no one's gonna find you two here. You'll be safe."
Devynne, Kara's cousin, smiled. She was about five foot five inches, long dark black hair, tanned skin, small frame, curves only where neccesary. She was Latino, and had the most magnificent home I'd ever seen. We had been evicted, the cops raided our old condo and Kara's parents shipped us up to Petaluma for safe keeping.
"Por lo tanto, Kara, ¿cuánto tiempo planeas quedarte?" She looked at Kara as we placed out bags in the first of many spare rooms.
"No sé, tal vez un mes o algo así? Depende de cuánto tiempo mamá y papá piensan es seguro." Kara shrugged. I stood awkwardly as they continued sharing words.
"Sí, vamos a tener que enseñarle un poco de español!" Devynne looked at me and laughed.
"She says we're going to teach you Spanish." Kara elbowed me "I'd think she'd pick up quick."
"Yo sé un poco." I smiled as they both cheered.
"This'll be easy!" Kara swung her arm around me "Who needs boys!!"
"That's right Mama!" Devynne smiled "All we gonna do is have some fun! We can start the fun off by calling up the girls and getting them all down, cousins Giselle has been waiting for you to come back up here Kara!"
Present Day
two weeks later
Kara and Dev had me pretty much fluent in Spanish from being submerged into their entire family. I couldn't stop thinking every morning when I woke up something was missing, something was wrong. But then I'd roll one up and take a hit, then join Kara in her first morning shoot up and we'd be off to a good start.
Where we were staying wasn't too far from Tomales Bay, so every few days I would take the car for a drive and sit up on Shoreline Highway and watch the water, thinking back and letting my mind sober up for a moment or two before making my way home. Home.
Home. Home is where the heart is. This wasn't my home.
Today was no different than any other. I had done my morning ritual and made my way out to the bay. I pulled the car over and sat along the rocks edging the ocean infront of me. It's vast, never ending continual waves captured my mind. I couldn't help but imagine what Matt would say if he were here.
Matt
"Oh fuck." I felt tears roll down my face. What had I done? Had I even thought about how this would affect him? No. Of course not. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve as my phone rang.
Message from: Kara
Hey chica! Mama and Auntie Louise are coming over for dinner, six pm, if you'll be around we're having enchiladas!
I laughed and shoved my phone back in my pocket, it didn't warrant a response so I didn't do so. I let my mind wander back to misery and pain. Matthew. What I wouldn't give to be back in his arms. Three months without him, without my baby, without my family. I would kill to be back at mom's, or even Matt's, just laughing with them all. But I could feel it. I could feel my blood slowly turning against me.
My fingers were shaky, my eyes constantly searching, my skin crawling every moment I didn't have that adrenaline rushing through it. I gritted my teeth together and leaned against the car, sighing heavily. I needed it... all of it. Constantly. I was far from human, I was far from safe or sane. I couldn't go a fucking goddamn day without using. "Fuck!" I spat as my phone went off again. "What?" I answered angrily, knowing it would be Kara. Asking if I was going to be home to get a couple rounds in before her mom came over.
"Oh thank god, you're fucking alive!"
"Jesus Christ." I hit end call and looked at the number flashing across the screen. "How...?" I glanced down. Zack. How had he gotten my number? Where? Who? No one but Kara's family had it.
Taylor.
"Lovely." I mumbled and watched my screen light up again.
Baker, Zachary
I ignored it and stood up, feeling myself becoming light headed quickly. I sat down in the driver's seat and reached into the console, grabbing my pipe and lighting the small crystal rocks and taking a couple hits. I felt my blood again, finally. I started the car and began driving the short yet seemingly excutiatingly long distance home.
Zack's POV
"She bitch buttoned me." I looked down at the phone.
"You anticipated...? What exactly?" Brian laughed as we drove up the highway towards Petaluma. The last place Dustin said he heard them going to, and that was two weeks ago. And Kara's parents hadn't seen them down this way since they left.
"I don't know. She's my sister." I Shrugged as Matt groaned from the passenger seat "What crawled up your ass?" I asked as he turned the radio down.
"I'm just... I don't know." He huffed and looked out the window "I don't know. I mean... she doesn't want this. She doesn't want me. Why are we trying?... OUCH!" He cringed as Jimmy's hand made hard contact with that back of Matt's head.
"Because she's our fucking best friend, the mother of your fucking child, Matthew, and she's Zack's sister. I don't give a fuck if you two get back together so long as she comes home and gets clean. I don't want her dying. That shit isn't to fuck with."
"Preach." Michelle giggled from the far backseat, refusing to squish between Brian and Jimmy considering they were fighting over coffee to start the drive this morning.
"I mean... She's fucking doing Meth, Matthew." Jimmy flicked his ear "And you're approving of this?"
"No." Matt turned in his seat and glared back "But I'm not approving of her current life anyways so what am I gonna do? Force her back into my life? I mean she doesn't want Maddy what can I do? I want Maddy in my life-"
"Maybe if you two talked it out!" Michelle yelled "She's scared because you're touring this winter. Postpone tour."
"We could do that." I nodded.
"It's tour, we can't-"
"And that's Jackie's cue to walk out because you're a pig headed arrogant bitch." Brian smiled "Dude. It's tour. Would you rather tour or have her back WITH your child?"
"The second, clearly, but-"
"THERE ARE NO BUTS." Jimmy groaned "What aren't you comprehending here Sanders? You want her to marry you? TAKE THE WINTER OFF. Help her with Maddy. Get through this first year together then talk about touring. We can hold off, work on new material. It'll be good. You need to put your goddamn personal life first Matt, Jesus."
"Last names Sanders you moron." Matt smirked and turned back around "I just... I miss her. I don't miss fighting. I miss her, us, there was no us without Maddy so... I don't know. We just work."
"That's your problem, work." Michelle added "Let me try." She rolled her eyes and grabbed Brian's cell phone from his hands. She tapped her fingernails on the seat infront of her and stared off at the ceiling above her. Her eyes widened "Hello?... Don'thanguppleasejustlisten!" She slurred it all out "Michelle...? Oh thank god, please listen to me. I need to talk to you, Jackie. Can you at least tell-... Oh, well..." She looked up "Call me after? I'm driving up towards Santa Rosa to see my Nana-... Oh really? Oh, can you text me the address and I'll stop in later tonight?" Michelle smiled "Oh perfect, oh I'm so excited to see you! I promise... ok... text this number hun. Ok... thanks! See you later tonight baby girl. Bye!" She hung up and smiled "That's how it's DOOOONNEEE boys."
Within seconds the phone rang again and Brian snagged it "Dude, she's like right inside of Petaluma, right off of 101."
"Perfect." I smiled and continued driving "Only... four more hours to go. Where are we going until we meet up with her?"
"Santa Rosa, duh." Michelle rolled her eyes "Nana said we could crash there if we needed to tonight so we don't drive tired. Plus she hasn't seen you all in so long."
"Nana D!" Brian smiled "She's my favorite."
"Good. Well... lets get there then we can get excited." Michelle kept Brian's phone, continuing to text Jackie the whole ride.
"Why couldn't we go right over?" Matt asked "Is she home?"
"Yah..." Michelle mumbled back.
"Then why?" He asked again.
"She's busy.." Mich kept her eyes down.
"Mich?" Matt asked. She glanced up "What?"
"She's busy, what part of that don't you get?" She asked, rolling her eyes.
"What'd she say?"
Michelle chewed her lip and shrugged.
"MICHELLE." Jimmy turned around "Answer him before I smack his face."
"Jeez." Michelle laughed "Well... first off, she was driving home from the bay. Second, apparently her and Kara needed to finish some really good shit. Then Kara's mother and aunt or something are coming over for enchiladas?" She paushed "Anyone ever notice she had, like, a Spanish accent?" Michelle asked "She actually said a couple Spanish words under her breath come to think about it."
"Kara's family is straight outta Mexico." Matt piped up "I learned that while we were on tour. They've probably been brushing up."
"Oh... that'll be fun." Brian laughed "No beuno, Jackie, drugs no bueno."
"Good job sweety, but leave the Spanish up to the pros." Michelle laughed and put her head back down. Matt was lingering on the finish some good shit portion, I could tell. I just kept my eyes focused on the road and kept driving. Six hours couldn't have dragged by longer if they tried.
Two weeks prior.
"I mean, no one's gonna find you two here. You'll be safe."
Devynne, Kara's cousin, smiled. She was about five foot five inches, long dark black hair, tanned skin, small frame, curves only where neccesary. She was Latino, and had the most magnificent home I'd ever seen. We had been evicted, the cops raided our old condo and Kara's parents shipped us up to Petaluma for safe keeping.
"Por lo tanto, Kara, ¿cuánto tiempo planeas quedarte?" She looked at Kara as we placed out bags in the first of many spare rooms.
"No sé, tal vez un mes o algo así? Depende de cuánto tiempo mamá y papá piensan es seguro." Kara shrugged. I stood awkwardly as they continued sharing words.
"Sí, vamos a tener que enseñarle un poco de español!" Devynne looked at me and laughed.
"She says we're going to teach you Spanish." Kara elbowed me "I'd think she'd pick up quick."
"Yo sé un poco." I smiled as they both cheered.
"This'll be easy!" Kara swung her arm around me "Who needs boys!!"
"That's right Mama!" Devynne smiled "All we gonna do is have some fun! We can start the fun off by calling up the girls and getting them all down, cousins Giselle has been waiting for you to come back up here Kara!"
Present Day
two weeks later
Kara and Dev had me pretty much fluent in Spanish from being submerged into their entire family. I couldn't stop thinking every morning when I woke up something was missing, something was wrong. But then I'd roll one up and take a hit, then join Kara in her first morning shoot up and we'd be off to a good start.
Where we were staying wasn't too far from Tomales Bay, so every few days I would take the car for a drive and sit up on Shoreline Highway and watch the water, thinking back and letting my mind sober up for a moment or two before making my way home. Home.
Home. Home is where the heart is. This wasn't my home.
Today was no different than any other. I had done my morning ritual and made my way out to the bay. I pulled the car over and sat along the rocks edging the ocean infront of me. It's vast, never ending continual waves captured my mind. I couldn't help but imagine what Matt would say if he were here.
Matt
"Oh fuck." I felt tears roll down my face. What had I done? Had I even thought about how this would affect him? No. Of course not. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve as my phone rang.
Message from: Kara
Hey chica! Mama and Auntie Louise are coming over for dinner, six pm, if you'll be around we're having enchiladas!
I laughed and shoved my phone back in my pocket, it didn't warrant a response so I didn't do so. I let my mind wander back to misery and pain. Matthew. What I wouldn't give to be back in his arms. Three months without him, without my baby, without my family. I would kill to be back at mom's, or even Matt's, just laughing with them all. But I could feel it. I could feel my blood slowly turning against me.
My fingers were shaky, my eyes constantly searching, my skin crawling every moment I didn't have that adrenaline rushing through it. I gritted my teeth together and leaned against the car, sighing heavily. I needed it... all of it. Constantly. I was far from human, I was far from safe or sane. I couldn't go a fucking goddamn day without using. "Fuck!" I spat as my phone went off again. "What?" I answered angrily, knowing it would be Kara. Asking if I was going to be home to get a couple rounds in before her mom came over.
"Oh thank god, you're fucking alive!"
"Jesus Christ." I hit end call and looked at the number flashing across the screen. "How...?" I glanced down. Zack. How had he gotten my number? Where? Who? No one but Kara's family had it.
Taylor.
"Lovely." I mumbled and watched my screen light up again.
Baker, Zachary
I ignored it and stood up, feeling myself becoming light headed quickly. I sat down in the driver's seat and reached into the console, grabbing my pipe and lighting the small crystal rocks and taking a couple hits. I felt my blood again, finally. I started the car and began driving the short yet seemingly excutiatingly long distance home.
Zack's POV
"She bitch buttoned me." I looked down at the phone.
"You anticipated...? What exactly?" Brian laughed as we drove up the highway towards Petaluma. The last place Dustin said he heard them going to, and that was two weeks ago. And Kara's parents hadn't seen them down this way since they left.
"I don't know. She's my sister." I Shrugged as Matt groaned from the passenger seat "What crawled up your ass?" I asked as he turned the radio down.
"I'm just... I don't know." He huffed and looked out the window "I don't know. I mean... she doesn't want this. She doesn't want me. Why are we trying?... OUCH!" He cringed as Jimmy's hand made hard contact with that back of Matt's head.
"Because she's our fucking best friend, the mother of your fucking child, Matthew, and she's Zack's sister. I don't give a fuck if you two get back together so long as she comes home and gets clean. I don't want her dying. That shit isn't to fuck with."
"Preach." Michelle giggled from the far backseat, refusing to squish between Brian and Jimmy considering they were fighting over coffee to start the drive this morning.
"I mean... She's fucking doing Meth, Matthew." Jimmy flicked his ear "And you're approving of this?"
"No." Matt turned in his seat and glared back "But I'm not approving of her current life anyways so what am I gonna do? Force her back into my life? I mean she doesn't want Maddy what can I do? I want Maddy in my life-"
"Maybe if you two talked it out!" Michelle yelled "She's scared because you're touring this winter. Postpone tour."
"We could do that." I nodded.
"It's tour, we can't-"
"And that's Jackie's cue to walk out because you're a pig headed arrogant bitch." Brian smiled "Dude. It's tour. Would you rather tour or have her back WITH your child?"
"The second, clearly, but-"
"THERE ARE NO BUTS." Jimmy groaned "What aren't you comprehending here Sanders? You want her to marry you? TAKE THE WINTER OFF. Help her with Maddy. Get through this first year together then talk about touring. We can hold off, work on new material. It'll be good. You need to put your goddamn personal life first Matt, Jesus."
"Last names Sanders you moron." Matt smirked and turned back around "I just... I miss her. I don't miss fighting. I miss her, us, there was no us without Maddy so... I don't know. We just work."
"That's your problem, work." Michelle added "Let me try." She rolled her eyes and grabbed Brian's cell phone from his hands. She tapped her fingernails on the seat infront of her and stared off at the ceiling above her. Her eyes widened "Hello?... Don'thanguppleasejustlisten!" She slurred it all out "Michelle...? Oh thank god, please listen to me. I need to talk to you, Jackie. Can you at least tell-... Oh, well..." She looked up "Call me after? I'm driving up towards Santa Rosa to see my Nana-... Oh really? Oh, can you text me the address and I'll stop in later tonight?" Michelle smiled "Oh perfect, oh I'm so excited to see you! I promise... ok... text this number hun. Ok... thanks! See you later tonight baby girl. Bye!" She hung up and smiled "That's how it's DOOOONNEEE boys."
Within seconds the phone rang again and Brian snagged it "Dude, she's like right inside of Petaluma, right off of 101."
"Perfect." I smiled and continued driving "Only... four more hours to go. Where are we going until we meet up with her?"
"Santa Rosa, duh." Michelle rolled her eyes "Nana said we could crash there if we needed to tonight so we don't drive tired. Plus she hasn't seen you all in so long."
"Nana D!" Brian smiled "She's my favorite."
"Good. Well... lets get there then we can get excited." Michelle kept Brian's phone, continuing to text Jackie the whole ride.
"Why couldn't we go right over?" Matt asked "Is she home?"
"Yah..." Michelle mumbled back.
"Then why?" He asked again.
"She's busy.." Mich kept her eyes down.
"Mich?" Matt asked. She glanced up "What?"
"She's busy, what part of that don't you get?" She asked, rolling her eyes.
"What'd she say?"
Michelle chewed her lip and shrugged.
"MICHELLE." Jimmy turned around "Answer him before I smack his face."
"Jeez." Michelle laughed "Well... first off, she was driving home from the bay. Second, apparently her and Kara needed to finish some really good shit. Then Kara's mother and aunt or something are coming over for enchiladas?" She paushed "Anyone ever notice she had, like, a Spanish accent?" Michelle asked "She actually said a couple Spanish words under her breath come to think about it."
"Kara's family is straight outta Mexico." Matt piped up "I learned that while we were on tour. They've probably been brushing up."
"Oh... that'll be fun." Brian laughed "No beuno, Jackie, drugs no bueno."
"Good job sweety, but leave the Spanish up to the pros." Michelle laughed and put her head back down. Matt was lingering on the finish some good shit portion, I could tell. I just kept my eyes focused on the road and kept driving. Six hours couldn't have dragged by longer if they tried.