No Such Thing as Too Young

Don't you know that the kids aren't all,
Kids aren't alright?
"The Kids Aren't Alright" – Fall Out Boy

We spent the rest of the day just watching movies until it was time for me to go home.

"Hey, um, Vic," I said hesitantly before I got up off the couch and went outside to where my mum's car was waiting. I hated to spoil the good mood.

"Mm?"

"I'm gonna talk to my mum tonight about, uh, you know."

Vic took a deep breath and nodded. "Skype me when you've spoken to her?"

"Of course. Talk to you later," I said, leaning over and kissing him slowly before getting up and heading out the door.

"Mum, I have to talk to you about something," I said that night over dinner.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" she asked concernedly.

"Well, last night I found out that Vic's been struggling with- with a drug addiction."

Mum's eyes widened. "Vic? A drug addiction?" she said incredulously.

"Yeah, a heroin addiction. And last year he overdosed and nearly died, but his parents didn't want to pay to send him to rehab. So... I offered to help him out. I really want him to get over this addiction, Mum, so he can be safe. If we could just pay for his rehab we could save his life."

"What type of rehab were you thinking?"

"We talked about sending him to one of those homes for teenage drug rehab, just for a month. There's different programs and places you can send him to, and I found one online that looked really good. The place looked nice and they have a thirty day program that I think would suit him. They let visitors in during the thirty days and they have group therapy and private psychology sessions and everything."

Mum took a deep breath.

"Please, Mum," I begged. "I'm really worried about him, and I just want to know he's safe. If going to rehab can stop him from using heroin entirely then it really could save his life. I'll even get a job and use the money to help pay for it."

"Alright. It will be expensive, but if you think it could save him then I'm willing to pay for it. And if you're serious about getting a job to help that'd be good too."

"Thank you, thank you so much!" I cried, jumping out of my seat and throwing my arms around her, kissing her on the cheek.

"It's alright, Kellin," she said warmly, smiling and hugging me back. "You really like him, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. I really do."

"Have Vic's parents been spoken to about this?" she asked once I was back in my seat.

"Well, no. I haven't even met them yet; they're never home."

"Well, I would like to talk to them myself about this before we start organising it. It's important that they know and I need their permission before sending their son to a rehab home."

"Mum... are you sure? They were kinda mad at Vic when he overdosed, they might not react well..." I hadn't thought about this side of it. She was right; they had to be told, but I was worried about how they'd react to finding out that Vic was still doing drugs. I didn't want them to be mad at him; it could make things worse.

"Yes, Kellin, I'm sure," she said firmly. "They're going to have to find out eventually anyway, and I won't organise anything without getting their permission first."

"Alright," I sighed. After that I bolted down my dinner as fast as I could before thanking Mum again and racing upstairs to Skype Vic.

I used my laptop to video call Vic, who answered from his phone almost immediately. "Hey, how'd it go?" he asked nervously.

"She said yes!" I replied excitedly. "I've got to get a job to help pay for it and everything, but I knew she'd say yes."

Vic let out a deep breath. "Okay, that's g-good. Tell I said thank you a million times, and I promise I'll pay you both back someday."

"There's just one thing, though."

"What's that?" he said cautiously, looking scared.

"My mum wants to speak to your parents about it first. Is... is that okay?"

"Ah, jeez, I didn't even think about that. They're gonna be really mad," he said, his voice wavering.

"Look, my mum will convince them, don't worry. Even if they get mad, I don't think my mum will back down. She really likes you, she'll defend you."

"Do you think so?" he asked in a small voice. I nodded in reply.

"But, Kellin..."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't even know if I really want to go. I'm scared, and I don't know if it's worth it."

"Trust me Vic; it will be worth it. I know it's scary, but I'll visit you all the time and stuff. You just gotta keep reminding yourself that it'll make things better in the end. Okay?"

Vic nodded uncertainly.

"Hey, if you really don't want to go then we won't make you. It's up to you, but I do really want to be sure that you're safe."

"I know," said Vic, his throat tight. "I still haven't made up my mind. But I'll still tell my parents that your mum would like to speak to them about something, and I'll try and do it for you."

"You don't have to put yourself out of your comfort zone for me if it's too hard, remember. I don't want to pressure you."

"I know. But I want to try, for myself too."

I smiled at him. "Things will turn okay, I promise."

He managed a weak smile back. "I know."