Chapter 17

Lexi

October 11th, 2016 | 12:00 pm

Lexi and Maeve had met up downtown. She was kind of nervous about hanging out with Maeve. It wasn't that Maeve wasn't nice or anything, it just felt weird. Thankfully, Maeve was super cool about it and did most of the talking as they shopped. They had gone to a couple thrift stores to look for clothes they could use to turn into something better. Once they had gotten bored, they went to eat.

"So Lexi," Maeve began once they had ordered, "I was wondering how things are at home, you haven't really let me inside your house."

Lexi hadn't realized she had always told Maeve to meet her outside.

"Is your dad-"

"He's fine," Lexi said, cutting her off. "He just doesn't like new people."

Maeve nodded. "Even last year I was worried about him."

"You don't have to be, I got things taken care of."

"But Lexi," Maeve said, frowning. "You're the kid, wouldn't you be better off in a foster home far away from here or something?"

"What about my dad?" Lexi asked. "Who would take care of him?"

Maeve looked down at the table. "I guess I hadn't thought about that."

Lexi sighed. "I love my dad, he's all I got left, even the way he is."

Maeve nodded. "I just wish you didn't have to shoulder so much."

"Me too," Lexi agreed. "But that's life, you know?"

Maeve nodded but her eyes were pained, Lexi could tell she still thought it was unfair. Lexi didn't see it that way, her father had spent almost seventeen years loving and caring for Lexi, the least she could do was take care of him now.

After they ate, Lexi and Maeve were walking to one of the last stores on the block when they passed one of the buildings they used to get high at.

"Good times, huh?" Maeve said.

Lexi shrugged. She barely remembered anything from when she was high, only Austin. Which often brought misery over good memories nowadays.

"You know they closed off this building?" Maeve said pointing to the bolt on the front door. "I guess the city had enough of us getting high in there."

Lexi inspected the building, sure enough all of the windows were boarded up and the doors were bolted shut.

"They forgot about the broken window in the basement though," Maeve said with a wink.

"Thanks for letting me know, but seriously I don't get high anymore."

Maeve studied Lexi's face for a moment. "You haven't even been tempted in the slightest?"

"I mean I'm not going to lie, I have had moments of weakness, but I always come back around. I have some good people around me to keep me on track," Lexi said thinking of Macy.

Maeve looked lost in thought for a while. "I wish I had that amount of self-control," she sighed.

"I didn't even know I was that strong until I was finally clean," Lexi admitted.

"Lexi, you should know-"

"There is no way in hell that is Austin," Lexi said, cutting Maeve off.

Both turned and saw Austin approaching the corner they were on.

"Maeve, let's get out of here," Lexi said, not in the mood to see her ex.

"Come on, we can hide in the building."

Seeing no other option, Lexi followed Maeve into the broken window and she found herself in a building she had once spent so much time getting high in. Lexi looked down and saw needles everywhere. What high schoolers were doing these kinds of hard drugs? She thought the majority of the school were pill poppers.

"Do people at school do heroin now or what?" Lexi asked.

Maeve frowned and glanced around at all the needles. "I don't think teenagers are using this building anymore."

Suddenly, Lexi and Maeve heard voices above. Both girls glanced at each other worriedly.

"I thought you said no one comes here anymore?" Lexi whispered.

"I guess I was wrong," Maeve replied nervously.

"Let's get out of here," Lexi said.

Before they could get back to the window however, they heard voices right outside of it.

"Uh oh," Lexi said, really nervous now. "Come on, let's hide in that closet."

Maeve followed her as Lexi opened the closet door and shut it behind them.

"What are we going to do?" Maeve whispered.

"Shh," Lexi replied.

Lexi peaked through the shutters on the door and saw a bunch of men standing around. Her face filled with worry. Maeve was right to be scared. What were they going to do now?

"Are they all here?" a voice called.

"Yes, sir."

Lexi couldn't make out anyone's faces. They were all turned away from her. She just watched as each guy gave a stack of cash to the one who was clearly in charge.

"Nice to see you two can sell all your drugs for a change," he said to the boys standing closest to where Lexi and Maeve were hiding.

"We hit the dance on Friday, those guys had no clue how much the drugs actually cost," one of the boys replied.

Maeve grabbed Lexi's arm suddenly. She started pointing like mad to the two boys. Lexi knew she and Maeve were having the same thought: Only two boys at their school sold drugs. Austin and Rick were standing in front of them. Lexi tried to keep her breathing even as Maeve was freaking out enough for the both of them. Maeve took a step back and accidentally made a sound as her arm hit the wall. Maeve and Lexi stared at each other as the room went silent.

"Go see what that was," the man in charge said to someone.

Maeve clutched Lexi's arm in fear as the door opened. They came face to face with none other than Austin. He looked at the two of them in utter disbelief. He stared for a moment longer and Lexi couldn't quite place his expression. If the room were a little brighter, she could've sworn he looked terrified for them.

"Must have been an animal or something," Austin said, finally closing the closet door. "This place isn't exactly up to code."

"No matter, we're done here."

Lexi exhaled a breath of relief and watched as Austin glanced over his shoulder once more at the closet door. He finally followed Rick out of the building. Once they were both sure all the men had left, both girls exited the closet and practically ran away from the building. When they finally got to Maeve's car, only then did Lexi begin to relax. She looked over at Maeve who was starting to look like her old self again.

"Why didn't Austin report us to his boss?" Lexi thought aloud.

"Come on Lexi, even I know that," Maeve said, rolling her eyes.

Lexi gave her a strange look. "What?"

"Lexi, even the Joker saves Harley Quinn when she needs him."

"You really think Austin still cares enough about me to lie to his boss and risk his own life?" Lexi asked.

Maeve shrugged. "I guess that's for you to decide."

Lexi had gone home that night and locked herself in her room. She wanted to get high, being in that basement, seeing Austin, it was all too much. She didn't leave her room that night, and in the morning, she booked the first available appointment with Macy.

***

"That's about it," Lexi said in summary to Liam. "I went to a therapy session, washed dishes, and now I'm here."

"I didn't think that they were in it that deep," Liam said finally. "I always thought they just bought small amounts from other dealers and sold it at the school because they knew they could overcharge. It sounds like they're in some deep trouble."

Lexi nodded. "That's what I was thinking, it seemed like they were working for him."

Liam sighed and closed their empty pizza box. "What are you going to do?" he asked.

"About Austin?" Lexi asked. "Avoid him at all costs."

Around nine, Lexi's father still hadn't returned and Liam looked reluctant to leave her alone. "I have an extra pair of clothes in my gym bag, I could stay if you want."

Lexi suppressed a smile. "You know at first I thought it was strange how understanding you were of my fear of being alone, but I get it now, you don't like being alone either, do you?"

Liam looked surprised, Lexi must have guessed right. "Yeah, you're right. I spend a lot of time at Josh or Ryan's house, Rachel too sometimes."

"I wouldn't mind if you stayed again."

Once they were both ready to sleep, Lexi glanced over at the couch Liam had started to fall asleep on and thought more about the last boy who had slept on that couch.

***

"You don't have to stay," Lexi said softly.

Austin had just taken her home from the hospital. She had spent every night there with her father but at the insistence of the nurses, she had come home for a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, that probably wouldn't come regardless of where she slept. Still, Austin had offered to take her home and she needed to shower and change her clothes anyway.

"I don't mind," he replied. "It's not like my parents can stop me."

Lexi glanced over at him, he had told her on their first date before the accident about his home life. His father had been dead since he was little. Rick and him took care of each other. They were all the other had. Lexi tried not to let Austin see her red cheeks, but I think he caught on to her shyness.

"I'll sleep on the floor," he offered.

Lexi must have been blushing even more. "We could move the couch in here, it's not like my parents can stop me."

Austin nodded and together they pushed the couch into her room. Lexi found an extra blanket and pillow for him and he got ready to sleep.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked.

"Don't worry, you're a much better roommate than Rick, he snores like a train."

Lexi smiled for the first time in awhile. "Thanks for being here, Austin, I don't know how I would've survived without you."

He came over and kissed the side of her head. "Of course," he mumbled into her hair.

At that moment, Lexi knew she had fallen for Austin, probably too hard.