As Sin

new beginnings

"Bye, rockstar."

Nate wrapped his arms around the group of friends that he had grown accustomed to in rehab. Lia and Serena were joined at the hip, and they followed him everywhere. Lia cut her hair when he admitted that he couldn't tell her and Serena apart. They made sure he never felt like he was alone. Jonas was quiet, but he was always firm about keeping him sober. They played music together. The brunette man was always the first to read the songs he would scribble down whenever the cravings started haunting him again. Ahab's room was right next to his, and he kept him company whenever he couldn't sleep. He collected vintage editions of books under his bed. Sometimes, Ahab would let him read them, even though he could rarely get past a single chapter.

He remembered all their names. He spent his days rolling around their floors crying, throwing up in their trashcans, singing unfinished songs as they listened. They kept him sane. Without them, he would have long lost sight of why he even started recovery. He smiled. It would all be over today thanks to them.

He looked around the room that he had grown accustomed to for the past six months. Being the best money could buy, it seemed more like a hotel room. A king sized bed where he played his guitar and rolled around in when he got sick from withdrawals. Two mahogany bedsides tables that he often felt the urge to bash his head against when those withdrawals became too much. His own bathroom that he really should have been throwing up in instead of other people's trashcans. It came with heated floors, to boot.

He could have stayed forever if he wanted to. But he had to face his demons in the real world, outside the safe environment the rehab center provided. Besides, he missed his home. He missed performing. The rush of being in front of a crowd of people with his guitar was all he needed. In six months, he learned to see how cocaine was only dulling his true love for performing and being with his fans. Addiction took him out of living in the moment because he was always waiting for the next hit. It took forever to see, but it was all so worth it.

"Good luck, guys."

They smiled at him. Serena blushed as she slipped him a card signed with glittery pink gel ink. He read their messy signatures scrawled across the front.

"Don't read it yet!" Lia chided. "We made it especially for you last night."

"Okay, okay," he chuckled, looking up from the card. He placed it neatly into his duffel bag. He zipped it up and heaved a huge sigh. For the past six months, this place was his home. He wasn't sure if he could handle the cameras and questions that would hound him once more. But it was time to get back into the swing of things.

With one last hug, he walked out of the rehab center. Past cream walls decorated with paintings of mountains and cabins. Past the dining room he and his friends would laugh and chatter in between bites. Past room after room belonging to people that waved him goodbye. Past the garden with flowers that glittered with dew. Out of active addiction.

It didn't take long for a few people to spot him. They practically crowded over each other to catch a photo of him. The sight of their phones and cameras made him dizzy. Their questions flooded his ears. He had gotten used to them, but after a while being away, it made his heart pound. He put a hand over his eyes, trying to look for the car that would take him home.

He spotted a figure that made his heart race. A short man with half his head shaven, a dyed streak through his hair that he last remembered to be red, though it was fading into a gold pink. Sharp eyes with a pointed look to them and even sharper cheekbones. He had piercings all along his earlobes. It was him. His legs moved faster than his mouth did. He couldn't get there fast enough.

"Xia!"

The man turned around. The dour look on his face turned into a smile. His heart leapt for joy. He hadn't seen that smile in ages. He jumped into his best friend's embrace. His arms wrapped around Xia's shoulders, patting down the bones that jutted out of his skin.