XXIII: Leela Thomas

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CHAPTER TWENTY THREE Leela

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CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Leela

IT WAS THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING BREAK when Argyle informed me that we'd be driving to the airport to pick up one of Will's friends called Mike Wheeler. It was today of all days that my dad's rule of "you cannot be in the house alone" was pissing me off. I didn't want to sit in Argyle's screwed up van while him and Jonathan got high. Regardless, here I was in the van with Jonathan, Argyle, Will and Jane on the way to the airport. I was sitting behind Argyle's seat, looking bored out of the window. Pass the Dutchie by Musical Youth blasted through the car. I had heard it at least thirty times in the last two days.

"Switch that off, Argyle," I grumbled. "I already have a headache from the stench of weed in here."

"I thought the plants were safe? How can they cause head aches?" Jane asked.

"Don't worry, El," Jonathan said quickly, looking over at me with a slight glare. I rolled my eyes.

"Mike's flight should be coming in now," El smiled, looking at her watch. Will nodded too.

"Where is he coming from?" I asked.

"From home," Argyle smiled.

"You're lucky you're driving," I said, raising my eyebrow.

"He's coming from Hawkins, Indiana. Where we used to live," Jonathan replied.

I looked directly over at Jonathan. "Wait, is this Mike Wheeler you're talking about? Nancy Wheeler's little brother?"

"That's the one," Jonathan nodded. He was blunt about it.

"Hm," I nodded, and then I went into my world again. I thought about Hawkins, a place I had once called home. Everything had happened so quickly when I left. I didn't have time to feel like everything had been ripped from me until I got to California. A new start, my dad had called it. New friends, new memories, a new home. The rest of the list he didn't speak about; new pills, new therapist, new anxieties. Hawkins had fucked me up so much the therapy I needed was as far as California. My auntie, Argyle's mother, was the reason I got the therapy I needed and now my dad and her are some type of dream working together to keep an eye on me. While I know they love me, I feel trapped, and no matter how often I bring it up, I still am made to feel like this is what I need.

My dad was very strict on rules. I didn't have any friends around here, so that's why I'm forced to
stay with Argyle so frequently. My dad is out of the country so often and my aunt works a lot of the time. None of this is out of choice. Argyle doesn't get any of it. He offers me weed all of the time even when he knows the medication I am on. He doesn't like when things get too real, so how could I ever tell him anything? Argyle's a laugh, but jokes alway get old.

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