In Our Heads

Chapter 13

*****

Theodore tapped his fingers against the steering wheel as he drove in the dark. The road around him was slightly misty but clearing up as more cars began to move on it.

He yawned looking over at Zion who was staring out of the window from the passenger seat, occasionally pointing something out or turning to talk to Theodore when something popped into his mind.

Another fight broke out in their house at 3 AM, this one between some of William's friends who were staying over and had already been up all night listening to music and yelling loudly.

Theodore had been tired and angry and did not want to provoke a bunch of his parents' drunk friends. So, instead of intervening like he usually did, he helped his distraught little brother who had been woken by the raising voices and smashing glass get dressed before leaving their house; not even telling their parents that they were leaving.

He then drove around for a while, the car quiet as both he and Zion did not have anything to say until Zion fell back to sleep.

He stopped at a fuel station for a couple of hours. He had not gotten any sleep then, because he had to keep an eye out for anything around them as the place was practically empty. At five, he woke his brother up again so they could use the bathroom to wash their faces, brush their teeth and get Zion dressed before they got back into the car.

"So, do you want cheese sandwiches or chicken?" Theodore looked over at Zion who was reaching into the cubbyhole of the car, it seemed like his brother had not heard him because he was focused on something else. "Zion."

"There are sweets –" Theodore immediately grabbed the bag from Zion's smaller hand once he caught sight if it. "Theo –!"

"These aren't sweets!" he snapped, his hand moving to toss the bag out of the window but he stopped, realising that the missing drugs would make William lose his shit. Instead, Theodore gritted his teeth, shoving the drugs into his pocket.

He would put them under the seat or carpet when he was no longer driving. He felt his heart race as he wondered how they could just leave that lying around in the car. A police officer could have seen it if he was pulled over... or people from his school. He would probably be expelled immediately.

"They look like sweets."

They did look like it, but Theodore knew better than to trust anything left in the car or the house that he did not put there himself. Zion should have known that too.

"They aren't. I've told you never to eat anything you find lying around, Zion."

"I wasn't going to..." Zion mumbled, looking upset.

"I'm sorry," Theodore apologised for snapping at his brother and grabbing the pack so suddenly. He glanced over at Zion when the little boy said nothing and noticed him frowning as he closed the cubbyhole before he looked up.

"I want sweets. I want gummy worms."

"I was talking about lunch."

"I want a cheese sandwich and gummy worms."

Theodore couldn't help but chuckle at the answer.

"Fine."

He stopped at the convenience store he worked at to get the food with his employee discount before driving Zion the rest of the way to school. It was still early when they arrived, but there were already teacher's cars in the parking lot. Zion hopped out after hugging Theodore before running into the building. Theodore watched to make sure his brother was all the way inside before he drove off, heading towards his own school.