Taunt

Chapter 55- Taunting Beatings

[] A M E L I A []

"Amelia... I walked in on Andre injecting himself."

I froze. Every fibre of my body forgot how to function.

Her sentence hung in the air like a floating balloon, and I couldn't help my gasp after her words kicked in.

"Wh-what? You saw Andre...injecting himself?" I asked, shock taking over me.

Gemma nodded, her hands shaking slightly.

"But Amelia, I don't know what it was. All I know is the night he held the party for Jamal, Andre went to his room for a while. I wanted to ask where I could get extra napkins so I followed after him. And when I walked in his room, I saw him sticking a needle in his arm. I confronted him Amelia. But he only shrugged it off saying he had a medical condition," Gemma explained.

Everything fell into place now. It was evident that Gemma was awkward around Andre after the party at their dorm. I just assumed the two kissed or something.

But this was different.

It wasn't like I would hate Andre for using drugs. That was his choice, and it wouldn't make him any less of an amazing friend in my eyes. But if he was doing something as strong as what I think he was, then I have every right to care and worry for him.

"I couldn't tell you before. Not when everything was going so good. You asked me a day before the party, why I had been so weird around him, because there was something off about him Amelia. He was hiding from us. Truth be told, I did like him. At that point, I really did. So I asked him again. I asked him how his medication was going. And then he brushed it off, saying he had no such thing. I'm worried about him Amelia. I really am."

I let out a small breath and scooted forward to wrap my arm around Gemma. She leaned into my hug, soft tears flowing down her cheeks.

"It's going to be okay Gemma. We'll figure it out. Andre will be fine."

Truth was, I didn't know what was fixable at this point.

* * *

[] L E O []

It's been 36 hours.

Only 36 hours since she left, and still, I can't seem to get over it.

I was walking aimlessly around the campus, unable to function.

I felt like something was ripping at my soul.

'How is she? Is she safe? Did she eat? Is she crying-'

Thoughts ran through my mind without any rhyme or reason. The only thing on my mind was her, and nothing but that.

Somehow, my feet guided me to a stop in front of a familiar building. I frowned in confusion and looked up, only to see that I was by her dorm building. I froze immediately, my eyes straying to her room window, two floors above. The lights were off, reminding me that she wasn't here.

A dull ache resided in my chest, unwilling to stop. I stayed where I was, staring at the dark room.

What was I doing before she came in my life?

As I racked my brain to think of something, anything, I couldn't. Because it felt as if there was nothing important I did before Amelia stumbled into my life.

I never made time for friends, I never tried to socialize more than I had to, and I never thought with my heart before my fist.

But now I did.