Airplanes | Spruceworth 6.1 | Wattys2019

Chapter 34: Heated Argument

Chapter 34: Heated Argument

       Flipping through the mail as I walked inside my house, I found one letter addressed to me which made me very curious because I rarely, if ever, receive mail. I set the rest on the coffee table for Dad to look at when he got home.

       I opened the envelope, taking out the letter that was inside and right as I read what was written on it, my heart dropped. I knew this was going to happen eventually, but I didn't expect it to come so soon and I definitely wasn't ready to face it.

       Hugh's plea hearing was this weekend. And he was still denying his involvement in the school explosion so no doubt he was going to plea not guilty, which would cause an actually court hearing.

       I didn't even have to attend the plea hearing but if Hugh actually went to court, I was going to have to attend that. I really didn't want to.

       I only stared at the letter for a bit before crumpling it up, then tossing it in the garbage. I just wanted to move on from this. Why couldn't Hugh just confess to what he did?

       I was starting to feel a craving I hadn't felt in such a long time and to make things worse, I actually had alcohol stashed somewhere in the house again. Ever since the explosion where I temporarily felt the cravings, I went out to get some and stash just in case.

       I hated that I did but I couldn't help myself. At least I never got into it.

       Until today.

       Dad was at a teacher meeting at the school and Grant was spending time with Hennessy so I was home alone.

       Despite my ankle being a bit sore, I went into my bedroom and to one place Grant never looked into; the closet. He kept his clothes in one of the drawers of the dresser and even though we did share clothes sometimes, he also claimed he was too lazy to look in the closet for something to where.

       Even if he did, I still hid the alcohol in a box labelled old school stuff.

       I pulled a bottle out of it and left the bedroom, about to open the bottle but something was stopping me. I really didn't want to do this but part of me also couldn't help it. I had worked so hard to get sober. I couldn't just throw away everything I worked for.

       But I also couldn't push away how I was feeling with the upcoming trial. I was so scared and nervous that Hugh was going to end up walking free. I was so scared and worried that I would have to see him in the village knowing what he did to me.

       I couldn't push these feelings away by myself. I needed help to do it, even with the help I didn't want.

       I took and deep breath and twisted opened the lid and right as I did, the front door opened. I turned around, quickly hiding the bottle behind my back. "Hey," I said.

       "Hi," Grant said, closing the door behind him. "What's behind your back?"

       "Nothing," I said.

       "Right," Grant said in a disbelieving tone as he walked towards me. "Because everyone just randomly holds their hand behind their backs when they're not hiding anything."

       Before I could even do anything, Grant reached behind me and grabbed what was in my hand. Even if I was fast enough, I doubt I would have been able to stop him since my other arm was rested on my crutch.

       Grant looked at the bottle with furrowed eyebrows and I honestly didn't even know how to defend myself. "Ollie... Where did you get this? I thought you dumped them all out."