Wild Minds || Animal Kingdom

40

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They'd spent hours trying to clean up the mess Nicky had left behind, Ashton covered in blood from the towels she tried to clean it up with and from where she knelt. It made her queasy, there was so much of it. J had hardly said anything when he arrived home once more, she knew it was too quick; she knew what he must've done.

'Hey, go clean yourself up,' J suggested as he fell back onto his heels. 

'It's fine,' She muttered; 'What the fuck was she doing with a gun, J?'

'I don't know.'

'She was off her face, you know? She didn't just shoot herself on accident, she shot herself high on accident.'

He sighed, beginning to scrub the floor once more. They worked in silence once more until the blood was gone, moving inside to rid of the rest; along with where it lay elsewhere in the yard. 

'Go see her,' She wiped the hair stuck from her face as she sat back onto the concrete. 

'Go have a shower,' He retorted as he looked over at her. 

She pushed herself up to stand, holding her hand out for him to take. He let her pull him up and take him inside, she lead him to the shared ensuite between Deran and Craig's rooms. She patted his cheek with a tight smile before she turned to head to the main bathroom, stripping the blood stained clothes from her body as the water heated itself. Ashton stepped into the water, letting the water run over her body; ridding of the blood that lingered there. 

She didn't know how long had passed when she was brought out of the daze, her eyes flicking to the door at sound of the gate buzzer echoed through the house. She shut off the facet and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her before she stepped out of the room. The familiar sound of Nicky's father's voice sounded through the house as he yelled at the speaker, her feet tapping against the ground as she jogged out to the kitchen. 

'Oh, shit,' She muttered; 'Deal with him.'

'Y-Yeh,' J stammered from beside her.

He pressed the button to open the gate, letting her race back to her room to pull on whatever she could find. Paul's voice bounced off the walls as he stormed into the house, the girl cursing under her breath as she stepped out of her room to find Mia entering the house. She shook her head, motioning for her to stay as she made her way to the master bedroom. 

'They found heroin and fentanyl in her system! Are you shooting her up?' Paul yelled as she stepped into the room.

'No. No, no,' J stammered as he watched the man pack Nicky's things.

'Well, where'd she get the gun?'

'I don't know.'

'That is bullshit.'