Struggle

Chapter 3.

" Stay in the car Oliver. I'll be back. " I say. Oliver starts crying.I get out and walk to the doors and open one. The smells of alcohol and drugs fill my nostrils and I already feel woozy.

Janice looks up from her spot behind the wooden table she acts like is her desk. "Hey Madi." She says. Getting up. I nod before replying in a gruff demeanor, "Long time no see. " I say. She nods. Biting the inside of her lip. Then claps her hands together. "What do you want?" Janice says. I nod, my irrationality speaking. "Something that will get me high fast." She smiles and puts her cigarette to her mouth.

I take out a hundred bucks and is about to give it to her when she pushes it away. "Here, don't pay me. You look fragile." She gives me a cigarette. I nod and thank her. Then she starts small talk. "How has life been?" She says. " Well, I have not been good. " I say truthfully. "Add a drink to that?" "Yes!" I grab the whole bottle of wine and start drinking it. "Don't take to long in here then the cops with suspect and here's a bag, and 3 more bottles, you need it."

She hand me a bag and I put my wine in it and take my cigarette out my mouth. I breathe out the smoke, throw it in the ground and walk out. I go to my car and when I get home, Jack is on the couch. I give him Oliver. "Madi - " Jack begins in a pretty happy mood. I slam the door and light another cigarette. The flare makes a loud noise.

" What's that noise?" He noses in. " I said to you away! " I yell. gripping my wine bottle. Am I already drunk? That was horrible. I drink it down fast and put the cigarette to my mouth. Jack knocks at the door. Pounding at the door. I stay silent. "What are you doing in there?" He questions. I stay silent and drink more. I'm already done with my first bottle. I open the next one. It has a cork and it pops. "Madi, what was that?" I feel the alcohol running through my veins. My cigarette burns out and I throw it.

Jack POV

I hear a cork pop. " Madi, what was that? " I say, hoping she was just doing something right. In my head I knew she was doing something wrong but I refused to admit it. She doesn't answer, I knock on the door. More like pound out the door. "What are you doing?" I question again. I hear a mumble. She only mumbles when- I knew it. "Open the door!" I yell. She mumbles again. It was a little more audible. " Go. Away. Jack. " She slurs her words. I knew it, I knew it.

Madi POV

I can hardly talk, I'm 2 bottles in, 2 more to go. Then I open another one. I take a drink. "Madi. '  I throw one of the glass bottles into the wall. I'm angry at him. He needs to shut up and let me do what I want to do.

Jack POV

I'm worried now. She isn't  answering me. I heard glass shatter. I run over to the key hooks and get her keys. She has one to her room.I try them all. There is a brass one and I open the door, I inhale it all, the fumes hurt my lungs and I shut the door before it gets into the front room with Oliver. I know that's not logic but it helps.

It smells like wine and drugs. "Madi?!" She lays on the ground, a bottle of wine spilt onto her shirt. Even though she is conscious, she seems so dead. Her eyes are open, but they are glazed over. She is high, and she is drunk. She reaks of alcohol.

" Oh My God." I say.

It's a relapse, something makes her go back to how she was. It happen once before. Madi puts the drink up to her lips and tries to take a drink. I wrestle it from her hands. She puts up a fight too. Grabbing me and ripping my shirt even with a shard of glass. She is going crazy.

When I get the bottle I put it far away from her on her dresser. Then I walk over to her and grab her phone out of her pocket. " I hate you Jack. " She says. " Fortunately I don't feel the same. " I say.

Then I call Tate on Madi's Phone. She answers after two rings.

" What's up Madi?" Tate answers.

I breathe out a, " No..." She makes a noise that sounds like, 'Oh.' Then says, "Jack? Where is Madi? What's wrong?" I take a shaky breath.

"She had a relapse." She gasps loudly.  "Ok I'm coming right over, is she conscious?" Tate asks. "Yes. But she is high, drunk. I'm scared.. She's never got this way before. " I say. "Oh My God... Ok I'm getting in the car now bye."

She hangs up. That's when Madi goes unconscious. Or, semi unconscious. I'm trying to get her out of this trance. Her eyes are still open but, I hardly hear her breathing, but I can't call 911.

Tate comes in 5 minutes. It seems like forever. She walks in. " Go with Oliver. " Oliver starts crying.. I pick him up and sit on the couch.

Tate POV

I go into the room and shut the door, Madi is on the ground, I tap her. Then I shake her and kinda slap her and she wakes up.

" I'm so sorry Christina... " She slurs. I shake my head. "It's Tate, what happened?" I say. She replies, "Oliver..." I nod.

" What about him? " She mumbles something. "What?" "Oliver's father." Madi says louder. "Wait Wait wait what?" I say. We never knew his father so what about his father. "His father is Corbyn... And I knew..." I gasp. Corbyn Besson? Like Christina's boyfriend. First I feel pity for Christina not knowing. Then I feel bad because they has to keep a secret for almost a year.

"What??" I say, out loud. " I don't have will to live. I kept this from her." Madi says. "Stop Madi...." I plead.

She grabs a shard of glass and holds it to her neck. Holding it close to her neck to where it is almost into her skin. . " Stop!!!! " I beg her. I grab her hand but I can't get it from her fingers.

"Jack! Help me!" I scream. He comes running in and grabs a her hand. "Let go!" he says. Grabbing my hand. "I don't deserve to live!" She screams. Pulling back. Her screeches are loud. Making my ears ring.

  The glass cuts him a few times before he gets it loose. He throws it to the corner of the room.  "What happened?" He says, wincing and shaking his hand in pain. I shake my head and look at her. 

"Don't tell him..." "I can't..." I say. She passes out. "You can go with Oliver now..." I say. He nods and walks out the door to comfort the crying almost one year old. Then I hear sirens.

Jack POV.

I hear sirens and then I hear loud stomping up the stairs. Followed by claws scratching the ground. Tate looks up frantically. " They have dogs. " I say.

" What do we do? " Tate whispers. " We will commit a felony. " I whisper.

" What?! " She says. " Just lie to the cops, okay. Shut that door too-ahh. " I hold my hand, it hurts. Really bad.  She nods.

Tate locks the room from the inside and runs out. Slamming it. I put the key down the garbage disposal and press the button. They gurgling sound gets loud but it dies down.

I wrap up my hand in a paper towel and put on an oven mitt. I hear pounding at the door. I open it. " Hi Sir, what is wro-" " Go sniff Sparky. " the first officer says. "What's going on!" I say, acting confused.

"Our dog smelled drugs in this apartment, after a few neighbors said they did too." The female cop says. " I'm Officer Richie, he is Officer Steinfield. " She says. I nod, acting unsure and confused.

Then the Officer Steinfield  yells out, "Sir do you have a key to this room or you ma'am?!" Tate replies quickly. "I don't live here." He nods then looks to me. "The key went down the garbage disposal the other day. " I say. Looking them in the eye. "Leaves us no choice sir." He says. The female cop comes. They knock down the door and Tate grabs Oliver and plugs his nose.

Officer Richie grabs Madi's arms. While Officer Steinfield yells, "Ma'am you are going to jail for underage drinking and use of drugs without a permit.  This could be up to a year in jail. " They put handcuffs on her and drag her out. She doesn't resist.

Then he female cop says, " Did you have anything to do with this?"  Officer Richie says. I shake my head.  "No... She came home in a mood I had no idea she was drinking or anything else." I say. "We will pay for your door to be fixed sir." The officer says. She then looks to Tate. " I advise you to get that kid out of this horrible apartment." Tate nods.