The Quiet Types

Chapter 14

I drove to his house fairly quickly. Thankfully for me, they didn't live far from the school. I parked the car in their driveway leaving my stuff in the car and then hurried up the steps of the porch. I knocked frantically on the door forgetting that I had Tess' key to begin with.

"Hold the fuck up!" he shouted on the other side as he pulled the door open.

He was now staring at me blankly.

"Lauren," he said breathlessly.

"I hate you," I announced and he frowned.

"What?" he asked.

"You're a liar! A huge liar! I can't believe I thought you were different, that you understood! You're just a junky!" I shouted at him.

"Lauren, shut up!" he snapped as he dragged me into the house shutting the door behind us. "I have neighbors you know."

"Your sister found you od'ing! She didn't find you bleeding out! When were you planning to tell me! Never!"

"Stop yelling!" he yelled back.

I stared in surprise. I had never heard him raise his voice before.

"You yelling at me is not going to help me! I had enough of that from Tess and my mom! Tess had no right telling you why I wasn't in school today! I've been trying to start over just as much as you were! Did I lie! Yes, Lauren! I fucking lied! Would you have even spoken to me if you had known!" he asked in the same tone.

"It's funny. I was completely honest with you, but you couldn't be with me. What does that say, Theo?" I asked and he slid his hands through his hair, "I have enough on my plate to deal with. I don't need to be babysitting someone else."

"No one asked you to babysit me, Lauren," he replied.

I laughed in disbelief, "How many times have you been high around me? How many times with my mom and brother? You made me feel like a bad person because of the things I did. I was hurting myself, but at least what I was doing was legal."

"You live a privileged life. You shouldn't even be doing that, to begin with."

It was as if he was trying to slap me across the face.

"You know what, Theo? Fuck you," I announced as I wiped my cheeks. I couldn't control the tears that had made their way down them, "Stay away from me."

I turned around and pulled it open. I was about to step out when it was slammed shut from behind me. I screamed in genuine shock and then screamed in fear when I was shoved up against it.

"You do not get to bail so you can go cut yourself in the bathroom, Lauren," he said through a clenched jaw, "You do not get to go hurt yourself because you're mad at me."

"I'll do whatever I want, Theo," I replied as I tried to push him away, but he was a lot stronger than I gave him credit for.

"Then you're not going anywhere," he made clear.

I shook my head no, "I promised your sister to be back by second hour, and honestly, I am done here. I should have listened to Henry when he said to stay away from you."

I screamed when his palms slammed against the door. He did it several times until they began to turn purple. I looked over in fear when he finally came to a stop. He was breathing deeply and had taken a step back so that he could take a seat on the floor.

I reached for the doorknob.

"You fucking try to leave and I will lock you in Tess' room and call your parents," he threatened.