Bonded

Chapter 1

Ten Years Ago

"You're high," was all he said by way of a greeting.

"And a bright, shiny good morning to you too," Rebecca greeted as she pushed past him into his small apartment, dropping her bookbag on the floor with a loud thump.

Leaning against the door frame, Greyson swept his gaze over his best friend. He always thought she looked like a cross between an alien and a fairy. Her naturally curly hair was dyed a bright Kelly green on the left side and a royal blue on the right. Her hair was parted straight down the middle and gathered on each side up into puffy pigtails. The bright hair colors made her skin look even more pale. Her green eyes were too big for her heart shaped face. She emphasized her eyes even more with false eyelashes and too much eyeliner. A fine silver chain draped over one cheek connecting the ring in her pert nose with her earring. Other piercings dotted her eyebrows. At barely five feet tall and with a small frame, Rebecca dressed in a style she liked to call Broke Club Kid Chic. Today's ensemble was a pair of fishnet stockings under a pair of dangerously short jean shorts and a white crop top. Rounding out the look was her favorite pair of six-inch hot pink platform boots. Greyson was used to her fashion choices and mostly ignored them. What he couldn't ignore, however, were her bloodshot eyes and her blown pupils.

"It's 4:30 in the afternoon," Greyson countered.

"You say potato..." Rebecca finished the sentence with a vague hand gesture before walking further into the room.

The apartment was small and on the wrong side of the bad side of town. What little paint there was on the walls was peeling, there were holes in the floorboards and no matter how hard the place was scrubbed it always looked dirty. What it did have going for it was that it was cheap. The place was a dump, but Greyson was proud of it. He had just turned 17 and it was the first time in his life he had anything that was solely his. The foster homes and group homes that he had grown up in didn't allow for much in the way of privacy. This apartment may be close to being condemned, but until then, it was all his. The place was basically one big room. One side of the main room was dominated by a double mattress and box spring set laying on the floor. Mismatched, threadbare sheets completed the look. The other side of the room held an ugly, sagging orange and green floral couch and an uncomfortable looking plaid armchair both of which were found on the side of the curb. Three milk crates arranged in a row constituted the coffee table. It was piled high with school books, soda cans, take out containers, notebook papers and a guitar. The opposite wall held three windows that let in the cold winter wind and the summer heat, but not much in the way of actual sunlight. An archway next to the main door lead to a small, but serviceable kitchen. A bathroom and a small closet completed the apartment's amenities.

"Rebecca, you know I hate working with you when you're wasted."

"And you know I hate working with you when you have a giant stick up your ass. I guess we are both doomed to be disappointed." She turned to face him, tilted her head to the side and placed one had on her hip.

Greyson gave her an exaggerated eye roll.

"Well, I think I will be going."

Greyson turned to the other occupant of the apartment.

"Amanda, sweetie, you don't have to go," Greyson walked over to her and placed his hands on his girlfriend's shoulders. She wore a pair of high waisted jeans and a form fitting basic red tee shirt. Her wavy brown hair fell just below her shoulders. She had tanned skin and almond shaped brown eyes. She accented her full lips with peach colored lip gloss and covered up the freckles on her nose and cheeks with a swipe of powder. Amanda was tall, a fact that she used to her advantage on the volleyball and tennis courts. Her active lifestyle gave her a toned, sporty look.