broken home - j.f✔️

seventeen.

"I'm here." Zach spoke through the phone, knocking on the door. "Let me in." She huffed and got off the couch, opening her door to let him in. He smiled brightly, carrying a bag of items and setting them down on the coffee table. "Ready?"

"Not really, what do I need to be ready for?" She asked, worried by Zach's cheeky smile and his mysterious bag. He emptied the contents onto the table, letting her eyes wander over everything.

"Soda, Tylenol, candy, and a bit of a relaxer." He stated, holding up a tiny clear bag of a green plant. She scoffed, holding her hand to her mouth in shock. She couldn't even comprehend the list Zach had given her.

"So, you're trying to put me into a sugar coma, and if all else fails; get me high?" She asked, giggling at the surprising situation she was in. He nodded, glancing over to the door as she heard knocking once again. "Who in the world...?" Her sentence trailed off as she opened the door to none other than Justin.

"For someone who's adamant we shouldn't be friends, you've made quite the effort to talk to me." She commented, as she invited him in. "What's up?" She was annoyed that she cared so much for him, her concern far outweighed her anger.

"Jess is driving me crazy, she won't stop making digs about the pictures, even though she doesn't fucking understand what happened." He shouted angrily, running his fingers through his hair. "And Bryce cornered me and kept asking why I care so much for you when I have a girlfriend."

Zach, uncomfortable as ever, sat down on the couch and began rolling joints. Elizabeth was puzzled, leaving her speechless. "So you mean to tell me that I'm just a person you can go to ONLY when everything goes to shit, but until then, we ignore each other and pretend they don't exist." Justin rolled his eyes at her remark, leaning against the wall.

"Of course not," he huffed. "I've been thinking about what you said, about Jess and our relationship, but if I show Bryce that I care about you even though I'm with Jess, he'll put the wrong ideas in her head and make me look bad. Or he'll start on you. That's why I've been trying to keep this lowkey."

"I understand, you're forgiven. If you want us to just be friends out of school until your Jess situation is cleared up, that's fine." Elizabeth explained. "Would you care for a joint?" She gestured to Zach, focusing carefully on the small, handcrafted joint in his hands. He had a few on the table.

"Since when do you smoke, El?" Justin asked, sitting on the couch.

"I don't, but I'm willing to do anything to get rid of my headache." She replied casually, sitting beside him. Zach handed her a join, and Justin, lighting them all up. Taking a long drag, she coughed at the strange taste. Justin and Zach laughed at her, inhaling as if they'd been doing it for a while. Which they have been.

"Do you smoke a lot?" She said aloud, not caring who answers.

"No." Zach answered. "Only some parties, very rarely."

"Yeah, it's easy to get from my mom, and it takes the edge off of how I'm feeling." Justin replied. "My house is the embodiment of hell, so some pot every now and then is needed."

"I don't know how my dad would react, he's expressed his dislike for drugs. Alcohol isn't so bad, but drugs is a no go." She replied to them both, leaning her head back onto the couch cushions. She felt more relaxed, her vision slightly hazing as the drug took effect. Everything was moving slower than her eyes, taking a few seconds to see things clearly. Her body was so relaxed, she could barely move. She heard the chuckles of the other two, making her smile.

"Can we do this every time some shit goes wrong?" Justin asked. "It's so much nicer than hanging out of my window for a few minutes and passing out alone."

"So we're gonna be doing this a lot then." Zach observed, making Justin giggle.

"I had a headache, how in any way is that 'shit going wrong'?" She laughed at the obscure events of this afternoon, closing her eyes after she finished the joint. She was waved, completely relaxed, the drug had crumpled her thoughts into paper balls, throwing them away. She didn't know how long she was laying there, but it felt strangely good to not be worried about tomorrow, or anything, or anyone.