DREAM STATE // Ryder Mclaughlin EDITING

08

Weeks have went by of Ryder and I spending lots and lots of time together. Either he was at my house, still using the window or I was at his spending the night. I now have a toothbrush and a drawer for my own clothes just incase, he even left a few hoodies and spare t-shirts in my closet.
Currently my dad and I are blowing up an air mattress next to my bed for my cousin Nadine to sleep on, since it's her schools spring break her mother and my dad decided she would visit. Which means that Ryder can no longer come over during the night since Nadine is the definition of "goodie two shoes".

"Dad I don't understand why she can't take Flynn's room and he can just sleep on the patio out back."
"No Vera your brother is not sleeping on the back patio, why would you even consider that as an option?"
My dad looks up at me and before I could even get a reply out of my mouth he tells me not to answer.
"I'm a blooming-" "Don't use the word blooming, Vera."
"Okay fine, I'm a maturing young adult. I need my space, and I won't be getting my space if someone else will be in my room."
My dad stands up, towering over me. "You seem to be okay with that boy spending the night."
"Father, I have no idea what you're referring to. Is your brain okay?"

"Dad and rat. Nadine has arrived."
"Oh beat it Flynn, oh wait actually you can't with the lack of dick in your pants because your personality takes up all of it." I make sure to flick Flynn's head walking pass him, he tries to flick me back but my dad stops him before he's able to.
"You two, I want none of that when Nadine staying with us." I decide against arguing with my dad about not being able to argue with my stupid older brother and continue walking down the steps. I find myself staring at Nadine who now has black hair and a nose piercing. The girl who once wore sweater vests and khakis is wearing fishnets and a skirt and I'm having a hard time figuring out if her top is actually a top or just a bra.

"Wow Nadine, no longer sucking your moms dick I see. Love the new hair."
"Yeah Vera I took inspiration from your heart and went black."

I roll my eyes at her and turn around looking at my dad. "Forget Flynn, let her sleep on the patio."
"No Vera, no one is sleeping on the patio. Go show her your room, please."

-

After giving Nadine a house tour we headed to my bedroom to show her the air mattress she will be sleeping on. When I opened the door the my bedroom I spot Ryder climbing through my window.

"Is it normal for crackheads to crawl through your window?" I push her into the room and shut the door behind us.
"Ryder what the hell? Coming during the day? It's like you're asking for death."
He laughs taking off his hoodie and going to my closet grabbing a shirt.

"You weren't answering my texts, I figured if you weren't gonna come to me I'd come to you."
"That's cute but, you can't. My cousin is here for the week, I know it totally ruins the mood."

"Vera, I love the fact that you referred to me as an it. Let me just go down stairs and tell your dad about the creep who crawled through the window."
"No! Seriously Nadine if you want an actual good spring break I recommend you shut the hell up."

Nadine backs away from the door and sits onto my bed crossing her arms together.
I turn back to Ryder who was now sitting on a chair next to my closet. "You and I can hang out another time but as for now." I grab his hands and pull him onto his feet. "You have to go, back out the window where you came from."
"I'll see you soon, right?" "Yeah stupid. Soon, obviously. Now please go."
Ryder turns around crawling back out of the window, I grab his skateboard and hand it towards him watching him throw it down onto the grass.
"I'll see you."

I close my window once Ryder left and turned back to see Nadine with a smirk on her face.
"So that's who you're fucking? Wow, I'm sure Ken would be thrilled to see that."

"We're not fucking Nadine, just friends."
"Okay but you want to, right?"

"Um? Yeah, did you see him?"
I walk around my bed and open my drawer pulling out the small bottle of xanax. I know I really shouldn't but it's the only thing that will keep my sane with Nadine around.
"Didn't you just get out of rehab? Also I did see him, not my type."

"I did just get out of rehab and from what my dad knows, I am clean. Get it? And good, he doesn't have to be your type because he's not for you he's for me."
Nadine sighs and sticks her hand out towards me, my eyes fall from hers and to her hand.

"What the fuck do you want?"
"Well, if you're gonna be fucked up the whole time I'm here let me be fucked up with you."

I toss her the bottle letting her feel free to take as much as she wants. Who am I to intervene. Even if I had to, I wouldn't. I like this new Nadine. It's not that she was always even super lame, when we were kids she was actually the disobedient one. She'd get into a lot of trouble which was the reason her mom decided to move from California and to Oregon, they went completely granola so from middle school to high school she was this super weird kid that followed every rule. If we're honest, I think her parents drugged her and then brainwashed her to be someone she isn't.

"Well if you're down, we can get something harder. Like, fentanyl or something. Dad wouldn't even expect that we're on anything."
"You're for real? Are you still in contact with your dealer after your od?"

"No? It wasn't even David who gave me the xans, it was someone else. Plus, I get free shit from Ryder. He's never made me pay a dime." And now that I'm thinking about it I think I should repay him somehow, he's lost hundreds of dollars because I don't pay him. Not like I could because I'm the brokest person I know.

"He probably like, loves you."
"Nadine."

"What?"
"Please, shut the fuck up."

I forgot about this story if I'm honest ❤️