Lean on me

Chapter 30

Sloan sits up as a scream rips through her throat, looking around in a panic as she wakes up in an unfamiliar place. Bandit immediately hops into her lap and forces his head underneath her hand. Sloan takes a few deep breaths and runs her hand through the dog's fur as she remembers where she is. She hears quick footsteps before the door on the other side of the room opens to reveal a startled Sebastian.

"I'm sorry." Sloan says, her voice slightly scratchy from screaming. "I didn't mean to wake you." She runs her shaking hand through her sweaty hair before resuming petting the dog.

"It's okay." He says gently. "Do you wanna talk about it?" Sloan shakes her head. "Do you need anything?" She shakes her head again.

"I'm okay. Thank you." She says with a soft smile that doesn't reach her eyes that still have that haunted look in them. She lays back on the couch and Sebastian watches as Bandit lays on top of her, laying his head on her chest, his weight calming the girl.

"Goodnight, then." He says, turning back to the room, hearing her repeat the word quietly as he closes the door.

Sloan wakes up again a few hours later to find Bandit back on the floor next to her. She stands and throws the blanket over the back of the couch before walking into the kitchen to get coffee, seeing a sticky note on the coffee maker.

Sloan,

Went on a run with Chris. Anthony will be there in a little bit. Stay in the trailer until he gets there and don't do anything stupid.

-Seb

Sloan throws the note in the trashcan and reaches for a coffee mug when there's a knock on the door. Sloan groans and goes to the door, opening it to see Anthony on the other side. She lets him in before returning to the kitchen and making her coffee.

"Nice hair." He says, looking at the tangles in her hair in amusement. Sloan glares at him over her mug.

"Shut up." She says, taking a sip of the hot liquid. "I just woke up and I didn't sleep much."

"Nightmare?" He guesses. Sloan nods after a moment.

"How'd you know?" She asks.

"Lucky guess." He says with a shrug. The truth is, he heard her scream from his trailer across from Sebastian's.

"Well, I'm gonna try to tame this," She says, gesturing to her wild hair, "and then I'll probably just stay in here for a little bit." Anthony nods and sits on the couch as Sloan grabs a brush from her book bag along with some clothes before disappearing into the bathroom.

When she emerges, the two sit at the table to play the world's most intense game of go fish. So intense, that the pair owe Sebastian two new coffee mugs and a plate. The third member of their trio walks in just in time to witness Sloan chucking a pencil across the room, embedding in the wall of the living room. His eyes widen as he looks at the two in confusion.

"What the hell did I just walk into?" He asks.

"This son of a bitch just took my ace!" The girl exclaims, angrily throwing the card on the table. "I needed that other ace!"

"Okay then." He mumbles, walking over to the two and sitting at the table.

The three spend the next few hours watching the others work. Once there's a twenty minute break, Sloan walks outside to get another cup of coffee. She sees a familiar brunette walking across the lot and smiles.

"Jared!" She yells as she runs to him, jumping him as soon as she reaches him. He laughs and stumbles a bit before wrapping his arms around the girl. "I missed you." She tells him as he puts her down.