Nightingale

three

Callie pulls up to a high school which is an odd place to have a NA meeting if you ask me. She puts the car in park and turns towards me and pushes her blonde hair out of her face.

"It doesn't start until 4:30 so you got a bit. It's in the gym I think, I'm honestly not sure." Callie looks uncomfortable which is understandable given she just drove her best friend to a NA meeting at 4:20 in the morning. I know i'm going to have to explain this all to her at some point but for right now I'm just going to act like nothing happened.

"Yeah that sounds about right. I mean it's better than a church." I force out a laugh but I'm extremely uncomfortable right now. I mean I have been friends with Callie for years now and I never told her that I was a drug addict but that's also not really something you shout from the rooftops.

Callie laughs at my comment but you can feel the awkward tension in the car. Probably could slice it in half. "I honestly thought the whole church thing was just in the movies." I can tell she's trying to keep her usual upbeat aura she has about her.

"Nope. Sometimes it's in community centers you know-" Callie cuts me off with a frown and deadpans. "How long?"

Fuck. So much for avoiding this for as long as possible. I let out a big sigh. "Since I was 15." I don't look at her, I can't. But when I heard how hard she inhaled I knew I had some shit to explain. "No no no, I've been sober for a year don't think i've been huffing blow for 7 years straight." I turn towards her so she can see how serious I am.

"Parker, we've been friends for 3 years and I had no idea." Callies eyes start watering. That's the thing about people who are hurting, if we wanted you to know you would. I don't want her to pity me though or have one of those if I had known I could've helped moments cause in all honesty it doesn't matter if she could've helped I had to want to help myself. Hence why I'm in a high school parking lot.

"Cals its fine, I'm sorry I never told you but it's something I don't like to talk about. I just was in a really dark point in my life, got caught up with the wrong people, you know how the story goes." I give her a small smile but I'm praying she doesn't start crying cause then i'm going to start feeling like shit.

"No Parker it's not fine. I'm your bestfriend I should've noticed something was wrong. You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who should be sorry. Shit the time you better get going."

Callie points to the clock on her car radio after wiping under her eyes to catch the few tears her watering eyes released and it's 4:29. I give her a hug and leave the car.

Fuck it's cold. I shut her car door and start walking to the main entrance of the highschool. I get to the doors and pull them open and I'm greeted with a rush of warm air hitting my face. At least this place has heat. Some of the meetings I've gone to could have icicles hanging from the ceiling from how cold it is.

"Can I help you?" I turn towards the voice to see a middle aged woman with huge bifocals on her face sitting behind a desk. I look up at the sign hanging from the ceiling and see this is the front office.

"Um yeah actually I'm looking for the gym, could you tell me where it is?" I ask politely. The receptionist gives me a weird look but nothing I'm not used to. A few seconds go by and I'm starting to think I grew horns or something by the way she's staring at me. I clear my throat which startles her and she coughs a bit and covers her shock with an over exaggerated smile.

"Straight down the hall then to your left, you'll see the big doors and with a sign above it." She states and points down the long hall cover in lockers.

"Great thank you." I give a small wave and stride down the hall. God these lockers are giving me deja vu. I hated high school. Mainly because I was known as the girl who went crazy and then overdosed on oxys. I mean at least I didn't get pregnant right.