Page 11 of Psycho

I shook away the thought.

I should just be thankful I had the whole trailer to myself.

I was currently waiting for my ride.

The honk came as the coffee finished brewing.

I quickly grabbed my mug, poured the hot coffee in, grabbed my school bag, and rushed out the door.

The old black Corvette was waiting by the front, and I saw the gray beanie covering Garrett's head before I saw his face.

He always had a look about him like he was constipated, but that was most likely him getting off a recent high.

I probably shouldn’t get into the car with him, but my only options were usually him or the bus.

And there was no way I would get on the bus.

Not again.

I opened the door and plopped down on the seat, shutting it behind me before I turned to Garrett’s deep brown eyes.

In another life, he would have been handsome.

Now, the drugs and alcohol wore down his face, from his dull eyes to the obvious weariness, which blatantly showcased his pessimism about how his life was going.

I didn’t know when he stopped trying because life got too hard, but it was like looking in the mirror and seeing the worst in myself.

I was always afraid I might go down the same path as him because…

Because my life was hard.

So hard.

I had felt like giving up so many times, and I wondered if I was just one event away from going over the edge completely.

I blinked, and my thoughts moved away.

I smiled at him.

“Hey, babe,” he said, leaning over and kissing my lips.

I kissed him back.

I wasn’t attracted to Garrett, but I was fond of him.

He was there when I needed another person to not feel so alone, and he…

It probably made me a terrible person to say it, but he was a good distraction.

He had no ambition, save to find the best high of his life, and he had a car.

“Hey.” I eyed him up and down, taking in the frumpy state of his clothes. “Did you sleep?”

“Nah.”

I waited for him to say more.

When he didn’t explain why he hadn’t slept, I turned to the side and looked out the passenger’s side window.

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