Knox

So much happened over the course of an hour.

Paperwork was signed, nurses came to take needles and monitors away, I was being shoved into a bathroom to change clothes, and then quickly shoved into an old car that smelled faintly of cheeseburgers.

I had gotten a glimpse of myself in the mirror in my five seconds in the bathroom and that quick look made me understand why the bribe had been rejected. I didn’t just look bad, I looked like shit warmed over. My hair curly hair was tangled in thick knots that were going to take forever to get out. My skin was beyond pale and there were dark circles under my eyes. Not to mention that my face had sunken slightly in the week I was out. That last part was normal. It happened nearly every time I got detoxed since I was a bit too busy throwing up my stomach to worry about eating.

I couldn’t lie, I looked like a proper junky. The kind you saw in back alleys and frat parties. The kind of people you never invite to the party, they just slip in while no one is looking and start passing around shit to really make the party get wild. The people you usually had to throw out before the cops were called and all of you were in deep shit. 

I had seen those people on several occasions but I never thought there would be a day when I looked so much like them.

And to make matters worse, the only thing I wanted more than sleep right now was a needle to jam in my arm.

I hadn’t managed to get the high I was searching for and the nag in my brain was begging for it as we drove down a back road several miles outside of town.

Fix your hair and ask him to turn around. The town you came from just looked like it was crawling with plugs. Ask him for one last dose before getting clean. 

Though I knew it wouldn’t work, I found myself doing just that as my hand came up to brush the thick curls behind my ear as a smirk pulled on my lips. I unbuckled the seat belt and leaned in between the front seats, balancing on the center console. Andrew looked down at me and seemed surprised I was there before giving a gentle smile. I allowed the hoodie to slide again, exposing that same pale skin I had offered him before. 

“Any way we can turn back,” I asked, trying my hardest to keep the exhaustion from my voice and allow nothing but the flirty dance to roll off my tongue. “I think I left something at the hospital.”

“What did you leave? Mary can go back and get it.” Shit. I hadn’t thought this through.

“My phone,” I said easily. “I need to be able to talk to Tony to get updates.” It wasn’t a complete lie, I didn’t have my phone and I did need it, and if I happened to get a hand on my suitcase while I was there and excuse myself to the bathroom for a second, who would notice?

“You aren’t allowed to have phones at camp,” he said simply and my smirk dropped to a glare.

“Well, that’s not happening. I need my phone. If something happens and Tony needs me-,”

“Phones distract you from healing and can put toxic narriatives in your head that we are trying to replace,” Andrew said, his eyes never straying from the road. “If anyone you know needs you, they can call Mary certain times a month and we can let you speak to them. Or they can send letters if it’s less urgent.”

“And what if I wanted to use my phone for something posivive,” I scoffed and Andrew smiled.

“Such as?”

“Guided mediation.”

“I’m fully trained to talk you through several,” he said, that smile never fading. It reminded me too much of the smiles I use during interviews. He was good at this game and I didn’t like it.

This isn’t working. Flirt you useless piece of shit. Flirt and get what you need.

I tried to force another easy smile and leaned closer to him before resting my head on his shoulder. He tensed in every way possible before shaking me off of him and scooting closer to the door.

I couldn’t tell if I wanted to be frustrated or pissed off.

This always fucking worked. I know I didn’t look the best right now but I’ve looked worse and still managed to get my way before.

I looked at myself in the mirror again and grimaced at the sight. I really did look like shit though. Maybe I could try again in a few days when I looked better. When the natural flush of my cheeks returned, my hair didn’t look like a rat's nest and my eyes didn’t look like I had been punched in the face. He might be more willing then but he would likely demand more after the first time. It would probably work in my favor though, the more he wanted the more he would slip me the high I craved. I could make it a few days I suppose.

“You need to sit back,” Andrew said as if I hadn’t attempted to seduce him twice in one day. “And buckle up. I’m really not trying to get you killed before we even make it to camp.” I glared out the windshield but did what I was told.

The rest of the drive was done in silence. Andrew did nothing but stare at the road ahead while I caught myself looking at everything. Trees around us danced in the summer wind, their leaves rattling with the effort to hang on. The sun was out and shining, promising to be a rather hot afternoon. A few deer and birds played at the edges of treelines and didn’t bother running off after seeing our car.

Before long we turned down a gravel road. We only made one stop after that. There was a security gate that I assumed went around the entire camp and a rather grumpy-looking man standing in the window asking for Andrew’s ID even though I’m sure Andrew had been here enough times to not need to be checked. Andrew didn’t look all that affected by it though and simply smiled when his ID was handed back to him before driving through the now open gate.

Our last stop happened a mile past the gate to a building with the only parking lot I could see. The building itself seemed fine but it was nothing special. It was a light blue that stood over against the green and browns of the woods around up. It looked like it had recently got a new coat of paint.

“So,” Andrew said after unbuckling and turning back to me. “Here’s the game plan: We’re going to step into the office for a little bit, Mary will explain a little more about camp and answer any questions you have, then one of your new roommates will come pick you up, show you around camp for a few minutes, and then take you to the cabin you’ll be staying in. After that, the day is up to you. Your parents said they would give Mary your clothes so you don’t have to worry about going shopping or anything unless you just want to. So sleep if you want or explore the camp, just make sure you’re in the cabin after 9 and eat lunch and dinner when it's time.”

I could only nod so he opened his door and I followed.