Page 19 of That Summer

“You’re one of the things that make me smile.”

“Well, duh.” She laughed and linked her arm with Aurora’s. “So what’s the game plan for the weekend?”

“So much. I have physio this afternoon, and then Lucas has something in store. Maybe tonight we’ll try for a longer trip. I don’t know.”

“Are you staying clean?”

It had been hard admitting to Kaitlyn how she’d fallen and taken the ‘easy way out’ rather than ask for help. The resulting lecture she received had been an earful. However, she’d take it any day over the chewing out she got from Daddy. It took a lot of courage on her part to call him. She broke down and admitted everything.

To say he was livid would be a giant understatement. It took a lot of convincing to get him to stay put in Fort McMurray, and not skip out on work, drive down there and show her how wrong she was. In place of that version of hell, she now had to call daily. One screw up or missed call, and he’d be there to straighten her out, which was code for hospitalization. Indefinitely.

“Of course, but it’s hard. Real hard. If I’m lucky, all I’ll get is an Advil from physio. I miss my Percs. Lucas watches me like a hawk. Chris still only dispenses me my two little Xanax each week, and she refuses to up it. I feel like I’m under lock and key.”

Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you feel you brought that on yourself?”

“Maybe. But still. One wouldn’t hurt.” They crossed the street in silence, cars zooming by them on the left.

“Your drug habit was a little scary, Aurora.”

Yeah, I know. No one lets me forget. Sheesh. One bad night where I ingested a combo of pills and you drove a crazy me home from the track. I get it, it was bad.

On the street corner, she pulled Kaitlyn to a stop. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

Her eyes searched Kaitlyn’s. It was important her friend heard this. “No, it’s not. For everything that happened before, I’m sorry. I was really messed up. I was an evil person who did really bad things.”

“Aurora, you were never evil, and you aren’t now. Yes, you were messed up. Like really messed up, but you didn’t do anything bad.”

The light turned green.

“Oh yes I did.” Aurora marched across the busy road. “And you know it.”

Kaitlyn didn’t reply.

Aurora’s feet touched the curb and she turned around where Kaitlyn still stood at the edge of the road. She waved her hands frantically and Kaitlyn raced over.

“But that’s in the past. It’s over and done, right? You have no further contact with the scumbag?” Kaitlyn hated Matthew. With a passion. If hate were people, she’d be China. Kaitlyn blamed Matthew for the relapse.

“Nothing further. Trial’s over, so that’s the end of that.”

“What about the big library celebration?”

“Didn’t I tell you?” A small laugh bubbled up from out of her. “I quit when he tried to kiss me.”

Kaitlyn came to an abrupt halt. “Damn girl! Look at you go, you’re changing your life one major thing at a time.” She grabbed her friend’s arm. “What are you going to do for a job now?”

“Well, Daddy pays the rent and sends me money for food, so it’s mostly just my personal expenses I have to worry about. So it’s not like Ineeda job. And with the lack of available nearby options…”

They passed a few stores on their right. A run down strip mall that housed a restaurant with décor straight from the 1960s, a chain hair salon, a liquor store, a dry cleaners and a tanning salon, which a bronzed brunette exited.

“I’ve no desire to work at any of these places.” She thumbed towards the stores. “So, I’ve been taking on more jobs with PDR gaming.”

“What’s PDR Gaming?”

“Geez, I thought I told you this?”

The sun glinted off the steel balcony of her apartment as they approached. A breeze ghosted by and she faced into it, revelling in the momentary cool.

---