Page 101 of Them Bones

Jerry looked between them nervously but said nothing.

“You use?” Cary asked him. No preamble.

“Yes,” Shane said.

“With her?”

“Never.”

Cary stared at him for a few moments, and then nodded once.

“Here,” he said, rummaging in his pocket and tossing Shane a pill.

“No,” Shane said, “no fucking way.”

“It’s methadone,” Cary replied. "It'll take the edge off."

Shane glanced at Jerry who nodded at him, and he swallowed it as Cary held open the door for him. Shane awkwardly pushed past him, heading straight downstairs without even kicking off his shoes.

LANEY

Shane barreled into her room like a thunderstorm.

Furious as he clearly was, he handled her as gently as a baby bird as he climbed onto the bed beside her and wrapped her up in him, his lips on her temple, his hands soft and warm, running all over her like she wasn’t real.

“You scared the shit out of me,” he whispered in her ear.

“I’m fine,” she breathed, sinking into the crook of his arm.

“Whatwere you thinking?” he asked.

“Good question,” came Cary’s voice from the doorway. Shane and Laney both froze, and she felt him tense up.

Laney was annoyed. “Are you serious right now? Jesus, Cary, you snort blow like it’s air!”

Shane frowned. “Laney, you –”

“Don’t even start with me,” she said, looking up at Shane. “You eat pills like popcorn and have a bigger supply of hash than Afghanistan.”

“I gave you a few days, Laney,” Cary said, his eyes flashing. “I gave you a few days to get better. But you’re notoff the hook.I expect a fucking explanation.And so does he.” Cary gestured to Shane.

Laney blinked, looking between her brother - his face clouded with rage and worry - and Shane, wearing an eerily identical expression.

“Is ‘Linette’ enough of an explanation?” she grumbled.

Cary, Shane, and Dustin all simultaneously let out a breath, and the tension in the room dissipated.

“I screwed up, okay? I guess mom’s stash was stronger than what Ni – what I’m used to.”

Cary’s eyes narrowed and her heart thumped at her blunder, but he didn’t push her on it.

“I don’t know why you touch that shit to begin with,” Shane spat.

“Because you're so clean?” Cary scoffed. "Who are either of us to talk, really?"

“What I do is my business,” Shane said, his voice steady, “and what you do is yours. But she shouldn’t be touching this shit.”

“I’mright here,”Laney grumbled, “and I’mnota child.”

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