"I can not believe this!" Tessa whined as she came into the kitchen.
"What?" Tess asked, coming in through the livingroom.
"I have to go to one of their slumber parties tomarrow. Can you believe this?"
"Why do you just not go?" Zoe sat her backpack on the counter.
"Because I have to, its part of my assignment." Suddenly the back doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." Zoe said as she rushed to the door. It was Lindsay, she waved at Zoe as she came in.
"Hi." Tessa said.
"Hi, you have to come with me." She said taking, Tessa by the hand and the two were out the door.
………………….
"What's going on?" Tessa asked anxiously as she ran behind Lindsay.
"It's Tyren."
"What happened?"
"She overdosed."
"Overdosed!"
"Pain pills, she's really addicted."
"Why are you getting me?"
"Because someone needs to wait at the hospital with us."
"What, you're all here?" Tessa asked as they entered the hospital door.
"Tessa." Lindsay began as she put her hands on Tessa's shoulders and took a deep breath. "I know that we haven't been that nice to you, especially Tyren, but we need you now. You are the voice of reason, we know that."
Tessa smiled a little at this.
"I'll be of whatever help I can." She said.
"Thanks, you're a great friend."
It was then that Tessa realized the perpose of her assignment and that it was much deeper than she origionally thought.
……………………
"There you are!" Sabrina shouted.
"What happened?" Lindsay asked.
"It doesn't look good for her."
"Is that what they said?"
"Those were their exact words."
"They won't tell us anymore." Diana informed them, "afterall we're not family remember?" The other girls laughed at this.
"Yeah," Sarah laughed as she read her magazine, "we're not family who else do you see here for her?" She shot this comment directly at the nurse's desk as she took out a cigarette.
"Excuse me!" The nurse stormed over to Sarah and ripped the cigarette out of her hand before she could light it. She promptly tossed it into the garbage.
"Hey!"
"If you want to smoke young lady and bring yourself a tragic early death by all means go ahead, but kindly, for the sake of others who are sensible go outside.""Oooh!!" The girls laughed except for Sarah and of course, Tessa and Sarah pulled out a new cigarette and without hesitation headed for the door. Tessa was proud and she was sure that no one there would ever know that that nurse had been her Aunt Gloria.
"You see." Sabrina explained as she sat down next to Tessa. "We've all got something. Tyren's got the pills, Sarah and I have cigarettes, Diana tends to drink a little much, she may try heroin every once in a while, but hey, who doesn't, and Lindsay…. Hey Lindsay, what is your addiction?"
"I'm not co-dependent on anything?"
"What?"
"It means that I am not addicted to anything."
"Oh. That figures, you are smart enough not to be."
"Is the family of Tyren Smith here?" Gloria asked.
"Yes we are." Diana stood up, "You go Tessa."
"Okay." She agreed, following Gloria down the hallway.