How the other Half Lives

By Random Hero

A/N: Yeah yeah, I don't own shit… this chapter contains a lot of sensitive subjects.. Drugs, Death, and a lot of raw emotions… so.. I thought it would be a good heads up. Plus I wanna get the really sad shit out of the way…

Life is shit… you know that… shit!

Chapter two: The Dope Show

The show was kick ass… I mean really awesome. I don't think I have ever had so much fun. I wonder if they showed Chris, Caitlin and I on it? Chris's Grandma was taping it for us, I couldn't wait to get back see it.

The drive home was hilarious, Chris and I had so much fun trying to explain to Caitlin all the grudges on the show. But it was all in vain because by the time we were half way home she fell asleep. Chris and I couldn't stop talking about it, he was going well over the speed limit but I didn't really care. I was in this foggy place and I liked it.

I didn't even notice when we dropped Caitlin at her foster home. When we got to the shady looking apartments that we lived in was when I snapped out of my little foggy place and joined the rest of the world. Chris and I ran up stairs, he conveniently lived right across the hall from my mom and I, so we were never very far from each other.

We said our goodnights and Chris told me he wanted to go to the library tomorrow to get on the computers to see if we could be seen in any of the pictures from RAW. I thought it was a good idea, we hugged and went our separate ways.

The place I lived in with my mom was small and dirty, little better than living outside I would say sometimes. My mom wasn't big on cleaning or cooking or doing much at all. She had some issues with drugs, I blame her stupid boyfriend Tony. If he would have never brought them in, mom would have never gotten hooked.

I walked in the front door trying to make as little sound as possible; I could see my mom was passed out on the couch. There were three fifty dollar bills on the table and I could only guess where they came from. I snuck over there and grabbed one of them; I did it often how else do you think I would buy things for myself.

I looked at her, my god she looked like she was dead… but then again after her and Tony go on all night binges she generally woke up the next morning in full bitch mode and try and kick me out. Then Tony would come over with the drugs and she'd go back to being barely a shell of herself. I guess things could be worse right? People have worse lives than this… don't they?

Any who.. I went back in to my room. It was small and I just enough room for my bed, dresser with my T.V on the top and a desk with a computer that Tony got for me on it. We don't have the internet because we can afford it. The walls are covered with pictures and posters. I hate plane white walls… I love color and chaos. Chris's Grandmother says it's because I'm destined to become some kind of artist or actress… that's why I love chaos around me. I say it's because I'm messy.

I went to sleep thinking that tomorrow would be just another day in my boring life. But… with my horrible luck, it wasn't.

When I woke up my mom was still in the very same position as she was last night. She looked like she hadn't even moved and inch. I was starting to get a little scared, she couldn't be dead. No, my mom, she's come back from like everything. I thought I'd go over and get Chris and have him come over here.

I ran across the hall to Chris's Grandma's place and knocked on the door. His grandmother, who was only 50 years old, opened the door. "Hey sweetie, come in." She said taking my hand. She was the nicest person I knew. She never yelled at me and treated me just like I was her own grandchild. Chris's mother is in Jail, she like my mom had a really horrible drug problem.

"Chris is in his room… you can go in there." She gave me a little push. I smiled at her ran towards the sound of HIM blasting from his radio. I opened the door and Chris was laying… shirtless… on his bed staring up at the ceiling.

"Hey Monkey…" He said as I walked over to him. I sat on the bed and he sat up and wrapped his arms around me. "What are you doing here? You are never here before breakfast." I turned around and looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Come with me… I think something really bad happened…" I said trying to sound calm and rationale. Chris looked at me like I was insane, but we got up and went towards my house. He didn't really understand why I looked so scared.

When we got in side my place, I shut the door and turned to Chris and in a very oddly calm voice. "I think my mom is dead… I think she ODed on coke… she's been on the couch in that same position since before I got home last night." Chris looked back and forth between me and the couch.

He was the one who walked over to my mother, all he did was touch. All the blood drained from his face. I knew it, I leaned against the door and slowly sunk to the floor. Chris walked back over to me and knelt down.

"Hayden… she's cold…" He said looking at me, my face had no expression. My whole body felt numb. I couldn't believe it. "Where's the phone…" I didn't say anything. "Hayden… where's the phone?" I pointed towards the kitchen.

I can guess he dialed 911, he stood me up and we walked back over towards his place. We got over there and I sat down on the couch. Chris told his grandmother, and she rushed over to my mother's place. I heard her scream. I guess she was dead.

Have you ever had Novocain… it kind of what it felt like, my whole body was numbed with Novocain. The whole day was blur, needless to say we never went to library. Chris's grandmother agreed to watch after me till we could find my father or some relative of my mom's who would take me in, though I doubted any of my mom's family would take me in. They hated me.

I think I sat on the couch motionless for most of the day. Chris had taken everything he knew that meant anything to me from the house. I guess that the apartment people are going to clean it out and then have it back up on the market… how lovely… (Note tone of sarcasm.) He also grabbed all my mom's old High School things, like her dairy and notes she kept in a box. He thought it could help us in the quest of trying to find out who the hell my dad is.