Chapter 44
Rehab
No expense was spared for the big gala from expensive drinks to an array of foods to choose from it was a big deal and it was a who's who of people ready to party. Arm in arm Paige and Alex made their big entrance. Both girls had their hair down and wavy. Alex was a bit nervous about being left alone with a bunch of strangers while Paige was to make her rounds. Jay and manny were excited for alex because of how far she had come and how great she looked when Paige swung by to pick her up. She didn't want to disappoint. Alex was wearing a beautiful and expensive dress and she was enamored by the lights the fancy people and everything about the party. She found her seat but first she grabbed herself a drink from a table. She noticed not one drink was non alcoholic she sighed deeply and took a swig.
An hour went by and she was on her fourth drink and she was starting to feel good. She was so nervous being around the rich and famous and she felt inadequate. She came from nothing and felt as if she didn't belong. While Paige was rubbing elbows with the elite and her peers Alex envied how it came so natural to her. She finally saw a familiar face, Manny. She was dressed in a red dress and Jay was on her arm. She ran to them immediately, "Alex having fun?"
Alex nodded and giggled, "I'm actually terrified. Thank god I know you guys." Alex practically downed her next drink.
"Lexxi" Jay warmly said wrought with concern, "you may want to slow down."
"I have it under control. It's one night I never drink."
"As long as you're being careful." Jay beamed looking after his best friend understanding his best friend.
"excuse me but I have to go to the washroom," Alex politely maneuvered herself there where she saw a couple about her age snorting lines in a compact mirror. She glared at them nervously they were actually friendly.
"want a bump?" the first girl asked, the other was too high to speak or function her eyes dilated and turned upward toward the mirrored ceilings in the ladies room. "I'm Norah." she had wavy dark hair and a fancy dress on she looked lean. Her friend waved as Alex walked over to them and reluctantly saw the other girl. "don't mind Lenore."
"hey shut up you big slut." Lenore was a blonde haired bombshell but she looked a bit disheveled. "lovely party tonight, and you are?"
Norah and Lenore were girlfriends but they were also were socialites and grew up in the business and know nothing about struggle, addiction, poverty and least of all they never had a worry or care in their lives.
"Alex." looking at the mirror with the drugs in it Norah extended her arm out keeping watchful eye at the door. Alex hesitated a moment before inhaling the line on the mirror giving into her temptations.
"let's go dancing." cried Lenore to Norah as she hears a song bumping with bass from outside.
Alex stood there in front of the mirror frozen. Nora snapped her out of her thoughts pulling her arm while stuffing the remaining stash in her wristlet, "you coming, Alex?"
Wordlessly Alex scampered out the door with her newfound friends to the dancefloor.
Jay and manny were dancing together to the fast paced music when a frantic Paige was searching high and low for her girlfriend. Finally she found Jay and manny and tapped their shoulder, "have you seen alex?"
"yeah about a half hour ago she looked a bit toasty."
"but then she had to use the ladies room."
And she was dirty dancing between two strange girls she never met before drunk and high out of her mind making an absolute spectacle out of herself. Paige was flabbergasted and angry crossing her arms as she kissed Lenore believing she was Paige. She ran over immediately and then Jay whispered to Manny, "fuck she relapsed."
"Alex what the fuck?" Paige pulled Alex off of Lenore and looked into her eyes, "so you got high?"
"I don't belong here Paige. It's gonna be just like before me fucking up as usual."
"Alex why here, why now? Come here, hun." Alex stormed off and ran off into the washroom as the crowd roared with the laughter.
Jay sighed from behind her, "Paige. I should've told you -"
Paige and whipped around seeing jays comforting hand on her shoulder, "told me what? That Alex is an addict? I-I I had no fucking clue."
Paige began to weep into jays chest and Manny also consoled Jay reluctantly, "I should've watched her."
"this isn't your fault babe." manny sighed, "she needs help."
"rehab." Paige whispered. "I'll pay what I have to I just wanna see her better. I feel like this is all my fault. I had no idea she was struggling. I thought everything was falling into place and I don't believe how selfish it seems now…"
Paige pulled away from them, "I've got to find her."
"what if she resists?" manny asks with concern.
"she won't once she sobers up." Jay mutters matter of factly. "right now though she wants to be alone sure but what she wants, isn't what she really needs."
-x-
Emma and Sean packed up their things for a weekend at Wasaga Beach. She made sure to pack a swimsuit just in case they were to catch some rays by the beach and go swimming in the ocean. The last time Emma was there she was ill prepared so this time she definitely made sure to pack plenty of things to make a good impression.
"all packed?" Sean gestured to Emma's zipped up luggage. Emma nodded and Sean went to pick it up, "what do you carry in here rocks?"
"no just clothes."
"we are only going for a weekend." Sean laughed as he lifted her luggage. Emma got the door for sean and he put his luggage over his shoulder and they went in the car downstairs.
"I just wanted to come prepared."
Emma got into the passenger seat of Sean's car and they started the car. "wasaga here we come," she said excitedly.
-x-
A few hours later Sean and Emma arrived at Sean's parents house. They parked and noticed there was a truck there. The couple exits the car and walks to the front door. Elaine answers and pulls her youngest into a hug. She smelled like she always did the familiar scent of cigarettes but with the absence of booze. "Seanny I'm so happy you came." seconds later she beamed at Emma and then pulled her into a hug, "you must be Emma. It's a pleasure."
Emma nodded she had seen this woman in a door way and on the news but never spoken to her almost ten years ago. She pulled away and smiled warmly. "glad to be here."
"come on in." Elaine beamed as she pulled the door open for the couple and immediately recognized tracker. "this is my son tracker. Sean the luggage can go in your old room."
"we have met before hi." Emma said as she waved politely while Sean did what his mom told him to do.
"Emma Nelson." tracker stepped forward, and pulled her into a hug. "it's good to see you." they pulled away from the hug, "it's great to see that you two managed to find your way back to one another."
Sean reentered the living room and stood beside Emma and awkwardly looked around at the house. It looked clean not like he remembered it looking. "could I get you anything to drink?" Elaine asked.
"water is fine." Emma replied. Sean nodded in agreement he still wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of spending an entire weekend with his parents but with Emma by his side he felt more comfortable.
"sit down you two. I'll get it." she went into the fridge and poured two glasses of water for her son and his girlfriend as tracker sipped on an off brand grape soda. She returned to Sean and Emma on the couch. When Emma retrieved the glass Elaine noticed the promise ring. "oh that ring is so beautiful, Emma."
"did you already pop the question, bro?" tracker questioned causing Sean to get his cheeks turning pink.
"not exactly it's a promise ring to make sure I make good on my promises to her."
Emma smiled as Sean said that. Tracker just said oh. Elaine pulled out her cell that had a camera on it, "I need a picture of you two. Pull in close."
Sean put his arms around Emma's shoulder and pulled her close as she snapped the picture and actually smiled for the camera.
"Perfect." She said, admiring the picture.
"So what's today's plan?" Elaine asked.
Sean replied, "Sometime today i'd like to show Emma around town."
"that's a great idea. Dinner is at 7 I'm making chicken and for dessert a chocolate cake. Your favorite."
"Em um doesn't eat meat." Sean told his mom uncomfortably.
"how long have you been a what do they call them? Vegan?"
"Vegetarian. Vegan I couldn't ever do that. I love cheese and other stuff too much. And ever Since I was around ten."
"Sean here went to visit family on a farm and he started saying no to meat for awhile." Emma remembered that story she just simply nodded. Sean's mother was very friendly and sweet not like how Sean described. "Why don't you pick up something Emma would like while you guys are in town?"