Chapter One-Hundred and Ten
John took Claire's hand as they walked into their Phycology class, happy that they had seats right next to each other.
Mr. Hill smiled at the pair, knowing that this class was going to be difficult for John. "Alright, today, we're going into the science behind addictions…" He noticed how John tensed, and watched as the redhead moved as close to him as she could. "Now… there are several forms of addiction… there's alcohol and other substances-"
"Like meth!" Barked one of the jocks behind John.
Mr. Hill nodded, continuing his intro to the lesson. "Then there are the other ones that most people don't know about… sex for instance, some people are addicted to the act of sexual relations, others are addicted to food, sugar is a big one here. Some are addicted to pain, or even TV and the idea of physical belongings." He motioned to a poster of a human brain on the wall, pointing out a small spot in the cerebral cortex. "Now the idea is that the brain processes all pleasure the same way -as a reward. So, therefore, anything you find joy or pleasure in can become an addiction."
John raised his hand, slowly standing and taking Claire's hand as he walked to the front of the class. He stood before everyone, knowing that as one of the only people in this school who dealt with this battle, he could help shed light on this for them. He wrote a few words down in his notebook handing it to Claire to read. "It's not only pleasure that I felt when I used. I felt relieved, like the shithole world I was forced to live in was gone and all that was left was me and whatever I was abusing at the moment. They use the idea of an egg frying in a pan to tell you what happens to your brain when you use, but they don't tell you what happens to your body." He lifted his shirt over his head, showing them the physical consequences of his choices. "I've suffered seizures, uncontrollable vomiting, moments where I lose myself completely, and even times where I'm in so much pain from the moment I wake up, that I'm unable to leave my bed alone -even to just go to the bathroom. You may look at me, and see an addict, and that's not wrong… but I am not a meth-head."
Claire finished reading what he'd written, looking up at the class as they looked at John's near skeletal body in shock. "He's more than an addict… he's a fighter." She smiled, touching his side where he'd been branded with his last name. "And the best man I could ever meet…"
John breathed a laugh, gently kissing her lips before he pulled his shirt over his head again. He scribbled a few more words onto the notebook, letting her read it. "See me as a warning, not an enemy. Believe me… the high is not worth the pain. No matter what people try to tell you. Don't make the same mistakes I did."
Claire wiped a tear from her eyes, remembering that last Sunday when he'd needed Dominic's help to even take a bath because his body had been wracked with pain. "If not for yourself… then for your loved ones." She took his hand in hers, seeing her pain reflected in his eyes. "They feel your pain too."
John dried her tears, his rough hands pushing through her fiery hair. "Never… again…" He croaked, stumbling slightly as she launched herself against his body.
Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, as she cried into his shoulder. "I don't want to lose you again…" She'd never told him, but after they'd gotten him to the hospital the night he'd wanted to give up, he'd been pronounced dead for three minutes before they'd been able to bring him back.
He held her close, his heart aching with every tear. "You won't…"