He was startled awake by his door slamming open. The sun had yet to rise, and his alarm was still silent. Not six yet. He squinted into the darkness. A shadow loomed by the door, slowly growing closer. Mizuki again. Naruto laid back down with a groan, folding his arm over his eyes. Alcohol and sleepwalking were two situations that should never mix, and yet, they always did.

He'd gotten home late that night, all because Kiba insisted they prank every teacher in school by the end of the year. Naruto had been begging Kiba to keep him uninvolved, but Kiba insisted that Naruto needed to chill.

"You're late." Mizuki said. "Where were yah?"

"Detention."

Worthless trash, always getting into trouble.

It's your own fault.

If only you were more manageable. Neither one of us would be dealing with this shit.

A 20 in math? That's my class. Why is it your lowest grade?

Naruto curled into himself, listening to Mizuki's footsteps looming closer. He was sick of living like this. Always cautious, yet not cautious enough. The constant fear being the only reminder that this was his life, and it would never change. He looked over his shoulder so often, feeling as if someone was watching, yet knowing no one was truly there because Naruto was crazy.

The sound of footsteps halted. Naruto braced himself for the incoming pain, covering his head with his arms and wishing—hoping—Mizuki would get an arm or shoulder, not his legs or stomach.

He felt Mizuki's breath brush his ear, and the familiar pull to fight back struck yet again. But his arms refused to leave his head, and it was his own fault for coming home late.

"If you're not out of my house in 30 seconds, I will kill you."

Naruto woke up gasping, dampened hair slick against his forehead. He banged his head against the tree, bark clinging to his unruly hair like a steak between his teeth. His stomach was in a knot again. How many nights had be been having that same dream?

It's been four months. Get over it.

Naruto still heard that leering voice everyday at math.

Slowly, he got up and untangled the bark from his head. He headed for his locker to grab his things. Another absence wouldn't make a difference anyways. Sometimes, he wondered why he showed up at all.

"Yo, Naruto!" Kiba rammed into a student, apologizing before twisting his feet once more in Naruto's direction. Naruto slammed his locker shut, not bothering to even acknowledge Kiba's existence.

"Nuh-uh. You're not getting away this time."

Watch me.

Kiba slowed beside Naruto, a smile tugging his face. Back when Kiba was falsely arrested for shoplifting, all his friends abandoned him. Naruto had told Kiba over and over again that he was hanging around the wrong crowd. Naruto had been the only one not to abandon Kiba, and now, Kiba was obsessed with keeping their friendship alive.

Naruto had tried to keep Kiba out of his life. They were close once, in middle school. But that was years ago, and Naruto didn't care about whatever they had back then anymore.

"Heading to lunch again? Man, if I had a car I'd be eating out all day."

"You're not coming." Naruto said, "and I'm not getting lunch."

Naruto rushed his pace. Kiba always interrogated him about his whereabouts after lunch. After all, when a student attended half the day then disappeared into thin air, it wasn't difficult to figure out what they were up to. By now, most of the student population knew Naruto skipped class and simply left it for the councilors and principal to take care of.

"Really? I always assumed food was on your list of things to do after lunch."

Translation: Food is a requirement when skipping school, because you always miss lunch.

"Well," Naruto said. "It's not."

Most of the money he managed to scavenge wound up paying for drugs. The rest was for food and water. But most often, Naruto stole a stash of chips from Mizuki's place. He did, after all, have some rights to Mizuki's pantry, and it's not like the man knew Naruto was stealing from him.

"Eh. Whatever. But where are we going?"

"You're not going anywhere."

The school had poor security. Doors were always unlocked and campuses were never guarded. No gates, no security. Only the hidden camera's saw Naruto leave every day, but whoever sat behind the camera and watched never said a thing to stamp Naruto's meeting with the principal.

The absences would, someday, get someone's attention. But Naruto cared not for any trouble he may or may not get in. Mizuki would handle it anyway. After all, a guardian in support of their child skipping school looked awful. Somehow, Mizuki would figure out how to ensure Naruto was safeguarded from the principal's wrath.

He'd probably break a few laws.

"Surprise me then. Which car is yours?"

"You're not coming."

"I've decided I am."

Naruto sucked in a deep breath. Another crazy guy coming into his life was the last thing he needed. Even if he did seem to care, and tried to be friends, Naruto didn't need him. He was perfectly fine in this friendless life he'd acquired. It's not like anyone who came into his life ever stayed. They all left at some point.

But still, one day couldn't hurt, and Naruto feared that Kiba would fight his way into Naruto's car no matter what he said about it. Sighing, Naruto pointed across the parking lot. "The old silver one. I have no idea what kind it is."

Naruto could survive one day with Kiba. By the time school ended, Naruto would have him dropped off at his place and be back to the Walmart parking lot he'd grown fond of.

"Cool. Where we headed?"

Naruto shrugged. "Where do you want to go?"

Kiba's smile went from quirky to crazy, and Naruto thought he may have made a mistake by giving Kiba the freedom to choose the destination. But a smile played on his own lips, and he found himself wanting to have Kiba around.

"I know just the place. Get driving, man." Kiba said.

One day can't hurt.

"I hope you're a good navigator." Naruto said. "I get lost enough as it is. I don't need your craziness seeping into my driving."

"That's bull! I'm great with directions."

"Say's the guy that got lost on the way to second period."

"It was the first day."

"And yet, I found all my classes."

"Fuck you."

"Yes. Fuck me. See where it gets you."

"This is a bar." Naruto said. "We can't walk in there without an id."

Kiba was leaning back in his seat, strolling through his phone. Sometimes he read something that made a frown mare his face as his brows furrowed, yet Naruto never stopped driving to see the content that could silence Kiba.

"I've got fake ids."

"Okay." Naruto said. "I don't."

Kiba reached into his bag and thrust something into Naruto's lap, then got back to his phone. Naruto grabbed the plastic Kiba tossed.

"I got you one a couple weeks ago."

Naruto blinked. The id had a picture of him scowling angrily. He couldn't remember it being taken, but Kiba probably snapped it without Naruto's knowledge.

"Thanks, I think? How long have you been planning this?"

"Months, man. You wouldn't believe the trouble I went through to get these babies." He whipped out his own fake id and kissed it. Naruto nodded slowly. He never needed a fake id to smuggle drugs, and so never bothered with them. But having one was rather convenient when a cop asked why he was out of school or the Walmart employees tapped his window. Something to prove he wasn't a homeless teenager certainly was convenient.

So, I'm a homeless 27-year-old. Wonderful

"Okay. You know that's illegal, right? We could've just gone bowling or something."

"For a guy who skips school, you're really finicky. Bowling is for family. Bars are for skipping teenagers."

"I usually go to Starbucks and hang at the park."

Kiba twisted in his seat, finally setting his phone down. Naruto stared at the damp building before them, stomach queasy at just the thought of alcohol. The last time he had any he ended up vomiting all night and with a killer hangover the next morning. Maybe when he had a bed and his own toilet, alcohol would be more enjoyable. But vomiting for hours in a public bathroom and sleeping off a hangover in a car was worse than the concussion a past dealer gave him.

"I'm not going to drink." He said.

"Then you can sit on a lonely bar stool with a lame ass club soda and watch me have all the fun."

"You do know that when people get wasted, they do stupid things, right? What if you end up like, spending $1000 online shopping or something? It probably won't be fun then."

"By the time I realize I spent $1000 I'll be sober. The aftereffects aren't fun, but getting drunk is. Have you never done this before?"

Naruto remembered how alone he felt as he vomited. There was no one to help him pick up the pieces as his life fell apart, and no one to ease the pain as his throat burned of bile. He had to drag himself out of the stall and drink from the sink, only to heave again and start over. At the time, the toilet was his best friend, and he had a rather deep conversation with it until someone woke him because the store was closing.

"Only once. It wasn't worth it."

Naruto's limbs felt as if they were going to fall off, but he forced his shaking hands to unbuckle his seat belt and pulled his legs out of the car and into the bar. Kiba was jumping on the balls of his feet, excited and looking as if he belonged with this bar. Naruto shook his head, feeling a headache rising as he seated himself on one of the barstools, watching as Kiba downed drink after drink.

"How often do you come here?" Naruto said, pulling his jacket closer to himself. His mouth had gone bone dry, and the bar's temperature seemed to have dropped.

"All the time, man. My sis took me when I was 12. It was disgusting then, but damn was it worth it."

Naruto wiped his sweaty palms over his pants, swallowing and taking a deep breath. He furrowed his brows, trying to remember where he left last night's stash. He normally left it in the console of the car, but the Walmart employees were growing agitated with him, so he buried a hole under a bush and hid everything there to be safe. But last night's stash—the memory of where he left it was lost to him.

"I think we should leave, Kibs." He said.

Naruto blinked back tears, though he didn't know why he was near crying. But Kiba wasn't listening, just drinking and drinking and Naruto needed to go… to go… Where was his stash again?

"We need to leave." He said again, but Kiba still didn't listen. So, Naruto got up and left, unlocking his car quickly and shuffling through the console. Nothing. No drugs. Goddammit. He needed to find his stash. Pulling at his hair, he tried to think. He bought it last night—last night! How could he forget something that happened last night?

"Shit man. You look like you were stranded in the middle of the desert." Naruto whipped around, Kiba's contorted face messing with his brain. He had no time for him. His stash was somewhere in this world. Lost in some bush that Naruto stupidly left it in.

"Shut up. I need to go… to go… go… my stash… I lost… dammit…"

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Why'd he take it from the car? So what if someone saw it. He paid good money for that stash, and he wasn't scared if some Walmart employee caught him using. He'd just find another Walmart. There were plenty in the world. Why in gods name did he remove his own stash?

"Hey, man. I can drive you home. I got a permit, and I'm only a bit buzzed. I'm sure—"

"Home… no. No home. Stash. Somewhere…lost… stupid. Stupid. Stupid."

He wanted to stop. That's right. He removed his stash because he wanted to stop. But he didn't want to stop, yet he did. So, he hid his stash. Somewhere…lost…A bush?

"I'm driving… find… I need." He said, hopping in the driver's seat and taking the wheel. Kiba's voice boomed in his ear, but he was moving before Kiba could steal his car again. Somewhere in the world was a bush with heroin buried under. Like a buried treasure, he supposed. He felt his hands shaking as he turned into the Walmart parking lot.

"Walmart? Hells no. I'm buzzed and you're insane. Find somewhere less public to park."

Naruto glanced at the passenger seat. He hadn't realized Kiba was still there, but at least Naruto still had his car.

He found a bush nearby, and started digging. Nothing there. He found another, then another, and another. Kiba's voice was following him through every bush. Mocking him, laughing at him. Isn't that what he always did? Stealing his car, laughing, mocking. Everyone did it. And of everyone, Kiba got Naruto in trouble the most.

He found his stash, and had injected half of the dose in when it disappeared from his grasp. He dug deeper into the ground, just in case he'd only imagined having it in his grasp. But when he still failed to find it, he searched through more bushes.

"Is this why you've been so distant with me?" Someone grabbed his wrist, twisting him around and away from a bush. Naruto saw something glint off whomever had him. He looked closer at the man talking, seeing a needle in one hand. "You're doing drugs?"

"Give them back." Naruto reached out for the man's other hand, his drugs. The only thing that was truly his. No one had ever taken them from him before. Why was this man, this blurry stranger, trying to steal Naruto's belongings?

"Not your drugs anymore. I'm taking you home. Mizuki could help."

That night months ago, when Mizuki tried to kill him, Naruto swore he'd never go back. No matter how bad his situation got, anything was better than living with that man. Even living in the car someone left on the side of the road was better than living with Mizuki. Buying drugs and going into debt was better. Anything was better than going back.

"I'm never going back there." He said, snatching is arm back and storming to his car before remembering the blurry man still had his drugs. "Give them back."

"You can get them back when you're in the car. That way no one sees."

And because Naruto desperately needed his drugs, he did as he was told. The blurry man got in the passenger seat, and Naruto thought something was off about the transaction.

"I'm driving." The man said. Naruto furrowed his brows. He was already in the Walmart parking lot. His home. Driving wasn't necessary until tomorrow morning. He shook his head. This was his car. Naruto found it, and he took it. It had been his for four months, and the owners didn't seem to care that Naruto stole their car, so it was his property.

"Give me my drugs."

"Give me the wheel."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, buckling himself in. If this man and wanted a ride, then Naruto would give him one. Naruto took off faster than he normally would, speeding out of the parking lot and relishing in the man's screams. He breathed in heavily, smiling as the road seemed to fly by him. He was in charge of his life. Not this blurry man. Not Mizuki. Not Kiba.

"It's a red light, Naruto! Stop."

Naruto was flung to the side, his seatbelt catching him just enough to avoid being thrown out the window. The car rippled in uncontrolled waves, rolling across the pavement as glass shattered and slammed into his skin. Blearily, he saw Kiba protecting his head and thought maybe he should do the same.

When the car finally skidded to a stop, Naruto's breath was raspy, his chest feeling as if someone threw a brick at him. He stretched his arm, Shaking Kiba's shoulder. "You okay?" He said. But Kiba didn't move, just sat there, more silent than he'd ever been in his life.

"Hey, man, wake up."