It's a bit short again been a busy weekend and I had an unexpected visit from a friend today.

Ch. 3 I Need a Fix Because I'm Going Down

(OWEN)

"Hey Owen," Adam calls and I look over as he runs up, "have you seen Clare? She never came to biology."

"No I was about to grab something to eat before heading to campus I'll look around a bit," I tell him.

"Thanks, we'll check the school I'm going to tell the others she never came to class," Adam says and walks off.

I leave the school and check the ravine first, if you go to DeGrassi and you don't want to be at school you're most likely at the ravine or The Dot. I walk to the ravine and see some kids hanging out around the fire pit, they all go to DeGrassi or did go to DeGrassi but none of them are Clare.

"Anyone see Clare Edwards come by here?"

"Yeah she's here, but she's busy," one of the kids replies.

"Where is she?" I demand and he points to the back where the tents are. I walk back and find one couple sleeping and then see Clare's curls underneath some black hair. I take a fist of the black hair and pull him up. "Zig? You asshole what are you doing?" I demand tossing him aside. When I look at Clare she's unconscious, her dress is pulled up and the buttons on it are open. "What the hell are you doing?"

"She didn't mind," Zig replies with a smirk. I reel back and punch him as hard as I can and he goes down.

"I knew you were an ass, I'm glad Maya never dated you," I growl at him before picking up Clare and tossing her over my shoulder. I leave the ravine for my car, putting Clare in the backseat and I start driving. I get out my phone and call Johnny while I'm driving. "Hey are you home?"

"Yeah just got here what's up?"

"I'm bringing Clare to our place, I have to get to class but she needs to be watched," I tell him and hang up.

I park and pick Clare up over my shoulder again walking upstairs. I unlock our door and take Clare in lying her on the sofa. Johnny comes out of his room and looks at her just as I put her down.

"What the hell happened to her?" Johnny demands.

"Adam said she didn't come to class. I found her in the ravine like that, unconscious, half-dressed and him on top of her. She's high on something but I have no idea what. She needs to be watched and I have to get to class. I'll be back in a couple of hours, if anything happens call me I'll keep my phone on vibrate. I'll call Drew on my way to class so they know she's here."

Johnny nods and kneels down by Clare looking in her eyes. Johnny will know what to do he's been around lots of high people before I'm sure he's taken care of a few. I leave and get back in my car driving to class but call Drew on the way.

"Did you find her?" Drew asks.

"Yeah she was at the ravine I brought her to my place. Johnny is watching her; she'll be okay…I think."

"What do you mean you think?"

"She's unconscious, high on something but I have no idea what."

"Fuck, I'm calling off student council and Adam can blow off fourth and we'll come over."

"Good, I'll get there about the same time I'm coming back after class. I gotta go I'm about to head back into class."

"We'll see you later," Drew replies and we hang up.

It's hard to sit through class and listen, and concentrate. I keep thinking about Clare and how I found her, what Zig was doing to her and I want to hit him again. As soon as class is over I leave and drive home. Clare is still unconscious on the sofa, whatever she took has her knocked out good.

"She's breathing but she's out, I've been checking about every three minutes and forcing some water into her because whatever she took was strong. As long as she's breathing all we can do is wait until she wakes up," Johnny tells me with a worried tone.

"Drew and Adam are coming over."

"Good more people to keep an eye on her," Johnny says and then there's a knock on the door. I open the door to let Drew and Adam in. Johnny did put a blanket on her so you can't see that she was half dressed anymore.

"You found her like this?" Adam asks kneeling beside her and taking her hand.

"Yeah at the ravine with Zig," I reply.

"Zig? What was he doing with Clare?" Adam questions.

"When I found them he was molesting her," I inform them and everyone tenses up.

"I'll kill him," Johnny growls.

"Save me a piece," Adam says and Drew nods.

Drew and Adam stay for a while, for the first few minutes we talk about killing Zig. Then we're silent and then we start doing homework and check on Clare every few minutes. I order us pizza for dinner and Clare's still out. After dinner Drew and Adam decide they'd better get home.

"I'll text Clare's mom and tell her Clare's safe, I won't say where she is but I'll let her mom know she's safe," Adam comments.

"If she wakes up or gets worse call us," Drew says and we nod.

Johnny and I stay up for a while watching TV and Clare but when she's not awake by ten and she's displayed no other signs of overdose Johnny moves her into his room. He'll sleep on the sofa tonight and if she leaves his room we'll both hear her. I sleep with my door open just to be safe. After sleeping for a couple of hours I hear Johnny's door open and Clare comes out. She's fixed the buttons on her dress, neither me nor Johnny wanted to do that because of where they were open.

"Owen?" She asks rubbing her eyes groggily.

"Yeah and before you ask you're at mine and Johnny's place," I enlighten her.

"How'd I get here? I was at the ravine with Zig," she replies just as Johnny joins us in the hallway.

"Yeah at the ravine unconscious, high and getting molested by Zig," I reply.

"And you should have just left me there," Clare replies. She kind of snaps at me but there's something in her tone, a sort of sadness and guilt.

"I wasn't going to leave you there to be molested by Zig while you were unconscious," I reply with a tone that's sharper than I intended.

"I don't care what Zig was doing. I killed Eli, I deserve whatever happens to me SO JUST LEAVE ME ALONE," she screams turning around. She goes back into Johnny's room slamming the door and I look at Johnny.

"That's not good," Johnny comments. He walks past me trying to open the door but Clare has it locked. "Clare open the door," Johnny calls knocking on it.

"GO AWAY," she screams back at us.

"She locked the door it's not like she can go anywhere. She's bound to need the washroom or get hungry and when she comes out again we'll talk to her," I tell Johnny when he looks like he's going to try and bust the door open.

He nods and we go back to bed. I stay awake for a time, expecting Clare to come out at any moment but she doesn't and eventually I fall asleep again. I wake up the next morning when I hear Johnny in the washroom and I get up. I check his room and find it still locked.

"She must have fallen asleep again too," I comment to Johnny. He grabs a hanger from my room, straightening the hook end and uses it to pick the lock. The door opens but the room is empty and the window is open. We run to the window and look down.

"She went down the fire escape but the bottom is rusted so unless she turned into Catwoman it's a ten foot drop," Johnny says hitting his hand on the windowsill.

"I'll call Tris he might know where Zig lives," I remark going into my room to get my phone.

"Owen it's early what's going on?" Tris yawns.

"Do you know where Zig lives?"

"Why?"

"Just answer the question Tris."

"No I have no idea, he never let me see where he lives, he never even let Tori. Owen what is it?"

"I'll tell you later I have to call Drew," I reply and hang up before calling Drew.

"What happened?" Drew asks when he answers.

"She's gone, went out the fire escape. I think she went to Zig's or maybe the ravine. Tris doesn't know where Zig lives but I might be able to find out from the school computer. I'll check the ravine when I get there."

"We're all up, we'll come too," Drew says.

"Okay see you in a bit," I reply and hang up.

"I'm coming with you, I'll miss class but I want to find Clare," Johnny says from my doorway he must have been listening.

"I'm leaving in five," I tell him.

"I'll be ready in two."

(CLARE)

"GO AWAY," I scream at Owen and Johnny when they remain outside the door.

I hear them talking but it's too quiet for me to make out what they're saying. After a moment I hear them walk away down the hall. I sit on Johnny's bed and curl up, I'm shaking slightly and I can feel again. I don't want to feel, I don't want to think, I want to be numb again. I want to forge that Eli is dead. Staying here won't do that and I want to leave. If I try to go through the front door I'm sure Owen and Johnny will stop me again. When I look out the window I see a fire escape connected to the other window so I open that one and climb out. When I get down to the bottom I find the fire escape won't extend down all the way, which doesn't seem very safe but I'm not going to climb back up. I get down as far as I can and then swing out and kind of jump. I still don't make a very graceful landing, I land on my leg hitting it pretty hard and scraping it on the asphalt and catching myself with my hands. I come down on my left wrist too hard and feel a shooting pain go through my arm. I ignore it and get up.

I have no idea where Owen and Johnny live because I haven't been to their apartment before. So I just start walking. I find a street I recognize and after walking a bit a woman asks if I need help. I tell her I had a fight with my parents and am trying to get to my boyfriend's house and she offers me a ride. I know where Zig's apartment is and tell her as much as I can. We're able to find the building and I thank her for the ride. It takes me a minute to find the right apartment but I'm able to and I knock on the door. No one answers but it is pretty late, still I knock louder and eventually hear footsteps. After a second Vince throws the door open, he looks angry and he has a gun in his hand although it is pointed down.

"What the fuck are you doing here so late?" Vince grumbles.

"Sorry I don't have Zig's number; you're not going to shoot me for that are you?"

"I didn't think anyone friendly would be knocking on the door this late," he responds putting the gun behind his back as he lets me in.

"You shot Adam," I comment as he closes the door.

"Yeah but I wasn't aiming at Adam," he replies locking the door. "ZIG YOUR GIRL'S HERE GIVE HER YOUR FUCKING NUMBER WILL YOU," Vince yells and Zig comes out of his room.

"Sorry," he yawns.

"You two take my room I want some fucking sleep," Vince says going into Zig and Tiny's room.

"I don't even have my phone, it's in my backpack in my locker still," I comment when we're alone.

"We can get it tomorrow," Zig replies.

"I don't want to go to school tomorrow, I can't. I killed Eli and they all know it. And Eli is there, I see him and I hear him and he's there and I'm not crazy!"

"I don't think you're crazy. You want to feel numb again?" Zig asks and I nod.

He takes my hand pulling me into Vince's room, turning off the living room lights and turning on the light in Vince's room. Zig starts looking through a chest in Vince's room and I open Vince's drawer pulling out a t-shirt.

"You think Vince will mind if I borrow this?" I ask Zig.

"If he does just show him your boobs and he'll forget," Zig replies.

I take the shirt, take off my dress and put the shirt on before taking off my shoes. I sit on the bed and Zig brings me another little white pill which I swallow without water. I lie down on the bed and Zig lies next to me.

"How come you live here and not at home?" I ask Zig.

"My parents kicked me out," he replies with a shrug.

"I haven't spoken to my mom since yesterday…or I guess Monday as it's technically Wednesday now."

"You think she's worried about you?" Zig asks and I shake my head. "Do you want to go home?" He asks and I shake my head again.

"I just want to not feel anything," I reply.

"The pill will take care of that."

"I don't want to go to school tomorrow," I tell him as the pill begins to make me numb.

"So we'll stay home," Zig shrugs.

"I don't want to see Eli anymore. Anytime I'm anywhere that Eli has been I see him, I see him and he's there and I don't want to see him anymore."

"Do you see him when you're numb?"

"No I don't really see or feel or hear anything, it's peaceful."

"Then just keep taking the pills," Zig replies as I begin to go totally numb.

Zig lifts my t-shirt and bra and starts fondling my breasts but I don't care. I don't care about anything as long as I'm numb I don't care what Zig does.

The next update Friday the 29th will likely start with Owen and the others getting to the school and looking for Clare.