Practice is almost over and I feel so great. I have been very giggly towards the end of practice, but I feel so calm. I have been having so much fun with Olivia, Avery and Emily. We are getting along so well. All of my anxiety and heaviness from the counseling sessions and everything that has happened, is gone.

I start walking to the lockers to get my stuff.

"Ella," Olivia calls. I turn around. "Wear these sunglasses, your eyes are red." She hands me a pair of glasses. I giggle, but then panic. Oh gosh. What if Stef and Lena see my eyes? At least it is sunny out. I put on the glasses. I feel so chill, the nervous feeling barely lasts and I just smile again. "I am serious, you will get in trouble. Don't tell anyone where you got it from. You promise?"

"Of course."

I walk to the parking lot ready to walk home. Luckily no one is picking me up. I am kind of giggly and need to hide the fact that I am high. Part of me thinks this was a bad choice, but another part of me doesn't care because I feel the most relaxed I have ever been.

"Hey sweets," I look up and Stef pulls up in her car beside me. Shit.

"Hey Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I was leaving work and thought that I could pick you up. We could spend a little time together. Hop in." What should I do? I can't act suspicious. I need to act confident. I get in the car and giggle.

"What's so funny, love?"

"Sorry, I was thinking of something from practice. I started hanging out with these three girls and I have been having such a great time. We laughed throughout practice. It was so fun."

"I am glad you made some friends, I want to hear all about them. Do you mind if we stop at the store to pick some things up for dinner?"

"Uh…" I can't go in a store with her, what if she notices.

"Is that a problem?" I need to think, but I don't have a good excuse. What am I going to do about the glasses?

"No, I just… I don't feel great." Well, crap, now she may pay more attention to me. I am too high to figure this out. I panic and text Olivia.

"Oh sweets, I am sorry, what's wrong? You seem fine from practice?"

To Olivia: My mom wants to go to the store, what do I do about my eyes?!

She responds right away.

To Ella: Just tell her you have a headache, so you need to keep them on.

"Yoohoo, earth to Ella. Who are you texting?" Stef says.

"Sorry. I know I seem fine," I start, "I just have a headache that is slowly getting worse. It was hot today and we ran a lot. I drank my entire water bottle. My head is starting to feel worse like it could be a migraine. I need to drink some more water. Light and sounds are starting to hurt." Phew. Good save.

To Olivia: Good call.

To Ella: Delete these texts.

I delete them. This is too much. As much fun as it is to take these gummies, the timing was not great. I did not think this through.

"I can just take you home if you would like." Stef offers. It makes me feel bad. I am lying and being sneaky and she is trying to help me.

"Well, could I just sit in the car? I don't mind coming with you. I am sorry. I would go in with you if my head didn't hurt."

"Of course you can honey." Stef takes her hand and places it on my leg. "I am sorry your head hurts so much."

"Thanks Mom." She winks at me and then focuses back on the road.

…..

Dinner is almost ready and my eyes are still bloodshot. It's a weird sensation to feel chilled out and not really care that I may get in trouble for life. I am aware that I should be panicking, but the THC in my system won't fully let me. I have milked a headache the entire evening. I have been laying in my room in the dark for an hour. It is dark in here so no one can really see my eyes. There is a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." Lena walks in.

"Hi sweetheart, Mom said you weren't feeling well." She says softly. I have my eyes open looking at her, but when she comes closer I close them. I start feeling guilty. I don't want to lie to her either. Even though I made a bad choice, I need her comfort.

"Can you lay with me Mama?" I ask softly. I am too scared to open my eyes, but I am sure she has a loving look on her face. Lena pulls the blanket down and crawls underneath the blankets with me. She tucks herself in and I insantly attach myself to her, leaning my head on her chest, throwing my leg over hers and wrapping my arms around her. She squeezes me really tight and starts massaging my temples. The guilt starts consuming me as she is comforting me and trying to relieve the fake pain. I start feeling really guilty and mad at myself for lying. I can't handle it.

"Stop!" I say jumping out of bed.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Lena says sitting up.

"I am lying. I ate a gummy, a pot gummy. Stop comforting me!" I run out the door and onto the front porch. I am about to go down the stairs when I feel someone put their hands around my waist.

"Where do you think you are going?" How did Lena get to me so fast? Oh, I am high. "Look at me." I avoid her gaze. I hear Stef come out to the porch.

"Oh great." I mumble.

"Hey," Lena's voice is slightly elevated. I look at her shocked with wide eyes.

"Oh my gosh Ella, you are high!" Stef raised her voice and I flinched backwards. I fall backwards down the stairs, twisting my ankle and landing on my hip. It hurts.

"Ella!" They both shout running over to me.

"Gee thanks, Stef!" I glare at her from the ground. Stef and Lena try to help me up.

"Are you okay Ella?"

"I am fine" I say, pushing them off me as I brush them off, standing by myself. My ankle hurts, but it will wear off soon. I try to stand on it and it hurts too much so I just sit down.

"Honey. I know you are in pain, let us help." Lena tries.

"Nope, I am good. I don't want anything from you. Either of you."

"Fine then. Where did you get the pot?" Stef and Lena are both looking down at me angrily. I just shrug.

"Ella, you are in enough trouble as it is. I suggest you be truthful." Lena warns.

"It's mine! I got it from my abandoned house the other day, okay! It is easy for me to get drugs from a guy I know." I am surprised I came up with that so quickly.

"You have a drug dealer?!" Stef shouts.

"Well sorry that I didn't have many friends while I was homeless Stef. It was slim pickings!" I yell back.

"Watch how you speak to me please." Stef says, lowering her voice.

"Oh come on Stef, you don't get to yell at me and then lower your voice acting all innocent, you were just yelling at me." I glare at her. She sighs heavily.

"You are grounded for a month Ella." Stef says.

"What?! No way, why? You can't do that."

"Oh yes I can. You did drugs Ella. In no way shape or form is that okay. You are lucky we aren't taking away soccer. If you ever do this again, soccer is over. I am giving you a warning because I know you are new to this. " I am trying not to cry so I start getting angrier.

"Whatever, Stefanie."

"Oh Ella, you will stop talking if you know what's good for you." Stef says. I stand up and move closer to her. I wince as I step on my foot.

"What are you going to do Stef, hit me? Go ahead, you may as well!"

"Honey, sit down, I know you are hurting." Lena reaches out and I hit her hand away from me.

"HEY, do not hit Mama." Stef yells.

"Seriously Stef calm down, she was touching my body. I pushed her off. I am not three, don't make it seem like I hit her. I would never just hit her, but I have the right to protect myself."

"Sweets, you don't need to protect yourself from us." I cry and sit on the floor again.

"Yes I do! You hurt me more than anyone ever has." I yell! It gets quiet for a minute.

"Let's get inside." Lena says, looking at me. She reaches her hand out to help me up, I refuse her help and limp inside, up the stairs and slam my door shut.

Stef's POV:

"Stef, you need to calm down." Lena says gently, putting her hand on my arm. I was starting to follow Ella and she pulled me off the stairs.

"Calm Lena! Our daughter did drugs, how are you not upset?"

"Yes Stef, she did. I am upset about it. Our long lost daughter who has had no love, support system and has been severely traumatized has weed. She was homeless for crying out loud. It's not that surprising. We weren't there to teach her right from wrong."

"Lena, she knows drugs are wrong!" She is starting to annoy me.

"Honey, I know that. Listen, when someone has no accountability, no support system and has been through a lot, they turn to things like this, you know that." She isn't wrong.

"Okay Lena, but how can we let her just get away with using drugs?" I say frustrated.

"We don't Stef. You grounded her…" she hesitates. "and we can add stuff to it as well."

"Really Lena, you are upset I grounded her?" I am getting so frustrated.

"It's not that I am upset, I just want her to make some friends and get plugged in, I wish we could have talked about her punishment. She needs socialization and to get comfortable in school. It won't work if she can do absolutely nothing for a month." I sigh, again she is not wrong. I always feel like my quick reactions make things worse.

"Well what do we do, change it?" Lena shakes her head.

"No, because I don't want her to think I talked you out of it. We follow through, if something comes up we can possibly allow things on occasion if she is behaving." Lena suggests. I just feel a headache coming on.

"Come with me." Lena takes my hand and brings me to our bedroom. She shuts and locks the door and then pushes me against it, hard. I gasp.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Relaxing you," she says, kissing me passionately. I can't help but melt into the kiss. I feel her reach for the button on my jeans and just as I am about to protest I feel her hands inside me. I can't help but groan and succumb to pleasure.

Ella's POV:

"I am SO ANNOYED." I say rather loudly, hoping they hear it, to Mariana.

"You are really high?" Mariana asks. I can't help but giggle.

"Yeah, it feels really good."

"Ella!"

"Well it does, what can I say?"

"Where did you even get pot?" she asks. I debate telling her the truth. I decide against it. I have learned it gets messy when you bring more people into a lie. The less who know, the better.

"I have had it since before I moved in, I know a guy." I shrug. I feel bad lying, but I can't drag her into this. I learned that people will throw others under the bus to save themselves and I know Stef and Lena may question Mariana. Besides, Stef is a pretty good lie detector, I can't risk it. She won't let me see my friends anymore.

"Oh." She says. I don't think she knows what to say. I can't help but roll my eyes as I lay down on my bed and look at the ceiling. I want more pot. This is bad. Am I addicted?

I debate texting Olivia, but I know my phone is going to get taken away so I decided against it. I will tell her tomorrow.

"So how much trouble are you in?" Mariana asks me.

"A month."

"Wow, that's a long time."

"Yup." I say, making a popping noise.

"Well, I will try to entertain you." She looks at me smiling. I can't help but smile back.

"Thanks."

What am I going to do?

Note: Sorry it has been so long. I have been moving so I have had barely any free time. I wanted to give you guys something so I wrote this chapter. It's shorter than the others, but I am going to try and post again soon. Thank you for reading it!