Page 95 of The Addict

Alex looked at me with that quizzical Alex stare, his eyes squinting and his mouth curving into an evil little grin that meant he was highly interested in the event taking place before him. Thankfully, he did not try to raise any conversation about the matter.

“I-I’m tired,” she mumbled.

She was lying.

Was she that desperate to be out of my company?

Chelsea swayed her hips, not buying the facade at all. “Fuck that.” She reached over to the counter, grabbing the fresh popcorn that the manager had set out for them and then took Delane by the wrist despite her protesting. “We are going to watch this damn movie, and we’re going to like it!”

Alex grinned and nudged me in the arm. “This is going to be interesting, no?”

My feet were glued to the ground. I had no idea what to say, what to think, or what to do. I hated this feeling. I always had a plan.

“Sure, Alex,” I murmured, taking a step in the direction of the girls. They were already ahead of us, on their way to the theater.

An interesting night indeed.

Chapter twenty-five

Craving Disaster

NOAH

Iwas suddenly aware of everyone around me and wondered why in the world I ever came to this place.

Groups of girlfriends were huddled together squealing about the newest releases, the intolerably loud chatter causing me to feel as though the place was on wheels. I vaguely thought that I could be having another withdrawal, but disclosed that the churning in my stomach was not from the drug loss. I couldn’t be sure the sensation was true, but if I focused enough, I could feel the pounding of my heart in my fingertips, beating to the same rhythm of the popcorn maker to my right.

Fast.

It scared me.

The arcade situated behind me was flooded with children running about, hiding from their screaming parents, begging for more money for the machines, and yelling: “Just once more, please?” I heard the amped sound of gunshots, the shrieks of delight following soon after as the small kids made a high score. There were so many people passing by me as though I weren’t there. Perhaps, I was really invisible.

I felt as though I were sinking.

And I couldn’t shake the look that had been on Delane’s face.

The echoing sound of when the bucket of popcorn hit the ground seemed to ring continually in my ears. Why had she seemed so...afraid?

“Noah?” Alex asked, poking my arm. His face held a certain amount of concern, his eyebrows furrowing. “We can leave if you want to, dude.”

I blinked, trying to pull myself back into my body. After a moment of struggling with my senses, I was successful. “No, let’s go watch the movie.”

“You sure?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“GREAAAAT!” Alex shouted, pumping his fist into the air, causing me to immediately regret making this decision so quickly.

I had no idea what I would find when I pushed open the double doors that led into an inky blackness. I was hoping that Chelsea had forgotten about me and would leave me and Alex alone to pick our own seats.

I should have known by then that I had no such luck.

As soon as I faced the crowd I heard a high-pitched cry from the middle aisle. It was so disrupting, that Alex and I were forced to follow the direction of it with our eyes.

“OVER HERE, Noah!” She stood up and waved, blocking the view of many other people.

I contemplated the idea of ignoring her. The look on Alex’s face promised me that he wouldn’t be upset if I chose to do so, but I decided against my better judgement. I knew that if we didn’t begin to make our way over to her, she would throw a bigger fuss.