13. Chapter 13
Chapter thirteen
Maddox
Five days in this shitty hell hole. Five days without a drop of alcohol or a pill sliding down my throat. I wanna say it’s been sunshine and rainbows, but it’s like burning in hell. No matter how much I beg and plead, no one here gives a fuck. They probably wouldn’t throw a bucket of water on me if I were on fire. I don’t know what I was thinking; I need to get out of here.
I thought it would be easy to sneak out, but guards walk the halls at night looking for the troubled residents. That would be me and the one person I befriended in here. Wilde. He’s been stuck in this shit box for two months, and he said there is only one way out besides getting signed out. I’m banking on his exit because I need to leave, and I know he does, too. They can’t keep us in this place against our will.
“Yo, Maddy, are we doing this or what?” Wilde comes strolling into my room, pulling his copper hair into a bun.
I grab my bag off the stained mattress that this lovely facility provides. Wilde grins at me. He’s in here to detox off heroin. That’s one drug I don’t wanna touch, especially after some of the stories he’s told me. But I’m glad he’s still standing here today.
“Yeah, let’s get the fuck out of here; if I stay here one more minute, I’ll blow.”
Wilde peeks his head into the hall and gives me a thumbs-up. I have no idea what his plan is, but I trust him. The staff are all chatting at the reception station, and I hope they stay distracted as we take off in the opposite direction toward the stairs.
“Be quick once this door opens; the goal is the laundry room. Don’t stop until we get there.” Wilde pulls a card from his back pocket. “Ready?” He looks over his shoulder, and his green eyes light up joyfully.
“More than anything.”
He taps the card on the card reader, and the light turns green, and the door unlocks. He pushes the door open and takes off down the stairs. I follow without thinking. My heart jumps out of my chest the further we get; whatever Wilde has planned, I hope it works out because I can’t stay here another minute. I know I promised everyone that I would get sober, but not here. This place is worse than anything I’ve ever experienced before.
Wilde slips on the last step, rounding the corner, and chuckles. “What a rush, hey, Maddy?”
“You have no idea, but I’ll feel better once we’re out.”
“Soon, I promise.”
We run down a narrow hall, stopping at the last door on the right—the laundry room. Wilde knocks three times, and the door opens. An older woman dressed in navy scrubs waves us in.
“Hurry, the truck will be here soon. You don’t have much time.” She pulls a large industrial-size laundry bin over and moves sheets out of the way.
I stare at her in disbelief. “You want us to get in there with dirty laundry?”
She rolls her eyes, “It’s clean, now hurry. You’re wasting time arguing.”
Wilde jumps in and waves me over. Fuck it, if we’re gonna get caught might as well do it together. We get comfortable before the pile of sheets covers us. It’s silent. Wilde hasn’t said a word, so all we can do is wait.
My thoughts go back to Jinx. Does she think of me at all? Or has she forgotten about me? It’s one reason why I need to get back. I know I’m no good for her, but being away isn’t good for me. I can’t do it.
The sound of a door rolling open has Wilde tense up next to me, a guy, and I assume the older woman's voices are muffled as they speak. The laundry basket jerks forward and knocks us into each other when we go over a bump.
“Fuck, this plan better work,” Wilde whispers.
“It better. My life is in your hands.”
We come to a halt, and another door slides closed. Another round of silence, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to take it. If I wasn’t claustrophobic before, I’m turning into one now, the sheets are weighing down on me, and I’m about to lose my shit.
Above our heads, three loud bangs echo through the air, causing both of us to flinch reflexively. Suddenly, the truck springs to life with a thunderous roar. Our freedom is coming to life; I can’t believe Wilde’s plan worked. We escaped that hell hole.
“You guys can come out now,” the guy yells from the front.
We toss the sheets off, letting the daylight in. I peer around and notice we're chilling in the back of a cube van surrounded by even more laundry bins.
Wilde nudges me and grins. “Not so bad. Told you I could do it.”
I kick the sheets off more, trying to get my entire body free. “Yeah, we’ll see. I still need to get back to the school.”
Wilde climbs to the front and shakes the dudes hand. And I’m left wondering what the hell is going down. I haul myself out of the bin and stand behind Wilde’s seat. The guy driving isn’t what I pictured at all. I think he's probably in his late thirties, with hair down to his shoulders, and seems to be completely covered in tattoos.
“Where am I dropping you two off?” he casually asks, as if he does this on a daily basis.
“I need to get back to Ravenwood Academy.”
He looks over at me and grins. “A smarty pants, get out of here.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. Can you do that?”
“Yeah, I can drop you off at the gate on my way past.”
I look at Wilde, and he shrugs. “I’ll go where you go, Maddy.”
Oh, if he only knew what he was signing up for. RWA doesn’t treat people like us very nicely. This school chews you up and doesn’t think twice about spitting you out. I can’t blame the school for my fuck ups; I’ve been that way for years.
My nerves are on fire the closer we get to the school. I know for a fact that Ace is going to tear me a new one for leaving rehab, but he wouldn’t understand. I wasn't feeling that place. But hey, gotta give myself credit; I made it five whole days. I know Jinx will be disappointed in me. I promised to get better, but I couldn’t even do that. I’ll forever be a failure; it’s branded on my heart.
“This is your stop, fellas. Try to stay out of trouble.” He stops the van just before the school gates, and I’ve never felt better in my life.
“Thanks again, man.” Wilde gives him a pat on the shoulder before opening his door. “Oh, and you’ve never heard or seen us before.” He jumps out and looks up at the gates.
I grab my bag and move in between the front seats. “Thanks, hopefully you don’t get fired.”
“Nah, I do this all the time. Keep your nose clean. Second chances don’t come along all the time.”
I think of his words as I climb out of the van. Is this my second chance? I’ve had so many I can’t keep track, I can’t keep doing this, that’s all I know. I close my eyes and run my hand through my hair; this is going to be a mess once I cross that gate. I adjust my bag and head toward what could only be described as a torture chamber.
“Alright, Maddy. Give me the grand tour. Show me all the hot babes.” He squeezes my shoulder and stares at the school.
“You’re gonna hate it worse than Black Orchid.”
He quirks a copper brow and rolls his eyes. “Maddy, nothing is worse than that place. The staff alone at BC are worse than the Devil himself.”
Maybe I should’ve told him what happened or what is still happening here—death, stalker, and who knows what has been happening since I’ve been gone. I haven’t been in contact with anyone, which makes me nervous. Being out of the loop doesn’t help.
“You’ll find out soon why this place is a shit show.” As I pass through the steel gates adorned with the letters RWA, the school's heavy presence begins to engulf me.
The stone building is four stories tall, topped with a high peak roof resembling a cathedral. Two grand towers flank the main entrance, giving it a majestic look. The outbuildings are made of stone and have the same green roof as the main school. I have to say, it's a pretty nice sight to see. But my favorite building will always be Darrow Hall and that tower where Jinx lived.
We make our way down the road, and Wilde looks like a kid in a candy shop; his head can’t swivel fast enough to watch all the chicks walk by. He nudges me when he sees Lula walking to Greywood Hall.
“You stay away from her if you want to be friends with my girl, I’m warning you now. That one there is off fucking limits.”
“Why?”
“Because Lula has been sabotaging every chance Jinx gets into a better school, and Lula here loves to sleep with the music professor. Or did before I ran him off the road.”
“Oh, really.” He watches her step inside the hall. “I love a challenge. Let me have a go at her. She’ll be singing a different tune.”
“Wilde, I’m serious. Don’t think about it.”
He slumps his shoulders and exhales. “Fine. But it could’ve been fun.”
As much as I would love to see Lula be knocked off her pedestal, I can’t let Wilde get involved with anyone in this school. Stepping into Darrow Hall is like coming home. The fourth floor is where my heart truly lies. It feels like I've been away for much longer than just five days.
Every step seems like it’s closer to doomsday. Something feels off, and I can’t place my finger on it. Stopping at my door, I turn to Wilde.
“Something doesn’t feel right.”
“In what way?”
I can't quite put my finger on it, but there doesn't seem to be much happiness behind this door.