DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

Brian took a few hesitant steps forward as he stretched his hands out to take hers. "Y - You Look, Uhmm, You look great Cassie." Nattie could help but smile at the two. They said goodbye to Nattie and Mac as they headed off. This time Cassie had no idea where they were going, but she sure was curious. Brian on the other hand felt something tugging at his heart. He did feel this way when he was with Kate, he was never this excited to see or be with her.

Something about Cassie felt different, special even, and thinking of how she took time to get all dressed up for him made it all the more special to him. They walked for a while and got to the cinema, then she said "we're gonna see a movie, that's nice" with a smile. She took his hand and they walked in and started the movie.

Meanwhile, David was home, in his room right across from Dante's. He had been putting off the conversation he told Nattie he wanted to have with her. It was more of fear, not resistance. He knew what he feared, but he had to do this for his brother. Dante kept to himself more lately, they hardly spoke to each other, one day David could swear he could smell weed from his room and the stench of alcohol lingered on his clothes.

He was scared for his brother, Dante was a tough nut but he loved him nonetheless. Of recent, he felt the distance between them both was getting worse and their bond was getting more and more strained. He got up from his bed and decided to go over to his room, maybe to have a chat with him, most of the things he did these days were based on mere impulse.

He knocked on the door the first time, but there was no response he was about to turn away, but on second thought he pushed the door open and found Dante asleep on his bed with his shoes and clothes fully on.

It was obvious that he had passed out from drinking and smoking maybe. "Yo... Dante.... Dante wake up, we need to talk. " "What.... what.... what ?!!!" Dante said slurring. He obviously wasn't in a state where he could talk so David decided to leave him alone. He got up, turned around, and was about to leave when his eye caught a bottle in the distance, right on Dante's bookshelf. He walked over to the tape and picked it up.

It was drugs, and not the kind you were prescribed to take. "What!!!...." David yelled. He knew things were happening but he didn't know Dante had turned to drugs. He didn't know what to do, David was torn and more and more he was scared because he didn't want to loose his brother. He picked up the pills and left the room, he picked up his phone, took a deep breath, and dialed Nattie's number.

Nattie had gone back to her house after spending some time with Mac. She had to get some homework done and she didn't have anything else to do, when she was done with her home work she went into the bathroom and showered for a long time. While she was in the bathroom she did not hear her phone ringing. She took her time, and shampooed her hair, washing it thoroughly while listening to the arcade by Duncan Lawrence.

When she was done she came out of the bathroom and started her skincare routine, she had been totally oblivious of her phone. Which she did sometimes, after all her grandma always said "you only start to live when you look away from your phone" when she was done she finally picked up her phone and saw all the missed calls from David. "Oh No!" She gasped, she had totally forgotten that she was meant to have a talk with him. She was about to call him back when she heard a knock coming from downstairs.

She looked around, she was still in her robe, "who could that be", she definitely knew it wasn't Cass, at least she hoped it wasn't. She went into the closet and picked up something to wear. She put it on and picked up a towel to dry her hair as she ran down the stairs. Whoever was knocking seemed distressed, because they kept at it, knocking on the door over and over again.

She finally got to the door and opened it, there stood David, he looked like he had been crying, his eyes were teary and red all around, and he couldn't even look straight into her eyes. She most definitely didn't expect to see David at her door at night, this got her worried, she took his hand as she led him into the house "David, what's going on? You look terrible! Is everything okay?" She said as she gave him some water to drink.

David sighed deeply and took the water, he was finally able to look up and said "I really don't know what to do Nattie, sorry to barge in on you like this, but I'm worried about Dante. Like I really am. He - he has been struggling with something" He stuttered. "What's that? What's he struggling with." At this point Nattie was shook, she never expected to see David in this state.

"He's turned to drugs and alcohol, Nattie, the alcohol is fine but drugs!!! That's a whole nother level. I feel something is troubling him. I found some stuff on his phone and I feel he is super sensitive about that. Which is new and I guess that's the reason for the sudden change. I think - I think Dante is Gay, Nattie" she didn't know how to feel or even what to say. Dante !!! Gay!!! How is that even possible? The big bad Dante, Gay!!. These thoughts kept running through her head "I can't believe this."