Pain And Euphoria
ELYSIAN DAWN
Chapter Six
Tessa struggled to open her eyes, a throbbing headache pulsing through her temples.
"Ow..." she groaned, finally managing to sit up. "My head," she mumbled, cradling it in her hands.
As her surroundings came into focus, panic washed over her. She was in her own room. The last thing she remembered was dancing with Hilary at the club the night before.
"How did I get home?" she whispered, glancing at her phone — 11:15 AM. "What!?" She leaped from the bed and hurried to the bathroom. "Thank God it's Saturday."
Minutes later, she descended the stairs and found Tyler engrossed in a video game in the living room. Rolling her eyes, she headed straight for the fridge and pulled out a bottle of yogurt.
"Hey, you're finally up," Tyler said, not taking his eyes off the screen.
"Why aren't you at Café Joy?" Tessa asked, twisting the cap off the yogurt.
"Mom didn't open today," he replied casually. Tessa choked on her yogurt, coughing as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"What!? Mom didn't open?" Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yeah... and it's because of you," Tyler said, pausing his game and turning to face her.
"How is that my fault?" Tessa demanded, bewildered.
"Because you came home last night... some guy who claimed to be your bodyguard brought you back — completely wasted," Tyler explained.
Tessa's heart raced. The guy who claimed to be her bodyguard? It had to be Mooney.
"He said you threw up on his shoes... are you even my sister?" Tyler added incredulously.
"Are you even my brother!?" Tessa shot back, anger flaring. "Do I really need to remind you every day that we're not talking to each other?"
Just then, Joyce entered with a bag of groceries. Her eyes locked onto Tessa's uneasy gaze, and her expression hardened as she approached.
"Mom..." Tessa started, but was silenced by a sharp slap across her cheek.
"Mom!" Tyler exclaimed, shocked.
Tessa held her cheek in disbelief, looking at her mother.
"Is this the life you want? Clubbing, getting wasted, throwing up, and having a random guy bring you home? Is that it? Answer me! Is this the life you want!?" Joyce demanded.
"You're grounded for the rest of the month! Your new routine is school, home, and studying — every single day," Joyce declared before storming upstairs.
"Shit!" Tessa muttered as she followed her mother upstairs to her room.
Tyler sighed and sank into the couch, deep in thought. "Why did Tessa even go to a club? What's going on with her?" he wondered aloud.
In her room, Tessa sat on the edge of her bed, tears welling in her eyes. She touched her cheek and began to sob—not just because of the slap, but because she felt like her mother hated her.
Just then, her phone buzzed with a text from Hilary:
*Hey... I'm sorry I don't think we can go to the arcade again today. Sadly, I'm currently grounded for the rest of the month 😭😭😭*
Tessa chuckled through her tears and typed back:
*Me too 😭😭😭.*
A moment later, Hilary replied:
*I'm sorry I caused this.*
Sighing, Tessa typed:
*No... you didn't; don't blame yourself for this.*
*I'm home alone with Khalil and bored... Mom went to meet a client and Dad traveled to LA... how about I sneak over to your house?* Hilary texted back.
Tessa smiled and quickly responded:
*Sure... it's Maverick Street after DukesTown Park... first building with a big gate and an old-fashioned style.* She sent the message and received a thumbs-up from Hilary.
THE MCCOYS MANSION
(Hardins' family)
Hardin lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling with his hand resting on his left cheek. The memory of Tessa slapping him in front of their entire grade 12 class replayed in his mind, leaving him feeling humiliated and ashamed. As the second most feared person in school after Mooney Thomas, he couldn't shake off the embarrassment.
"So this is what humiliation feels like?" Hardin muttered to himself, a bitter scoff escaping his lips. "The human side of me says to let Tessa off the hook, but the monster within craves retaliation. I don't care about the consequences; I'm embracing my darker nature." A sly, triumphant smirk crept across his face.
Just then, a knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Who is it?" he barked, irritation lacing his voice.
"Sir, the chairman wishes to see you," a female voice called from outside.
Hardin rolled his eyes. "Tell him I'm not coming." He turned away, hoping for silence.
"He insists you must not refuse," the woman replied firmly.
"Leave me the f**k alone and relay my message!" Hardin snapped, exhaling in relief when he heard her footsteps retreat.
But moments later, two burly men entered his room with purpose.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Hardin shot back, annoyance flaring.
"Your father sent us to escort you," one of the men stated. "You must come with us immediately."
Hardin scoffed incredulously. "I can't believe my father sent bodyguards to fetch me. I don't understand that man anymore." He reluctantly climbed off the bed, shooting a scowl at the men. "Fine, I'm coming. Just get lost."
"We were instructed to bring you with us," the other bodyguard reiterated.
With a dismissive shake of his head, Hardin strode out of the room, the two men following closely behind.
When he reached his father's study, he found Harvey McCoy staring out the window, hands tucked into his trouser pockets.
One of the bodyguards approached Harvey. "Sir, he's here."
"You may leave us," Harvey commanded in a low tone. The bodyguards bowed slightly and exited.
Turning to face his son, Harvey's stern expression was unmistakable. He was a tall, striking man in his early fifties.
"Why didn't you come when I called?" he asked, opening a bottle of vodka from the desk.
"Because I didn't want to," Hardin replied nonchalantly.
Harvey scoffed. "Get ready; you're going golfing with me and a friend today."
Hardin turned to leave. "I'm not going."
In response, Harvey hurled the vodka bottle at him, shattering it against the wall. A shard flew and cut Hardin's cheek.
Harvey approached him, a sly smirk playing on his lips. "You know what happens when you disobey me?"
A mix of anger and fear washed over Hardin as he felt his father's grip tighten around him. Harvey dragged him toward the swimming pool, just as he had done to Tessa that day.
Upon reaching the pool, Harvey shoved Hardin to the ground and squatted beside him.
"Let me remind you before I punish your defiance... you will go golfing with me," he said menacingly.
"I'm not going," Hardin retorted defiantly.
In a swift motion, Harvey seized Hardin by the neck and forced his head underwater, holding it down as bubbles rose to the surface.
Hardin struggled for breath, panic clawing at him, but Harvey remained indifferent—this was how he enforced obedience.
After what felt like an eternity, Harvey finally pulled Hardin's head from the water. Gasping and coughing, Hardin collapsed onto the floor as his father released him.
"Are you even my father?" Hardin choked out between breaths.
"Of course I am, I birthed you. That's why you must obey me," Harvey replied coolly, patting Hardin's head before standing up and heading for the door. "Since you refuse to go golfing with me, you can stay in your room all day. If you try to sneak out, trust me—I have ways of finding out."
With that, Harvey exited, slamming the door behind him.
Hardin stood up slowly, anger bubbling within him. "That monster!" he seethed through clenched teeth.
Hardin stormed into his room, tears brimming in his eyes. The wound on his face bled, but the physical pain paled in comparison to the emotional torment inflicted by his father day after day. A bully by nature, his father had shaped Hardin into a notorious figure himself.
Frantically, he rifled through his drawers, searching for something that seemed precious to him.
"Where the f**kl is it?" he snapped, frustration mounting as he opened another drawer. A sigh of relief escaped him when he found a small container filled with drugs. Next to it lay an object resembling a pen.
He retrieved both items and made his way to his desk. With a swift motion, he swept all the books off the surface and opened the container, pouring out two pills of molly. Using the pen-like object, he crushed the pills into a fine powder. Leaning in, he inhaled the substance deeply.
As the euphoria washed over him, Hardin sank back into his chair, a broad yet pained smile spreading across his face. The world around him began to spin.
"This is euphoria!" he exclaimed, shutting his eyes and retreating into a reality of his own making.
---
Meanwhile, Hilary stood before the imposing gates of the Lockwood manor, glancing at the address Tessa had sent her earlier.
"Big-ass gate, ancient architecture. This must be the place," she murmured, ringing the bell multiple times with no response.
"Why isn't anyone answering? I'm certain this is it..." she mumbled as she dialed Tessa's number.
After what felt like an eternity, Tessa finally picked up. "Hey..." her voice came through, breathless and weak.
"Are you okay?" Hilary asked, concern lacing her tone.
"Come in... it's not locked... my room is the second one on the right..." Tessa managed to say before hanging up.
Hilary's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh my God!" she gasped, pushing open the gate and rushing inside. She quickly located the stairs and ascended.
"Second room on the right," she repeated breathlessly. As she approached a door marked with a "DANGER! KEEP OUT" sign, she hurried inside but found no sign of Tessa. Instead, an empty pill container lay on the floor beside an open bathroom door.
Ignoring the container, she dashed into the bathroom to find Tessa hunched over the toilet, coughing and vomiting blood.
"Tessa!" Hilary cried, shock flooding her features.
Wheezing, Tessa looked up at her. "Take me... take me to the..." she gasped, coughing violently again. "... take me to the hospital."
Sobbing, Hilary nodded and gently wiped Tessa's mouth with a tissue before helping her to her feet. Together, they staggered out of the house and made their way toward the hospital.
To be continued...
Elysian Dawn.