Disclaimer: I own Jason, Nikki, Maggie, and I made up the Rehabilitation Center .
Summary: Even in a dark world of crazy parties, alcohol, and waking up in unknown places … there's someone at the end waiting to help you back to reality. Literati. AU.
A/N: Okay, here I go again, creating a new idea before many of my other ones are finished. I do plan on finishing every one of my stories … I just need a little inspiration to get me back on track with them.
I have been working on this for months. Short, I know, but it took me a long time to figure out what I wanted out of this story. Hope you like the outcome.
Thank you to my BETA, CharliLee
Everything was a blur at this point. He knew he was at the bar he spent his Saturday nights at. He knew he was with his friends and a few girls that he had never met. He also knew that there was a blonde girl sitting on his knee. Jess picked up the glass of whatever was in front of him and took a large gulp. It burned going down his throat. That was a sensation that he had become accustomed to.
He looked up at the entrance and saw his brother walk in with his friend. When his brother got a good look at who was here, he came over and glared. "What the hell, Jess? I thought you had to work. You said that was the reason you didn't come to our cousin's 16th birthday party earlier today. Have you been here all day? Wait, don't answer that. Come on, I'm taking you home."
"One more drink and I promise I won't have anymore." Jess said to his brother with a smirk on his face. His speech was a little slurred, but not so much. Tonight he took the drinking lightly. It was only his fifteenth or sixteenth beer. Honestly, he lost count after his tenth.
"Damn, Jess. Enough is enough. Let's get you out of here." Jason, Jess's brother, grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the bar. Once they got out into the streets Jason let him go and he stumbled a bit into the wall, "Will you ever grow up? You're twenty-six years old, Jess. It's time to stop partying like a college kid on spring break."
"Says the man who has it so easy, right Jason?" Jess shook his head and walked down the sidewalk to keep up with his older brother, wobbling slightly, "You didn't get your life together until you were twenty-five. I'm just taking a bit longer. You've been sober for three years. Big deal."
"It is a big deal, Jess. I've seen that there is more to the world than partying. It's all you've done since dad died. Do you even miss him?" Jason asked turning and looking straight into the eyes of his younger brother.
Jess just stared at him with no emotion in his eyes and walked into the bar they were passing. Jason shook his head and walked on. Jess was hopeless, he shouldn't even try anymore.
Jess woke up with a pain shooting from the end of his eyebrow to his jaw. He held his head to steady it, keeping his eyes closed shut. He knew once he opened them that he would see a spinning room and two of everything. After about five minutes, he slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room, trying to remember what happened last night.
He caught sight of a brunette girl scurrying around the room frantically trying to shove anything and everything into two bags that were sitting on a coffee table. He stood up and walked over to her, "Morning Nikki." Jess smirks and watches as she sends him a death glare. He ignores it, "What are you doing here?"
"Well, our brother found you passed out in an alleyway with a bloody lip and a black eye. He was too fed up to deal with you so I got to bring you home. Lucky me, right?" she said the last part with a little bit of sarcasm. Out of Jason, Jess, and Nikki, Nikki was the oldest at thirty-one. Jason was twenty-eight, and Jess was twenty-six.
"I'm sensing sarcasm, but I am going to ignore it." He laughed a little and looked at the bags she had sitting on the table, "What the hell is all of this for?"
"We're going on a little trip. Put some pants on and meet me downstairs in five minutes." She grabbed his bags and walked out of his apartment.
Once Jess was in the taxi with his sister she started in on him and how irresponsible his choices in life were. Like always, he ignored half of it, but some of her insults cut him a little too deep.
They pulled up to a stone building and the sign said 'St. Daniel's Rehabilitation Center.' Jess turned to his sister with wide eyes, "You're sending me to rehab?" He shook his head and opened the door before she could answer him.
"Jess this could be good for you." She said, getting out and following him to get his bags out of the trunk, "You need to stop this drinking and taking the pain killers in your cabinet that were prescribed to Jason … there were three empty bottles, Jess. Jason said he only had two of them."
"I'm a big boy, Nikki, stop trying to take care of me," he snapped and slammed the trunk door closed. "How long do I have in this hell hole?"
"Thirty days." She sighed and kissed his cheek, "Just try, Jess." She got into the taxi and rode off; leaving him by himself with all of these … people he didn't know.
Shit. Hethought looking around at the place. He walked in the double doors and went up to the counter where a plump lady stood. She turned to him with a warm smile, "Hi. I'm Maggie."
"Yeah. Hey. I'm Jess Mariano, checking in."
She looked down in her book and grabbed a key off the stand beside her computer, "Follow me." She walked up the steps with him following her close behind, "I'll show you to your room and then you must get ready for tonight's meeting." She opened the door and walked in, "This is your room; you are responsible for keeping it clean."
Jess nodded, listening to her and looking around at the prison-like room. He sat down his bags on the bed and looked at her, expectantly.
"No sexual relationships with other people in the establishment. But then again, I guess if you did I would never find out." She looked at him with her big brown eyes, "No cell phones, either."
Jess sighed and took his phone out of his pocket. He tossed it to her after turning it off. "I better get that back when I leave."
"You will hot shot. I guess that is all. Oh, wait, tomorrow you meet with your counselor. Nine A.M. sharp. Do not be late." She walked over to his bags and dumped them out. She took out a pill bottle, a flask, and sharp objects. Then she smiled and left the room.
Jess sighed and walked over to the window. He looked out and saw a woman with dark hair that fell just above her shoulders and bangs that swooped to the right side. She was petite and very pretty. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
He walked out into the hall and looked around at the different people. When he went down the stairs he saw people sitting in a circle talking about their previous addictions. Then he turned the corner and saw the same girl he had seen earlier. Jess smiled at her, "Hi."
She turned and he met the bluest eyes he had ever seen, "Hi, are you new here?"
"Sure am. What about you? How long have you been here?" He asked with a small; mischievous smile playing on his lips.
She returned the smile. "Oh … a while." She looked him up and down once and turned to walk away from him.
Jess raised his eyebrows, "Hey, I didn't get your name!" He called after her retreating back.
The girl didn't answer him, instead she kept walking away not even looking back.
Man, I need a drink. He thought after she was out of sight.
A/N: Different? I know. But it's AU so it's supposed to be different. I bet you can't figure out who the girl is … Review, please.