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Aaron was curled up like a homeless person on the floor in the corner sound asleep…or out cold. Samantha walked over and poked him with the tip of her boot, he didn’t flinch. She reached down and took ahold of his ear with her thumb and forefinger and pulled. That elicited a loud groan from him and he tried to pull away from her. “Get up you stupid little asshole!”
    Aaron pulled one eye open a crack and looked at his sister. She could tell he wasn’t even focusing so she pulled on his ear harder. “Ouch! Fuck!”
    “Watch your mouth, and get up!”
    He sat up but she still didn’t let go. “I’m up! Damn, let go of my ear you’re pulling it off.”
    “Get up on your feet. You’re going to blow everything. How did you get so stupid?”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “My dad is coming to pick us up today. Do you think he’s going to want to take a juvenile delinquent that smells like booze and weed…and piss?”
    “I don’t smell like piss!”
    “Get up!” she yelled at him at the top of her lungs. Aaron struggled to his feet and had to put his hand out and grab the wall to steady himself. He sucked in a deep breath and then let out a strangled curse before doubling over. Samantha saw what was coming and stepped back just in time for the green vomit to miss her feet. “Jesus Aaron! Fuck!”
    “Don’t yell at me, I’m sick.”
    Sam smacked him on the back of his head. “No, you’re stupid! Our mother just died of a drug overdose. Your father is in jail awaiting trial for her murder because money for drugs and booze was more important to him than his wife’s life. Is this really what you want, Aaron? Is this really what you want your life to be?”
    Aaron wiped his mouth on the back of his arm and stood up straight. Samantha didn’t know if the tears in his eyes were from vomiting or her words, but they were there. “This has always been my life, Sammy. I don’t fucking know anything else.”
    She took hold of his arm and said, “You’re damned sure going to learn. If it’s the last thing I ever do I’m going to see you turn into a real man. Now clean that shit up so we don’t get shot on our way out of here.”
    Aaron seemed to suddenly remember where they were. He looked around them and said, “Shit! Is Pinky here?”
    “No Aaron, but his tattoo faced friends are and they like playing with their guns. I can’t believe you were stupid enough to get involved with Pinky Ferguson’s crew.”
    Aaron didn’t say anything to that. He just grabbed some shop towels off of one of the shelves and got on his knees. Sam had to turn away while he cleaned up the vomit. She stood there staring at a shelf full of drug paraphernalia and rubbing the cross she had tattooed on her wrist. She wasn’t a religious person. She wasn’t even sure if she believed in God most of the time, but right now she was thanking him for Luke.

CHAPTER 6
     
     
     
     
    Conrad still wasn’t used to the quiet at his father’s house. He’d lived there for a couple of years before he and his best friend Shawn got an apartment together. Conrad had stayed at his father’s house last night. Shawn had some big plans with his girlfriend and wanted to use the apartment so Conrad cleared out. He enjoyed the time he got to spend with his dad, but hated how just being in the house stirred up the pain that still haunted his soul. Sometimes he still wakes up in the middle of the night thinking that he’d heard his mother’s voice. Sometimes he wakes up early in the morning because he thinks he hears her screaming. It makes him sit right up in bed and look around. Once he realizes it’s just a dream then the fresh, raw trauma of reminding himself of everything that’s happened over the past four years comes back into play and he spends the rest of the morning fighting it, and losing.
    He got out of bed and went into the bathroom. After he splashed cold water on his face he looked into the mirror. He used to spend a huge