Chapter Forty-One → Life's going to kick you around then kick you again when you're down

!WARNING! Danger Will Robinson!!

The following chapter will deal with the concept of being 'Roofied' that is, unknowingly slipped a drug commonly known as the 'date rape' drug as well as the repercussions that follow such an act. You have been warned, proceed at your own risk.

Early the morning after the party, Audra was up and out of the house before anyone could take notice. Her siblings were all still in bed or in Andrew's case, on the couch, the boy not being able to make the stairs in his drunken haze. Her parents were busy cleaning up the mess that had been left, Tamara in the kitchen with her back turned toward the front door, Jarvis in to the side of the house putting out the empty bottles.

It was a school day and Audra knew that hung over or not, her parents would be forcing her siblings to go, forcing her to go. But she couldn't, not feeling like she did. She felt sick, dizzy, like she really shouldn't be driving but she did anyway. She drove too fast, like she was trying to out run the pain the confusion. She wouldn't stop, couldn't stop, not until she had too.

As it turned out, her 'had too' ended up being at Stoney Falls, a waterfall just outside of town, that's where she had run out of gas. Audra stood there, her eyes locked on the lake, watching as the occasional fish would become brave and jump from it's watery home, breaking the surface with a splash before falling back into the depths. She remembered hearing stories of her grandfather fishing here, she wished he was there now. She wasn't sure what had happened the night before, it was all a blur, a fog of a memory that whispered in her mind making little sense. But she knew, knew from the pain she felt inside, from the sick feeling that made bile rise in her throat, that something was gone that she'd never get back.

It was too much to bear, the burden of what was taken, what was lost. Audra's knees gave out as she allowed the overwhelming urge to cry take her over, sobs rattling her young frame.

It wasn't until that afternoon, after calling Triple A for tow back into town, that Audra had managed to calm back down slightly. She sat outside the diner reading, keeping her eyes down as she attempted to figure out what to do next. Could she tell her parents? Should she? What could she say when she wasn't even entirely sure what had happened. Audra could have stayed there all afternoon musing on her predicament, had she not been startled by someone saying 'boo'.

"Uncle Keith!" She exclaimed as she jumped up, seeing the husband of one of her father's half sibling.

"Shouldn't you be in class right about now?" He asked.

"Oh! I.. uh..."

"It's okay." The man said with a kind smile. "I'm no rat, your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks." Audra said with a ghost of a smile.

"You okay? You look like you've got a lot on your mind."

"I'm okay." She lied. "Things have just been, heavy, lately."

"I get that." Keith nodded, Audra thinking how he so didn't. "I know, i know, i'm old, what do i know, right?" The man gave a little chuckle. "But i remember what it's like, how sometimes you've just gotta run. Hiding doesn't work and crying doesn't work and fighting doesn't work. Everything's loud and painful and hard, makes you feel like you can't breathe. Like you won't be able to get outta bed tomorrow, and maybe you won't be able too, but ya still gotta try."

Ya still gotta try. "Thanks uncle Keith." Audra said after a moment of looking pensive. "I think i should go home."

"Okay kiddo." He said with a smile as he waved her off.

Audra got home just in time to run to the bathroom and vomit, the sick feeling she'd been fighting all day finally overtaking her. When she was done she found out two things, first, she had missed the lecture that they had all heard for the party, and second, her parents weren't blaming her for any of it because they knew exactly who's idea it was. Which was why as punishment, Andrew and Alaura had their birthday party taken away. When the two complained, Tamara informed them very plainly that they were lucky that they were seeing another birthday because they were that mad at them.

The two quickly shut up and were happy with just the cake that they were allow to have.

Seriously, this is like the 'lets all make a stupid face!' picture

As per usual, no one questioned when Audra ignored the cake, opting to go to bed before anyone else in the house. One day, hopefully, someone would notice her.

Chapter Notes:

Short chapter is short, but it just felt right ending there. Sometimes the story's flow just comes to it's own stop and to force it to keep going feels wrong.... i know, it's the writer in my talking lol. I am in fact attempting to kill the happiness fairy, forget making her lose her wings, girl is gonna die from this legacy alone i think lol.

Alaura and Andrew are now officially young adults, Alaura's last trait is Savvy Sculptor and Andrew's is Flirty. Once they moved out, together i might add, Andrew became the town Gigolo, which i find extremely funny. Alaura married Lindsay once she aged up the next day, they immediately started a family, their first child is a baby boy named Deric.