chapter fifteen:
❛ tommy ❜

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the reason i always say "please don't be a ghost reader" this isnt just because i want votes, i mean i do, but ive been writing on this app for 3 almost 4 years and it helps me stay motivated because that means people are reading my stuff. and unlike other people, they have so many views on their books and i know my writing isnt the best but i love to write and it just helps me stay motivated. and i know i unpublish and republish my chapters and i get thats really annoying

tw: mentions of violence and drug addiction

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alessia stood in front of her bedroom mirror, carefully applying the finishing touches to her makeup. her heart was pounding in anticipation, but not just because it was prom night-she could hear her best friends, demetri and eli, talking loudly in the living room. the excitement of the evening, combined with the chaos of her family, was starting to feel like a pressure cooker.

her hands shook slightly as she applied a light coat of lipstick, adjusting her hair one last time. she smoothed out the elegant dark green dress she had chosen for the night, its flowy material brushing softly against her legs. it wasn't just any dress-this was the dress she had dreamt of wearing since the start of senior year. she smiled at her reflection, feeling a rare sense of confidence, even as her nerves simmered just beneath the surface.

"alessia, you almost ready?" her sister's voice echoed from downstairs.

"almost!" alessia called back, taking a deep breath. "just... making sure i don't trip over my own feet," she muttered under her breath.

meanwhile, downstairs, demetri and eli were seated on the couch, anxiously waiting for alessia to finish getting ready. demetri, ever the fidgety one, was bouncing his leg nervously, while eli leaned back, arms crossed, trying to look calm-but not entirely succeeding.

"so, you boys are taking my sister to prom, huh?" alessia's sister's husband, matt, asked as he wandered into the living room. his tone was friendly, but there was an unmistakable edge to it.

demetri immediately straightened up, as if he were caught in some sort of interrogation, while eli, who had grown used to this kind of situation thanks to his tough guy persona, simply raised an eyebrow.

"uh, yeah. we're all going together," demetri said, offering a nervous smile. "just as friends, though. you know, best friends."

matt gave him a skeptical look before shifting his gaze to eli, sizing him up. "you seem like the type of guy who's gotten into a fight or two." he tilted his head. "you're not gonna cause any trouble, right?"

eli stiffened, the mention of fighting striking a nerve. the last thing he needed tonight was a reminder of who he used to be. "no trouble," eli replied, his voice firm but casual. "those days are behind me."

matt's eyes flickered between them before he nodded slowly, seemingly satisfied for now. "good. i know how important this night is to alessia."

as if on cue, matt's kids, ava and lucas, bounded into the living room, drawn by the sight of their uncle questioning the two boys.

"are you guys her boyfriends?" asked ava, her eyes wide with curiosity as she clutched her stuffed animal tightly to her chest.

eli and demetri exchanged a look, both startled by the sudden question.

"no, no," demetri stammered, holding up his hands as if surrendering. "we're just her friends. best friends."

ava didn't seem convinced. "so, are you fighting over who gets to dance with her?" she pressed, her little brow furrowing in confusion. lucas, standing beside her, just looked at eli with wide, curious eyes, clearly fascinated by the mohawk that eli no longer sported.

"there's no fighting," eli said with a small chuckle. "we just want alessia to have fun. that's what tonight is about."

"yeah, we're like her protectors," demetri added, smiling at the kids. "no one's messing with her on our watch."

"protectors?" lucas asked, tilting his head like he was picturing them as superheroes. "like spider-man?"

eli chuckled softly, the comparison lightening the tension in the room. "kind of. except without the web-slinging."

just then, the sound of footsteps on the stairs pulled everyone's attention. alessia descended slowly, her dress flowing elegantly with each step, her hair styled perfectly. she felt like she was walking in slow motion, her heart racing not from nerves, but from the way her best friends were looking at her-wide-eyed and speechless.

"oh my god, alessia," demetri breathed out, standing up from the couch. "you look... incredible."

"seriously," eli added, his usually tough demeanor softened by genuine admiration. "you're gonna blow everyone away."

alessia blushed, a warm smile spreading across her face as she took the final step down. "you guys clean up pretty nice yourselves," she teased, her eyes flicking between them, thankful for their friendship in that moment.

matt watched the interaction, nodding approvingly now. "you better make sure she has a good time tonight," he said, but his tone had softened. he could see how much these boys cared about alessia, even if they had different ways of showing it.

"don't worry, she's in good hands," demetri assured him, giving alessia a wink.

alessia, feeling a mixture of gratitude and amusement, knelt down to give ava and lucas a quick hug. "i'll see you guys later, okay? be good for mom and dad."

ava grinned up at her. "you look like a princess!" she declared, making alessia's heart melt.

"thanks, kiddo," alessia said, ruffling lucas's hair before standing back up. she looked at demetri and eli, giving them a grateful smile. "ready to head out?"

eli nodded, his usual confidence returning. "let's do this."

as they made their way to the door, alessia's heart swelled with a mix of excitement and affection. no matter what happened tonight, she knew she had the best friends by her side-and that made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

the prom venue was alive with energy. the room was bathed in colorful lights that danced off the walls, the music vibrating through the floor as couples swayed and laughed, the atmosphere electric with excitement. everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives-everyone except alessia, eli, and demetri. they stood off to the side near the snack table, removed from the crowd, just observing. it should've been a night full of joy, but the three best friends were anything but.

alessia noticed eli's frown almost immediately. he wasn't even trying to hide it, his eyes fixed on the dance floor. she followed his gaze and saw what had him so distracted-moon, spinning gracefully with her date, her hair catching the light like some kind of dream. alessia could see the sadness in eli's expression, the longing that never really went away. she nudged him gently with her elbow, trying to pull him out of his thoughts.

"eli..." she started softly, hoping to comfort him somehow.

he looked at her, the frown deepening. "i miss her, alessia," he admitted, his voice heavy with emotion. "but... my feelings for someone else are starting to come back."

alessia's brow furrowed in confusion. "for who?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

before eli could say anything, demetri, sensing the tension, jumped in to save his friend from the awkwardness. "ugh, this sucks. prom without a date is like halloween without candy. what's the point?" demetri complained dramatically, waving his hands in the air.

alessia rolled her eyes, laughing at his exaggeration. "you're just bitter because yasmine isn't here."

demetri scoffed and glared at her. "what about you? you bitter that robby's not here?"

the mention of robby immediately darkened alessia's mood. her expression tightened, her eyes narrowing as she looked at demetri. "don't bring up that dimwit," she grumbled. the bitterness in her voice was unmistakable; she still hadn't forgiven robby for shaving eli's hair off when they were at their worst with cobra kai.

eli sighed, clearly trying to steer the conversation away from anything that might make things worse. "well, at least we're not the only ones stuck in a boring night. i heard logan wang's after-party got canceled 'cause his little brother got into a middle school fight."

alessia's face lit up with amusement. "that was anthony and his friends! and some kid named kenny," she explained, earning confused looks from both eli and demetri. "sam told me."

"is this supposed to make us feel better? like, that everyone's night is ruined?" alessia asked, looking directly at eli, who shrugged in response.

"yeah, it's the definition of misery loves company," demetri added, earning an exasperated look from alessia.

before anyone could say anything more, a familiar voice rang through the air. "demetri!"

alessia's eyes widened as she saw yasmine strutting toward them, looking every bit like a glamorous movie star. her red dress hugged her figure perfectly, and she practically glowed under the lights. demetri's jaw dropped.

"oh my god, jessica rabbit! what are you doing here?" demetri asked, eyes wide in shock as yasmine approached him.

she grinned, grabbing demetri's hands. "surprise!" she laughed before pulling him into a tight hug.

alessia couldn't help but gag as the two of them started whispering sweet nothings to each other, their attention completely focused on one another. soon enough, they were kissing and running off to the dance floor together, leaving alessia alone with eli.

finally. she took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. this was her chance.

"eli, we should talk," she said, her voice soft but serious.

eli turned to her, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "yeah, what is it?"

alessia opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get the words out, her heart stopped.

robby keene, arm in arm with tory, had just walked into the prom. they looked... comfortable together. too comfortable. tory's hand rested on robby's arm as they smiled and chatted, completely oblivious to the fact that their mere presence was ripping alessia's heart to shreds.

"alessia?" eli's voice was distant, like it was coming from underwater. she couldn't focus. her chest tightened, her heart pounding in her ears as she watched them walk in, happy and together.

eli followed her gaze and frowned. "no way keene showed up here with tory. how did he even get in? is this to mess with you?" eli asked, his voice full of disbelief.

but when he turned to look at alessia again, she was gone.

alessia ran down the hallway as fast as her feet would carry her, her breath coming in shallow gasps. she didn't care where she was going-she just needed to get away. her heels clicked loudly against the tile floors until she found herself in the bathroom. she slammed the door shut behind her, locking it quickly. leaning against the door, she let out a shaky breath, her vision blurring with unshed tears.

why was robby here? why did he bring tory? after everything that had happened between them, this felt like a cruel joke.

she tried to hold it together, but the tears were already streaming down her face. the pain she'd been pushing down for weeks bubbled to the surface, and she slid down to the floor, hugging her knees to her chest as sobs wracked her body. everything hurt.

outside, sam had been dancing with miguel when she spotted alessia running out of the venue. immediately concerned, she excused herself and followed after her friend. she knocked gently on the bathroom door when she found it locked.

"alessia? are you in there?" sam's voice came through the door, soft but worried.

alessia sniffled, trying to steady her breathing. "yeah, i'm here," she managed to say, her voice thick with tears.

"can i come in?" sam asked gently, her tone full of concern.

alessia hesitated for a moment before unlocking the door and letting sam inside. the second sam saw her, she rushed over and pulled alessia into a hug. alessia broke down all over again, the weight of everything too much to hold in any longer.

"what happened?" sam asked, pulling back just enough to look alessia in the eyes.

alessia wiped at her face with the back of her hand, her voice trembling as she spoke. "robbie... he's here... with tory," she said, the words burning her throat.

sam's eyes widened in shock. "he came with tory? are you serious?"

alessia nodded, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks. "i don't understand why he'd do this. is he trying to hurt me?"

sam wrapped her arms around alessia again, rubbing her back soothingly. "i'm so sorry, alessia. you don't deserve this. he's being a jerk."

alessia sobbed into sam's shoulder, the pain too raw to process. "it's like... i thought i was finally moving on, but seeing him with her-it hurts, sam. it hurts so much."

sam held her tighter, whispering words of comfort, but alessia could barely hear them over the sound of her own heart breaking.

the night at stingray's house buzzed with the chaotic energy of a high school after-party. laughter echoed in the backyard, the smell of alcohol and smoke heavy in the air. people mingled, some sprawled across the lawn or gathered around beer pong tables, while others danced inside to the thumping music. for many, it was just another night of reckless fun, but for alessia, it was something much darker.

she had been quiet ever since leaving the bathroom at prom, her emotions buried deep inside her. she tried to push through, but seeing robby with tory had shattered something in her. now, standing at this party, the weight of the night settled heavily on her chest. her heart ached, her mind racing with thoughts she didn't want to have. she just wanted to forget, to numb herself to the pain. she couldn't stand the crushing feelings any longer.

her fingers fidgeted restlessly, her eyes darting around as if searching for something-anything to make the pain go away. that's when she spotted jeremy, hanging out by the pool with his group of friends. he was known for always having something on him-weed, booze, pills-whatever anyone needed to take the edge off. she didn't think twice. she had to do something.

alessia walked up to him, her heart pounding as she tapped his shoulder. when he turned around, she was hit with the strong, unmistakable scent of weed clinging to his clothes.

"hey, you got the... goods?" alessia asked, her voice steady but her heart racing.

jeremy smirked at her, his bloodshot eyes sizing her up. "sorry, chavez. i'm out on weed." he shrugged casually. "but my boy tom's got some... you know," he added with a knowing smirk, leaning in closer, "the hard stuff."

alessia's heart skipped a beat. she knew exactly what he meant. coke. something she hadn't even thought about touching in a long time, not since she swore she'd never go down that road again. but tonight... tonight was different. tonight, she needed something stronger to dull the ache. she bit her lip, hesitating for just a moment before nodding.

"uh, yeah. sure," she said, her voice quiet but determined.

jeremy grinned, satisfied with her answer, and gestured toward the back of the house. "he's around the side. go see him."

as alessia turned to walk away, her hands trembling slightly, she didn't notice robby watching her from across the yard. he had been keeping his distance all night, trying not to draw attention to the fact that he couldn't stop looking at her. guilt twisted in his stomach every time their eyes almost met. he thought he'd made peace with the idea of being with tory tonight, but seeing alessia's face-the pain he caused her-made him question everything.

when he saw her approach jeremy, his worry deepened. his gut told him something was wrong, and when he saw jeremy gesture toward the side of the house, robby's heart sank. he knew jeremy's reputation. it wasn't just weed.

oh, god, no. is she about to...?

panic flared in robby's chest, and he started moving before he even knew what he was going to say or do. jogging over to jeremy, robby felt his stomach churn.

"hey, man. where is she going?" robby asked, his voice low but urgent.

jeremy raised an eyebrow at him, his friends laughing at the question. "you her boyfriend or somethin'?" jeremy asked, grinning as his friends snickered along.

robby glared at him. "or something, yeah."

jeremy shrugged, clearly amused by the whole situation. "she's going to find tommy. i think you know what he deals with," he said, a smug grin spreading across his face.

robby's eyes widened at the name. tommy. coke. this wasn't just some casual party drug-this was serious. too serious for someone like alessia, especially after everything she'd been through.

without another word, robby turned and pushed his way through the crowded party, his heart pounding as he searched for alessia. he couldn't let her do this. not again. not because of him.

alessia rounded the corner of the house, her hands still trembling as she neared the dark, secluded area where jeremy had said tommy would be. her mind raced. part of her was screaming at herself to stop, to turn back, but the louder part-the part drowning in heartbreak and anger-kept pushing her forward.

she just wanted the pain to stop.

just as she was about to step into the shadows, she heard footsteps behind her.

"alessia!" robby's voice cut through the chaos of the party, startling her.

alessia froze, her heart leaping into her throat. she didn't turn around immediately, hoping that if she ignored him, he'd go away. but robby wasn't giving up that easily.

alessia's body stiffened at the sound of robby's voice. she clenched her fists at her sides, trying to steady her breathing. of all people, why him? why now? she couldn't deal with robby's concerned looks or pity right now, not when her heart was still raw from seeing him with tory.

"alessia!" robby called again, his footsteps quickening as he closed the distance between them.

she took a deep breath, her back still to him. "go away, robby," alessia muttered, her voice wavering, though she tried to keep it steady. she didn't want him to hear the hurt. she couldn't let him see how much he'd broken her.

"alessia, please," robby's voice softened as he reached her side, and alessia felt his presence looming close, his concern radiating like an unwanted warmth. "what are you doing? you can't-"

"i said go away!" alessia snapped, spinning around to face him. her voice wasn't loud, but it carried all the sharp edges of her pain, cutting through the air between them. her eyes flashed with anger, but underneath, there was something else-something fragile and vulnerable.

robbys expression faltered, his concern shifting into a kind of desperate frustration. "you don't need to do this," he said, his voice low, pleading. "i know you're hurting, but this isn't the answer."

alessia laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "you don't know anything, robby. you think just because you show up, you can fix everything?" she scoffed, her eyes narrowing as she looked up at him. "you don't get to swoop in and act like you care now. not after walking in with her."

robbys face tightened at the mention of tory. "it's not like that. it's more complicated than you think-"

"i don't care!" alessia cut him off, her voice cracking. she took a step back, putting distance between them as if that could help her guard her heart. "i don't care who you're with, robby. i don't care about you anymore."

her words stung, even as she said them. the lie tasted bitter on her tongue, but it was the only shield she had left. she couldn't let him know how deeply it hurt, how much she still cared.

"alessia, you don't mean that," robby said, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes searching hers for some sign that she was lying.

"yes, i do," alessia whispered back, but this time, her voice faltered, betraying her. she turned away, wiping at her eyes quickly. "just... leave me alone, robby. go back to your girlfriend. she's probably wondering where you are."

robbys jaw clenched. "alessia, please-"

"just go," she said, her voice barely audible now, thick with unshed tears. "before you make this worse."

robbys heart sank as he watched her, standing there in the shadows, her shoulders tense, her face turned away from him. he wanted to reach out, to stop her from spiraling, but he knew he couldn't force her to listen. he couldn't fix what was already broken between them.

after a long, agonizing pause, robby let out a shaky breath, stepping back. "i'm sorry," he whispered, his voice heavy with regret, but it wasn't enough to reach her. she was too far gone, and he knew it.

as robby turned and walked away, alessia's shoulders sagged, the weight of the night pressing down on her. she closed her eyes, a single tear slipping down her cheek as the reality of her situation set in. she was alone.

completely, painfully alone.

without another word, alessia turned back toward the house, the hollow ache in her chest only growing worse. she wiped her eyes again, trying to push the emotions down, trying to forget what just happened.

she needed to feel numb.

alessia stumbled out of the house, her heart pounding in her chest as she searched the crowd for tom, the guy jeremy had mentioned. the cool night air hit her like a slap, but it wasn't enough to clear her head. her fingers twitched anxiously at her sides, the temptation to numb the pain growing stronger with every step. she just needed a way to forget. she needed something to make the ache in her chest stop.

she spotted him by the pool, leaning against the fence, smoking a cigarette. her stomach twisted as she approached, the stench of smoke mixing with the distant scent of chlorine. but as she got closer, her heart dropped into her stomach.

it wasn't just any guy.

it was him.

tommy.

her ex. the one who got her hooked. the one who ruined her life. the one who set her down the path that ended with her in juvie, broken and addicted. her breath caught in her throat, and she froze.

tommy looked up, his eyes widening in recognition, and a slow, mocking smirk spread across his face. "well, well, well," he drawled, flicking the cigarette away and stepping forward. "haven't seen you in a while, alessia."

his voice, that voice, sent a wave of nausea rolling through her. her vision blurred with anger and hatred. she couldn't believe this was happening. how was he here? out of all the people to stumble upon tonight, it had to be him.

"you-" she started, her voice shaking with fury, but the words got stuck in her throat. her hands balled into fists, and she took a shaky step forward. "you ruined my life," she seethed, her voice rising, barely able to contain the rage building inside her.

tommy just laughed, shaking his head like this was some kind of joke. "oh, come on, alessia. don't be dramatic," he sneered, leaning in closer. "you made your own choices. i just gave you a little push. besides, look at you now. you're doing fine, aren't you?"

something inside alessia snapped. before she knew what she was doing, she lunged at him, fists swinging wildly. her knuckles collided with his jaw, and for a moment, she felt the satisfaction of the hit, but it didn't last. tommy, stronger and bigger, grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her back hard.

alessia stumbled, but she didn't care. the anger and the pain were too much to control. she swung again, trying to fight through the tears burning her eyes. "you piece of shit!" she screamed, going at him with everything she had. "you ruined everything!"

tommy grunted as she landed another blow, but he caught her wrist and twisted it, forcing her arm behind her back. he slammed her against the fence, pinning her in place. "you think you can just walk back into my life and pull this shit?" he spat, his breath hot against her ear.

alessia struggled against him, panic setting in as his grip tightened. she couldn't breathe. she couldn't move. flashes of her darkest moments flooded her mind-the drugs, the pain, the loss of control.

and then, out of nowhere, robby's voice cut through the chaos.

"hey! get off her!"

in an instant, robby was there, yanking tommy off of her and shoving him hard. tommy stumbled back, losing his balance, and before he could recover, robby shoved him again, this time straight into the pool. tommy went crashing into the water with a loud splash, cursing as he surfaced.

robbys breathing was heavy, his eyes wild with panic as he turned to alessia. "are you okay?" he asked, stepping toward her, but alessia jerked away, her entire body shaking.

"get away from me, robby!" alessia screamed, tears streaming down her face. she shoved him hard, her chest heaving with sobs. "just-just leave me alone!"

robbys face fell, his eyes searching hers with a mixture of concern and heartbreak. "alessia, you were about to relapse," he said softly, his voice trembling. "i was just trying to help you."

"i don't need your help!" alessia shouted, shoving him again, harder this time. she could barely see through the tears, her vision blurred and her heart shattered. "you-" she choked on her words, the weight of everything crashing down on her all at once. "you don't get it, robby. you don't know what it's like."

robbys face twisted in pain, but he didn't argue. he just stood there, watching helplessly as alessia crumbled in front of him.

"please, alessia," he whispered, reaching for her again, but alessia recoiled, her sobs coming in ragged gasps now.

"just go!" she screamed, her voice breaking. she couldn't take it anymore. she couldn't handle him standing there, pretending to care when everything was already broken beyond repair.

and before robby could say another word, alessia turned and ran, her footsteps echoing in the night as she disappeared into the darkness.

alessia stumbled into the house, her entire body trembling as she quietly closed the door behind her. the faint sound of the television drifted from the living room, and she could hear luciana and matt talking softly to each other. she wiped at her tear-streaked face, trying to compose herself before stepping any further inside.

but she couldn't.

the weight of what almost happened was crushing her chest, suffocating her. her hands wouldn't stop shaking, and her mind was spiraling, replaying the events from the party over and over again. seeing tommy. the fight. robby. the almost relapse. everything was a blur of chaos and regret.

as she made her way to the living room, luciana looked up from the couch, immediately noticing something was wrong. she stood quickly, her brow furrowing in concern. "alessia?" she asked, stepping toward her. "what happened? what's wrong?"

matt was right behind her, his face etched with worry as well, but it was luciana's voice, the gentle way she asked, that broke something in alessia. she couldn't hold it in any longer. everything came crashing down all at once, and she collapsed into sobs.

"i almost-" alessia choked, covering her face with her hands. "i almost relapsed."

luciana's eyes widened, and she gasped, her own tears welling up instantly. she rushed forward, wrapping her arms tightly around alessia, pulling her into her chest. "oh my god," she whispered, her voice breaking. "alessia..."

alessia sobbed harder, clinging to her sister like a lifeline. "i saw him, luci. tommy-he was there. and i-I almost-" she couldn't even finish the sentence, her breath coming in ragged, broken gasps as the reality of what almost happened tore through her.

luciana held her tighter, her own tears falling freely now. "no, no, no," she whispered, rocking alessia gently. "it's okay. you didn't. you didn't relapse. you're here. you're home. it's okay, alessia."

but alessia shook her head, burying her face in her sister's shoulder. "it's not okay," she sobbed. "i was so close. i don't know what's wrong with me. i can't stop messing up. i-I don't even know who i am anymore."

luciana's heart broke hearing her little sister in so much pain. she could feel alessia's entire body trembling against her, the fear and guilt pouring out of her in waves. "alessia, listen to me," luciana said, her voice thick with emotion. she pulled back just enough to look alessia in the eyes, cupping her face with both hands. "you are not a failure. you are not broken. you've been through so much, and you're still here, still fighting. that's what matters."

alessia's sobs quieted a little, though the tears still fell steadily down her cheeks. she searched luciana's face, her chest aching with the need to believe her, but the shame felt too heavy.

"but i keep messing up, luci," she whispered. "what if next time i-what if i do it? what if i relapse?"

luciana shook her head, her tears falling harder. "no, you won't. we're not going to let that happen. i'm here for you, matt's here for you. you're not alone in this, okay? we'll get through this together, alessia."

matt, who had been standing nearby, stepped forward and gently placed a hand on alessia's shoulder. "your sister's right," he said softly. "we're here. no matter what."

alessia nodded weakly, but the weight of everything still pressed down on her. she didn't know how to move forward, how to escape the darkness that seemed to cling to her every step. but in this moment, surrounded by her sister's love and comfort, she allowed herself to cry-to feel the pain and the fear without pushing it away.

luciana held her close again, her own tears mingling with alessia's, as they sat there together, the silence filled with the sound of their shared grief and love. "you're going to be okay," luciana whispered, holding her as tightly as she could. "i promise you, alessia. we're going to get through this. i love you."

and for the first time in what felt like forever, alessia allowed herself to believe, even if just a little, that maybe, just maybe, she could be okay.

ASH SPEAKS!

when robby wants to help her :(

alessia is so misunderstood and she's struggling with so much:(

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:)