amelia's POV

madison has run away and i don't know what to do. meredith, maggie and i have been searching for almost an hour for her. we had driven around the town twice and she was still nowhere to be found. no one has said anything throughout the whole journey. i'm honestly surprised meredith and maggie haven't whispered anything to each other as i have been sat in the backseat crying the whole time; they have just been giving me concerned looks but they didn't need to make it so obvious.

we go around the town once more and i can't bear it anymore. i know she is out there. she can't have gone far. i miss her so much and even if she doesn't want to stay with me, i need to know that she is safe.

"stop the car" i say. meredith obeys and i immediately get out, slamming the car door. i run away towards the forest. i don't want to be anywhere near this town anymore. i just want to be away from everyone and hide. once i am deep enough in, i slide down to the floor using a tree trunk for support. i burst into tears and i can't stop. i cry out until it gets dark. eventually, i stand myself up and start looking around for madison again.

madison's POV

it is beginning to get dark and i have been in the forest for hours. i lay down on the ground and try to fall asleep but i can't. it is just too uncomfortable. i decide to call josh instead. i know he will pick up and talk to me. i just need to know i'm not alone right now.

"hey josh" i say. "can you come to the forest? i'm in the usual spot. oh and bring something"

"yes yes of course, anything in particular?" he says

"no, just something in pill form. thank you so much"

he doesn't take long to appear next to me in the forest.

"thank you." i say, taking the bag of drugs out of his hand. i don't even think to ask what they are, i just take them, as many as possible. i keep taking them until i can no longer feel any pain. josh has been sitting next to me this whole time and he hadn't taken any pills. was he sober? is he trying to get clean? he keeps looking at me, worriedly. he opens his arms and hugs me. he is such an incredible friend, he always knows what i need. i cry into his shoulder. thank god someone actually cares about me.

amelia's POV

i had been lost for quite a while. i continue to stroll through the forest, hoping that i would soon find a way out. i try calling meredith and maggie but i have no service. they're probably worried sick about me. eventually, i hear something. it sounds like crying. i run towards the noise, praying that it's madision. i turn a corner and see her, with a boy. he had his arms around her and she was crying into his arms. was he her boyfriend? suddenly, i see something i wasn't expecting. pills. spilt all over the floor. there is a huge bag of many different pills next to madison. i knew that one of them was oxy. i am about to burst into tears again, but i manage to pull myself together and run towards madison.

"madison" i call out. "what-what are you doing?" i ask. she could probably hear the worry and sadness in my voice.

"amelia, why are you here? have you been looking for me?" i ask

"yes madison, of course i have. i have been worried sick all day. have you been in the forest this whole time? and who is this?"

"umm this is josh, he is my friend. i was with him the night before i met you. i think it is pretty obvious what i have been doing"

"hi, it is nice to meet you miss" josh says before amelia interrupts

"shepherd, are you high as well?" i ask

"no no, i promise i'm not. it's just her, and i have been looking after her."

"what did she take?" i try to hold back my tears. i never really talk about drugs because of my history.

"ecstasy, and quite a lot of it." josh says. "i think she needs to go to bed. i'm so sorry i let her take them, it is just natural for me now"

"wait what? madison, do you do this alot?"

"amelia, i'm so so sorry. you were never meant to see me this high. i haven't ever been sober for long since around last year. i haven't been sober at all since i met you. i'm sorry for lying to you and not telling you. i just didn't want you to kick me out like my parents did. i don't want to be a burden and i wasn't expecting you to come looking for me. i assumed you didn't want me at your house." madison cries.

"i want you to be there with me. i can help you through this. you are not a burden and don't ever let anyone tell you or make you think otherwise. please, please come home with me. please. i need to know you're safe." i say, holding back tears.

"thank you amelia, thank you so much. bye josh, i'll see you soon." madison says before we leave.

i told her i would help her get sober, but i don't know if i can. usually people have to help me get sober and i do not want this to make me want to do drugs. i know how hard it is to get sober and it would probably take madison a while to go even a couple days without drugs. i know i did. she is in a very similar position to me when i was her age. i just hope everything will get better for her.