My phone rang in the pocket of my gym shorts as I entered the car. Checking for the call log, it was Evans. I instantly knew something wasn't right. Evans only calls me when there is urgency and lately I've been on his frequent call logs for obvious reasons.

"Did she mess up again?" I asked him.

"Well...... She didn't show up to work today. Inez isn't here but if she finds out, that girl will lose that job. Inez has been acting out lately and April's constant mistakes will tick Inez off."

It's the fifth time Evans has called me in the past week complaining about April.

"What's going on with her? She was doing great the first week of work but now she seems......well...how do I say this.." he was genuinely concerned.

"She seems what?" I uttered.

"Erm... Unmotivated I guess. She comes in looking dead."

"Dead?"

"Like a zombie. She was literally throwing up yesterday. I'm figuring she might be sick or something but she denied that."

I left home this morning and the house was quiet. I figured she left for work already. Come to think of it, now days the house is extra quiet. I barely see her in the halls or anywhere basically.

"Could you check on her for me? She hasn't picked up my calls." He said. "I just need something to tell Inez for when she arrives and I know April needs this job."

I groaned.

I had other plans. But I also know that Evans has been trying hard to put up with April for the sake of the favour I asked of him. He won't stop comparing her to Elisabeth. Apparently Betty was an excellent employee. She had to be, that time Betty was desperately in need of the money for her mother.

"Sure." I hang up.

The last thing I wanted to do was go home at this hours and check on April. I'll be late for work.

After seconds of contemplating on what to do, I decide to call her. She didn't pick up the first three times I called. It was on the forth call when I heard her voice on the other end.

"James." She called out lazily. "Is I_tt actu_ally you?" Her voice seemed weak, as though drunk on something as she stuttered.

"Are you wasted April?"

"C'mon. You s_should be the la_last person to scold me_ me on drink_ing." She was tipsy. I could detect it from her stammering and the lack of energy.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? We talked about this right. Evans needs you at work right now."

She laughed in a lazy fashion. "Like as if y_ou care if I g__get fired. I bet you c_an't wait to_ get rid of m_me. Why do yo_u f_fucking hate me James?"

What was going on in that head of hers?

"Are you at home?"

"Wh_re else would I g_go?" She hickuped and then sneezed. "S_sorry, my bad."

I signed.

What should I do with her?

"Don't go anywhere. I'm coming to get you." I instructed before hanging up the call.

When I arrived at the apartment, I went straight for April in her room. "Open the door." She locked it from inside.

"L_leave me alone li-ke alw_ays James. You don't give f_fucks about m_me anyways." She sounded seriously wasted.

"If you don't open this fucking door right now I'll...."

"W_what? You'll w_what?"

I paused.

There was a strange perculiar aura on the hall and it was coming from her room. For a second I pondered on whether my senses were playing tricks on me.

But they weren't.

April was doing exactly what I feared she was.

For the love of god.

"April open this damn door before I break it down." I wasn't joking. "Stop whatever it is you are doing. You'll fucking kill yourself." Shit. "Were you doing this all night?" I be damned if she was.

She laughed. "L_look at who is pretend_ing to be c_concenred."

I should've known. Fuck!

"Listen to me..."

"N_no..." She cut me off. "I can d_do whatever I w_want."

"How long April?"

Silence.

I wasted no time and rushed to get the spare keys. When I managed to get inside her room, I was met with the strong smell of heroine, marijuana and burnt weed, toxic combination. I covered my noise with the palm of my hand immediately.

Fuck!

April was just laying there on the floor, her eyes on the window. Her pale face was now red crimson and her green eyes beyond dilated as she averted her gaze from outside to me. She flinched like she shivered upon registering my presence.

She began shaking her head, trying desperately to lift herself and escape from me but her strength failed her. She was trembling from the drug exposer and her mouth was dry, too dry. Evans wasn't wrong, She really looked dead.

I moved to her side instantly.

"No...I d_don't want to s_see y_you." She waved her hand delicately but I grabbed it with my right one.

"What were you thinking?" I frowned as I looked at her fragile state. A wave of sadness hit me to see such a young girl in that mercurial state. I guess my empathy isn't salt in the wound and gone.

I wrapped my hand around her back and the other under her knees and carried her against her unwilling will. She struggled endlessly in my arms but it was no use.

I needed to get her out of that air first before she collapses. I took her to my room and turned on the air conditioning after placing her on my bed.

I dialed Doctor Phill's number and called him. "Morning James, Early checkup?"

"Yes but not for me." I looked at April's lifeless frame. "It's someone I live with. She could be on the verge of drug overdose."

"What did you do?" He sounded alarmed just like I suspected.

"I didn't do anything." I was quick to defend. "I found her like that in the house."

"Tell me the truth James. You aren't back on that shit again?"

"I swear it." I sighed, rubbing my eyes as my mind raced. What if I wasn't here sooner? April would've probably seized if she kept that up. Where did she even get the drugs?

"I hope so. I'll be there in thirty." He said before hanging up.

___________________