The Blakmore Inheritance Prologue

    Astor stepped off the bus, her hands full of papers. "The guidance counselor signed me up for all the stadard classes, but she said I could pick my elective."

    "I can't believe it." Andie shook her head as she hopped off the bus after her.

    "Why? I got to pick my electives before. I mean I only get one, since I have to make up all the classes I missed, but one is better than nothing. I mean, atleast-"

    "No, I mean I can't believe I'm friends with a junior. A junior in highschool." She shook her head again and followed Astor up the steps to her apartment building.

    "I know. You must feel so inferior."

    "Oh, ha ha." She shoved Astor into the lobby, pulling the door shut behind her. "Seriously though, it just feels icky. Like I'm somehow... tainting you. Like maybe I should be checking behind your ears... Or making sure you eat your vegetables. Definetely not taking you to art classes where we stare at naked men for an hour."

    "Tainting me?" Astor snorted and started up the three flights to her apartment. "You're probably the best influence I have at this point, Andie. But that class was a bad idea. I was terrified to look any lower than his belly button."

    "You weren't missing much. But seriously, a high school drop out, who moves every other month to run away from a string of bad boyfriends, all while trying to keep her minimum wage job? That sounds like a good role model? Damn girl, you must

hang out with some really shady people."

    "We aren't that different. I move every couple of months."

    "Until this past year."

    "I have a minimum wage job."

    "You're also seventeen and a high school drop out."

    "Until now." Astor grinned and waved the papers in Andie's face. "You should get your G.E.D. You aren't too old to go to college."

    "Psh." Andie shook her head. "I hate everything about school. I don't understand how you can be so excited."

    Astor shook her head as she stomped up the stairs. "I love school. I love everything abvout it. Not a day has gone by this past year, that I haven't thought about going back."

    "That's pathetic."

    Astor grinned. "I had to quit to take care of my mom. I didn't have a choice. But now she's better. It's been almost a year and she's working the program, she's going to her meetings and staying clean... She has a job interview on Wensday, Andie." Astor stopped and turned to face her. "She's getting her life together and now I can pick mine back up."

    Andie smiled and nodded her head. "And no one deserves that chance more than you."

    They reached the third floor landing and looked up to find the door ajar. Andie pulled her phone from her bag and dialed 911, before passing the phone to Astor. "Get ready to hit send."

    "Yeah." Astor followed close behind her, her heart in her throat.

    As slowly as she was able, Andie used her foot to wedge the door open wider, until it stood wide open. Astor moved around her to look and froze.

    "Astor hit send."

    "No." She pressed the phone into Andie's hand and moved slowly to kneel by her mothers body. She rolled her on to her back and for the first time in the last couple of minutes, took a breath. "She's alive. She's just high." Her mother shifted restlessly and a small needle fell from her grasp. Using her boot, Astor kicked it aside.

    "Astor."

    "It's alright Andie. I know him too." She scooted closer to the second body and grunted as she rolled him to his side. "He's..." She wiped the sweat from her brow and sighed. "His name is Teddy. He was- well... is... one of her dealers." Astor stared at the back of his head for a moment, before standing. "Help me roll him outside the apartment. I don't want him waking up in here."

    "Astor..." Andie shook her head, her face pale, and pointed a finger at his face. Astor moved so she could see and fell back.

    "Oh God." His lifeless eyes stared back at them. "He's... he must have..."

    "He's dead."

    Astor nodded and wiped her hands on her jeans. "It's okay." She pushed herself up. "We just need to figure out a way to get him out of here before someone sees him. Andie, will you-" She turned back to find Andie on the phone. "Andie!" She snatched the phone from her hand and turned it off. "What were you doing?"

    "We need the police, Astor."

    "No." She took the battery out of the phone and handed them back to Andie. "They'll take her away, Andie. We can't let that happen."

    "She needs help. You can't do this for her, Astor. She needs like... professional help."

    "Proffessional help? Like rehab?"

    "Yeah."

    "And what of me? I'm a minor, Andie. What do you think happens to minors?"

      "Don't you have family or-"

    "No. I have no one. No one but her."

    Andie shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. They're on their way. I'm sorry."

    Astors face blanched. "Why?" She shook her head as her eyes began to tear.

    "I'm so sorry."

    "Get out."

    "Astor, don't-"

    "Get out!" She shoved her towards the door, then kept shoving her until she was outside. Then she slammed the door in her face.