Read Online Streamline by Jennifer Lane - Free Book Online Page A

your body’s going through complete hell, and you feel like crap.”
    “Yep, I pretty much feel like doggie doo-doo.”
    “That’s better. This is serious stuff, Leo. The active ingredient in Oxycontin is oxycodone, which affects your body just like high-grade heroin.”
    “Heroin?” Leo’s eyes widened, then he lurched to the other side of the bed and retched into the garbage can. He wiped his sleeve over his mouth and groaned. “Shoot me now. My stomach’s killing me.” Mr. Shale rose, and even in his agony Leo flinched as the therapist’s hand, holding a tissue, approached his face.
    Hesitating, Mr. Shale studied him for several long seconds. Finally he handed the tissue to Leo, who used it to blow his nose. They didn’t exchange a word.
    “How long will this last?” Leo asked.
    “Up to ten days, but Dr. Bright expects you to get through withdrawal more quickly since you’re so fit. You haven’t had any heart palpitations yet, which is a good sign — probably related to that strong swimmer’s heart you’ve got there.”
    “This is far worse than any swim practice I’ve ever been through.” Leo battled a spastic coughing fit. “It’s even worse than the four-hundred-IM repeats we had to do the day Matt got mad at us for dogging it.”
    Mr. Shale smiled. “Okay, I have no idea what you just said, but it sounded really impressive.”
    “Sorry.” Leo managed a weak smile and wondered if he’d ever be able to swim again. “So, you think I can get better?”
    “I do, Leo. I don’t know you very well, but from what I understand, you’re intelligent, caring, hard-working, and tough. That should help you with recovery.”
    Leo blushed.
    “But it won’t easy,” Mr. Shale added. “Are you willing to give recovery your best effort?”
    “I’ll try.” He gave his sweetest smile. “You sure you don’t have any pills you can give me? I won’t tell anybody, I promise.”
    “Good try. I’m afraid it’s short-term pain for long-term gain.
    Athletes know all about that, right?” Leo nodded grimly. He felt another wave of nausea hit him, and he clutched his gut. Swiftly leaning over the edge of the bed, he dry-heaved, and tears welled up. He just wanted his mom to make it all better.
    When the waves of nausea finally ended, Leo narrowed his eyes.
    “I’m gonna kill my brother.”
    It was surreal for Jason to walk the halls of Pensacola High School, which seemed to have shrunk during his absence. The confident twenty-two-year-old suddenly felt sixteen again: a great basketbal player and average student turned rebel after his mother’s accident, ticked off at the world.
    With his mom in the hospital and his dad at work or at Leo’s swim meets, Jason had often found himself alone. Unsupervised, lonely, and reeling from the family trauma, he’d turned to alcohol.
    His father had no idea how bad things had gotten until Jason showed up drunk one night after driving home. CS had gone ballistic, and when Jason mouthed off, his father had backhanded him, sending him reeling to the floor.
    Jason hesitated outside Mr. Morrison’s door. He and his mother had formed a plan for getting Leo treatment without alerting CS, but Jason needed the assistant principal to allow Leo to rearrange his study hall to make it happen. He hoped Mr. Morrison had forgiven him for all the crap he’d pulled in high school.
    Ten minutes later, Jason emerged from the office, mission accomplished. But his back felt tense from carrying the haunting presence of CS on his shoulders wherever he went. He had to do a better job of protecting Leo from Crusty Slimeball.
    “Jason Scott?” a voice called behind him as he headed down the hall to the exit. He turned and instantly recognized a young woman with long brown hair and blue eyes. What was she doing here?
    “Cameron,” he said, confused by her presence. But he couldn’t stop his smile. “So you haven’t graduated from this place yet?” She laughed. “I’m a student