Side Effects: The Other Angels

By Ashley Nicole

If a drug has the power to give you anything you want, would you take it regardless the side effects?

 

When Matthew's father and older brother leave him and his mother on their own, he stays by her side to take care of her. All he wants is her approval and attention, but she reserves it for his brother's success.

 

His mind goes to a dark place, he turns to drugs. It's just simple stuff until a mysterious stranger offers him something greater. Something that will change his life. This new drug makes him feel on top of the world, and he slowly begins forming the relationships he craves.

 

But the side effects linger in the back of his mind, ready to strike without warning. Now, he has to find a balance, or risk hurting those around him.

 

A Sacrificial Lamb prequel

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dark and Twisted Press
• Release date: Jul 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393021711

Book preview

Chapter One 

M atthew James! Are you high again? Mom stands in my bedroom doorway. Her hands are on her hips and her face alights with anger.

Can’t a guy relax in his own room without you accusing him of drugs? My response is relaxed despite the shame I should be feeling. This only makes Mom’s left eye twitch and I have to stifle the laugh wanting to bubble up my throat. Being high equals no filter.

You stink, Matthew. Sober up and shower up. We have company tonight. She turns away and slams the door behind her.

Company? Who the hell would be visiting? Unless it’s another one of Mom’s dates. The thought makes the anger push away some of the haze. I swear she only dates all these college reps and military recruiters in hopes they’ll convince me I have a future. It doesn’t matter how many times I tell her I’m not interested.

I could just refuse to join them. That would probably be the last straw with her though. She’d kick me out and my cooking job won’t pay for an apartment.

I groan and get out of bed. In the bathroom across the hall I turn on the shower and sit on the toilet while steam fills the small room. I scroll through Facebook. My newsfeed is filled with the people I graduated high school with and their adventures in college. There’s some drunk party pics and bragging about test scores. I’m just about to close out of the app but can’t stop myself from hitting the search button instead.

I type in Kathryn Taylor. The first profile that pops up is her. Her blonde hair glows in the sun and her warm brown eyes shine with happiness echoed by the smile on her face. She wears a white sundress with a rainbow belt that hugs her waist. I thought she was pretty when we were kids but she’s so much more beautiful now. So full of life and love.

The friend request button glares at me. I want to hit it. I do. My thumb hovers over the screen.

But I hit the power button instead.

The screen goes black and I toss my phone on the counter in front of me. She’s had seven years to find me if she wanted to. Why should I have to start the conversation if she’s clearly not interested in rebuilding our friendship? She probably doesn’t even remember me.

I get up and stare at my distorted reflection in the steam fogged mirror. The only feature I can pull are my bright green eyes. Growing up, every adult would make a comment about how pretty they were. Katie used to say they made me look magical.

Once in the shower, the heat of the water runs over my back, loosening the muscles. I lather in a generic ocean scented soap in hopes to wash the weed smell away for Mom’s date. My wet light brown hair hangs over my eyes and I think about standing in the shower for a few hours instead of going down for dinner. After drying off, I sift through the small closet back in my bedroom. A pair of black jeans and a maroon t-shirt seems good enough.

Downstairs, Mom is chopping a few carrots for a salad. She glances at me when I enter the kitchen. At least you look decent. Her brown curls hang softly over her shoulders and stand out against her black sliming sweater dress that ends at her knees. Her feet are bare, and I think back to when I was a kid and she would dance around the kitchen while she made cookies gliding effortlessly over the tiles like an Olympic figure skater.

I ignore her remark. So, who’s coming?

His name is Bradley. He’s Vice President of Camden University.

Is he going to try to talk me into going to college there?

Mom begins chopping the carrots with more force. What if he does? That is part of his job. Maybe you might like what you hear and decide it’s right for you.

I’ve told you I don’t want to go to college. Or the military. You can stop leading guys on in an attempt to change my mind.

"You think my dating life is all about you? Matthew,