Helios Beginnings (The Helios Chronicles #0.5) by Tawa M. Witko

pinched his eyes shut even tighter, willing himself to remember something, anything about that night. At this point he just wished that he could have some kind of clarity about what had happened. He remembered driving to Palmdale with Tyler. He remembered getting high. He remembered the girl. She had blond hair and he remembered that they had sex but that was the extent of it.
    “Did she tell you how old she was?”
    Andrew shrugged again, “Yes, no... Fuck, I don’t know.” Andrew dropped his head on the table and started tugging on his hair. “You should ask Tyler. He was there. Maybe he remembers more,” Andrew mumbled into his hands.
    “Tyler…” there was a shuffling of papers and then, “Miller?’
    Andrew shrugged. He didn’t know Tyler’s last name. Andrew had never asked and Tyler hadn’t volunteered it.
    “No one has been able to locate him,” Mr. Wright said as he watched his client who was in obvious agony.
    “I'm really sick, man,” Andrew said as he glanced up at Mr. Wright. “I need... something,” Andrew finished, pleading with his eyes, hoping that Mr. Wright understood without him having to ask for it.
    Mr. Wright let out a sigh. “I can’t help you with that.”
    “Please,” Andrew said, licking his chapped lips.
    Mr. Wright stood and motioned toward the guard that he was done. When he had departed, the guard came to Andrew and stood him up, taking him back to his cell. The sound of the doors closing intensified the pounding in his head. He lay down on the uncomfortable mattress and closed his eyes, hoping this nightmare would end shortly.
    ~*~
    The past week had been one of the worst weeks of Andrew’s life, which said a lot considering what he had already been through in his young life. The nastiest of his withdrawal symptoms had indeed ended a week ago but the cold sweats and body aches had continued for another week. Unfortunately, they had to wrap his arm because he had scratched the area raw and gotten an infection. Once the haze of the drugs was out of his system his memory started to return regarding that dreadful night in Palmdale, but the memories were still quite blurred and did not bear him in a good light. He wanted desperately to believe that the girl, who he remembered was named Ashley, had told him she was eighteen. His lawyer said it would make a difference but Andrew really couldn’t remember if she did or didn't say it. Andrew sighed as he thought about his lawyer. Mr. Wright was very frustrated with him but there wasn’t much Andrew could do about it. He was a junkie. What did he expect?
    Andrew continued to stare at his reflection in the small plastic mirror in his cell. He was wearing a pair of Levi’s and a button down shirt that his lawyer had brought for him to wear. Mr. Wright had also asked him to shower and cleanup before court today, which Andrew had done as best as he could. He ran his fingers along his jaw feeling the stubble there. He wasn’t able to shave very well because his hands kept twitching. The doctor said that was normal and that it would go away eventually. The sooner the better as far as Andrew was concerned.
    “Harrison, it’s time,” the guard announced as his cell door opened.
    Central booking was not very far from the courthouse so it didn’t take long to get there. As they walked Andrew into the courthouse, he could see the man that he had fought with, Ashley’s father. The man narrowed his eyes at Andrew and looked as if he was ready to go at it again, but instead he squeezed his arm around the woman who was crying next to him. Andrew sighed, knowing that must be Ashley’s mother. They brought Andrew to the front of the courthouse and set him down at the table near his attorney before undoing his handcuffs.
    “Please rise,” the bailiff bellowed.
    Andrew stood along with everyone else. His heart was pounding as the judge was introduced. His charges were read off to him and then he was asked to sit as one after one, people