Build God, Then We'll Talk
o8
"Anna?" I almost had the urge to pretend I was sleeping when I heard her annoying voice say my name for the ten-millionth time, but I decided to be nice today by turning over and actually acknowledging her presence. She smiled back at me, a noticeable gap between her two front teeth. "Hello, sunshine." I'm nowhere near comparable to sunshine. "We have counseling at noon," she said, looking at the clock. "Would you like to attend this evening?"
I blinked at her like she had something so stupid that it wasn't even worth an answer. I looked up to the clock, the time being 11:30. Deciding that there was too much to do, I turned over in my bed and started picking at the wallpaper again. "Well, okay. How about I just stay in here then?" I stopped peeling the hideous wallpaper to give her the hint, but she totally ignored me. "We can have our own conversation." She walked over to my bed and sat on the edge, "How are you feeling?"
'How are you feeling.' If I had a nickle for every time I've heard that one...
- - - - - - - - - -
"Anna?" I blinked and opened my eyes, my head spinning. "Anna, honey?" I put my hand on my forehead, trying to force it to stop moving. When I finally came to, I stared up at my mother who sat over top of me. She gave me a weak smile, then handed me a glass of water. "How are you feeling?"
I sat up and took the glass of water, putting the rim to my mouth. My throat was so dry and my lips were so cracked that the water was like pure gold in my hands. I chugged it down gratefully, then sat it on my nightstand, gasping for breath. I looked up at mom who had a smile playing on her lips. "Fine, now," I laughed.
"Kirby said you were pretty sick," she noted, putting her hands on my face.
I shrank away. "Yeah, we ate some bad food at that party," I lied.
Mom nodded. "Well, maybe you should start eating before you go, to avoid eating something bad again."
I nodded and laid back down, trying to recall the events of the night. I remembered doing that stupid shot - oh, what was it called again? And then I remembered walking into the party and wondering where Megan was, but after that, nothing. Complete and utter nothingness. It was like I hadn't even experienced the night. I was at the party, then I was suddenly home.
Gasping, I sat up. "What is it, honey?" mom asked urgently.
"I - what?" I asked, gasping for breath and staring at her.
"Are - are you feeling sick again?"
"I - no. I just, I need to see Kirby," I said, jumping out of bed.
"Anna, are you sure? You look so pale!"
"I'm sure, mom!" I yelled, grabbing a jacket and running down the stairs.
I jerked open the door and was surprised to see Kirby already standing on my doorstep. He gave me a crooked smile, "Wow, great timing."
I couldn't help but to let the tears fall. "Kirby," I cried, falling into his arms.
"Whoa," he said, hugging me back. "Calm down, Chusettes. It's okay," he said, petting my hair.
"Kirby," I sniffed, stepping back. "What... happened?"
He bit his lip and looked at the ground, kicking the toe of his shoe into the concrete. "How about we go for a walk later?" he suggested.
My heart sped up. "No! Kirby, we need to talk now! Please?"
"Look Chusettes, I've got things to do and - "
"Kirby, please?" I begged. He sighed and hesitated for a moment before agreeing. "Thank you," I whispered, walking out the door and closing it shut behind me.
_ _ _
"Where exactly do you have to go?" I asked when we turned down a side street that was lined with broken, beaten down houses. My curiosity was peaked to the highest by now, but mostly because he hadn't spoken a word to me since we left my house.
He gave me a half hearted smile. "I just have some business to take care of." He started up the steps of one house that looked the most occupied out of any of them, and that wasn't saying much. Before he knocked on the door, he turned to me. "Just don't look at anybody in the eyes, okay? If you do and they offer you something, ignore them. Other than that, don't say a single word."
He knocked on the door and a boy with dark glasses over his eyes and a bandanna over his head appeared in the window. He looked at the person on the other side of the glass window and opened the door, inviting us in. "Hey Kirbs, boss's been expectin' ya," he said.
Kirby nodded to the boy, but didn't say anything. I could feel the boy's eyes on me as we walked through the door and through multiple rooms. Against ever wall in the room was someone propped up against it in a limp way, stoned out of their minds. The air in the house was cloudy with smoke and smelled strongly of marijuana. When we finally got to the steps, Kirby led me up, slowing his pace to make sure I was right along side of him.
We finally made it up the stairs to a large wooden door. Kirby knocked on it twice, and it was immediately opened for him. He grabbed my hand, which should of made butterflies form on every inch of my stomach, but in the place of excitement was fear. The room was entirely wooden, and when you walked on the floor, it sounded like it was going to collapse underneath you.
"Kirby!" A man behind a desk greeted. In front of him were about three marijuana plants and a dozen large pill bottles of all various colors. He was dark skinned, with dark sunglasses covering his eyes.
"Ay, boss," Kirby greeted.
The man leaned forward on the desk in interest. "I wasn't expecting you for another twenty minutes," he smiled, looking at the clock. Kirby smiled back, but didn't say anything. "Now," the man continued. "I trust you haven't failed me," he said, rubbing his fingers along his knuckles.
"Of course not," Kirby answered, pulling out a thick wad of money and dropping it on the man's desk.
This action brought the man pleasure. "Excellent, excellent. Does this personal delivery imply that you're here for more right away? Meaning you already have customers?"
Kirby smiled. "You got it."
The dark man threw his arms in the air as a large smile crossed his face and laughed with joy. "Wonderful!" He turned his head to the two people who stood in the corners, wearing the same dark sunglasses that he did. "You see, Freddy? Jeremy? This is exactly what a top seller looks like!" He turned back to Kirby and pushed a couple of pill bottles his way. "This should cover it, yes?"
Kirby nodded and took the pill bottles off the desk and put them into a compartment in his jacket. "That should do 'er, boss."
A smile was on Kirby's face when we were about to leave, but it dropped as soon as he heard the man's voice again. "Oh, Kirby?"
"Yes, boss?" he answered, turning around slowly.
"This girl you've chosen to trust with this, she is reliable, yes?"
"Yes," I said before Kirby could answer. I felt him sigh next to me. The man raised his eyebrow at me. "This - this is all safe with me," I reassured.
The man started laughing again. "She's got spunk, Kirbs! Spunk is what I like. Tell me, my dear, have you ever wondered about this business?"
"No," Kirby snapped. "She doesn't belong."
The boss looked back at Kirby, still smiling. "Very well," he said. "You may leave me now, Kirby. Have a good day."
Kirby grabbed my hand and pulled my all the way out of the house. When we were a little way down the street, he turned and put his hands on both of my shoulders. "What did I tell you about talking?" he hissed.
"I - I was just - "
"Just getting into trouble!"
"Kirby," I whispered.
"Listen," he growled. "That place is not something you want to get involved in, got it?"
"I was only trying to - "
"You almost messed it all up, Anna!" he turned around and groaned, then put his head in his hands. "I just don't want you getting caught up in that," he whispered.
"Caught up in what exactly?" I asked.
He turned around and studied me for a moment, hesitating with his answer. "Come on," he said, grabbing my hand again with a smile. "I bet what happened last night is something you actually want to get in on."
- - - - - - - - -
I looked back at the nurse and then looked away just as quickly. She gave me a faint smile and looked at the clock. "Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to be getting to that therapy session," she got up and walked to the door, then took one more look at me. "I'll be back to check on you later, okay?"
As she left, my mind couldn't help but as the woman, "Where were all the people like you back then? The people who actually cared."
I blinked at her like she had something so stupid that it wasn't even worth an answer. I looked up to the clock, the time being 11:30. Deciding that there was too much to do, I turned over in my bed and started picking at the wallpaper again. "Well, okay. How about I just stay in here then?" I stopped peeling the hideous wallpaper to give her the hint, but she totally ignored me. "We can have our own conversation." She walked over to my bed and sat on the edge, "How are you feeling?"
'How are you feeling.' If I had a nickle for every time I've heard that one...
- - - - - - - - - -
"Anna?" I blinked and opened my eyes, my head spinning. "Anna, honey?" I put my hand on my forehead, trying to force it to stop moving. When I finally came to, I stared up at my mother who sat over top of me. She gave me a weak smile, then handed me a glass of water. "How are you feeling?"
I sat up and took the glass of water, putting the rim to my mouth. My throat was so dry and my lips were so cracked that the water was like pure gold in my hands. I chugged it down gratefully, then sat it on my nightstand, gasping for breath. I looked up at mom who had a smile playing on her lips. "Fine, now," I laughed.
"Kirby said you were pretty sick," she noted, putting her hands on my face.
I shrank away. "Yeah, we ate some bad food at that party," I lied.
Mom nodded. "Well, maybe you should start eating before you go, to avoid eating something bad again."
I nodded and laid back down, trying to recall the events of the night. I remembered doing that stupid shot - oh, what was it called again? And then I remembered walking into the party and wondering where Megan was, but after that, nothing. Complete and utter nothingness. It was like I hadn't even experienced the night. I was at the party, then I was suddenly home.
Gasping, I sat up. "What is it, honey?" mom asked urgently.
"I - what?" I asked, gasping for breath and staring at her.
"Are - are you feeling sick again?"
"I - no. I just, I need to see Kirby," I said, jumping out of bed.
"Anna, are you sure? You look so pale!"
"I'm sure, mom!" I yelled, grabbing a jacket and running down the stairs.
I jerked open the door and was surprised to see Kirby already standing on my doorstep. He gave me a crooked smile, "Wow, great timing."
I couldn't help but to let the tears fall. "Kirby," I cried, falling into his arms.
"Whoa," he said, hugging me back. "Calm down, Chusettes. It's okay," he said, petting my hair.
"Kirby," I sniffed, stepping back. "What... happened?"
He bit his lip and looked at the ground, kicking the toe of his shoe into the concrete. "How about we go for a walk later?" he suggested.
My heart sped up. "No! Kirby, we need to talk now! Please?"
"Look Chusettes, I've got things to do and - "
"Kirby, please?" I begged. He sighed and hesitated for a moment before agreeing. "Thank you," I whispered, walking out the door and closing it shut behind me.
_ _ _
"Where exactly do you have to go?" I asked when we turned down a side street that was lined with broken, beaten down houses. My curiosity was peaked to the highest by now, but mostly because he hadn't spoken a word to me since we left my house.
He gave me a half hearted smile. "I just have some business to take care of." He started up the steps of one house that looked the most occupied out of any of them, and that wasn't saying much. Before he knocked on the door, he turned to me. "Just don't look at anybody in the eyes, okay? If you do and they offer you something, ignore them. Other than that, don't say a single word."
He knocked on the door and a boy with dark glasses over his eyes and a bandanna over his head appeared in the window. He looked at the person on the other side of the glass window and opened the door, inviting us in. "Hey Kirbs, boss's been expectin' ya," he said.
Kirby nodded to the boy, but didn't say anything. I could feel the boy's eyes on me as we walked through the door and through multiple rooms. Against ever wall in the room was someone propped up against it in a limp way, stoned out of their minds. The air in the house was cloudy with smoke and smelled strongly of marijuana. When we finally got to the steps, Kirby led me up, slowing his pace to make sure I was right along side of him.
We finally made it up the stairs to a large wooden door. Kirby knocked on it twice, and it was immediately opened for him. He grabbed my hand, which should of made butterflies form on every inch of my stomach, but in the place of excitement was fear. The room was entirely wooden, and when you walked on the floor, it sounded like it was going to collapse underneath you.
"Kirby!" A man behind a desk greeted. In front of him were about three marijuana plants and a dozen large pill bottles of all various colors. He was dark skinned, with dark sunglasses covering his eyes.
"Ay, boss," Kirby greeted.
The man leaned forward on the desk in interest. "I wasn't expecting you for another twenty minutes," he smiled, looking at the clock. Kirby smiled back, but didn't say anything. "Now," the man continued. "I trust you haven't failed me," he said, rubbing his fingers along his knuckles.
"Of course not," Kirby answered, pulling out a thick wad of money and dropping it on the man's desk.
This action brought the man pleasure. "Excellent, excellent. Does this personal delivery imply that you're here for more right away? Meaning you already have customers?"
Kirby smiled. "You got it."
The dark man threw his arms in the air as a large smile crossed his face and laughed with joy. "Wonderful!" He turned his head to the two people who stood in the corners, wearing the same dark sunglasses that he did. "You see, Freddy? Jeremy? This is exactly what a top seller looks like!" He turned back to Kirby and pushed a couple of pill bottles his way. "This should cover it, yes?"
Kirby nodded and took the pill bottles off the desk and put them into a compartment in his jacket. "That should do 'er, boss."
A smile was on Kirby's face when we were about to leave, but it dropped as soon as he heard the man's voice again. "Oh, Kirby?"
"Yes, boss?" he answered, turning around slowly.
"This girl you've chosen to trust with this, she is reliable, yes?"
"Yes," I said before Kirby could answer. I felt him sigh next to me. The man raised his eyebrow at me. "This - this is all safe with me," I reassured.
The man started laughing again. "She's got spunk, Kirbs! Spunk is what I like. Tell me, my dear, have you ever wondered about this business?"
"No," Kirby snapped. "She doesn't belong."
The boss looked back at Kirby, still smiling. "Very well," he said. "You may leave me now, Kirby. Have a good day."
Kirby grabbed my hand and pulled my all the way out of the house. When we were a little way down the street, he turned and put his hands on both of my shoulders. "What did I tell you about talking?" he hissed.
"I - I was just - "
"Just getting into trouble!"
"Kirby," I whispered.
"Listen," he growled. "That place is not something you want to get involved in, got it?"
"I was only trying to - "
"You almost messed it all up, Anna!" he turned around and groaned, then put his head in his hands. "I just don't want you getting caught up in that," he whispered.
"Caught up in what exactly?" I asked.
He turned around and studied me for a moment, hesitating with his answer. "Come on," he said, grabbing my hand again with a smile. "I bet what happened last night is something you actually want to get in on."
- - - - - - - - -
I looked back at the nurse and then looked away just as quickly. She gave me a faint smile and looked at the clock. "Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to be getting to that therapy session," she got up and walked to the door, then took one more look at me. "I'll be back to check on you later, okay?"
As she left, my mind couldn't help but as the woman, "Where were all the people like you back then? The people who actually cared."