In a Strange Place

“Adam!” Sam yelled. “Look!” I said turning to Skye. “I have to

go…I’ll see you in…rehab.” I hated calling it rehab. She looked

confused. I wish I could explain. Explain why this person was

angrily yelling my name. I turned and ran as fast as my legs

could manage down the street. “Wait!” I heard Skye’s voice

call after me. I couldn’t ‘wait’. If I waited Sam would find me.

He was probably mad. It didn’t matter though. The worst

Sam would do is scold me. That’s just how he is. Way too

much of a pushover. I quickly rounded the corner and went

into the nearest store. Sam was not going to get out of his

car to look for me, especially if I he had to go into a store. He

was just too lazy.

I took my time slowly walking around the store, catching my

breath, and examining every item. I was in some kind of

supermarket where the air

smelled like herbs and lasagna, and they only sold things that

“nourished the soul”. The air was stale. The music, barley

audible in the speakers ,somehow made me calm. Tracing my

fingers along random cans and humming along to “I Will

Survive”, I picked up a can of garbanzo beans. No Sugar

added. Low Sodium. Vegan and Vegetarian friendly. I stood

and stared, dumbfounded, at the can. Could beans not be

vegetarian? I jumped when a hand grabbed my shoulder.

Shit! Sam found me. I turned slowly, but only to be

welcomed by a girl with a huge mess of hair, Skye. “Would

you please explain to me what’s going on?” She asked huffing

in and out; obviously out of breath. “Oh Skye, yeah. Sorry. I

just…saw somebody I knew that I didn’t want to be

bothered with. In case you didn’t notice, some freak was

calling my name…and yeah…I just ran….and you followed me.”

I gave her a slight smile. I was blushing madly and my palms

were starting to sweat. It was quiet for a moment. Well,

minus the ending of “I Will Survive” going on overhead and

the faint noises of people checking out at the counter. After

a while she smiled at me, then blushed shyly.

“So what you got there?” She asked motioning to my hand. I
softly chuckled.

“Beans. Vegetarian beans.” I heard her laugh then take it from me.

“Let me see that.” she slowly began to walk past me.

“ Hmm…” She started. I trailed alongside of her. “Well, what if I want non-vegan beans?”

“Then that’s too bad.” I mumbled. “You've come to the

wrong hippy haven.” I chuckled. “You wanna go somewhere?” I

asked suddenly. She looked at me. “Depends.”

“On?”

“Where.”

“A place. You have to trust me.”

“I’d be out of my mind to trust you.” I frowned.

“Why?”

“Because I just fucking met you.” She giggled. She had a

great point. But I trusted her. Call me a hopeless romantic,

but I trust her.

“Well how can I make you trust me?” She shrugged.

“Maybe you can’t.” We stopped walking. She placed the

beans on a random shelf and picked up a packet. “ Hmm. Black rice.” I cocked an eyebrow.

“Don’t try and change the subject.” I said grabbing the

packet of rice out of her hands, and placing it back on the

shelf. “I-I’m not.” She shrugged, continuing to walk the aisles.

“Look, Adam, you seem like a really nice guy and all, but I

don’t know you very well. I’m not dumb enough to go

somewhere, especially if you don’t tell me where, with you.

I’ve been through…a lot in my past. It all could’ve been

properly avoided by using common sense. I don’t want to

make the same mistakes again.” She said.

“Your…past?” I asked. She stiffened next to me. Although, I

shouldn’t have asked, I was just curious to know.

“It’s nothing.” She said. But it was something. Something big.

Something that left Skye scared for life; I could tell. I just couldn’t figure out what.

We left the store with cans of Calamansi sodas. As we walked the

streets quietly, I couldn’t help but think of how much I

enjoyed her company. All of it. Even though she didn’t say

much, I just enjoyed having her there. “Adam.” She broke

the silence. “Why did you get into alcohol?” I sighed then

chuckled. That is an interesting story. “Well…” I started.

“When I was 17 I was diagnosed with Clinical Depression. It

really affected my life. I couldn’t go to school, couldn’t talk to

my friends, I didn’t wanna do much, not like I did much

anyways. I tried to move on with my life, but that was kinda

hard to do when every second of every day I just wanted to

blow my brains out. So I dropped out of college. I got into

drugs and alcohol because it made me feel numb. I felt…

gone, and that’s what I wanted most. To disappear. That’s

when Sam took me in. Man, I was really fucked up when he

found me one night. I was on the side of the road high on

something. I woke up the next morning at his place. We’ve

been friends since we were little. Anyway, he took me in

under one condition: I stopped drinking and stop the drugs. I

got into rehab, which I hate with a fiery passion, and I’m

trying to get clean.” I glanced over at her. She was smirking.

She took a sip from her soda.

“Interesting.”

“That’s it? Just interesting? I think that it's freaking Oprah worthy. What about you? You don’t look like an alcoholic.”

She scoffed.

“A lot of thinks are not what they seem to be, Adam.” She said. What did that mean exactly. Was she hiding something?

“I just like to drink is all.” She said. I rolled my eyes. That is never the story of an alcoholic.

“Where are you from?”

“Why do you ask? Do I seem like I’m not from here?” She asked.

“Well…for starters you have a British accent…” I said.

“I grew up in Alton, England. Moved to America when I was 12.”

‘Why?” I asked.

“Well you’re mighty nosy aren’t you. Are all you Americans like that?”

“You tell me. You’ve been here long enough to know.” She laughed.

“Since you’re asking me, I say 'yes'. Yes, you guys are.” I

stopped and looked at her. She looked up at me with her

brown eyes. Though it was dark outside, I still managed to

see her a bit through the dim light of the street lamps. As a

cool breeze whipped by, her hair flew into her face.

“You’re really beautiful.” I said. She smiled, then quickly frowned.

“Is this some sort of weird way of getting yourself laid? Because it’s not gonna work.” Her bright white teeth

gleamed.

“No…I’m just saying you’re beautiful. If I was trying to get myself laid I'd say something like, "Apart from being sexy,

what do you do for a living?.” She giggled, then she looked at the ground.

“Well, thank you, Adam." I smiled, then turned to walk away.

"Hey!" She called out. I turned.

"I kick box for a living, so if I were you I'd watch my ass." She winked. "Kidding!" I laughed.

"Goodnight, Skye."

As I walked home, a smile on my face, I was happy for once

in a really long time. I got to get to know Skye a little more,

even though it wasn’t a lot, it was still something! “Adam!!” I

heard a deep voice yelling. I turned. It was Sam. Should I

run? Before I had the chance to get to run, Sam already had

me by my shoulders. I felt a hard knock against my face.

“Ow!” I yelled grabbing my throbbing cheek. “How fucking

dare you!” Sam yelled. The look in his eyes was mad. His

normal hazel colored orbs were now shaded a dark brown. I

had never seen him so mad before. “Sam, what?” I asked.

“Fuck, that hurt.” Was I bleeding? Because my face was in

some deep pain. “After I take your ungrateful ass in, you go

out and drink! There was only one rule, Adam, one rule: don’t

drink! Yet, you find it okay to go out to a fucking bar and

drink. I can’t keep doing this!” Sam’s voice echoed through

the quiet streets. “Sam, you don’t understand.” I mumbled.

And he didn’t. He didn’t get that I…I needed that. If I didn’t

go to that bar tonight….I wouldn’t have had the longest

conversation I’ve ever had with Skye. “Well help me

understand.” Sam said crossing his arms. “I saw her tonight.

She was there. I-I didn’t even have much to drink, man.” Sam

sighed. “I swear I never had that much!” I walked in a straight

line backwards, then did a funny dance to prove my point.

“Shut up!” Sam yelled stalking close to me. “I want you to

listen to me, and listen damn close. If you go anywhere near

a bar again you will be home less. I will kick you out faster

than you can throw back a shot. Do you understand?” He

asked. I rolled my eyes.

“Yes, dad.” He shoved me one last time then walked away. I

heard a car screech down the road a minute later. As I

continued down the sidewalk, I saw Edessa’s lights still on at

her house. I decided to stop by. I walked to the back door

and welcomed myself in, as usual. She was on the couch and

a guy was on-top of her. Soft moans escaped both of them. I

couldn’t help the way my face shriveled in disgust. I looked

over. Her coffee table had white power laid out in neat lines.

Ew. I cleared my throat, the two “love birds” kept at it. I

chuckled. “Hey!” I yelled. The guy on-top of her looked over

at me. “Yeah, hey.” I said walking closer. Edessa sighed.

“Joe, get out.” She said to the guy. He looked at her,

confused. “Get out!” She said louder. He sighed then zipped

up his pants and headed toward the door. I waved

sarcastically, smirking. But his eyes caught mine. His bearded face and soft eyes seemed...dangerous. He was also much older than Edessa. I watched as he walked out the door.

“Ew.” I said turning toward Edessa.

“What do you want?” She asked lighting a cigarette. “Just
need to chill.” I said flopping down on her sofa. She moved

over. “Put on some clothes.” I muttered grabbing the

cigarette out of her mouth. I heard her laugh then sigh. She

stood up and her sheet dropped to the floor, revealing her

bare body to me. I watcher as her naked figure walked to her

kitchen. “Thirsty?” She asked, smirking. I blew out smoke.

“Nope.” I said. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against

the back of the couch. Edessa’s house was cool. I heard the

fan going in the corner and the house smelled of smoke. My

eyes snapped open when I felt legs on my thighs. Edessa’s

pale face was directly in-front of mine. I felt the warmth of

her breath lash across my face. “What are you doing-” She

placed her finger on my lips.

“Shh, baby. I know you want me.” Her lips lightly caressed my

jaw.

“Uh, how about, 'no'.” I said squirming. She worked her lips

down my neck and licked lightly. I shivered. To be completely

honest…I haven’t really done anything with a girl in a really

long time. Having the feel of a naked woman on me was

something that I kinda missed, whether it be Edessa or not.

“You like that?” She whispered in my ear, making goose

bumps appear on my arms. She gently grabbed my hand and

placed it on her right breast, forcing me to squeeze it. An

exaggerated moan fell from her lips. “Edessa…” I started. She

shushed me again, coercing my hand to trail down her belly

and to her thigh. I just sat there. I did nothing. I let her make

me touch her. She smiled at my willingness seduce her. It’s so

hard to do what’s right when all I wanna do is wrong. She

turned for a second and came back with some white powder

on her finger. She smiled as I watcher her sniff it. Her head

tilted back in pleasure. She turned and got more. Soon the

white powder was under my nose. “Sniff.” She commanded. I

looked at her finger. “Just one sniff and you’ll be in heaven.” I

felt her grind her hips and womanhood against my leg.

Moaning profanities. This was wrong. I felt it at the bottom of

my gut. I shouldn’t be here. I should go home. The powder

was still on her finger near my nose. “Don’t you want me?”

She hummed in my ear. I didn’t reply. I couldn’t reply. “Oh

Adam!” She moaned loudly and dramatically, throwing her

head back as she grinded harder against my leg. At that

moment, something came over me. I shoved her off of me

and ran for the door. “Where are you going? You can’t just

leave!” She yelled. Watch me.

When I made it a block from her house, I felt dizzy.. A bilious

feeling swept over me. I quickly hurled over and vomited in

the grass. “Fuck.” I whispered, wiping my mouth.. It’s so

hard to do what’s right when all I wanna do is wrong; yet,

fucking Edessa would be beyond wrong. It’s just revolting.