The cop spills the contents of P’s pockets onto the hood of his car. A pack of wintermint gum. A cell phone. And an unlabeled white plastic container.
The older officer shows the bottle to the other, who shakes it before examining its contents.
“These don’t look like Tic Tacs,” I hear him mutter to his partner. Officer Two smirks while staring Parker down pridefully.
And then my brother is whisked away.
His sky-blue eyes shining red and blue with the blinding lights that will seal his fate.
The memory fades as the song comes toits end.
What’ll I do with just a photograph to tell my troubles to? When I’m alone with only dreams of you that won’t come true, what’ll I do?
I take a deep breath.
What do I do, P?
“Jeez, you still listen to that shit?” Derek asks as he enters the kitchen from the bathroom. Three whole days of this asshole, and I’m still nauseous at the sight of him.
“They’re classics,” I defend, shutting my music off.
“Classicshit.” He sucks air into his nose and spits a mouthful of phlegm into the sink as he walks past it, barefoot and shirtless.
“You’re disgusting,” I recoil.
“Not as disgusting as your music taste. You and Parker were always listening to that stuff. Got Jamie in on it, too. Elvis, and all that weird shit. Horrible.”
I narrow my eyes at him.
“HowisJamie, by the way?” I ask with a taunting bite. I know Jamie can’t possibly be well, and I’m sure it’s killing Derek to see how much P’s absence has affected her. They were one in the same, Parker and Jamie. Kindred spirits through and through. Where there is no Parker, there is no Jamie. Everyone knows it. Even Derek.
He peers over at me with a stern gaze. “Never mind Jamie,” he huffs. “I need to talk to you about another favor.”
“You mean allowing your cigarette-stained ass to ruin my secondhand couch isn’t enough of a favor already?” He rolls his eyes. “Being blackmailed. Stalked. All that, and you still need more?” I rest my chin in my hand as I lean over the counter, watching him.
“So anywayyy, I have a couple of…thingsI need to get rid of.”
“What kind of things?”
“Nothing fancy.” He shrugs. “Just some addy’s.” I roll my eyes. “You don’t have to do anything. Just introduce me to some of your college friends. You know, like old times.” His lips curve into a devilish grin, and I scowl at the sight of it. It’s the only time I’ve ever hated dimples.
“First of all, I’m not some sixteen-year-old kid you can manipulate into helping you sell drugs anymore. And second, I am inno wayintroducing you to people. I’m literally praying no one even sees you near me, let alone connects you to me.”
“Well, that’s gonna be kind of hard seeing as you will be personally escorting me on all your college adventures.”
“Yeahhh, no.” I purse my lips and scrunch my nose at him, grabbing my purse off the counter before shooting him a disapproving look.
“You know, you keep saying no like you have a choice.”
I flatten my expression, grabbing my buzzing phone from my bag.
JAKE: We need to talk.
“Shit,” I breathe.
I haven’t spoken to Jake in days. My newfound…inconveniencehas made me a complete ghost to the outside world.
My mind whips to the night at Donn’s. To the closet where my body said more than it should have. To the powerful grip his strong hands had around my waist, my back, my hair. My mind volleys between my want to tell him everything and my fear of what would happen if I did.
