413 Desperate Dealings

(Cass)

The alley stinks of rotting garbage, stale beer, and desperation. My heart races as I wait, shifting from foot to foot, clutching the small bag of pills in my hand.

It’s quiet in an eerie way, the kind of quiet that prickles at your nerves and makes you second-guess every decision that led you here.

This used to be my life a long time ago. I swore I’d never be back here again. I promised Mom. I argued with Winona that I could take care of myself. Now here I am.

I glance at my phone. The screen is cracked, just like everything else in my life, but it flashes the time anyway. It’s been twenty minutes, and every second feels like a razor blade on my nerves. Someone is supposed to be meeting me here.

I never thought I’d be selling drugs to save my own ass. But unloading this stash will get me out of the debt I owe these dealers. Enough to keep them from rearranging my face or worse. Then I’m never, ever doing this again.

I’ll get clean. I might even have some money left to start ov