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The sweat coating Dahlia’s palm slicks against mine. I give her a reassuring squeeze. Jonesy is just being a dick. He drops his ass to the couch littered with burn holes with the stuffing squeezing out through them.
“Have a seat,” he says, opening the black metal lock box full of cash and pills that sit on the coffee table.
I sit in the recliner, pulling Dahlia onto my lap with an arm securely around her waist. She startles slightly and the sweet smell of her perfume assaults my senses. I tease my fingers against her belly, and she shivers. I press my lips to the side of her neck. Goose bumps pebble along her thighs and arms.
“What will it be?”
“Goodie bag.” I slide to one side, moving Dahlia to my right leg so I can grab the cash out of my left pocket. Leaning forward slightly, I toss the cash onto the table.
“What are you two up to tonight? You should stick around. I got some new party favors in. Could test them out. Free of charge.” He winks at Dahlia as she tenses against me.
It’s apparent exactly what this piece of shit has in mind. Thinks he can knock me out and dope Dahlia up to have his way with her. He pulled that shit on Gauge and Prestley last summer. Sick bastard.
“Can’t. I don’t get her home in the next twenty minutes she’ll be grounded for a month.”
“Too bad.” He counts the money and sticks it in the box, then reaches to a milk crate by his feet and grabs a plastic bag full of an assortment of drugs. He lays the bag on his lap. “Why don’t you come over here and get this, sweetheart?”
“Fuck off, man.” I jump up, taking Dahlia with me. I reach across the table, holding my hand out. “We’ve really got to get going.”
He waves me off. “Just fucking with you. You kids be safe.” He licks his lips and makes a kissy face at us.
“Later.” I grab the bag as he extends it toward me.
“Don’t be a stranger. Bring your little girlfriend next time you stop by.” He laughs louder as we dash out the door. “I’ll be betting on you Saturday night.”
Dahlia jerks her hand from mine, running for my car. I get into the trunk to put the drugs inside of one of my amps for my sound system. When I get back behind the wheel, she’s hugging her knees to her chest, refusing to look at me.
“I wouldn’t have let him do anything to you.”
“What’s wrong with you? Do you have a death wish or something? Chemical imbalance? I don’t understand you.”
“You and everyone else. Don’t be mad at me.”
“I’m not mad. I’m disappointed.”
“And why is that?” I back out of the driveway.
“You could have anything you want. The whole school worships you. But you choose to throw it all away.”
“What would you know about any of it?”
“Enough to know your mom would be devastated if anything happened to you.”
“You think she cares about me? She can’t wait to be rid of me. Her and your precious Uncle John don’t give a fuck about me as long as I don’t tarnish their reputations.”
She finally stares at me.
“You don’t really believe that, do you?”
“It doesn’t matter. After graduation, I’ll be gone and none of you will have to worry about it.”
Her gaze flits to the window and I leave the conversation there. We don’t have anything in common. She doesn’t understand what it’s like. The pressure I’m under to be the perfect son. To get a scholarship to pay for my college. My mother’s an alcoholic and John fucks anything that moves except for her. I don’t even know why they stay together.
The two of them would love nothing more than for me to be out of the picture.
I drive Dahlia back to the house she thinks is picture fucking perfect.
She hesitates before exiting the car. “I won’t say anything to anyone about tonight, but I need you to promise me something.”
