𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄

** FORTY-THREE **

“A friend is one of the best things you can be and the greatest things you can have.”
— Sarah Valdez

*****

JESSE WITH WORRY and shock etched on his face, stood shell-shocked as he watched his best friend, Khalid, furtively inject himself with a syringe.

No one needed to tell him what it was.

That was a drug substance.

His best friend was injecting himself with drugs!

Time seemed to freeze for him as he struggled to comprehend the sight before him. The scent of drugs hung heavy in the air, mingling with a sense of betrayal that pierced his heart like a dagger. The shock swiftly turned to a surge of anger, disappointment, and concern for his closest friend.

He felt betrayed, hurt, and disappointed beyond description. And just as he decided to turn away, Khalid looked up at him. Their eyes locked.

Unable to keep staring at him and having no clue what to say to him due to his disappointment, he averted his gaze, turned around, and began to leave, pretending like he never saw what his best friend was just doing. Maybe that way it would hurt less or it would be just a hallucination.

He probably might have seen it all wrong. Was his thoughts.

Just before Jesse turned to leave, Khalid looked up to see his best friend. Shock gripped him and the empty syringe in his hand dropped to the ground. His eyes widened in surprise, guilt spreading across his face as he saw the painful expression on his friend's face.

He couldn't believe that he had been caught. He had been hiding it and keeping it discreet as much as possible because he knew his friend would never approve of it.

Jesse would never agree to use drugs.

Never.

Not after that promise they made to each other.

Just as their eyes locked, Jesse turned away.

He was walking away, Khalid thought bitterly. The look of disappointment and hurt in his best friend's eyes felt like a stab in his heart.

Ignoring his racing heart, Khalid sprinted after his friend, who was rapidly making his escape.

Catching up to him a few stairs away, he called out, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and desperation.

"Jay. Jesse, please wait!" Khalid pleaded, his words laced with urgency and guilt. "Please stop!"

But Jesse didn't. Though he paused for a split second and because of that Khalid was able to catch up with him, pulling his hoodie to stop him.

And fortunately, he stopped but he refused to look at him. Khalid stood behind him on a step above Jesse, looking bitter.

"Jesse please," he begged with a quivering voice.

Slowly, Jesse turned to face his friend. His eyes were bloodshot, a mix of guilt and despair consuming him. He couldn't bear to look his best friend in the eye, unable to fathom the disappointment he had caused.

So, he turned away and continued walking. But Khalid quickly stopped him again, grabbing his shirt.

Unable to hold back his anger as Khalid tried stopping him, he swerved around and blew him hard in the face, catching Khalid by surprise.

And the latter fell to the ground, his back hitting the stairs rail painfully. He groaned as he stumbled to the ground after losing balance. He didn't see the punch from his friend coming.