𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠- 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟏.

𝟓. 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝

Saturday, 6-2-88
𐬾⌫𐬿
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she had emerged from the bathroom, feeling a bit wobbly and shaky, but also filled with an abundance of energy. It was as if she had an insatiable desire to explore and experience everything around her. She must have spent quite some time in there, as the place now seemed deserted. Everyone had started to leave, as it was approaching midnight, around
11:30. Only a handful of people remained, either engaged in conversations or seated at the bar. Even the girls had finished their work and retreated to the back to tidy up or do private dances.

As she stumbled a little, she made her way back behind the bar. Reaching for a cup, she poured herself some vodka and eagerly consumed it. However, she suddenly felt a familiar presence behind her. It was Terry. He forcefully snatched the cup from her hand, his voice filled with anger. "What on earth do you think you're doing?!" he exclaimed, his words a mix of whispering and yelling. She gazed up at him, feeling a sense of euphoria. "Using the bathroom?" she replied, unable to contain a small grin and a soft giggle that escaped from her lips. Her mind was completely blank, devoid of any coherent thoughts. "Mary had to cover for you for the past 30 minutes while I was searching for you," annoyance evident in his voice. He looked down at her, placing the glass cup on the counter behind him. "Well, I was, like, you know... taking a bathroom break," she mumbled quietly, swaying on her feet as she looked up at him. "Don't try to deceive me, Amira. I'm being serious. Where the hell were you?" he said angrily.
Clearly, this was not the first time she had been absent. "Shitting" she mumbled again, followed by another giggle.

"That's enough, you're constantly doing this. Calling out of work, going off and leaving your coworkers to take over. You're fired Amira, get your bag and give me your apron and keys." He said harshly.
Amira's heart sank as Terry's harsh words pierced through her intoxicated haze. The room seemed to spin around her as the gravity of the situation settled in. This wasn't the first time she had disappointed her coworkers with her erratic behavior, constantly missing shifts and making excuses. And despite her previous redemption, where she had shown up consistently and proven her dedication, she found herself spiraling back into old habits.

Terry's frustration was palpable, his anger cutting through the air like a knife. The weight of his disappointment bore down on Amira, threatening to crush her spirit. She had become a liability, a burden to her colleagues who had to cover for her absences. The guilt consumed her as she realized the ripple effect of her actions on the entire team.
Tears welled up in Amira's eyes, her vision blurred with remorse. She had always prided herself on being reliable and dependable, but her recent behavior had tarnished that reputation. The thought of losing her job, her source of stability and income, sent a wave of panic through her. The realization that she was on the verge of being fired hit her like a ton of bricks, leaving her breathless and desperate for a chance to redeem herself, but she said nothing.

As the weight of Terry's words settled in, Amira made a silent promise to herself. This wake-up call, she hated herself for giving into her thoughts and doing what she had done in the bathroom.
Amira took a deep breath, wiping away her tears with a trembling hand. She mustered the strength to meet Terry's gaze, her gaze was sad and disappointed in what she had done. She was getting emotional, she rarely got this sad over something. But it was the drugs she had tooken kicking it. "I-I'm sorry terry." normally she was never this vulnerable, she'd bite back. fight back, but now she just felt like shit.

Terry's stern expression softened slightly as he saw the sincerity in Amira's eyes. "Amira," he said, his voice laced with a mix of caution,

"I hope you understand, This can't happen again.
I'm sorry but you're fired."

Amira nodded.

grabbing her bag and untying her apron as she handed it to him, reaching to grab the keys out of the pocket of her apron, handing it to him as well.

before She walked back out the door and into the parking lot, her head hanging low and her expression filled with sorrow. The weight of losing her job was unbearable, but her confusion was amplified by the lingering effects of the drug she had taken in the bathroom. Regret flooded her mind as she berated herself for making such a reckless choice, yet a part of her couldn't resist the temptation to do it again. Despite this internal struggle, she knew deep down that she couldn't allow herself to succumb to that temptation. Making her way to her car, she paused for a moment, realizing that she had completely forgotten to ask where Adriana was or even where she herself was.

Opening the car door, she realized that she was in no condition to drive, but her mind was too hazy to fully comprehend the gravity of the situation. As she sat in the driver's seat, her gaze fixed on the windshield, she found herself captivated by the bright lights of the city, even though she knew they were straining her eyes. The headlights shining through the windshield seemed almost mesmerizing, making it difficult for her to tear her gaze away. Suddenly, a loud knocking on her window jolted her back to reality. She turned her head swiftly and was met with Adriana's gaze, which appeared irritated and somewhat disappointed. Amira unlocked the doors as Adriana opened the door and confronted her. "Amira, where the hell were you? What the fuck were you doing?" Adriana's voice was filled with annoyance. "You said you'd wait for me, and Terry told me what happened. What the fuck were you doing in the bathroom?" Her tone was laced with disappointment. Amira stared back at her, her mind completely blank. She had no idea what to say or do because everything that was being said to her was true. "... I don't know," she managed to utter, her voice subdued and devoid of emotion and had some annoyance in it. Adriana gazed at her for a moment, slowly realizing the gravity of the situation. She noticed the emptiness reflected in Amira's eyes, a telltale sign that she had once again succumbed to her drug addiction. "Amira," Adriana's voice softened, becoming quieter as a mix of disappointment and sadness filled her tone. She couldn't believe that her best friend had fallen back into this destructive phase, the very one she had worked so hard to overcome. "Amira, did you do drugs?" Her voice turned stern, yet remained quiet, as if she demanded an honest answer. She wanted to understand what had led Amira down this path once again.

Amira turn her head to look at Adriana, her gaze, still void of any emotion, before slowly nodding her head. Adriana's expression softened. Her sadness  becoming more pronounced. "Amira, please don't do this again." she pleaded, her voice filled with sadness and concern, she couldn't bear to watch Amira spiral down this dangerous path once more.

"yeah yeah adriana i know," Amira finally said, her voice filled with annoyance, wanting to go home. She buried her face in her hands. The overwhelming emotions consumed her as she realized she was falling back into the dark path she had fought so hard to escape. Memories from her childhood flooded her mind - the nights filled with nightmares, the first time she experimented with drugs, the first time she tried heroin, the first time she overdosed, and the heart-wrenching sight of her mother in tears. It was all too much to bear, and she vowed to never let herself reach this point again. She couldn't bear to see Adriana sad because of the consequences of her own actions.

Amira sat in the driver's seat, frustrated and feeling like shit, while Adriana looked at her with concern and sadness. Tears welled up in Adriana's eyes as she saw her best friend in such a vulnerable state again. "don't get mad," she said quietly, leaning over to embrace her friend. Amira's face nestled into Adriana's shoulder. hugging her gently back.m. Adriana held Amira tightly, providing comfort in the midst of her turmoil.

Eventually, she sat up in her seat. She looked at Adriana with a mixture of regret and determination. "I won't do it again, I promise. I'm so sorry," she whispered. a lie. she knew, probably gonna do it again. but jsut wanting to reassure adriana. Adriana responded softly, "It's okay, Amira," offering a gentle smile. "But now, how about we switch seats? I know you're not in a good condition to drive."

Amira opened her car door and Adriana followed suit as they walked around the car and switched seats. Adriana settled into the driver's seat, taking a moment to let the car warm up since it was cold outside. Both of them needed a moment of respite before driving back home. Amira sat quietly in the passenger seat, leaning against the window, gazing at the bright city lights. She found herself captivated by their beauty once again. As her eyes grew heavy, she succumbed to sleep, allowing herself to find solace in the peaceful embrace of slumber.