Sugar Baby

seventeen

"What the fuck..."

She quickly picks the small bag up from the ground and places it in her bag. "Rettá, I know you're probably thinking the worst right now."

"No shit, what are you doing with cocaine?!?!!

Brooklyn covers my mouth quickly stating, "Will you quiet down!"

Pushing her away from me, I exclaim, "Nah don't touch me! I can't believe you..."

Shaking my head, I take my phone out to find an Uber to go back to school. I can't deal with this shit right now...

"What are you doing?"

"I'm getting ready to leave! I'm not going to sit here and watch you do this to yourself!"

"It's not as bad as you think. Everyone does it at school," she says wiping the residue of cocaine off her sink.

"You're not everyone! Brooklyn you need to stop because this....this ain't it. You're better than this!"

"I'm a thousand miles away for MY future. You don't know what's it's like to have all of this pressure from your family and expectation to be perfect all the time. I just need to escape and this helps me Rettá."

"You may escape for a minute but Brooklyn this is doing way more harm than good."

"Don't pretend like you know what's best for me! I'm my own person, and this is my personal choice! Stop taking things so seriously!"

"Fine but I hope you take this seriously when one day someone or your family finds you unconscious, choking on your vomit after overdosing. I hope you take shit serious then."

She looks at me with a loss of words, with what I said sinking in. There was silence before Brooklyn finally mumbles, "Omerettà, just leave..."

Without saying anything else, I pick up my bag and leave her room going downstairs, making my way to the door as quickly and normally as possible.

"Rettá, what's the rush for honey," Ms. Pat asks me before I can get to the door."

"Something came up, I really have to go..."

"Is everything okay? It must be urgent if you're missing my famous fish and onion rings."

At the top of the stairs, I could see Brooklyn watching me to see if I was going to tell them. The idea of telling them went across my mind but I'm not about to get into that mess. They're going to see it for themselves eventually.

"Yes, something happened on campus with my friend."

"Well do you need a ride or want a to go box at least?

"No, my Uber is outside. Thank you though. See you guys later..."

Before they could say anything else, I leave out the front door and get in the Uber.

The entire ride back I still couldn't grasp what just went down. Did I make the right decision by not telling her family...

After making it back to my dorm, I try to take my mind off things by doing some work for my finance classes. I was already done with two assignments and before I could start on the other, I receive a phone call from Angela.