Bad Luck Katie

Pathways

Katie passed through the metal detector, her mind in disarray. Jules had not spurned her as she expected. Instead, he had pledged to protect her in a heartfelt promise. She felt remorseful for misjudging his sincerity.

Dinner had already ended, and she had missed it by half an hour. Judging from the menu written on a whiteboard-stuffed peppers with veggies-she hadn't missed much.

She caught sight of Prudence leaving the chapel; her face contorted into a strange grin. Was she smirking? Katie frowned, wondering what the tall, slender girl was up to.

Telling Jules about her deepest shame took an emotional and physical toll on Katie, so she chose to take the elevator instead of the stairs.

During the ascent, she tried to quiet the thoughts in her mind. The only thing that soothed her anxiety was the medication.

As she walked down the hallway, she noticed curious stares from some residents. What was happening?

She quickly found her answer when she saw that the door to her room was wide open and her belongings were in disarray for everyone to see.

Her veins pulsed with anger. What the hell happened?

She noticed her unzipped duffel bag on the floor, and her clothes cluttered. Anger surged as she glimpsed her hospital discharge papers, realizing her privacy had been violated.

In a fit of anger, she slammed the door shut.

A voice shouted from the connected bathroom next door, "Hey!" She recognized the voice. It was Yvette.

As the door creaked open, the woman in gloves emerged, her gaze a mix of fury and disappointment fixed on the teenager.

"We received an anonymous tip that you might be involved in underage drinking," the woman said with a piercing stare.

One person came to Katie's mind: Prudence, the one who betrayed her.

Her eyes welled up as her lips quivered. Why did she do this?

"What do you have to say for yourself?" the woman asked, folding her arms.

Katie chose to remain silent. Since they hadn't found anything, she wasn't going to self-incriminate. The intense hangover she had after drinking discouraged her from wanting another beer.

"Nothing to say," the woman said, analyzing the girl's body language. She sighed at Katie's refusal to speak.

"Look, I know you went through something traumatic," he said, earning a withering glare from the girl in response. "But I have to warn you. You're treading on thin ice. If we find any evidence that you're abusing drugs or alcohol, you will be exited. Do you understand?"

Katie nodded and mumbled, "Yes."

"We have certified counselors here you can talk to and who will help you," the woman continued. "You don't need to self-medicate the pain away. Okay?"

"Yes," Katie whispered.

"I've been here a long time and seen many young girls like yourself fall through the cracks and end up back on the streets. Please don't squander the opportunity you have to better yourself."

The woman shook her head and left because she knew her words would be ignored.

A wave of unease swept through Katie's stomach.

Was she spiraling out of control?

How can she find peace when her mind is in constant turmoil?

Her hand trembled as she reached into her hoodie pocket, where she had hidden the pills. Her mouth felt parched as she desperately longed to swallow a handful of them.

She forcefully returned them to her pocket. She needed something-anything to distract her.

Remembering Greta's phone number, she dialed it. There was no answer.

It went to voice mail. She didn't leave a message.

"What do I do?" she thought.

During the bus ride back, she overheard chatter about a local dealer who sold opiates. He was described as a slacker with hair the color of cotton candy.

Could she consider trying opiates such as fentanyl, codeine, or morphine?

Taking the pills provided some relief, but she needed something stronger.

She grew agitated. She needed something to take her mind off the ache in her stomach and the shakiness in her limbs. If not the pills, then what? What other alternative did she have?

She retrieved the pill bottle from her pocket, unscrewed the cap, and poured out five pills.

In one swift motion, she swallowed the pills and washed them down with a gulp of water from her water bottle.

The trembling subsided as her body relaxed. She reclined on her bed, closed her eyes, and let the darkness envelop her, her rapid heartbeat lulling her into a deep sleep.