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Onika Maraj February 22
Rehab Facility
Julius opened the door for me, and I stepped out, adjusting my jacket. "I shouldn't be too long," I said, glancing back at him. He nodded, staying by the car as I made my way inside.
The facility was actually pretty nice-clean, calm, with warm lighting that made the place feel welcoming. The receptionist looked up as I approached.
"Hello, welcome to New Horizons Rehabilitation Center. You can sign in here. Who are you here to see?"
"Ariana Fletcher," I replied, reaching for the pen.
She nodded, pressing a few keys on the phone before putting it to her ear. As I signed my name, she handed me a visitor sticker, her voice warm as she said, "Ariana is ready. She's in room 203."
I gave her a quick nod and headed down the hallway, my nerves buzzing a bit as I approached her room. I knocked softly, and after a moment, the door cracked open, Ariana peeking out before realizing it was me. Her face lit up, and she opened the door wide, pulling me into a hug.
She looked good-better than I'd seen her in a long time. She had on a simple jumpsuit, her natural hair pulled into a bun, face fresh and glowing with just a hint of lip gloss.
"You look so pretty, Ari," I said, meaning every word.
She smiled, brushing a stray hair back. "Thank you. So do you... Hmm, I can tell somebody doing you right."
I laughed, caught off guard. "Girl, what?"
She gave me a playful look as we sat down. "I'm just saying, you got that walk."
I rolled my eyes, leaning back in my chair. "I might've just got ate, I don't know."
Ariana gasped, eyes wide. "Before coming to see me is crazyyy!"
We both burst out laughing, the sound filling the room and easing some of the tension I'd been holding onto.
But after a few moments, I took a deep breath, the smile fading a little as I looked at her. "Ari... what's going on?"
Ari took a shaky breath, staring at her hands before she finally began. "I came to L.A. a few years back, to dance at the club. The money was good, and for a while, I convinced myself it was enough." She looked up, a bitter smile on her lips. "Then Nipsey and his boys started coming around. They'd sit in the back, throwing money all night. They liked me and the other girls. He... he was cute to me, Nic. We had sex a couple times... thought maybe it was something real at first."
"Then he started asking if I wanted to make more money," she continued, voice low. "At first, it was just little things, dropping off drugs here and there. But over time, it changed. I started... using. Then, before I even realized it, he had me out there... as his girl, his property. His... his damn product. He became my pimp."
