Drugs Of NYC

Chapter 1 - Background

I raced out of the studio, blinded by my own tears. My chest heaving and my heart ready to pounce out of my own chest. The heavy poured down on my head making my hair cover one of my eyes. I knew he would probably follow me out so I hailed down the first taxi I saw. Screaming at the top of my lungs for it to stop. It pulled over quickly and I swung the door open.

"Where ya headin' little lady?" The cab driver whistled back at me. He looked so disgusting. A man in his forties with dirty grey hair and a Yankees cap on top. At this point though any man looked disgusting.

"Just drive!" I cried shutting the door behind me. He pulled off sensing the urgency in my voice. I brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them in the seat. I sobbed uncontrollably into my knees. Emotions kept washing over me. The cab driver looked in the rear view mirror a couple times, just checking on me. I could read the concern. He wanted to speak but he wasn't sure what to say. I mean what would you say to a crying, pretty girl at three a.m? My phone buzzed like crazy in my clutch purse. I picked it up, not even looking to see who it was. I threw it out the window. I could hear it break, even as the cab driver drove down the street. I returned back to sobbing uncontrollably in my lap until the driver finally spoke,

"Is there somewhere I can take you, hon? I can't drive you around all night." he said softly. I nodded and slowly composed myself enough to speak.

"Here's an address." I handed him a tear soaked piece of paper. He nodded and tried his best to read the street name and numbers. This was Definitely the worst night of my life. But it didn't have to be this way. Nothing had to be this way.

• 2 years earlier•

"Murphy, we need a double bacon burger!" I called into the kitchen. "Extra pickles too." I hung the sticky note on the small window carefully. Murph quickly snatches it off and disappears into the kitchen. I see a red ponytail moving quick towards me, who couldn't recognize Kingsley? The only girl with bright red hair and pale blue eyes. She was my best friend ever since 4th grade and now at 21, we were waiting tables at Jeffery's diner.

"Some fat ass kid, puked at table 3. Goddamn ice cream." She snatched a towel off the counter. She's not exactly a customer service expert.

"Attitude much?" I laugh jotting down the sale for the bacon deluxe burger.

"Oh yeah," She walked around the counter back to the tables.

"One double B, with EP!" Murphy sung sliding the burger on the waiting tray in the window. He one the other hand, was the definition of customer service when the neighborhood punks weren't teasing him for being gay. How could anyone not love my Murphy? He had such inviting, warm brown eyes with that beach blonde hair. He still looked somewhat like a teenager, even though he was older than Kingsley and I. He was 23, and another best friend of mine.

"Thanks Murph," I spun around and sat the plate on the bar in front of a teenage looking boy. He looked at it disgusted. "Something wrong, sweet pea?"

"Yes," He lifted the bun up. I inspected it and saw nothing wrong.

"Well, what's wrong with it?"

"Your numbers not on it..." He smiled sweetly. I heard Murphy laughing in the kitchen and saw him emerge in the window.

"Best one I've heard all week," He claps. "Had me going for a second."

"Stop it," I nudge him. "And that's sweet of you honey, but you're a little too young for me."

"I'm fifteen!" he protested.

"Oh boy, not another one." Kingsley rolled her eyes coming behind the counter. "Isn't this the fourth one??"

"Sorry hun, You've got to be 18 to have a shot." I shrugged.

"Age ain't nothing but a number baby," He grasped my hand that was on the counter.

"And jail is just a room right?" I laughed slipping it away.

"Try again in three years," Kingsley said. "She'll be here,"

"No she won't!" Murphy exclaimed. "She'll be living the Hollywood lifestyle when she gets that part today! Right, Tess?"

"Right, Murph." I gave him our signature fist pound.

"So you'll be famous?" The teen asked with his eyes wide.

"I sure will, Tessa Lott. You remember that." I pointed to him. "You can say you knew me before I got famous."

"Ego level 3000," Kingsley said.

"Shut up," I laugh. "I've got some excellent acting skills,"

"You've got the face for Hollywood, but your acting...eh..."

"Face? I truly don't see what makes me different than the other girls." I wiped down the counter.

"Your figure, number one, is killer. You're skinny, with a nice little curve and semi-tan. Beach body. Like the kind you see in Victoria secret shows." Kingsley titled her head. "What else, Murphy?"

"Well, she's got zero acne. A nice structured face. And thick model pouty lips that make me want to go straight just to bite them off," He makes a growling noise and furrows his eyebrows.

"You guys really think I have a face for hollywood?" I find myself smiling.

"YES." They both say at the same time.

"My acting is good too," I say matter of factly.

"Confidence is the key honey," Murph says disappearing back into the kitchen.

"Screw you!" I call.

"You want to be an actress so badly." Kingsley leans on the counter.

"Yes, and finally start making some real money." I toss the rag over my shoulder.

"Real money?! Tessa your parents are damn near billionaires. Why do you need money??"

"Cause it gets annoying to stay at your parents condo and beg them for money just to take a taxi to get to my minimum wage job with my sarcastic friends." I frown at her.

"Well you could've worked at your dad's corporation...stop complaining." Murphy said coming through the doors. The heat of the kitchen made his face look sweaty.

"I want nothing to do with Love of Lotts. I'll be damned if I work for Daniel," Love of Lotts was my dads empire that manufactured detachable Teddy Bears. And while my dad was still getting a large amount of the profits, he had passed the company down to my older brother, Daniel.

"I want my name in lights, ya know?" I shrugged.

"Yes we know, ever since 8th grade we knew." Murph wiped his forehead. "Whens your audition?"

I looked at my bare wrist then up at the ticking wall clock.

"Oh crap, in one hour. I've got to do my hair." I untied my apron and slammed it down on the counter. "Kingsley, will you cover for me?"

"Of course," She pecked my cheek and Murphy hugged me tight.

"You'll do great!" he whispered. I pulled away and admired my smiling friends. The ones I'd be the first one to thank in my Oscar acceptance speech. I ran out the diner full speed and caught a cab home.

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