Stockholm

Inception

My goal was to graduate. I planned to be through with school by the time I turned 18 but, things don't always work out the way we plan them. I was taken from my home, my original home. The school day had ended and I was on the bus ride home. I scanned out the window with my bookbag on my lap in front of me. Sound waves spat at the inside of my ears. I could still hear the noisy, sometimes smelly people around me. Maybe some of them were mentally ill or perhaps sped on drugs. Too sped to shower, maybe too depressed like me. I breathed through my nose and the bright pink sleeves covered my mouth. I didn't want to breathe in anyone else's toxins. The driver of the city bus had to make a stop and we waited up to 40 minutes. I never knew why the bus took so many breaks for such a long time. People had places to be! I had to be in my room or outside at the park getting some piece of mind with a joint and my vape that I snagged from a gas station a block up the street with the $10 my mom gave me every other week. Still, I hated my house. All of the creepy guys are in and out every few days. Some of them refused to leave.

"You work for me!" I remember one guy throwing a blowup. I could hear him from my room. Downstairs sounded like upstairs, and upstairs sounded like downstairs. We lived in a flat.

My feet danced as I got antsy wondering what- if anyone was waiting for me at home. Usually, mom had work until nine o'clock at night. We were approaching the last stop before mine.

"Answer the door and let Draco in for me after school, will you?" She'd say as she headed out for work. Sometimes it was a different guy every night and sometimes it would be the same guy except he'd never leave until he was satisfied with her. Draco wasn't too bad, he was nice and stayed to himself downstairs watching the sports channel until Mom got home from the club. I remember one of the men named Archer trying to kiss me. The odor of alcohol coming off of his breath made me coil underneath my sand-colored skin. I wish I was sand, sand is free.

As people stood up from their seats to exit the bus I glanced both ways before taking a hit of my vape. I inhaled the smoke deep into my lungs as I moved my backpack to the seat next to me and exhaled between my legs. Not rising until the smoke cleared I picked my head up and we were on my street. I quickly slipped my vape into my bra and swung my backpack on my back and exited the bus.

I inhaled to take a breath and continued walking my block. I sang along to my music and took puffs from my vape. The sweet menthol calmed my nerves. Approaching the house I removed my key from my bag. My breathing hitched, and my stomach gurgled. The anxiety I got every time I came home was unmatched just until Andrew snatched me up. The thing is, he didn't exactly snatch me. Some horrible country music was coming from the kitchen. I didn't hate country music but this one guy mom works for loves it. My eyes peered about the narrow corridor. I heard a man's laughter and my mom's "innocent" giggle.

I crept to my room. Mom's door made that awful creaking noise as it swung open. She was drunk and so was this mystery man.

"Baby, this is my kid I was tellin' you about!" Mom stumbled about. I dashed into my room and locked my door. "Eh, she's not a talker." I heard her slur.

I sped to my room locking my door instantly then I threw my bag down, slithering my hand into the left pocket and retrieving my house key. I walked over to my dresser and rummaged through the balled-up clothes. I palmed the little baggy and slipped it in my bra. It was that time.

"Time to get the fuck out of here for a break." I decided.

I've been waiting all fucking day for this sweet, skunky, smelly scent I loved so much. I double-checked to make sure I had my lighter and house key before grabbing my phone and earbuds. I left my room blasting my music through my earbuds and walked out the front door. I skipped to my music on the way to the park halfway down from my house. Gripping the slide I crawled to the top. Removing all of my smoking supplies from my body I peered ahead of me as I packed my bowl. A 2023, opulent Lexus was parked with its low lights turned on. Two legs emerged from the car, one after the other.