Do Better

Five

Aubrey

Wednesday

We were all back in L.A. at the house, but things have felt different. Living with Jhene definitely makes me wonder what she's doing most of the time, which is usually chilling with me. But lately she's been quiet and she leaves every night around 11. The night I performed in Miami made everything change. She looked terrible; bruised and weak. I asked once what had happened but she chose to keep it to herself. I left the situation alone, but it didn't make me any less curious about it; I only wanted to know more. I'd even tried to take her out to dinner but she denied and went out instead.

I stood up from the black leather couch and walked into my room. Opening the dresser, I realized I had opened the wrong one, opening the one I let Jhene use accidentally. I saw a piece of paper crumbled inside, knowing it wasn't any of my business but I couldn't help it. After undoing the paper, I read it in my head.

Jhené,

Don't forget about the bet. No bluffing. Remember, your life is in my hands. Send it to the address on the envelope.

Keep that poker face on.

~Antonio

Jhene

I walked into the small café that I was meeting Krissie, one of my good friends, avoiding the few cameras that flashed in my face.

Her dark, long hair flowed around her shoulders and her smile brightened me as I made me way inside to give her a huge, much needed, hug.

We sat down in a booth, ordered drinks, then began a conversation.

"So what is it you wanted to talk about?" She asked. She seemed so excited to find out...little did she know it was nothing good. Krissie was the only one I could talk to about this situation. I'd be embarrassed to talk to anyone else about it, and I knew she'd be honest with me.

"Where to start..." I sighed. "Well, you know Aubrey, right?" I could tell she was confused, so I cleared it up for her, "Drake."

"Okay, yes. What about him?" She eyed me warily.

"Well for starters, I've been staying with him for a few days."

"Why?"

"I'm getting there... I ran into him on New Year's and afterwards, I went into a casino." Her eyes grew dark, telling me I had made a mistake. I tried to ignore the pressure and continue. "There was this guy there named Antonio and he gave me his room key, but I said no. That apparently pissed him off enough to take me away from the scene and hold a knife to my neck." I hadn't realized how much the story didn't seem to piece together until now. "Aubrey, well I mean Drake, he came back there because I called him. Antonio, he um..." I trailed off. I guess I could leave out the part about getting cut in the stomach; it didn't sound believable. "It just got messy... And I thought that was going to be the end of that situation but someone he knows named Braden showed up in Miami the other night and did the same thing."

Krissie's eyes were wider than I'd ever seen and she had her chin rested on her hand, listening intently.

Tears formed into my eyes, slowly threatening to fall as I was about to explain the rest. "But this time he took me to a house and Antonio was there. I couldn't even do anything because my hands were tied. Well he was really mad.... And he took me to another room and I'm sure you know what happened. But I made him a bet to get out of this because he kept telling me he wanted more."

"Jhene...." Krissie whispered. Sympathy was evident in her eyes and I could tell she had no words. "What was the bet?"

"He told me I had to give him 50 thousand by Sunday, but it all had to come from my earnings from playing poker..." I trailed off, feeling uncomfortable talking about this.