Destined

IX

7:03pm

They met outside of the United Center - the home stadium to many of the city's professional sports team - like they had planned. She gave him a wave because she doesn't know what she's supposed to do.

Hug him? That seems awfully inappropriate for their lack of a relationship. She can't define them. She doesn't know what they are. They're friends? She guess they could be considered as friends but she don't really know because not so long ago, he was the enemy. But she knows for sure that he's not her boyfriend. Why the hell would she even think that? Anyway she really don't think he sees her that way. Besides she's never had one. A real boyfriend that is. One that she actually loves and cares for endlessly and he too would reciprocate the desired feelings. Not what she used to do - 'befriend' a junkie just like her so she could have easy access to drugs and booze. She'd never have to worry about a fix, they'd provide it for her and she didn't have to spend a dime. And if they couldn't or wouldn't, she'd hop onto the next junkie. She's pretty girl, she'd tell herself. She'll find someone who'd give her what she needs. That was the life she was living. And now as she thinks back, she definitely was living 'the life' like she thought she was.

Some people couch hop, she guy hop.

No guy has ever taken her out on a date. And truthfully that's on her because she chooses guys who are emotionally unavailable just like her and the only emotion they showed or shared was for their next fix. Just like her. Wait a minute, is this even considered as a date? She don't really know too. Dates to her are getting paid at the end of the night. Dates to her are in hotel rooms or in vehicles. Dates to her are whatever her clients wants to do or wants her to do, whether be it uncomfortable or not, she has to suck it up. No pun intended. She probably shouldn't be talking to him about any of this, remotely, not even an utter since as far as he's concerned she's working the night shifts for a cleaning company.

He smiled at her and she blushed when he rested a palm on the small of her back, guiding her to the entrance.

She's changed. Troubled. She's not the same woman she was years ago - she doesn't guy hop anymore, she doesn't go around pinching people like she used to - or even a month ago, though her occupation remains unchanged. Clean. Despite that fact, she'd like to think that her maturity somewhat elevated since her last drug binge. Everything is much clearer now. Rational.

Thanks to Annie. She loves her. She doesn't know what she'd do without her. Mixing both cocaine and heroin was the dumbest choice she's ever made.

What the hell was she thinking!

She clearly wasn't.

Jay and her been texting, only texting and nothing more. Strictly texting. And since she doesn't have money yet to buy herself a new phone, she've been using her old Motorola Razr that her stepfather got her for her sixteenth birthday, that she's embarrassed to pull out now, so she's keeping it on vibrate for now. It's still salvageable even with the cracked screen, even when that phone hosted many of her dark secrets, even when he only got her that phone so as to shut her up.

She learned quickly that she too can get her way. All she had to do was threaten to tell the authorities. They'd believe her. She's the minor. But that was only short lived when he grew tired of her demands, screaming at her that he'd kill Bunny and make her watch her mother's agonisingly slow death, and he'd do the same to her. She thought she had the upper hand but boy was she wrong and she didn't disobey him since then just to find out what he's capable of doing.

She knows her limits.

And since her ribs were still aching, she hadn't yet gone back to work even when Misha insisted - no - threatened her that she does and soon because they're losing clients which entails to losing money without their number 1 Double Dzz Doll. Dandelion. Her.