How to Lose your Best Friend

♧XLVIII♧

PJ

I'm the actual definition of broke and I couldn't afford anything nice to give Eagle for my promposal to her. Luckily, I managed to sneak into the liquor store and steal some of the money from the cash box. It was just enough to buy her something decent from the local mall but my dad caught me before I even got the chance. I got a beating a little worse than usual and he threw me into my room for the night as a punishment.

As I sulked in the corner of my empty bedroom I decided to look through my closet for something half decent that I could give to Eagle. I owned a minimal amount of things and there was about a total of 5 things inside the small closet. One pair of jeans, a jacket that didn't fit me anymore, a button down shirt stained with tears, the jacket that Antonio let me wear on the first day of school, and the hat my mother bought for me when I was 7. I sighed realizing that nothing I owned was anywhere near fit for Eagle. She was worth the world and I had nothing.

My parents announced that they were going out so, in other words, they were going out for a drug run. Their local dealer was on the other side of town so it gave me a good 30 minutes to escape from my room. Normally I'd sprint out the door as soon their car took off but I decided to check my mother's belongings to see if she had anything that I could give Eagle.

The vanity in her room was completely beaten down and had specks of cocaine seeping through the cracks. I opened the drawer only to find a few bundles of weed and a bong. I closed it quickly not wanting to start any bad habits and went to their walk-in closet in hopes to find something. Their clothes reeked of smoke and sweat as I rustled through their belongings until I found a hallway open safe in the back of their closet.

The safe was built into the wall and was poorly covered up by a few shirts and inside was a stack of fake IDs and bundles of fake hundred dollar bills. Were they seriously that stupid to think that they could pass this shit off as real to anyone? I rustled through the box to find nothing and I continued to look through their room for something that was halfway decent. Didn't my mom have a jewelry box or something that I could use? I've always seen her wearing fancy necklaces and earrings so where could it be? I walked back to her vanity to find nothing. I was beginning to get mad and lost control of my anger kicking the already broken piece of wood to hear something drop onto the floor.

I crouched on the floor to see what had fallen to find a gold necklace crumbled up into a ball. I picked it up to see that it read my real name "Peyton" in gold lettering. What the hell was this? Since when did my mom own a necklace that read my name and why haven't I ever seen it before now?

I looked up to see that the necklace that had fallen onto the floor was taped to a letter underneath her broken vanity. I peeled it off to find my name written on the back of it. I ripped it open immediately and the first words were "PJ, you're finally 18 and that means your father has probably kicked you out by now." What that hell did this mean? I wasn't turning 18 anytime soon so what did this mean?

I wanted to read more of the letter when I heard the garage beginning to open symbolizing that my parents were back from their drug run. I quickly stuck the letter back to the bottom of her vanity, grabbed the necklace, and ran out the back door of the house before they noticed that I was still home.

I wasn't sure where I'd go but I most definitely wasn't going to spend the night in there any longer than I had to. I had no clue where Eagle's hideout was and it would be stupid of me to even attempt finding it so that wasn't an option. The only place I was welcome was Antonio's house but I haven't held an actual conversation with him in months. The last time I went to his house let alone talked to him I ended up sleeping with him and forgetting that Eagle ever existed. I wasn't about to go back to my house and sleeping in the bushes wasn't a great idea either so Antonio's house was my only option.

His home wasn't too far away, about a 20-minute run and if I made it in time his parents would still be up to let me in. I arrived at his doorstep in about 30 minutes and his parents claimed that they were happy to see me again. They told me that they missed me and that I was welcome to come over whenever I wanted. Antonio was already asleep but his parents assured me that he wouldn't mind if I crawled into his bed.

I thought that it was a horrible idea but his floor was covered in dirty clothes and his bed was the only other option. He was curled up in a blanket pressing against the far side of his bed and there was plenty of room for me to slide in if I wanted. I sighed to myself at the thought of sleeping next to him but I didn't know what else I could do. He was asleep so it wasn't like he'd know and his parents told me that it would be okay. I grabbed a blanket that had fallen onto the floor and wrapped myself inside facing away from Antonio. I tried to fall asleep but thoughts of the letter under my mom's vanity kept me awake. What was that letter supposed to be for? Most likely for my 18th. birthday I assumed answering my own question. If it was for 2 years from now why had she already written it?

I looked down at my chest to see the necklace laying across my chest. Why did it say my name and how could my parents afford anything that was made of actual gold? I had so many questions with not enough answers. I had no idea what the necklace nor the letter meant but I knew that they were important. It was obvious that if I wanted to know what the rest of that letter said then I had to go back home. That wasn't something that I'd willingly throw myself into and I'm sure that my curiosity could wait. I was supposed to get it when I was 18 so I'm sure it was some stupid life advice for living on my own once they kicked me out. That had to be it. Why else would she wait until I was 18 to give it to me?