Caught Up

Chapter 7

The sun shined bright as Taj walked out of the apartment building with her thoughts in disarray. Although she still didn’t know where she was, parts of the area looked familiar. By the time she got outside and to the parking lot, she knew she was still downtown. Behind the next building she saw the billboard that was on the street three blocks from where Club Phoenix was. Taj scanned the parking lot, looking for her 2009 Chevy Impala. Her headache slowly began to return as she saw what seemed like every car but hers. Her phone was dead, her car was gone, and her best friend was mad at her.

How can this day get any worse? She thought to herself as she began to walk in the direction of the billboard. Since it wasn’t in the parking lot of the apartment she spent the night at, she desperately hoped that her car was in the parking lot at the club.

Oh shit! Taj panicked as she patted her back pocket. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she felt the lump her wallet formed. It was good to know that given the circumstances she still had her wallet and her keys were still attached to a chain on her belt loop.

Taj licked her lips with her dry tongue. The dehydration from all the alcohol from the night before had caught up with her and she desperately needed to get something in her system before she passed out. Looking around, she saw a corner store across the street. She still had her wallet and even if she didn’t, she still had a bunch of ones in her front pocket from tipping the dancers that performed at the club. She looked both ways as she began to cross the empty street.

An engine revved, tires screeched and a loud horn sounded as Taj looked over just in time to see a black car speeding around the corner in her direction. As quickly as she could, she tried to move out of the way. Her efforts were in vain as the car clipped her at the last second causing her to fall to the ground. Her hands and forearms scraped against the gravel stinging in the process. Part of her wanted to just lay there and not move. She was sure nothing was broken but the impact still hurt. Slowly pulling herself up and wiping herself down, Taj limped the rest of the way across the street and made her way into the corner store.

 Once inside, she found an individual pack of pain killers and headed toward the refrigerators lined in the back. Grabbing the biggest bottle of Gatorade she could find, she went to the cashier to pay and get out of there. The corner store was entirely too small and reeked of an unusual odor.

“Lemme get a pack of Newports box” Taj told the cashier. A cigarette was just what she needed right now.

The cashier grabbed the cigarettes and threw them on the counter. “ID?” she asked.

Taj had been legal for 5 years and she still got carded. She thought itd be obvious by now that she was old enough but she let out a sigh and grabbed for her wallet anyway. To her surprise, her ID was gone. The money and credit cards were still there, but the slot where her ID normally rested was empty. She patted her pockets and checked each one.

“I know I had it…” she started with a nervous smile. The fact that she was old enough and couldn’t buy her cigarettes was making her more and more angry by the second. “I don’t think I got it… you can’t just give it to me this time? I’m 23, c’mon now”

“No ID, no cigarette” the little Asian lady said while grabbing the pack and putting it back behind the counter.

“Aight, whatever man. How much is everything else?” Taj asked, annoyed at the lack of nicotine in her life right now.

“$4.98” The cashier said. Taj pulled out a 5 dollar bill from her wallet and threw it on the counter. She grabbed the Gatorade and pain killers and walked out the store. She cracked open her drink and opened up the pain killers, popping 2 in her mouth and downing them quickly. She was already feeling better as she finished half the bottle with five large gulps. Continuing her walk towards Phoenix, she saw a young man in his 20’s standing on a corner smoking a cigarette.

Perfect, she thought as she approached him. The man in front of her was the definition of a hood. He had on a white tank top and jeans that sagged over his tan Timberland boots. A du rag was wrapped around his head and he stood and smoked his cigarette.

“Aye, can I buy a jack off you?” Taj asked, pulling out a dollar from her pocket.

Silently the young man pulled out a pack of Newport 100s and handed her 2.

“Good look.” Taj said, showing her appreciation. “You got a light?”

The man pulled out his lighter and handed it to her. She lit her cigarette and inhaled slowly while giving the man his lighter back.

“Thanks” She said as she started walking away. Taj rarely smoked 100s. It was always way too much nicotine at once, but given the day that she had she needed it.

Still somewhat limping, she continued on her way to the club finishing her cigarette along the way. She was only about two blocks from the club now but because her leg was still in pain, it was beginning to get difficult to walk. Despite the pain, she was determined to get to the club. If her car wasn’t there, it was going to be a long bus ride to her house. She couldn’t call anyone for a ride for two reasons; her phone was off and she barely remembered anyone’s number. Taj prayed her car was sitting in the parking lot where she left it.

As she approached The Phoenix, her jaw dropped in shock. What once stood as one of the biggest LGBT clubs in the city was now rubble and ashes. Caution tape circled the perimeter and cops were everywhere.

“What the FUCK?” escaped Taj’s lips as she stared in amazement. Club Phoenix had been burned down. Seeing the club like this caused her heart to skip a beat. From the looks of it, the fire looked recent. The smoke wasn’t thick and black but it was still steaming as if they had just put out the fire not too long ago. Although she talked to Laynaa for a brief second not too long ago, she still wondered if her friend had been in the building when it happened. Taj’s heart raced and she frantically looked around the large parking lot for her car. Emergency vehicles still littered the parking lot and everything around it.

 Taj walked through the parking lot in search of her car. In the middle of the parking lot, just where she had left it, was her car. Stopping in her tracks, she looked on as cops and detectives surrounded the vehicle taking notes and fingerprints. The passenger side door was open and there was a cop inside doing something that Taj couldn’t make out.

The cops in this city were assholes. They were the type that took their jobs way too seriously and was quick to lock someone up. Taj knew all too well given the fact that she had a “criminal background”. She was still on probation for another couple months and couldn’t afford to mess up now. The sight of cops surrounding her car sent the thought of jail in her mind as Taj slowly turned to walk away unseen.

Taj rounded the corner and sat at the bus stop with her hands together and her head down. Her dreads hung, covering her face from the view of anyone around her.

“God, please help me with this one” She said aloud as she contemplated her next move.