Composure

Chapter 6

Hot, humid-like air hit all corners of the room. I thought I heard a ringing in my left ear just a couple seconds ago but now I feel like I'm on a boat, swaying back and forth. It feels nice having no worry in the world, you can just lay back and relax. 

"Want another hit..Nina?" Phil said as he coughed in between trying to pass what he called pig in a blanket my way.

"No, thanks I've had enough for the night. I should probably go. Don't wanna keep my aunt waiting." 

I felt his hand grab mine as he pulled me back to his beat up couch that smelled of mildew and cigarettes.

"No! No.. stay." he said 

Why was I here. I asked myself this as I knocked on Phil's door 10 at night apologizing for not showing up at his show one night. I guess my goal of trying to lay low was not really working because before I knew it, he asked me to come inside and talk, which is just as worse as a random stranger asking a kid to get into his fucking minivan. Who does that? Oh, yeah, that's right, ME!

"Oh, no, I can't. I'll be dead if I don't show up by curfew. She thinks I'm at the hospital right..now." I felt the last hit of the joint that I took five minutes ago while I auctioned to get off of the couch, one leg feeling heavier than the other. Deb thinks I'm doing volunteer work at the midtown hospital and am working on getting an internship there.

"You getting into it?" he started to laugh  

Maybe a little, because I started to laugh, too. 

"Eh.. I'm gonna go. I'll see you around."

I looked up to see a nodded off side of Phil looking around for something in his bag. His face glowed, finding the golden ticket. Between his fingertips was a questionable, small zip lock bag that thankfully without my glasses, I couldn't see what was inside. 

"I even got something better.." 

hmm.. do I wanna? I snapped back to reality, for now a needle escaped from a random spot on the couch and was laid next to the bag. I think he is getting ready to do all the other things I have always questioned about. I stumbled to the door, just for my palm to slip off the door nob. Twice. The door finally opened with a loud creak, so much for going out quietly. I look at Phil, about to say goodbye just for him to be doing something with a rubber band. What was he doing?   I blinked slowly, then was out soon enough because I refused to look. I had no assumption of what that was nor would I even like to know.

I walked out the main door after taking forever just to go down one flight of stairs. I took a left down Pratt Street to start my journey back.. or at least try to. I hear a distant song of Tupac's busting the speakers of someone's car down the street, seeing little black dots run to it. Well, that is what it looked like since I was so far away. They looked like little bugs, swarming  around. I kept walking just to see that men were going to the passenger seat window to peak inside. One was halfway in the middle, one was leaning on the car and one was standing on the sidewalk just to look around. All of their voices had a deep tone to it. They got louder when the person from the drivers side came around the hood to talk to the person who was leaning on the car. You could hear his distant curses in a goal of trying to get the guy off of his car I suppose. There was more bickering and the second guy who was permitting the car decided to join in what was now a brawl. One was even pushed away just to knock into the guy who was recently in the car passenger seat. I was not expecting who I was going to see for it hit me way too late. 

Jimmy

"Hey, man, what the fuck!" I heard him yell

I was ice. I was frozen in that spam of time, they were gonna get me. They probably saw me by now, they would just be waiting for my turn after they finish this person off. I suddenly felt the pounding in my head again, maybe as if the fist he was now punching this guy with was actually punching me, too. The bruise located on my left eye started to become sore, as if he came up himself and pressed his finger real hard. Like a opening of a healing cut. His tattoos that laid on his face showed through the streetlight.  I felt my body move on its own. They continued taking turns on the person who was now on the ground, bleeding.  This is right outside of Phil's apartment.. does he even know that he does this? Would he even believe me. My back just then hit the cold, streelight pole as my bag made a loud banging noise for my camera was at the bottom.