Narcotics [h.s]

chapter one

A deafening ring sounds close to my ear. My phone never stops ringing, and it's always Willow asking me to come out and party. She wakes me up every single day, always wanting to talk about something. But, I guess I'm used to it now.

"Hello?" I say, my voice still groggy from sleep. Sitting up slightly, I rub my eyes.

"Mia? Where have you been? You've not been replying to my texts for the last hour and a half!" Willow rambles quickly. Honestly the girl seems to forget that people need sleep.

"I've been asleep Willow, calm down," I explain to her.

"You get enough sleep as it is! Anyway, the reason I'm calling is because you seem incapable of answering your text messages. I've got us an invite somewhere tonight," she squeals with excitement. All Willow ever wants to do is go out and party, I mean I get that it's a Friday night and all but give me a break.

"Oh yeah? Where are we going?" I yawn as I begin to clamber out from under the blanket on my bed.

"Viscous," she replies.

"Viscous?" I repeat with a questioning tone and freeze. I'm certainly awake now.

"Yeah, I know right! How insane is that? Brett said he's managed to get us on the list," she explains to me. I forgot Willow was dating some new guy she met a few weeks ago called Brett. How the hell does he have the connections to get into Viscous?

"Willow, I don't know..." I begin to make up an excuse as to why I can't go. Seriously, I've heard what goes on there. I may not come back out again.

"Come on Mia, live a little. You haven't come out to party with me in ages. Come on, for old time's sake?" she tries to persuade me. I guess it wouldn't hurt to go out tonight, and try and live a little.

"Okay, okay fine. I'll come tonight. Meet me beforehand though? I don't want to go alone," I say.

"Yeah, 'course doll. I'll meet you on Chrysler Street, on the corner okay?" she proposes and I make a not so subtle sigh of relief. Walking down Chrysler on your own, you've got no idea who you might bump into."

In this city, now full of guns, gangs, drugs and crime no one feels safe. Even if you make the smallest fault in your thinking, you could lose your life if you pissed off the wrong person.

"That sounds great, thanks Willow. See you there at 9?" I ask, and my palms are beginning to sweat even just thinking about where I'm going tonight.

"Yeah see you there at 9. Brett said he's gonna meet us at the entrance," she once again says with excitement. How she can be excited to go Viscous, I have no idea.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

--

I stand slightly shivering from the bitter cold air on the corner of Chrysler Street, the time is 9:01pm. She was only one minute late, and already I was beginning to feel apprehensive and regretting ever agreeing to come here tonight.

"Mia!" I release a breath I didn't consciously know I was holding, feeling an overwhelming surge of relief seeing my best friend walking down the street towards me. She embraces me in a hug and rubs my back soothingly.

"Thank you so much for coming out with me tonight, this really does mean so much to me Mia. I know you're knowing, and don't get me wrong I am too. We just need to stay together and be on our best behaviour so we don't get into any trouble," I nod in agreement with her. Nodding is all I'm capable of right now it seems.

Linking her arm with my own, she puts on a sudden confident façade as we begin to walk down the street. I almost trip at the force of her pulling me along without warning and stumbling in my heels I had to wear. That was the dress code here, red or black formal attire.