Priceless

Chapter Five

I am so exhausted from staying late after school. The performing arts professors got together to ruin our lives once again, but at least I got most of my classwork done.

But then my car broke down and I had to call for it to get picked up. Now I'm walking my way home. God. I'm so exhausted, but...I wonder if this is how Dear feels every day when she has to walk to her job and then home and then to school. Poor Dear. I have to be a better boyfriend. The next time, I'll insist on giving her a ride until she gets tired of me and agrees so I could shut up.

As I walk past the park, I smile at a fellow neighbor that walks his dog. "How you doing?!" he yells out to me.

"I'm doing good! How are you?!"

"Fine fine. Praying that this boy hurries on and gets his steps in!" I laugh as I see his dog bring back the tennis ball he threw. He looks very old, but that energy is still there when he takes out a treat for him.

"Alright then!" I say to him. "Have a good day, yeah?!"

"For sure! You, too!"

I continue my way with a smile until I see a logo that makes my heart stop. It's hidden among the branches of a tree and I run up to it to see if I'm wrong.

No. There it is. The same logo that killed my sister.

I run a finger on its drawing and see that it was only minutes ago that this was put here. With a heavy heart, I continue my path until I find another tiny version of this logo on the edge of a wall. I run up to it and with wide eyes, see that it leads me down an alleyway.

I look around to see if anyone is around. The place seems empty and this way only leads me to the dirty part of this street. It's where it connects with the freeway bridge. With a steady breath, I walk into this alleyway and find more of these logos on the wall.

It's a path. Directions to get to the drug...

My heart shivers knowing that I must be taking the same steps that my sister took two years ago. Tears threaten to escape but I push them back. I'm going to end this once and for all. I take out my camera and get ready.

I hide behind a corner when I see some guys go up to a farther away corner. They seem like guys you see on campus grounds. Of course. My sister looked normal and yet she overdosed.

My blood boils and I'm able to peek closer at the other end of this wall, but I nearly drop my camera along with my heart.

A familiar pretty nose shows. It's the only thing I see with the hoodie on. My whole body trembles when I hear her voice.

Dear.

My world turns silent. Confusion and anger overwhelm me as I realize what I'm seeing. She gives out the same small bags I saw in that box that arrived the other day. She takes their money and takes out more bags. The same bags that I saw in my sister's pocket on that day.

Angry tears now flow out as I watch Dear sell the same drug that killed my sister. With a mind of their own, my feet take me to come out of my hiding spot. I click my camera with flash and all the guys run away. Dear looks over at me with wide eyes as she tries to run, but her world stops when she recognizes me.

"David?" Fear and confusion run through her light brown eyes. "W-what are you doing here?!"

"I should ask the same of you!" Tears keep falling out as I go over to the bag in her hands and slap it so it falls to the ground.

Shame runs through her expression as she gently says, "David. It's not what you think."

"Really? Is it? Then what the hell are you doing here? Why are you--" My heart pounds as anger runs through my veins. "How could you?!"

"David. Please. Hear me out. I did not want to do this! My parents--"

"I don't want to hear it." I start to walk away but she quickly takes my wrist.

"No! Wait! Please! My parents are making me do this! I-I don't want this! You have to understand!"

"Can't you do another job?!" I kick the bag by her feet as tears run down her cheeks. "You had to sell drugs? This drug?!"

"But--"

"My sister killed herself with this drug and you're spreading it so more people like her can die! I should've seen it and I couldn't save her! You're a murderer!"

"David. I'm so sorry. But I did not want this! I...I don't want any of this, but if I don't do it--"

I shake my head as my mind screams at me. I make my way back out of this filthy place and feel Dear pull me back. I strongly get out of her hold and don't hear her fall to the ground. All I hear is her calling out to me. I numb her out as I walk away and let betrayal become my partner again.

I enter the house and ignore my parents as I shut myself in my room. My mother calls out to me, but all I hear is the sob coming out of my heart and my lips.