Heartbreak Hotel (Editing)

Chapter 85: In A Darkened Room

Nikki's POV

That place reminded me so much of Harlem. Just it's setting, its appearance. The people there...all reminded me of that place. I was never able to get used to seeing druggie's on the streets. It was something about them that made cringe: they way they walked, the blood shot eyes, the posture. It all made me feel as though they were a threat to me, even though the only thing that they wanted was to get high.

My mother was never the kind of woman to get caught into drugs. She only allowed alcohol to almost take her life away from her. Growing up, all I ever heard her tell me over and over again was to stay away from crack houses. "You'd get caught up." Is what she always told me. For all these years I had listened, only because I never really had a reason to. Now.....it was different. It was my job to go in there and get De out of there, or else it would probably be days before she was out. I was shaking as I stood there. This was totally out of my nature, and I hated being the only one knowing her secret. I bet if Jojo or Liyah knew they would've been in and out of there with no problem at all. I often envied them for their bravery.

It was growing dark. I knew that if I didn't hurry up and get this over with more people would come. Or even worse, police officer would show up and start arresting everyone in sight. It didn't matter if I was only there to get my friend out. If I was there they would think that I would be apart all that is going there. I had seen it happen too many times. That one person in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I felt as though everyone was staring at me, as I walked up the graveled driveway. My eyes caught sight if a white woman sitting on the steps, smoking a cigarette. Her eyebrows began to frown as she watched my walk towards her. She looked at me as if I was an intruder crossing into her territory. "Um, excuse me?"

Her short blonde eyebrow rose above the other. " Are you lost?" She asked, looking me up and down.

"Uh, no. I'm looking for my friend." I told her.

She snickered and shook her head. " If you got a friend in there I can guarantee that she won't be out for a few days."

"I know," I nodded my head. " But it's kind of important."

Her short blonde eyebrow began to quirk as she stared at me suspiciously. " You don't need to be around here, girl. Young girl's like you will get caught up."

I shook my head. " I-I don't want to by any drugs. I just-"

"Look around here." She told me.

I felt my forehead begin to crease with confusion as I looked up towards the darkening day. The people all around us were staring at me. Looking at me as if I was something to eat. Slowly I began to keep my distance, remembering what De had warned me about the people who were around here. I was standing in a pour neighborhood looking like some one from Beverly Hills. I began having flash backs of her pulling off her rings and jewelry so she could come here. She did it yo protect herself. These people will rob you from everything you own if they saw that it was worth something.

I felt myself begin to shake as I stood there. "I-I just came here to get my friend, that's all."

The woman sighed and stood up. " What's your friend's name?"

"De," I answered quickly. " Denise."

"Denise?" Her eyebrows began to frown. " You know her?"

I slowly nodded my head.

She took her hand in mine. "Come on." She said as she began leading me through the door.

The place was filled with more people on the inside than it was on the outside. All over them sitting on the couches, talking laughing. I saw a woman sitting down twith a bottle of bear between her legs and holding a pipe in her hand. There was a man sitting next to her with his arm thrown around her whispering in her ear as she began to inhale the substance in the pipe. I began to slowly chew my lip while watching all that was happening. When I turned my head the opposite direction I was another couple on another couch having sex, while more people at the end were snorting. It was almost as the couple wasn't there.