In Debt (Ηαrrγ Ꭶτγιεs FαηFιc)

Chapter Two

I look around for Zak's blonde hair popping up from behind the shelves, but nothing shows up.

When I realize he's not here anymore I walk up to the front and ring the bell for the cashier. After a couple minutes, I figure nobody's going to answer me.

Then, I notice the back door was open behind the cashier's desk. I gain the courage to climb over the desk and head towards the open door. As soon as I leave the safety of the gas station, a cold breeze hits me like a wall, making me shiver and cross my arms.

Suddenly, I hear a bang like a purse full of change was slammed against a wall and a small grunt. Then, everything is dead silent. Cautiously, I tiptoe around the corner the noise came from.

The first thing I notice is Zak's bloody body laying in the middle of the alley. At first instinct, I scream.

A cold hand clamps my mouth shut and pulls me towards their body.

Instantly, I start silently crying, shaking uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry," the voice behind me whispers, his body shaking too.

Slowly, he lets go of me and I race for Zak's body, dropping to my knees so hard it knocks the wind out of me.

"What did you do?" I ask, not wanting to believe what I'm seeing.

"I didn't mean to. This was never part of the deal," he babbles.

"I hate you," I scream at him, holding Zak's head to me.

"I'm sorry," he sighs, covering his mouth with his left hand, stumbling back against the brick wall he had slammed Zak into.

"Just call someone," I sob, "Please."

"I can't. I can't go back to jail. They hurt me there. I didn't mean to. I promise. I'm so sorry," he says, starting to cry himself.

"I hate you," I scream at him again, "He's going to die here!"

He looks away from me and then touches Zak's blood on the wall.

"I really am sorry," he whispers.

His curly brown hair falls over his eyes as he says this.

"Why would you do this?" I growl, my emotions changing quickly from sorrow to anger.

"Joe," he says simply in between sobs.

"Joe Hammers?" I ask, my rage suddenly directed towards the thought of him.

"Yeah," he says, his voice starting to calm down, "He sold Zak some drugs a couple weeks ago. You know, right before he quit."

"Zak said he had quit about a year ago." I snap.

"He lied!" the boy yelps at me. Suddenly realizing the harshness of his words, he calms down and shakes his head. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I'm sorry. I'm just mad."

I nod and wipe away some tears and sniffle, "Continue."

"Okay. Well, Zak hadn't paid him yet for the pills and so he told him to meet him today behind the gas station that I work at," the boy explains, "but Joe couldn't make it so, since he and I know each other pretty well from football, he asked if I could take care of it and maybe scare him a little while I was at it."

"And you did," I say softly.

"Well, at first I didn't want to. I told him I didn't like having anything to do with this whole drug thing. That's why him and I aren't really as tight as we'd like to be," the kid with the curly hair pauses for a bit as if he forgot what he was going to say, but quickly gets back on track, "Then, he kept begging and begging and I finally gave in to it. So Zak met me here and he didn't have the money. He apologized a lot and I nodded. I completely understood. But then, he said he needed to go and would get it to Joe as soon as possible. Joe isn't a guy you want to disobey and so I asked Zak if he had, like, at least a buck on him because he looked fancy and I couldn't imagine him leaving the house without cash on him. He had to pay for homecoming tickets, right?"

"Yeah," I answer, "He did."

"And before I knew it, he had pulled out a knife on me. It slashed me in the hip. I can show you."

"No. It's fine. Really," I nod, trying to smile, but not really coming to forcing myself to do so.

"Okay. Well, he hit me in the hip, and I got angry, and-"

The curly boy started to cry and stopped talking. I looked away to keep myself from crying again.

"I get it," I nod.

"Please don't call the cops," he sobs.

I look up at him reluctantly, his green eyes wide with fear.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I sigh, watching his eyes light up instantly.