[Completed✔] Born and raised in Tulsa, Jade Phelan reminisces her youth with a group of dealers who attempt to make a better life for themselves and the yearning she felt for one of them.
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March 23rd, 1989. 8:18 A.M.
By day break, I was completely drained from all energy. I couldn't sleep the entire night, terrified of what was to come, even if I didn't know what that meant.
I couldn't help my mind from coming to its own conclusion. Whenever a car travelled down the road, I almost fainted at the sound, thinking it was police coming to arrest me. I only found peace when it passed by.
I ended up missing breakfast because I didn't want to face Darry and Kate after what had happened last night. I think we needed space from each other, before tensions boiled over even more than it already had.
At midmorning, Brian rang the house, I picked up before anyone else could, then locked myself in the pantry. I was starting to spend a lot of time hiding away in here.
"I don't know what the police know, so we have to be safe. Don't let anyone know you're a part of this. If you see the cops, turn the other way, but don't make it suspicious." Brian went on and on, "I'm going to get to the bottom of this, don't you worry. Don't sell. Hide everything. Keep your distance."
"I'm just so afraid, Brian." I admitted to him. The fear was consuming me and it hadn't even been a day since I found out.
"Fear will break you, Jade. You have to stay strong." he reminded me. Brian could be a real comfort when he wanted to be. He was so on and off, I couldn't tell which side of him I was getting most of the time.
March 30th, 1989. 6:21 P.M.
My heart thumped against my ribs as I drove fast on the paved Tulsa roads. The tires crackled as I headed towards where Dallas and Brian lived. I knew it was a risk, but I had to get some sort of reassurance.
I couldn't handle the waiting. After seven days of avoidance, I was begging to crack. I successfully avoided Darry, Kate and any connection with what Curly had done.
I hadn't seen them in a week, we were going to meet two days ago but it got delayed because Brian was concerned over a mysterious car parked down the road. It ended up being someone's grandmother visiting.
I drive the old truck through the darkness, turning down his street. I'm lucky Darry let me borrow his car. I parked outside of an abandoned house, four down from where I needed to be.
I stepped out into the darkness and locked the doors, before quickly hurrying down to the house. I kept my head lowered until I reached the boys back door. I didn't knock, nobody ever did.
When inside, Dallas has his eyes glued to the television with a beer in his hand and Brian is standing in the kitchen. Both of them turn their heads to me. "Jade." Brian said sternly, "I told you to keep it on the downlow. Nobody can know you're here."
"Let her. It's not like she listens anyway." spat Dallas, taking a swig of his beverage, "Isn't that right, princess?"
"I'm no princess." I muttered, glaring him down with dull eyes.
"Could've fooled me." Dallas coughed, it sounded as if he could hack up a lung at any given point. Brian gestures over to the couch, and we sit down.
"I'm guessing you're here about Curly." asked Brian, throwing his feet onto the scratched coffee table.
"Not necessarily. I'm here for news." I tell him.
"The news or thee news?" he asked. I didn't know difference.
"Whichever gets me out of here quicker." I asserted myself. Brian chuckled at the response I gave. Dallas leaned forwards and grabbed his packet of smokes from the table.
"Can I have one?" I asked. Brian and Dallas met each other's eyes, and their mouths turned to smirks. I wanted to explain but I didn't have a reason to why I would want one.
"Look at this girl." mocked Dallas, he slips me a cigarette. I was much too stressed to care about lung damage. I needed to loosen up and yearned for anything to do just that. Brian started to speak about what happened to Curly, and how he would be going to court on Thursday this week. I had school that day but would need it off.
I finished the cigarette, stubbed it out in the silver ashtray, feeling undone by it. Dallas simpered "You didn't get breathe in."
