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.
I pinched my eyes closed. I wasn't used to any of this. It made me sick to my stomach. I couldn't see how anyone could possibly live like this. Walking through here made want to cry and run out. I was about to say 'Forget It!' I would tell her when she came back home. When she was somewhat sober. I couldn't handle being in such a terrible environment. It was almost like a realistic scary house. All these people were dangerous in my eyes. The more we walked, the more I saw. More people having sex. More people doing drug: Herion, Crack, MDMA, and Lord knows what else.
"Ellie!" I heard someone say from behind us.
The blonde stopped and turned around. " What?"
"Who is this?" The guy was tall, his hair all over his head. His clothes were faded and basically hanging off of him. He looked as though he hadn't shaved in months. The only thing I noticed was his deep green eyes.
"This is one of De's friends." Ellie said, have you seen her?"
His eyes remained on me as he spoke. " She's in the back." He told her. " Sleeping."
She began pulling me further in the house. " Ellie, you need to get her out of here."
Ellie shot a look back at him. His blue eyes glaring. " I know! Just let me get her to De first."
"She's probably not gonna wake up. She shot up pretty fast when she got here."
"Whatever, Abriel." We stopped at the very last door in the house. "Abriel, go away. You know De can't stand you. "
Abriel let out a long and frustrated sigh and turned around, mumbling something underneath his breath. I watched as he walked back down the hall way and against the wall, crossing his arms.
Ellie pushed open the door. " De?" She asked into the darkened room. "Your friend is here to see you."
"Who?" I heard her say.
Ellie turned to me. "What's your name?"
"Nikki," I said.
"Her name is Nikki."
The room was silent for awhile, and then I saw her short figure walking towards the door, she leaned in towards the light and glanced at up me. " What are you doing here?"
I glanced at Ellie, and then back at her. "Wayne was shot." I told her. "He's in the hospital."
Her eyebrows began to frown as a look of disbelief came over her face. " W-what? Is he okay?" Her body was beginning to stiffen up as she stood more straight in front of me.
"He's okay, but you need to be there-"
"Denise?" The voice came from the darkness of the room. Slow, and weary. "Who is that?"
"No one," De answered the voice back. "I'll be there in a minute."
"Who was that?" I asked, somehow the voice sounded familiar.
"Don't worry about it!" She told me quickly. " Go wait outside. I'll be there in a minute."
"Okay,"I said without a thought. I needed to get out of there before I had something bad happen to me. These people could be killers, rapists. I didn't know. I turned around around and began walking away from the room.
De's POV
"Who was that?"
I frantically switched on the light and began searching for my jacket. " Wayne's in the hospital. He was shot." I said, ignoring the question. I fell to the floor and began searching underneath the bed, pushing shoes and pipes out of my way.
"So, I guess you're going to see him?"
" Yes, what do you expect me to do?"
"Stay here with me, and not give a fuck about him. "
I stood up and placed my hands on my hips. " I'm sorry, but you know I can't do that."
"You didn't care about him an hour ago! Why does it matter now? "
I let a long sigh and walked over to the bed. "Stephanie..."I sat on the side of the bed. "I have to go. I'll be back." I looked at her. "Okay?"
"No, you always say that, Denise!" She said, her eyes burning with anger and frustration.
" I mean it this time."
She pushed herself closer to me. "You say that every time and you always go right back to him. Every time, De!"
"He got shot! You can't expect me not to care!"
"Yes, I do expect you not to care! That man doesn't give two shits about you, De. And you keep taking your ass right back to him. Why?"
"Stephie...." I whined, rolling my eyes.
"No, tell me why? He cheats on you and everything!" Her voice was raising volume by the second. " Why, De..."
I took her hand. " Stephanie, be quiet."
" Why the fuck do you care...?" She asked through her teeth. " Why?"
" Stephanie, I have to go. I promise you I'll be back."
Her mouth dropped. " And you still care?"
" I promise, Stephanie. I will be back. I leaned forward so that we were making eye contact.
" He doesn't care about you, De."
"Yes, he does." I whispered.
"Not the way I do." She said faintly.
I pressed my lips together and inhaled the smell of her perfume. Slowly I pulled her in closer until our lips met. " I will be back, okay?"I told her softly.
" You promise?"
I kissed her again. " I promise."