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I’d smashed the bottle over his head without a second thought and ran for my life. But somehow, I still didn’t feel safe. I curled up in a ball on the floor trying to keep myself warm.
My body was exhausted and my mind raced. The last time I felt like this was when we learned about Mikey’s diagnosis.
In some ways, this felt worse because I knew if the man in the alleyway found me, he would kill me. And if I were dead, I would be leaving my family to fend for themselves. That thought, the thought of Mikey dying because I couldn’t get him what he needed, got me up off the floor.
I dropped the blanket and looked at myself in the mirror.
I was covered in dirt, and my feet were cut up from running. The makeup that Nikki so artfully put on for me was smudged across my face, and my curly hair was a matted mess. I wasn’t surprised that my mother had been shocked when she opened the door. I looked like hell.
Dropping down to my bed, I put my head in my hands. Tonight was supposed to be my debut on stage, and now, I was sure that I didn’t have a job anymore.
I felt my lower lip trembling. I didn’t know what to do next.
I took a deep breath and grabbed my towel from the back of my door. In some ways, I got lucky tonight. I didn’t know if the man from the alley, the one who killed Adrian, was dead or alive. I did know that I’d hurt him bad enough that he wasn’t able to follow me. That meant that he didn’t know who I was.
I crept out of my room and towards the bathroom. I didn’t want to wake Mikey, whose room was just across the hall, or our mother, who slept in the den.
As I got to the bathroom, I turned on the shower and stripped my clothing. I didn’t have a clue what to do tomorrow, but for now, I would be grateful that I would live another day.
And I would pray that the man in the alley wouldn’t.
