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“Lady Christina.” He leaned his lanky frame against the building, pulled a hand-rolled cigarette out of his woven bag, and lit it. I turned my face away from the smoke, coughing. “That’s the story you’ve been telling me for the past weeks. Ever since we came back from winter break. I have bills. I have commitments.”
“So do I,” I muttered.
“Look at this.” He flapped his wallet in the air. “Empty. I’m depending on you.”
Just my luck that my dealer had landed in one of my classes this semester. After freshman year, when we lived in the same hall, I’d avoided running into Marcus except when I needed to. We were juniors now. There were other people I could buy from. But even though I didn’t like Marcus, I trusted him.
He must have trusted me too, because he let me buy Adderall on credit in December.
“Listen,” I said quickly. “Give me one more week. I promise this won’t happen again.”
“Isn’t that what you said to Professor Lowe?” He blew a smoke ring at me. The chilly wind snatched it. “What’s going on? Miss Perfect losing her shit?”
“No!” I took a breath.Nothing to see here.“I just had some unexpected issues come up. Let me have one week, and I’ll — I’ll pay you interest.”
Marcus doubled over laughing, his hands braced on his knees, managing to keep hold of his cigarette.
“What do I look like? Tomorrow. You pay me tomorrow.”
“Or what?”
“Or I won’t sell to you again.”
“Fine. There are lots of other people I can buy from. I’ve been helping you out. Adding a touch of class to your clientele.”
He gave me a sour, unimpressed look. “I’ll tell them not to sell to you either, because you can’t pay. I know everybody.”
I pulled my hat down over my forehead. “You wouldn’t.”
“Sure I would. What’ll you do then? Nothing personal, Lady Christina, but I kinda do want to see you lose your shit.”
“Not going to happen!” I chirped. “I’ll pay you tomorrow.”
“Good.”
He took a final drag on his cig and dropped the glowing ember in the snow.
*****
As I escaped to the clear paths of the quad, I stomped ice crystals from my boots and tried to shake off the conversation with Marcus. I’d bought Adderall occasionally since freshman year, but the past few months, I’d visited him more frequently.
I was already on a downward spiral: broke, shit grades, barely able to focus. Being cut off from my supply — the thought stabbed at my chest.
I checked my phone. Nothing. I’d been trying to reach my best friend Sydney since I stumbled out of bed this morning and charged my dead phone at the library.We need to talk. Something’s come up. You there?
Her silence didn’t make sense. Sydney and her phone were surgically attached.
I dialed her number.
“Girl!” she squealed when she picked up. “Did you hear about Julianne and Kent? He claims he doesn’t remember anything, but last night…”
Crossing the quad, I made myself smile and gossip along with her.
My stomach cramped — I’d skipped lunch. I didn’t dare open the fridge and check whether my food had spoiled since the power went off yesterday. All I’d eaten were the gummy bears stashed in my purse. I was jittery, on edge.
As Sydney finished up the Julianne and Kent story, I forced a laugh.
When I glanced up, I locked onto a pair of icy eyes — a glacial blue that almost seemed like no color. Their owner stood a few feet from me, leaning against a lamppost.
