Cassie’s New Friend

Cassie’s New Friend
By Samantha Skin

Cassie followed Zoe down the litter strewn street confused. They were far away from the high school, all the way in the dangerous corner of the city.. She had to fight to keep up because Zoe moved so fast. “This is where you live? WEe could have studied at the library.”

“No, my place is better. No one goes to the library any more.”

Cassie believed Zoe because she was a senior and cool as it got. All the boys loved her, either staring at her ass or bright pink lips. She commanded a small group of senior girls that followed her around like slaves. A couple even dyed their hair red, to look like hers. Cassie was just a freshman, quiet as a mouse, when Zoe asking her to hang out at her table during lunch and then inviting Cassie to skip second period and smoke under the bleachers. Cassie remembered the first time Zoe asked her to cut class, she almost said no. But then she remembered how boring Mrs. Robinson was and decided to go. She remembered two boys wrestling beneath the bleachers (Mike and Shane) practicing moves they’d learned in class. Cassie coughed a lot the first time but after a while she got pretty good and could smoke them down as well as Zoe. Shane was eighteen and bought Cassie packs when she ran out.

“We’re almost there,” Zoe said.

When they walked in the apartment building there were men in the halls smoking weed. Cassie followed Zoe up the stairs and a pit bull jumped out of nowhere. She screamed as the dog leaned toward her gnashing its teeth. A rope kept it tied to the banister, just far enough away. Zoe knocked on apartment 36. They went inside and someone closed the door behind them. A bald Hispanic man stood in front of the door, his arms crossed. Hardcore rap blasted from the speakers in the front room. Another Hispanic man and a Black man sat on a couch. with a mountain of white powder between them that Cassie was sure was cocaine.

“Kenny, I brought you one, baby” Zoe said before walking up and kissing the black man on the lips..

“Good girl” Kenny said. He stood up and walked to Cassie. “My very own freshman. Why don’t you come sit with me and Hector on the couch.”

He wrapped his fist around Cassie’s arm and started to tug but she pulled away. “I think I should get home.”

She turned around but the bald Hispanic man was still blocking the door. Zoe said, “Come sit, Cassie. I told these guys you were cool.”

Cassie did as she was told, following Kenny to the couch and taking a seat between him and Zoe, who kept staring at the coke on the table.