Chapter 2: Shady Sadie pt. 3

“Did you see that girl I went upstairs with last night?” I asked



    “Who? Sadie?”



    “I guess man, I don't know, the junky girl.”



    “Yeah she left with Ivan a little while after you guys went up. You must have busted quick.” he teased.

    “We didn't hook up. We went up there to get high but I think I fell out.”

 

    “Sketch. You gotta be more careful buddy. People die like that.” His concern fell on deaf ears. I was sick of hearing it. I didn't know anybody who had actually died from an overdose.



    “I think she got my wallet.”



    Danny smiled “I knew she was your type.” he put one of his cigarettes between his lips and lit the end.  “I'll never understand how you guys let dope get in the way of pussy.”



    “And you're some kind of stud? The only girl I saw you with last night was a poodle.”



    Danny shrugged. He didn't do dope; he wouldn't even sniff the stuff. He messed around with coke and pills but his drug of choice was alcohol. His family crest could have been an empty plastic handle of vodka above a father running away from his family. Danny’s lineage was a patchwork of deadbeat sots dating back millennia. His mother worked as a Waffle House waitress and always carried a 6 pack of Coors in her enormous purse. I knew his father just as well as he did: not at all. He may not have been putting a needle in his arm but if I were to choose between his addiction and mine, I'd still be on the dope. Just a glance at the melting ice cubes in the enormous bowl of beer was enough to turn my stomach.

   

    “Did you have much cash?” he asked



    “A bill or so and some dope.”



    “You sure know how to pick um'.”



    “Fuck yourself, Danny.”



    “You want me to call her? That dope is probably long gone but we might be able to get the money back.” He picked up the salad bowl slowly and bent his head down to take a careful sip from the edge.

   

    “Speaking of calling her, I think she left her number.” I took the paper from my pocket and handed it to him. “Is this her?”



    Danny set the bowl back down and took his phone from his pocket. He looked at the paper and punched in the number. “Shady Sadie” came up on his caller ID and he nodded and held it to his ear. I leaned over the counter and reached for his phone but he moved away from me. I pursed my lips. “Come on man, I'll deal with it. Hang up.”  I said, not wanting to have Danny fight my battle for me. He grinned and held up a finger to silence me.

   

    “What's going on Sadie?” he said. I couldn't make out her end of the conversation but I heard a female voice. “Yeah he's right here........he's alright.......he said you've got his wallet.......yeah he doesn't know where it is.......oh word alright.” he took the phone away from his ear. “It's in the nightstand, dumbass.” he put the phone back to his ear. “.....Alright hold on.” he passed the phone over the counter to me.

   

    “Hello...?” I said, feeling embarrassed.



    “Morning, sleepyhead!” It was definitely her. I remembered that voice in my ear.

    “Morning, Sadie.”



    “You scared the shit out of me last night. I sat with you for a while to make sure you were breathing.”



    “Sorry about that. That stuff was strong as shit!” I walked up the stairs to check the nightstand for my wallet while I had her on the phone. I should have tasted the dope. The hypocrisy of breaking one of my own cardinal junky rules made me feel like a jackass.



    “You shouldn't have taken a shot when you were that drunk.”

   

    Coke let me drink like a maniac. Still, I wasn't blacked out for the shot because I remembered her getting dope out of the little bag and hitting my arm. The memories flooded into my head as I came back into Mrs. Newton's room and surveyed area. Just as she had said, my wallet was sitting in the drawer of the nightstand and a quick leaf through it showed me that money and my dope were both where they belonged.



    “I found my wallet”



    “Told ya! I didn't want to leave you passed out at that house with money in your pocket.”



    She was right. It wouldn't have been the first time valuables went missing at Newt's. At the same time, I felt a sort of patriotism toward my home away from home and it bothered me that she would talk about it that way.



    “It's not that bad.” I said



    “Are you serious? I'm not stupid I know what goes on there. It's a trap house. You guys sell”

"Speaking of selling, do you think you could get any more of that dope?" I crossed my fingers.

"As long as we can do it somewhere other than that house."

"Fine by me."

"Sounds good. Hit me up Friday, we'll go down to the river."

I didn't understand why a junky would protect somebody else’s money instead of just taking it. On top of that, she had given me a free shot. Until last night, I wasn't aware that such a thing existed. I wanted to see her again. Friday seemed like months from now.

 

    “Can you get it sooner?”

    Without warning, the door to Mrs. Newton's room burst open and Toddler stood grinning in the entrance.

"What's up buddy?" he said.

"I gotta go..." I quickly hung up the phone

"Who you talkin' to, man?" Toddler said. "I heard you couldn't get it up last night."

"When did you get here?" I asked

"Just a minute ago. Yo, does Gracie still have that morphine?" I shrugged and sat down on the side of the bed.

"Well give her a call and get your shit together. We've got moves to make."