“Fucking hurry up, Ted,” Stix cries out impatiently. “I’m getting thirsty in here. We both are.”
I grit my teeth and chuck the beer at him, hating him with every fiber of my body as I do. He’s a disgusting human, and I wish I never started working with him. He literally has no clue what a waste of space he is.
“We need to meet later,” Stix calls after me, not sensing my bad mood because he’s totally unaware of anyone else’s feelings, which encourages his shitty behavior. “See where we’re going next.”
God I would love nothing more than to tell him where to stick his meeting but it’s not worth the trouble. In six years, I have learned that keeping my mouth shut keeps me out of drama. Sometimes it even keeps me alive. Especially with my uncle.
Bang! I jump out of my skin. What the hell was that? We often hear strange noises in this neighborhood but that was louder than normal. Bang, bang. I’m pretty sure it’s someone busting the door down…
“Stix, you asshole!”
Oh God, who the fuck is that?
“We’re coming to get you, you fucking thief!”
My cousin could have taken anything, I know what he’s like. He doesn’t give a shit about anyone, and he doesn’t think before he does stuff. Good thing I’ve had a plan if anything like this were to happen. I’m not trying to get killed because my cousin is a moron. There is a little cupboard in the apartment that is really well hidden, you wouldn’t know it was there unless you really looked for it. I might work with my cousin for my Uncle, but I never wanted to be a part of all this, so I’m going to hide. Hope that they don’t find me before they leave.
I cramp my body into the small space and pray they don’t look around after they deal with Stix. My heart pounds loudly and I can barely hear the conversation going on over every ragged breath I’m taking in this tiny cupboard. I can make out enough to know that Stix has either stolen drugs or drugs money. The woman in his bedroom was told to get lost, so she left sobbing and hysterical, and from what I can hear the situation seems to be escalating. I don’t know what I should do. If I had been thinking I would have brought my cell phone in here with me and called the cops, but it’s too late for that now…
Bang! Oh my God, what the hell was that? My heart damn near stops beating. Bang, bang! Bang!
That doesn’t sound like them kicking the door down anymore. I’ve been in the city long enough to know that’s the noise of a gun going off. A threatening gun shot, hopefully. One to warn Stix not to do… well, whatever he’s done anymore. Just one that will shut him up and make him pay back… what he owes.
The gun shots are followed by other sounds, which I can only imagine is them searching the place for whatever the hell he stole. I’m hoping they’ll leave soon, my legs are cramping. Then I can get out of here and I can make sure that Stix is okay, get him to a hospital or whatever. My uncle will take care of this mess. He always looks after Stix. I mean, this isn’t the first shitstorm that my cousin has got himself in to.
My hands are cramping now, and I can about imagine what might be going on out there. I need to get out there and check on Stix before he bleeds too much that he passes out, also, I don’t want to hear his shit about not helping him out and running interference. God, I hope that they didn’t shoot him in the knees. I know that I haven’t always thought the best things about him, but I don’t want him to not be able to walk. That would mean I would have to work twice as hard for my uncle to make up for him, and I would have to listen to Stix bitch and moan. Probably would milk the injury and make me do everything for him.
Eventually, there is silence long enough for me to work up the courage to finally crawl out of the cupboard. I don’t feel safe as I unfurl my body out from the very cramped and uncomfortable space. I know for a fact that one of them could have waited around to see if anyone else is here, especially if they know that I live here too, but I don’t see anyone. No one jumps out at me as I tip toe towards Stix’s bedroom. That doesn’t stop fear from trickling down my spine. Something is wrong…
“Stix?” I call out as I step into his room. “Oh my God, Stix, are you okay?”