Opium Skies (In Vein Series Book 1) Page 2

  I walk into two small boutiques and a coffee shop and leave empty-handed. All three told me the same thing: they’re not hiring right now and to check back closer to the holidays. After the last store, I begin to wonder whether or not it has to do with my appearance or if it’s a coincidence with everyone being back for school. Lost in my own thoughts, I wander past the next few stores without a second glance.

  I walk till I get to the end of the block and stand at the intersection, waiting for the light to change and the do not walk sign to turn. Diagonal to my left, I see a diner on the corner and my stomach grumbles at the sight. It has to be past lunchtime by now and I haven’t eaten since sometime yesterday. I guess I’m going to have to remember to feed myself now.

  When the light finally changes, I shuffle across the street with a small group of people I hadn’t noticed before. The streets are busy, so I wait for the next one to change rather than taking my chances of getting hit by a car. I’m hungry, but not that hungry.

  That’s a lie.

  I glance back and forth down the street before taking off into a sprint. I don’t stop running until I’m pulling open the front door to Gracie’s Diner. I look around at the old-fashioned booths and the bar area with the old-fashioned register. It’s warm and homey, with the strong aromas of comfort food. The diner is fairly empty, but I take a seat at the counter since I’m alone.

  A girl around my age walks over, sliding a menu in front of me. “Welcome to Gracie’s; I’m Sloane. Can I get you something to drink?” She says it all in a rush, barely pausing to breathe, with a nervous smile plastered to her face. She pulls her thick brown hair over her shoulder and absentmindedly smooths the braid while she waits for my response.

  “I’ll take a Coke.” I try to give her a warm smile, although it probably looks like I’m constipated or something. I’m the most socially inept person known to mankind.

  Her gray eyes light up. “Coming right up!” she says in an excited voice, spinning on her heel to fetch my drink. Since the diner isn’t busy, it doesn’t take her long to come back with my soda and I’ve barely looked at my menu.

  “Did you need more time?” Her tone is more relaxed as she sets the glass down in front of me. I close the menu, not needing to look through it all. It’s a diner; most of the food is standard and then they all have their specialties. I go with my go-to.

  “Nope, I’m good,” I tell her. “I think I’m gonna go with a BLT and fries.”

  She nods her head as she jots it down on her notepad. “You can never go wrong with some bacon,” she says with a smile. I return the gesture and she walks over to the window by the kitchen, clipping the sheet of paper to a line strung across for the cooks. I pull my phone out and quickly reply to a text my dad sent last night, letting him know I’m safe and job hunting. Setting it down on the counter, I watch while Sloane messes around at the cash register.

  “Hey,” I call over to her. She looks up, slightly confused and slightly worried. A fake, trained smile takes over her face as she walks back over to me. “Do you guys have a newspaper or anything?”

  Now she looks even more confused. “I think we have a few,” she says as she walks to the end of the counter. She hands it to me on her way back to the register.

  I quickly flip through it until I reach the back where the wanted ads are listed for jobs. My eyes scroll down the list, finding nothing of interest to me. I sigh, closing the newspaper and folding it back up.

  “Are you looking for a job?” Sloane asks out of nowhere. I look up at her and raise an eyebrow. “I wasn’t trying to be nosy, but I noticed you looking at the ads,” she says with a small smile.

  I nod. “I need a little extra money while I’m in school but I haven’t had much luck yet. I went to a few shops around town but no one is hiring.” I give her a small shrug. “I’ll find something sometime here.”

  “Most of the jobs around here get scooped up pretty quick when school starts. But today might be your lucky day.” She pauses. “We actually just lost one of our servers and my boss, Matt, is looking for someone.”

  A spark of hope flickers inside. Maybe now I won’t have to keep going into all these dreadful stores, pathetically asking if they’re hiring only to get turned down. “That would be awesome!” I say, excited. “Do you have an application I could fill out?”

  The bell at the kitchen window dings and my plate of food slides onto it. Sloane turns around and grabs it and sets it in front of me. “Matt’s back in his office now, so I’ll just go grab him instead.” She smiles and heads to the back of the diner. I stare down at my food and wince at my sudden loss of appetite and the anxious feeling building in the pit of my stomach. Quickly, I grab my purse and dig around until I find my little bottle of blue footballs. I wash two down with some Coke in a hurry, hoping they kick in soon.

  They don’t kick in soon enough.

  Sloane reappears in no time with a tall blond-haired guy, dressed in khakis and a deep blue polo. I look back down at my untouched food and take a few deep breaths in an effort to compose myself. This on-the-spot interview is throwing me off, and I don’t particularly care for it. I force my lips into a smile and look up as they step in front of me.

  “Hello,” he says in a deep voice that takes me by surprise. “I’m Matt.” He extends his hand and I take it and give it a small shake. “Sloane tells me you’re looking for a job.”

  “Yep!” My voice squeaks and the heat creeps up my neck and into my cheeks. I clear my throat and try again. “I’m looking for a part-time job while I’m in school.”

  “What are you going to school for?” His amber eyes stare into mine quizzically. I hadn’t noticed how attractive he is until now. The color of his eyes contrasts with his short blond styled hair. He’s not much taller than I am, but his body seems solid and fit. He only looks to be a few years older, maybe twenty-five, but with his preppy clothes, he has the total frat boy look going on.

  Pass.

  “I’m in the nursing program,” I say, resting my hands on top of one another on the countertop.

  “No way!” Sloane cuts into the conversation. “So am I!”

  “Really?” There goes that spark of hope again. I’m not here for friends, but I wouldn’t mind one or two. “We’ll have to compare classes then.” The Xanax has definitely started to kick in now, as I start to feel more relaxed and my lips become a little looser.

  I look back over at Matt, who is smiling at both of us. “When do you think you can start?”

  My brow furrows and I frown slightly. “That’s it for the interview?”

  “I think I know everything I need to for now,” he says, nodding.

  “But you barely asked me anything,” I counter, mentally telling myself to shut the fuck up and take the job.

  “I like to think I’m a good judge of character.” He pauses and scratches his chin. “You’ll fit in perfectly.”

  I look over at Sloane, who has a huge grin on her face.

  “I can start whenever.” I shrug.

  “How about right now?” he asks. “Sloane can show you the ropes since we’re slow and then you can start training tomorrow evening, if that works for you.”

  I look down at my clothes and frown. “Don’t worry,” Sloane says, looking at my outfit too. “We have shirts and your shorts are fine.”

  I look back up and smile. “Well, I think we’re good to go then.”

  “Perfect.” Matt slaps the counter lightly. “I’ll grab you a shirt and get the paperwork ready for you to sign while you two get started.”

  He walks away, leaving Sloane and I. “Eat your food and then I’ll show you around,” she says and leaves me alone with my plate.

  I eat quickly and finish just as Matt returns with my new shirt. I shuffle back into the bathroom and swap out my shirts, tucking my old one in my purse. Sloane takes me into the back, showing me my new locker where I put my belongings and my tour of the diner starts from there.

  After spending the rest of the afternoon trying to learn as much as I can, I’m dismissed for the night and expected to come in the next day at four. Sloane walks with me out onto the street and stops to go in the opposite direction. “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say to her. “Thanks for all of this,” I add.

  Sloane smiles. She smiles a lot. “I’m so excited!” She claps her hands together. “You’re the first friend I’ve made here. We work together and have some of the same classes. This is great!”

  I nod, feeling her vibe and start to feel excited too. “You’re the first friend I’ve made too,” I admit.

  “The first and probably the best!” She spins around. “See you tomorrow!” She strides down the street and I swear I see her hop. Jesus, she’s fucking peppy but maybe that’s what I need in a friend. She’s like my own personal hype man.

  I shake my head with a small smile and start my walk back to campus. This day took a one-eighty and completely turned around. I showed up at the diner jobless, friendless and with an empty stomach. Now I’m leaving here with a job, a new friend, and I got to eat for free.

  I dig it.

  4

  HADLEY

  “Welcome to Intro to Anatomy and Physiology, aka hell. I’m Satan and I’ll be ruling your life for the next few months.”

  I stare wordlessly at the stout, frizzy-haired woman standing in front of the lecture hall, replaying the words I just heard in my head. I glance over and nudge Sloane with my elbow. She jerks her head toward me and silently mouths, “what the fuck” at me.

  “What’d she say her name is?” I quiz her, trying to compare what we each heard.

  “Dr. Rhoads,” she says in a harsh whisper.

  “So, she’s not Satan and we’re not in hell?” I clarify, cocking my head to the si
de.

  Sloane’s eyebrows pull together and she looks half confused and half annoyed. “You’re fucked up already?”

  I let out a laugh, earning a few glances from other students. When I am fucked up, she won’t even have to ask that question. I shake my head at her, watching her face slowly relax. “I wasn’t paying attention and imagined her saying that shit.”

  She gives me a knowing look. “True, girl. This shit’s gonna take over our lives.”

  That is where she’s wrong, it won’t be taking over my life; I refuse to let it. Shaking my head slightly, I give her a small shrug. “Only if we let it.”

  Her lips slowly curve upward into a smile. “Not fucking happening.”

  In agreement, we both turn our attention back to the professor, who continues to drone on about our syllabus. This entire course load is going to suck balls while I’m here, but the end game is what’s important. After my mother’s death, I’ve wanted nothing more than to be a nurse and to help save other people’s lives. So here I am, chasing after that dream; but not without enjoying myself and the whole college experience as well. Thankfully my newfound, only friend has the same thoughts and views about this journey we’re on.

  What’s that one dumbass song; “Work Hard, Play Hard?”

  Because that’s exactly what we’re about to do.

  We both have an hour break between classes around lunchtime, so we meet up in the parking lot at her car. Sloane doesn’t stay here in a dorm, so she always has her car. She’s living with her cousin whose house is only fifteen minutes away from campus.

  We both climb in her two-door Mazda and throw our bags into the back seat. She turns on the engine and fishes around in her center console and pulls out an Altoids container. She pops the lid off and produces a pre-rolled joint. Holding it between her thumb and forefinger, she waves it around in my face with a sly grin on her face. “Wanna take a ride?”

  I grab the seat belt, pulling it across my torso and clicking it in. Click it or ticket, right?

  “Let’s do it.” I nod my head forward, motioning for her to get on the road. I grab the joint from her and the lighter in her cup holder while she straps in and pulls out of her parking spot. Pulling my sunglasses down over my eyes, I put the joint between my lips, cupping the opposite end as I spark the lighter and bring the flame to the paper. I puff on it a few times, making sure that it’s fully lit. The cherry burns a deep burnt orange as I pull hard, drawing the sweet thick smoke into my lungs. I exhale slowly, holding on to any last bit that I can before quickly taking another hit. Pinching it between my fingers, I pass it to Sloane as I let out another cloud of smoke. She places it between her lips, letting it dangle for a second as she turns up her stereo.

  “We’re gonna make ASU our bitch,” she says, choking on the smoke and starts to laugh as she coughs. I put down my window, letting some of the smoke filter out of the car.

  “ASU is already our bitch,” I counter, taking the joint back from her.

  She nods vigorously, still smiling. “We’re killin’ it already and it’s only day one.” I laugh at her; at the bullshit we’re both spewing because neither of us knows what the hell we’re talking about. “For real though,” she says. “I heard some people talking about some frat party this weekend. You in?”

  “Totally,” I tell her, my voice trailing off as my high slowly starts to set in. I stare out the window, bobbing my head along to Jay-Z through the speakers. Usually a party with a shitload of people I don’t know would have my anxiety through the roof. But either the Xanax from earlier or the weed from right now has me feeling like I could host the damn thing.

  Sloane waves her hand in front of my face, drawing me out of my thoughts and half scaring me. “Anyone in there?” she draws out. “I’ve only been talking to you for the past couple minutes while you took a bus ride to la-la land.”

  “My bad,” I say, closing my eyes and shaking my head. “I’m high as shit right now and was zonin’.”

  She throws back her head and starts laughing. “Right!” she all but yells. “Let’s head back so we can get our shit together before we gotta go to class.”

  “We can head back, but with your sketchy driving, one can only hope that we make it back there in one piece.” I chuckle and she glares at me.

  “What? You think that I haven’t noticed your subtle swerving and delayed reaction time?” I start laughing and she joins in, breaking her evil stare.

  “You’re more than welcome to walk,” she jokes, gesturing to the side of the road.

  “Just get us back to campus,” I say, shaking my head while she continues to laugh. She presses a little harder on the gas; her little Mazda picks up speed and carries us back to school.

  The rest of the day passes by in a blur of syllabuses and class assignments. After my last class, I stop at my dorm room to drop off my bag and change into my clothes for work. Leaving on my jean shorts, I toss my tank top onto the bed and pull my black shirt from the diner over my head. Just as I’m pulling it down over my stomach Abby bursts in through the door with two guys following behind her.

  “Of course you’re here,” she scoffs as she plops down onto her bed and starts talking to one of the guys.

  I gather my hair in my hands, pulling it back into a ponytail and ignore her comment. She continues talking while I step back in front of the mirror to give myself one last look. As my eyes travel up the length of the mirror, I catch him standing by the door, watching me. His gaze follows mine and he stares right through me with clear blue eyes. My breath catches in my throat and my body burns from the sudden, unfamiliar tension in the room. Every instinct in my body tells me that I need to get out of there, yet my feet are cemented to the floor.

  “Yo, Ander.” The shorter guy with Abby breaks through the tension, giving me an out. “You cool if I drop you back off at the casino?”

  I turn back around and grab my purse from my bed, throwing it over my shoulder. I look up and I’m met with those shimmering blue eyes staring straight into mine. A hint of a smile plays on his lips. “I’m cool with that,” he answers the other guy without breaking our stare down. His words aren’t meant for me, but I feel the sound of his voice move like silk through my ears. I need to get out of this room, like five minutes ago. Mentally shaking myself, I straighten my shoulders and walk directly toward the sculpted, arrogant barricade standing in front of the door. I stop in front of him and stand toe to toe and am forced to look up at him. “Can I help you with something, little one?” He smirks, standing at least a foot taller than me.

  “Yeah,” I say sweetly and smile back at him. “You could get the hell out of my way.”

  The asshole doesn’t move. His smile widens and his eyes glimmer with laughter. I’m caught off guard, staring up at him like a fool.

  “Let me just get out of your way then,” he says as he slightly shifts his body to the side, granting me access to the door. The space he leaves me is so small, I’m forced to brush against him on my way out. I pull the door shut behind me and hurry down the hall, clutching my arm where it touched him. My warm skin tingles from where he was, yet it feels cold from the loss of contact.

  When I get outside, I opt out of driving to the diner and decide to walk instead, needing to walk off these feelings that I don’t want or need. His cropped, coffee-colored hair, tanned skin and those damn crystal blue eyes stick to my mind, taunting me. I need him out of my head and I know just what will help with that. Reaching into my purse, I grab two pills from my small pouch and swallow them. They haven’t let me down yet, so now isn’t the time for them to start.

  5

  ANDER

  “What the fuck was that, man?” Troy stares at me, incredulously. He and Abby both stare at me with their matching brown eyes and black as night hair.

  I realize the stupid grin I have on my face and that I’m still standing right by the door she just walked through with hints of her perfume lingering in the air. My grin turns into my infamous cocky look that’s void of any real emotion. I brush off the effect she had on me, the one I can’t let them see. “Fuck if I know,” I say and shrug.