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“Anything for you, babe,” she slurred.

I cringed, my mind swirling with all the ways my sister could have gotten the drugs. She used to work, but now she couldn’t keep a job—always too high or drunk to make it to work consistently.

“Where’d you get the money, Leah?”

She looked down at the table and began making more lines, shrugging as she flippantly replied, “Found it lying around.”

Bullshit. There was never any money just lying around. My heart stuttered and all the air left my lungs. She wouldn’t have. I tried to reason with myself as I ran down the hall, fire burning behind my eyes. My door hammered against the wall and I rushed to my dresser, falling to my knees. I ripped the drawer open, almost pulling it from its tracks, and searched through the pants folded inside.

Nothing. There was nothing in there.

Not a bill to peel off for ramen.

No money to get me to and from work.

Nothing to ease the knives cutting away at my stomach.

Tears slipped down my cheeks until drops darkened the denim covering my thighs.

How could she?

It was all I could think until the pain shifted—morphed into a fiery rage threatening to burn the cheap trailer down. I clenched my jaw and roughly wiped the tears from my cheeks and stood. I tried to take a deep breath to calm myself and find a way to stay in my room, but the flames grew until they burned my throat and I was going to explode.

Clenching my fists, I stomped down the hall. Leah and Oscar were too lost in their haze, their bodies swaying to the music coming from Oscar’s phone, to pay attention to me. I rounded the table until I stood in front of Leah and she still didn’t look up at me. My anger grew until it had a life of its own—until it controlled my muscles and vocal cords.

I shoved her shoulder hard, slamming her against the couch, but she bounced back and even giggled. The lack of satisfaction roared through me.

“How could you?” I screamed. “How fucking could you? That was my money. My money to get to work.” Her eyes widened and she cowered back against the cushions finally realizing it wasn’t a joke. I’d never lost my cool before. “You fucking bitch. You lazy bitch. I hate you.”

I saw Oscar moving out the corner of my eye, but I was too consumed by my anger to pay attention. At least until he shoved me back. I stumbled but managed to stop my fall with my hand on the wall.

“Don’t fucking talk to her like that,” he yelled, stumbling. The shove had knocked him off balance.

“Fuck you, Oscar. You’re a disgusting pig.”

“Well, you’re a bitch with a stick up her ass.”

His angry sneer softened before twisting into a disgusting smirk. The fire pushing me earlier ebbed at his change in mood, sending alarm bells ringing. I edged my way around the table, keeping my back to the wall and my eyes on him.

“Maybe you just need to loosen up. Maybe you need a little Molly to cheer you up.”

Faster than I thought possible with all the drugs in his system, he snatched up a pill and lunged for me. I tried to turn and run down the hall, but he grabbed the back of my jacket and jerked, knocking me off my feet. Air whooshed out of my lungs when I hit the ground. He took the moment to grab my ankle and flip me before straddling my hips.

My stomach threatened to revolt and throw up the water sloshing around, but decided to hold on to what little was in there. Oscar smiled down at me, his teeth yellow and not all there as he held up a white pill.

No. No, no, no, no.

I tried to sit up and hit him, but he pressed my shoulders to the ground, his bony fingers digging into the soft spot under my clavicle. His rancid breath reached me from above and renewed my energy. I slapped my hands wherever I could hit—formed fists and tried to connect with his face. I used all the strength in my legs to try and lift him off me, but for as scrawny and emaciated as he looked, he was heavy and stronger than me.

“Come on, Alexandra. It’s just a little Molly. It’ll make you feel so good and I’ll be here to help you through all that pleasure.”

My stomach cramped again but I forced it down. I needed to focus to get out of this. Looking around the room, I searched for a weapon—anything within reach to knock him out. My sister sat behind the table, making lines like she didn’t even notice her boyfriend pinning me to the ground.

“Leah,” I yelled. “Leah, please.”

Her head lifted slowly and when her eyes met mine, they were empty. It took a full ten seconds before they focused on me, but they were still vacant as a small smile tipped her wide lips. “Oh, hey Alex.”