Maggie was semiconscious when she felt herself being pulled from the car. She thought she was hallucinating, but someone was carrying her away from the car. She could feel her body wrapped in something warm and dry. She heard the snow crunch under the feet of whoever was carting her off. She tried to open her eyes, but her lids were heavy, and then everything went black as she slipped into unconsciousness.
When Maggie woke up an hour later, she was lying next to an Asian girl. They were both in their underwear. The stranger had her arms and legs draped over Maggie’s, and their torsos were pressed together. The girl was looking at her with anticipation.
“Fucking A, you’re alive. Thank God! I read that body heat is the best thing for someone who is freezing to death,” the girl said, snuggling even closer.
Maggie gave the girl a small smile and fell back to sleep. For the next two hours, the girl massaged Maggie’s limbs to increase her circulation. She kept Maggie covered in old towels and dirty clothes until she finally woke again.
When Maggie struggled to sit up on the edge of the mattress, the stranger rushed to her side to help. “How about a cup of hot tea?” she asked.
“I’ve never had hot tea, but I’d drink anything hot right now. Thank you,” Maggie said gratefully.
The girl came back carrying two cups of steaming tea. She rested them on the empty wooden crate next to the bed. Then she opened her dresser drawer and pulled out a sweat suit and socks. “Here, you should put these on. They’re dry. Your sweatshirt is still wet. I hung it in the bathroom. I took your shoes and socks off as soon as you got in here. I practically had to chisel the ice from your sneakers to get them off your feet,” she explained.
Maggie took the clothes and began to dress. Her mind and muscles were fatigued as she struggled to put the dry sweatshirt over her head. The Asian girl jumped up. “Here, let me help you,” she said with compassion. “My name is Juju. Lucky for you, I was looking out the window and saw you climbing into the car across the alley. I knew you’d die for sure if you stayed there. What’s your name?” she asked.
“Maggie,” she croaked. Her throat was dry and sore. She lifted the mug of tea and took a sip. As she felt the warm liquid coat her mouth and slide down her throat, she started to come back to life.
“How old are you?” Juju asked.
“I’m eighteen,” she stated.
“Where do you live?” Juju asked, testing her.
“I live with my boyfriend,” Maggie responded, as if she were a Stepford wife.
“Hmm. So, which one of those douche bags do you belong to? Arsen?” she asked.
Maggie shook her head.
“Diesel?” Juju offered.
Maggie shook her head again.
“It’s Armando, isn’t it?” Juju asked.
When Maggie hesitated, Juju knew she’d gotten it right. “Armando is a fucking dick. They all are. Rock is the biggest prick of them all. How did you get caught up with them?” Juju pressed.
“Rock bought me at an auction,” Maggie stated, feeling like a piece of meat.
Feeling Maggie’s self-loathing, Juju told Maggie her story. “Well, I work for Rock too. I’m one of his drug pushers. A couple of years ago, Rock was riding me hard to prostitute for him. I kept turning him down, and that was pissing him off something fierce. Then one day, I was in that convenience store down on Somerset. You know the one I’m talking about?”
“Yeah, I know it,” Maggie said, intrigued.
“Well, I was in there, and I overheard these two goons saying they were gonna take Rock out at a party he was invited to. The party was a cover-up, just to get him there so they could kill him. Anyhow, I left that store in a New York minute and ran nonstop until I found Rock. I told him everything I heard,” Juju explained.
“What happened?” Maggie asked.
“So, Rock went to the party, except he was ready for them. When they had Rock cornered, his men busted into the room and killed the guys. After that, Rock stopped bullying me about prostituting. I ain’t got no family, and I needed money to live, so he gave me a job selling dope. Not too many girls sell; it’s mostly guys. Rock’s always pretty decent to me. I’m like one of the only people who ever saved his life. He told me he’d always watch out for me after that. Doesn’t change the fact that he’s an asshole. I see what he does to the girls that work for him,” she finished.
“Wow, that’s insane. So you know Armando?” Maggie asked nervously.
“Yeah, I know all of Rock’s men. Armando is a total shithead. He’ll do anything to make money. He ain’t got no scruples. You know what I’m sayin’? Is he the one who put you out on the street tonight?” Juju inquired.
“Yeah, he found out I was only offering hand jobs to my johns,” she confessed.
The two girls sat and stared at each other. Instantaneously, they burst into laughter. The whole idea was so absurd. Armando had put her out into a blinding blizzard because she was only giving hand jobs.
“How come Rock lets you live here on your own?” Maggie asked.
“’Cause I deal. If I was hooking, he’d make me live in one of his houses. He pays me to deal, so I can afford my own place, even if it is the ugliest place on earth. So how old are you really?” Juju wanted to know.
“Fourteen,” Maggie said.
“Yeah? I’m fourteen too. I’ll be fifteen in two months.”
“I’ve been gone from home since I was eleven,” Maggie confessed.
“Man, it sucks, don’t it? I was twelve when my idiot mother ran off with some dude she met in a bar. Told me she’d be back in a couple of hours, and the bitch never came home. Eventually, I had to leave our apartment, and I slept at different friends’ houses. Then when their parents got sick of me always being around, I hooked up with Rock. I’ve been living here ever since,” she explained in one long breath.
Maggie let out a big yawn. “I’m sorry, Juju. I’m just so tired.”
“No worries. It’s time for some shut-eye,” Juju said and crawled into the bed next to Maggie.
In the seconds that it took for Maggie to fall into a deep sleep, a feeling of happiness swept over her. Maybe she’d finally found a friend.