Open it!” Kaden yelled above the TV noise. I held the box in my hand. It was an old shoe box. I watched BB and Brian pretend to watch TV. But they would glance at me now and then. I was glad the rest of the gang hadn’t showed up yet. Kaden shoved my arm. “Do I got to open it for you?”
“Nah, I got it.” I lifted the lid and tried not to frown. I wasn’t sure what to think. There was a small package wrapped in brown paper. Next to the package there was a five dollar bill with a joint wrapped inside of it.
BB was looking at me now. He smiled, “The joint’s for you! And there’s more where that came from.” I could feel my face grow warm.
Kaden’s voice broke in, “It’s a joint man! You know…pot!”
I looked at him and didn’t smile, “I know what it is!” All I could see were my parents, high and passed out from drugs. Years of pot smoke already filled my lungs. I wanted to run.
But BB started to frown. “What’s your problem? Don’t you like it?”
I quickly forced a smile and answered, “Oh, yeah! Can’t wait to smoke it.” I carefully shoved it in my pocket.
BB smiled. I reached for the other package in the box and started to open it. BB’s voice stopped me, “Don’t open that!” I looked at him and frowned. He smiled again. But this smile scared me. “That’s your first drop off.”
“Yeah, drop off…you take it to a specific place and drop it off.” My mind shot to images of drug delivery boys. I had watched them in our neighborhood. I had even seen Dad take packages from one before. I never asked to open his packages. What if it wasn’t pot? What if it was meth or a gun? I realized BB was watching me. He kept looking at me straight in the eye. I held his stare. I didn’t want him to see my fear. I wanted to be tough. I was tough. I could handle this.
“When?” I felt my jaw tighten.
“Now!” BB looked at Brian and Kaden for a minute and back at me. “The two of them will follow you and make sure you’re okay.” I wasn’t that stupid! I knew okay meant that they were watching out for their package, not me. I just nodded. BB continued, “Go to Got Game Bowling and head to the bathroom. Wait in a stall until someone with red shoes enters the stall next to you. He’ll reach down his hand, and you hand off the package.”
I didn’t move. I just pretended like it was no big deal, “Is that all?”
BB started laughing. “Yeah … go on!”
I stepped out the door and started walking. The back of the bowling alley was only a block down the street, and I would just have to cut around the building to get to the front.
It was already getting dark. I could feel Brian and Kaden following me, but they were far enough behind that they couldn’t hear me breathing hard. Once I was in the front of the bowling alley, I walked through the door with neon lights flashing Cold Beer.
I stopped for a minute when I saw the lanes and bright lights. Music filled my body, and I couldn’t help smiling. Dad had never taken me bowling. I had heard it was a fun place, but I always called those kids losers. So I made myself think I would hate it. But I didn’t. The smell of fries made my stomach growl. I glanced at the counter where it looked like a hundred shoes were lined up. A tall white man, who looked like he had just stepped out of an army poster, looked at me.
“What can I do for you?” His voice was strong and his eyes narrowed.
I could suddenly feel myself sweat. “Oh, I just need to use the restroom.” I tried to smile.
“Customers only!” The army man’s strong hand pointed at a sign.
I panicked, but only for a minute. “Oh.” I shifted. Then I pointed at the fries. “How much are they?”
“Two bucks.” The man turned his head and handed a young girl and her father some shoes.
I walked up to the bar and sat down. I put the package on my lap and ordered some fries and a Coke. I carefully pulled the five dollar bill out of my jeans leaving the joint hidden. I knew then why BB gave me the money.
I ate slowly. I enjoyed the fries and the cold Coke. The drink suddenly gave me a real need to use the restroom.
The restroom was small with two stalls. I picked one and closed the door. I decided to wait until the red shoes arrived before I actually used the toilet. But after fifteen minutes, I was dying. I put the package on the back of the toilet and unzipped my pants. Just as I was finishing, I saw the red shoes. I panicked and tried to grab the package. But it slipped. It fell into the toilet. My heart stopped. I stood and looked at the package floating in my piss. I cussed and grabbed it. I used toilet paper to wipe it off, but it did no good. I slowly handed a wet package to the dark hand that belonged to the red shoes.
I held my breath as curse words flew from the stall next door. I didn’t dare move. Suddenly there was a roar of laughter. I recognized BB’s voice and opened the door to find all three of my new friends laughing.
I didn’t feel like laughing, but I tried to smile. “What’s going on?”
Kaden spoke first. “You really dropped it in the toilet?”
“I didn’t mean to.” I tried to laugh, but I know I sounded fake.
BB threw the package in the trash and looked at me. I was confused. He smiled. “It was just some old paper. We wanted to see what you would do.” His eyes narrowed and his smile was gone. “Next time it will be for real. Just don’t take a piss first!”
They all started laughing again. I swallowed hard. Next time. I wasn’t sure I wanted a next time.