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🔴 TRIGGER WARNING - DRUG USE 🔴
DISCLAIMER: I DID NOT TAKE PART IN THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES WITHIN THIS STORY. THIS WAS WRITTEN FOR STORY TELLING PURPOSES ONLY. ALL NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED.
My night started with the typical call to pick up Ty. It was after 11:00 and everyone was already asleep. I grabbed my bag and my keys, and headed out to town. He asked me to pick him up in an unusual spot, but I didn't ask any questions. I always went to pick him up because I knew there was an opportunity to get high and I never wanted to miss out.
I turned on the rap station on the radio so he'd have his music ready. I tried to be a good friend and think of the little things. I mean, we weren't friends to be exact. I was just the driver. That's what he told everyone else anyways, so I went with it. Regardless, I tried to be the best I could be.
I went off the main road and on to a side street. As I got closer to where he told me to pick him up, I saw two police cars on the side of the road with their lights flashing. My heart sank. I knew it had to be him. I didn't know if I should turn around or keep driving. Turning around might seem sketchy, so I slowly kept driving. Suddenly, I saw Ty walking on the other side of the street with someone else. He waved at the cops and I slowed down to a stop.
He came over to the car and got in. Another man walked behind him and got in the back seat. I drove off before asking any questions. As we got away from whatever was going on, I looked in the rear view mirror to see a young man with curly blonde hair holding a guitar.
"What was all that about?" I asked Ty.
"No clue. They just asked what we were doing. I told them we were waiting on a ride and they let us be."
"I thought you got caught with something."
"Nah, I don't have anything on me right now anyways. Oh, and this is Gio, he's a friend of mine. He was walking down the road; I said you could give him a ride."
"Oh, yeah, no problem."
"Cool. I've got to meet someone then we can head to Brick's house and get some dope."
He gave me directions and I drove across town to another run down looking cul-de-sac. As I was driving, Ty turned up the music, much to Gio's dislike.
"Can we listen to something that isn't this shit?" He said from the back seat. "I can't stand this rap shit."
Ty ignored him. He was busy on his phone messaging people. I parked in front of an old wooden house and watched Ty get out and go inside. It was just Gio and I in the car. I didn't know what to say to him, so I just looked out of the window. I heard some rustling around in the back but tried to pay him no mind.
"Hey, I'm Giovanni, but just call me Gio. How do you know Ty?"
I jumped, a little startled and turned back to see him. "I'm Emily. It's nice to meet you. Um, well, I met Ty at some guys house a while back. I've just been driving him everywhere. I don't know him all that well."
"Well watch out because he will rob you blind. Keep an eye on your stuff, girl. Don't let him manipulate or mistreat you."
"He's been pretty good to me so far, but thanks for the warning."
"No problem. So you like rap?"
"God no, I can't stand it!"
"Me either. I play guitar. I play a lot of old stuff," he said as he situated himself with his acoustic guitar.
"Yeah? Can you play something for me?"
"I'd love to." He smiled and started to play Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
He had a gruff, but soothing voice. The sound of his guitar and singing filled the car and made everything a bit more peaceful. I closed my eyes and listened to the words he was singing. For a minute I forgot where I was. It was like my own personal concert.
In the middle of his song Ty came back. He slammed the door, looking pissed.
"Everything alright?" I asked.
"We're good. Just go to Brick's house."
Gio had stopped playing and sat his guitar in the seat next to him. I wished he had kept singing his song, but with the mood Ty was in, I didn't want to ask.
I drove across town again to Brick's house and parked in the driveway. None of the lights were on, which seemed unusual.
"I don't know if he's up. Stay here because if his wife knows I brought you over again, she will lose her shit."
"Understood."
"Hey," said Gio, "while you're taking care of that, can she run me up to the station real quick?"
"Yeah, I don't care, just come right back."
I froze for a second, remembering what happened last time I was asked to go to the gas station. I couldn't relive that. Gio didn't seem like the type of person Trevor was, but the circumstances were all too familiar.
Gio hopped up front and smiled. He was a slender man with a square jaw and tan skin. He looked pretty good for being on meth. I assumed he was anyways. Why else would be be hanging out with Ty?
I looked over at Gio, "Do you mind if I play something besides rap? I've had a song stuck in my head I've been wanting to listen to."
"Be my guest," he said.
I plugged my phone into the AUX cord and pulled up "Angel of small death and the codeine scene" by Hozier. A far stretch from what Ty had been playing.
I started the car and headed to the gas station. As the music started to play. Gio smiled and nodded his head and I started singing along. Singing felt like a release from everything else going on.
"I like your style!" He said.
"Thanks! I can't sing, but I love this song."
I sang and laughed when I couldn't hit the low notes. Our short drive was really quite nice. I pulled up at the gas station and let him out. He leaned back in the window to grab his wallet.
"You want anything? You smoke?"
"Oh, um, cigarettes? I smoke menthol anything. I haven't had a cigarette in so long, dude!"
"I got you."
I watched him walk in. I finally got a good look at him under the florescent lights. He had a tie dye shirt on and some old jeans. He definitely looked like a hippie and not a tweaker by any means. He walked back out carrying two Coke's and two packs of cigarettes.
"Is Marlboro okay?" He said as he handed me a pack.
"Of course! Thank you so much, I really appreciate it."
"No problem. I'm out of dope, but I can at least give you this for your troubles."
"Man, I really appreciate it. Thank you."
We drove back to Brick's house and met with Ty. He said Brick couldn't come out, but he got some dope for us. We sat on his porch passing a pipe between the three of us. Ty seemed to be lost in thought, as he didn't say much. Gio was rambling on about music and I just listened intently.
After a while, Gio decided to head out and meet someone just a few streets over. He took his guitar and started walking into the darkness. I was sad to see him go to be honest. He was the first person I met that wasn't a wanna be gangster, for lack of a better word.
Ty looked up at me after a while. "I have something real important I need to do. We're going to Mark G's house, but you have to stay in the car and across the street. They can't know I have you with me, understand?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Bet. Let's go."
I had dropped Ty off at Mark's house a few times. All I knew was that he was some drug dealer who lived with his mom and I couldn't have any contact with him. He didn't allow women over apparently. Seemed juvenile, but whatever.
His house was just down the road from Brick's place. I dropped him off and I parked across the street at an apartment building. I saw Ty walk over and meet another guy at the end of the driveway. I could barely see them in the dark, but it looked like a serious conversation. The man handed Ty something and they shook hands. He started walking back my way. I quickly turned around and acted like I haven't seen anything.
He got in the can and slumped down in the seat and took a deep breath. "What I tell you doesn't get past you, do you understand? If I find out, I will kill you, I swear to God, Emily."
"Yeah, of course. You know I won't say anything."
"Ol' boy over there got his motorcycle impounded at A & R Impounding. He just paid me a grand to go get it out. I need you to be my get away driver."
"Okay. Whatever I need to do." To be honest, I was a little nervous. A whole fucking motorcycle? I drove a Buick Rendezvous, so I could probably fit it in here, but how would he not get caught?
"Look. A & R is known for having all these silent alarms and shit that catch you. No one has ever broke in and got out without getting caught. I'm going to be in contact with you at all times and you must do what I say, when I say. I've been doing this for a long time so I know what I'm doing. Are you comfortable doing that?"
"Absolutely. I'm excited to, really."
"Okay, I need some 'icicle courage' before I do this shit," he said with a laugh. "Go somewhere we can smoke for a while."
I drove us down the road to Walmart. We sat in the parking lot passing his pipe back & forth between us. He explained the details to me over and over to make sure I got it. I never thought I would be in the position to be a get away driver. It felt like a movie, and I felt invincible. I felt like no one could catch me. After a while, my anxiety got the best of me. I started feeling sick. My hands were shaking and I had a headache.
"Okay, are you ready?" he asked me as he put the pipe back into his pocket.
"Yeah, I guess."
"You guess? There is no guessing about this. You are in or out. I can't have you with me if you don't know."
"No, I just feel like shit."
"Oh, well let me drive for a while and see if that helps any."
I handed him the keys and we switched seats. He drove us out of the parking lot and through town, but he was going 55 in a 35, making me a nervous wreck. There weren't many cars out this late, but I couldn't risk being pulled over.
I started to feel worse the longer he drove. I thought about letting him go on his own and just taking my car. Then I could go home and sleep. That's really what I wanted.
"Hey, um, do you just want to take my car and go yourself? Just bring it back in the morning?"
"You're really not feeling good, are you?"
"No man, I feel horrible. I haven't slept or ate anything in days."
"You've got to rest sometimes, even if you don't want to." He put his hand on my leg for a moment. "I'll take you home. I've got someone who can help me. We've done this a hundred times together. I'll be back around noon, just keep your phone turned up just in case, okay?"
"Sure, thank you. I'm really upset that I can't go."
"There will be plenty more licks to hit, don't worry about that."
Ty dropped me off at my grandmas house. I watched him leave and headed inside. I had no idea what I was going to tell my grandma, but I didn't care right now. A wave of relief washed over me at the thought of being able to lay down and sleep like a normal person.
As I got into my bedroom and changed clothes, I looked around at everything. It was in complete disarray. An absolute mess. I never used to allow myself to live this way, but I didn't care tonight. I fell into bed, grabbed my pillows, and quickly fell asleep.
"Em? Em! Wake up! Your car is missing!"
I woke up to the voice of my grandma, clearly concerned about the car.
"Memaw? The car is fine, it's fine. My friend Ty borrowed it last night. Uh, he got a flat tire and needed to take it into a shop so I let him borrow mine. It's cool I promise."
"Emily. Who's Ty?"
"He's just a friend I met a while back through Michael. He's a good guy, I promise."
"I don't know how I feel about you letting other people take your car, Emily."
"Memaw. He will be back around noon, oh my god!"
She stomped out and slammed the door behind her. It was already after 10:00 in the morning, so I at least got a decent amount of sleep for once. I didn't think twice about my grandma's reaction or her questions. Frankly, I didn't really care. What I cared about was seeing the end result of Ty's master plan.
I got out of my bed and put some clothes on. I took a look in the mirror on my way out. My makeup was smeared, my hair was a mess, and I looked like I was dying. To be honest,I felt like it too.
I walked into the kitchen to the smell of cinnamon rolls. My stomach growled, so I grabbed one off the counter and sat down on the couch. I played with Aiden and Gavin while my grandma stayed in her room and avoided me. Deep down I felt like she knew I was doing something. I don't think she knew I was on meth, but I could tell she knew something was different. In the back of my mind I wanted to comfort her, tell her everything, that I was sorry and let her know I was okay. I just couldn't bring myself to do it though.
All my thoughts were centered around getting high, finding my next high, and what I could get into that I could get a thrill from. Past that, nothing else seemed to escape. It was like all my emotions and normal thinking were muted. They were there, screaming loudly, but I just pushed it all to the side, whether I wanted to or not.
I looked at the clock after a while and realized it was a little past noon, but no call from Ty yet. I walked outside for a moment to get some fresh air and noticed that my grandmas car had a flat tire. I looked over at my grandpa who was on the porch swing smoking a cigarette.
"There's a nail in it. Your memaw and I aren't strong enough to change it."
"I'll do it! Why didn't she say anything earlier?"
"I don't know sweetheart, she's just in one of her moods today."
I hopped down the stairs and got the tools out to change her tire. As I got the car jacked up, I saw my Buick racing down the road and flying into the driveway. I looked in the driver seat, but I didn't see Ty anywhere. It was a young, very country looking man with a camo hat on. I stood up and walked over to the car and he rolled the window down.
"Hey, I'm Eric. Ty's in the back. He's a little sketched out right now."
I looked in the back to see Ty laying down in a fetal position. "Oh, is he okay?"
"Yeah, he will be fine." He nodded at my grandma's car, "You got a flat?"
"Yeah, that's my grandmas car though."
I heard the front door slam and I looked back. My grandma was running down the stairs, looking furious.
"Who is this?" she asked angrily.
Eric stepped out of the car and went to shake her hand. "Hi ma'am, I'm Eric. I was just bringing miss Emily's car back to her. I see you've got a flat. Do you need some help?"
I think my grandma was just as shocked as me over how kind he was.
"You don't have to do anything, we can figure it out. Thank you though," she said.
"Oh I'd love to help if you let me. I see you've got a nail in there. I can run up to the gas station real quick and get a patch for it. I fix tires all the time."
"That's very kind of you, but I don't have any money."
"It's no problem. It's the least I can do for Emily allowing us to borrow her car." Eric looked over at me, "You want to come with me real quick?"
"Sure! Memaw, I'll be right back, I promise."
"Okay, love you!"
"Love you too!" I said as I hopped in the passenger seat.
Eric got in and pulled out of the driveway, but this time he wasn't speeding down the road.
"Thank you, I really appreciate this and thank you for being so nice. My grandma doesn't know what I've been doing and she wasn't happy about my car being gone this morning."
"It's all good. I'm just a country boy, southern hospitality runs through my blood. Anyways, I helped Ty out last night. He told me you weren't feeling good. We got it taken care of, but he was chased by the cops, so he's trying to hide out."
I looked back at Ty who was still curled up in a ball. He was covered in dirt and mud and still had a leaf stuck in his hair.
"You alright back there?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I think they saw me. They know who I am. They are looking for me."
"Eh, maybe. Tell me what happened."
"I cut through the fence and took off the deadbolt and lock to the gate. I got the bike, but it wouldn't fucking start. I pushed it out of the fence and the god damn cops showed up with their fucking dogs. So I had to push this mother fucker through the woods with no lights or anything, running as far away as I could with this 500 pound bike. They stopped pursing me after a while though. I got it in here and we took it back to ol' boy. They shouldn't have gotten any finger prints, but The dogs might have picked up something."
"If you are for sure you kept your face covered, left no marks, and nothing behind, you should be fine. I mean, dog's don't talk. They can't be like 'Yeah I totally know who smells like that'. Nice job though. I'm impressed."
"Fuck yeah, me too," said Eric. "No one's made it out before without getting caught."
"Glad I could help I guess."
Eric got to the gas station, ran in and bought a little plastic kit to fix tires with. He drove us back to my grandma's house and fixed her tire for her while I sat in the car with Ty, trying to talk him out of hysteria. He eventually came out of it. I told my grandma good bye, telling her I simply had to take them home and that I would be back soon. Ty ended up in the front seat with me and Eric got in the back.
They had me drive to Eric's house to drop the both of them off. As I let them out, I watched Eric open the gate into his yard. Behind the tall wooden fence were dozens of cars and motorcycles. They all looked fairly new, or at least somewhat nice. It really set in for me that this wasn't a new thing for them. How many cars did they have? What did they do with them? There's no way they could just go drive them around town when they felt like it. I quickly left and drove as fast as I could away from there. I didn't want to get caught over there.
I decided to play some music on my way home and opened my console to grab a CD but felt something cold instead. I grabbed it and pulled out a huge lock attached to the hinge and 4 long bolts. It was the lock he took off of the gate.
I freaked out and threw it back down. Now it had my finger prints on it! I couldn't throw it away, so I just kept it there until I could think of something else. Now that I wasn't high and running on no sleep, the reality of everything was starting to set in. I just wanted to go home and stay there. I didn't want anything to do with Ty or his endeavors.
I just wanted my kids and my family.
Dope could wait. At least for now.
That ends chapter 20!
So, how I first met Gio (Pronounced Gee-oh) was very brief, but he is a permanent person in my story, just not yet. I chose his name, "Giovanni Domico", because in real life he is Italian and had a name to match. I didn't just pull that out of my ass, I promise. Also, "ol' boy" is a term used quite often when referring to someone who you don't want to name. Maybe it's a southern thing, I don't know honestly, but I never heard it until I got in the game.
Eric was someone who came around very seldom. He was a good dude, but I think he's still sadly lost in the game.
Mark G is another guy who comes up in my story again later on, but I never met him directly. He looks like Guy Fieri, lives with his mom, and slings dope. That's really all I ever knew about the guy.
That lock I found actually stayed in my car for 3 months because I was too scared to throw it out. Seeing that in my car really made everything real for me, and real was terrifying.
Also, it didn't occur to me until years later that if dude had $1,000 in cash on hand like that, wouldn't he have just been able to go get it out? Maybe it wasn't his to begin with, but how else would he know where it was and have the keys? It just didn't add up to me. Then again, nothing ever really did while I was using.
"Icicle courage" was what he called it when he smoked before doing some really fucked up shit. Since meth in my town was mostly ice, it made sense.