Thin Lines

Pilot

Xela

"Don't remind me." I groan to my best friend, Aliza. She stifles a laugh, "It can't be that bad."

"That's easy for you to say." I roll my eyes and play with my hair tie with my fingers, something I do when I get nervous. "Worst case scenario you still get an education." Aliza says in a harsh tone. A part of me thinks she is jealous of me getting to move away, but if I could switch places with her I would in a heartbeat.

"Liza don't be like that." I tell her.

"You don't understand how lucky you are to get to leave this dump. I would kill to be able to go somewhere and actually be able to go to school."

I just look off in the distance, not knowing what she wants me to say. Aliza and I have grown up here together, despite our very different lives, we both are more similar than you would think. Aliza lives with her little sister, Penny, and had to drop out of school to take care of her. I on the other hand have to stay with my druggie of a mother, and school has been out of the picture my whole life.

"Im just going to miss it here." Is all I say, my eyes looking back to the star filled sky with a full moon illuminating the rooftop we are sitting on.

"Try to look on the bright side. Maybe your mom won't make you continue your runs."

I scoff at this, "Yeah, right. That's the only reason she keeps me around."

My mom and I have a simple relationship. She doesn't bother me during the day as long as I make drug runs and buy her alcohol at night. I've tried to help her sober up, especially when dad left, but it's a seemingly impossible task. I tell myself I will stop and force her into sobriety, but when she sobs and begs me to help her, something inside of me just wants to make her proud of me.

I haven't met her new husband yet, but I have no doubt he will be similar to her. No sober man sees a woman who is high 24/7 and decides to marry her. My best guess is he wants her drugs, but I'm in no position to make any comments to her.

"It's getting late." I sigh, standing up on the creaky roof and dusting myself off. Aliza stands up right after I do and pulls her chestnut hair into a low ponytail. We are silent as we scale down from the two story building that has become our hangout spot for the past three years. By now I barely have to look as I land on pipes and ledges, I just know where they are.

Once our feet both hit the ground we are in an alley downtown. At first it was scary but now we are so used to the darkness and filth it doesn't bother either of us.

"You better not forgot about Penny and I." Aliza says with a smile, bringing me into a hug. "I would never."

Aliza pulls away, "And I expect visits, regularly."

I give her a look, and I can tell even she knows that is unrealistic. "I will try." I say anyway. And I will try. I'm only moving thirty minutes away, that's not impossible to visit every few months, right?

"Love you" Aliza says, reaching her hand out for our handshake. A smile creeps onto my lips and I meet her hand, performing our well practiced handshake we came up with when we were just thirteen. "Love you more."

Walking away is the hardest, not just knowing that I'm leaving but that she might not be here when I return. I know how much Aliza struggles to keep Penny and herself fed, not to mention paying for just the tiny apartment they live in is hard enough as it is. I've offered for Aliza to come on runs with me, I mean I make a good amount of money, but she says she wants to stay out of it, and I completely understand why.