Affliction

o n e

{Liza}

I stalked the halls of the store, running my fingers over my low strapped backpack purse. It was late, the best time to come to the drug store. No one was out right now. It was easy for me to steal things, as I always did. My hands left the cold leather straps of my bag to reach out for a bottle of pills.
Somehow, I got to the back and into the prescription room without getting caught. The little blue tablets of Xanax looked different because of the orange bottle.
I shoved the bottle into my bag and walked out and headed back to the front of the store.

Loud shouts of anger boomed at the cash register.
"Give me the money!"
My eyes widened and I ducked down be hide the small shelves. I slowly made my way towards the front, gripping the leather straps. There was another person on the next isle beside the one I was on, I could see him through the shelves.
"Hey," I whispered, gaining his attention.
He turned his head and came closer to the inside on the shelf, pushing a few boxes away.
"Someone robbing the store."
I rolled my eyes at his comment.
"No shit."
He looked back towards the front of the store as a gun shot rang out, causing us both to duck down.
A man in black leather came down my isle. I couldn't see his face because of his ski mask.
Instead of running, I just stood there, unafraid.
If he wanted to hurt me, he would have shot me already.
He made eye contact with me, then looked at my appearance. He stepped back, noticing my tattoo on my wrist.
"You're a-a Koshy."
I smiled, knowing I was dominant.
"You're right." He dropped a bag on the floor and kicked it to me. I looked down and flashed my evil smile again.
"It's ten grand. Take it."
"Gladly."
At this point, I had forgotten about the boy on the other isle. He was staring dead at me. I felt it.

The man stepped back again, then turned to take off running.
I picked up the bag, swinging it over my shoulder.
"Were you in on this?" I looked over at the boy.
"No."
"Then why did he give you the money?"
"He knows who I am."

He looked down and back up at me. Soon, he was on my isle.
"What's your name?"
"Elizabeth."
"Are you some kind of criminal or something?"
"You ask a lot of questions don't you?"
"Just curious."
I rolled my eyes. "Curiosity killed the cat."
I turned away from him and walked to the exit.

I heard him walking be hide me.
Once again I turned, "What do you want?"
"Nothing... Just trying to get out of here."
I shrugged and began walking again.
"But..."
"So you do want something," I said laughing.
He smiled and looked down. "I was going to introduce myself," he said.
I raised my eyebrows, waiting for his name.
"David.."
"Nice name David. Now, I am going to try to leave for the third time," I playfully rolled my eyes and walked out of the door to my car. I got in but kept my gaze on David. He made his way across the street and down a road with houses on either side. Those were the houses your parents told you to stay away from when you were little and went outside on your bike. Those were the 'bad' houses. Where the crazy people lived. I went down that street when I was fifteen one time, I saw a man outside who looked awful. He seemed to be drunk.
He was yelling at a boy who was on the stairs of the front porch, he looked about my age, and he was just looking at the ground.

I never went back after that.

I opened the door to my apartment and threw the bag onto the couch.
"What's that?" My brother, Ethan, came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee.
"Money, some guys robbed the store and saw I was a Koshy."
He nodded and sat the cup down in front of me.
"Did you get the-," I cut him off by sitting the bottle on the counter.
"Good."

He took it in his hand and smiled. "I already have the lines ready, you can go ahead and do one."

I stood up from the chair I was in and walked into the guest room, which wasn't really a guest room. We had a table in there ready for when we needed to mix things or do lines.

The white lines that defined me lay on the table, with a straw set to the side. I picked up the flimsy straw and put it at the end of a line.

It burned at first, but when you get loopy, it fades off.

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I had done this so many times, it was insane. I shouldn't be so used to stuff like this. I shouldn't want it, but I do.

I was just waiting for the day I would stop, but that day I'll be six feet under.

I was ruined from a young age. Being a Koshy wasn't something I took pride in. It was more of a fear. I fear getting shot on the street because of my name. I fear getting cat-called when I walk into a bar because of a tattoo I bare. Even if it seemed like I was proud of my family, I wasn't.

I was ashamed.

The way the man looked at me in the store, I was feared. I didn't want that, that's just how it is.

I sat against the wall, recounting everything that happened today.

And then I remember David. A person who didn't know my name, and didn't run when he heard it.

He didn't run away.