I Like You a Latte {Completed}

11 | Explaining the Problem

Alicia startled and almost dropped the heavy book she was holding when Beverly careened around a bookcase and nearly jumped on their table. "Jesus, Bev," she giggled breathily, setting the book down safely on the table and sending Beverly a questioning look. "Where's the fire, girl?"

Beverly let her eyes drift over their surroundings, checking for eavesdroppers; her senses were on overdrive, and her paranoia was immense. Satisfied that there was no one nearby, she stepped closer and held out her phone. "Look at what I saw in the bathroom."

Alicia's nose scrunched up. "Beverly, you're great, but like . . . ew. Tell your doctor, not me."

Rolling her eyes, Beverly shoved the phone into Alicia's hands. "Just look, please."

This time, Alicia took the phone, her blue eyes widening almost comically when they absorbed the picture on the screen. "Holy crap." Her gaze drifted between Beverly and the phone several times. "Holy crap, Beverly. Shit. Damn. Fu—"

Beverly slapped her hand over the girl's mouth. "No need to be vulgar, but yes. Exactly. What do we do?"

"What do we do!" Alicia echoed in a harsh whisper. "What do we do?! Beverly, you found a packet of cocaine in the bathroom. We don't want to get killed, so we'll leave it alone, turn the picture into the campus police, and call it a day. Right?"

Beverly faltered, inwardly grimacing when she realized that her inner detective had slipped out before she was able to really think about her actions and their possible consequences. "Right. Except no."

"What do you mean, 'except no'?" Alicia asked, her brows furrowing suspiciously. "What did you do?"

Shuffling her feet sheepishly, Beverly dug into the front of her loose sweatshirt and pulled out the packet of drugs from her bra, where she'd wrapped it in toilet paper to protect possible prints. "I didn't want the evidence to disappear, so I . . . took it with me. For safekeeping, you know."

If it had been possible, there was no doubt in Beverly's mind that Alicia's jaw would've fallen off with how low it was hanging. "What. The. Shit. Beverly! Bev-er-ley! Beverly! You cannot just waltz into a drug lord's bathroom, take their drugs, and shove it down your bra! Are you trying to die? Oh, God, this is it."

"What?" Beverly asked, looking at the object with bewilderment. "They won't know it was me." She doubted they put cameras in the bathroom.

Right?

Ew, that would be nasty.

"Oh, sure," Alicia huffed, rolling her eyes so far heavenward Beverly almost worried they would never sit right again. "Look, just . . ." she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay." With her eyes open, she began to gather up their textbooks. "We'll take it to the campus police, and you can show them the photo, too. Now, please, for the love of God, hide it in your backpack for now."

Doing as told, Beverly waited until Alicia was ready before striding out of the library with the other girl, ignoring her friend's grumbles of, "We are so going to get killed."

***

Thankfully, the campus police believed Beverly's story, and were more than happy to take the drugs and pictures off her hands. According to the officer they'd spoken to, "The situation is probably isolated, and should be handled quickly. Thanks again, and have a nice day."

Beverly originally hadn't felt like having a nice day after that, especially with Alicia's constant groaning about how, "the incident certainly isn't isolated if they're showing up in bathrooms, of all places! Have I mentioned we're going to die?" The other girl, for all her whining, had a fair point.