so I stopped. I squinted my eyes against the shadows. For the second time that night I was in the presence of the person I’d never wanted to see again, Jill.
“Are you following me?” I questioned her in an incredulous tone.
“Oh come on. You aren’t that hard to find. It’s not like you’ve tried to hide where you live.” Jill climbed the steps behind me.
“I’m not doing this with you. Our friendship is over, period.” My voice failed me and I didn’t sound that convincing at all.
“It’s New Year’s Eve. We spent last New Year’s together or have you forgotten?”
How could I have forgotten? “We sat against the side of some fucking random building, drinking a bottle of stolen liquor. Wow, now that’s something to be proud of.”
Jill moved up a few steps until she was standing next to me. “I’ve seen all your television spots. You’re a really good actress.”
I studied her face; what I could see of it in the low security lights. “Thank you.”
“Can I come in; please? I just want to know how you are and explain my side of things, about Philly.”
I sighed and played with my keys. “You can come in for a minute.”
We continued the walk to my front door side by side and in silence. Jill was different somehow. She seemed sad which was unlike her. She was always bitchy but she bitched with a smile on her face. I’d never seen her truly sad the entire time I’d known her.
“This is a nice place,” she remarked as I opened the door and let her inside first.
“It’s small but it’s mine.”
Jill walked around the coffee table to admire the painting. “That is a morbid piece of artwork, Fallyn.”
“I like it. It was a gift.”
She continued to walk around and check out my place as if she owed me an approval. I dropped my shoes beside the couch and turned my iPod on before sitting down.
“Does Mason live here with you?” Jill asked. She ran her hand over a picture frame holding just one of the many photos of Mason and myself.
“That’s none of your fucking business, Jill.” I wasn’t about to offer her any details on my life.
I was beyond her as far as I was concerned. Whatever I had, I’d earned and it felt wrong to share it with anyone but the people in my life at that point. Jill was an afterthought; a time in my life that I wanted to leave behind.
“Aren’t you going to ask how I am Fallyn?”
It seemed like she was baiting me for some reason or another. I took a good look at her while she waited for me to answer. She had lost weight, not that she weighed much to begin with. Her eyes were prominent on her thin face and there was a small bruised looking area under each one. Jill was not doing well, judging by her appearance.
“I don’t want to be drawn into your drama. I’m just going to go to sleep so I think it’s time you went.” I stood and tried to push her small frame toward the front door.
“Wait! I have something you might be interested in, just wait.”
I continued to push her. “There is nothing you have that I want. I think it’s the other way around.”
“You mean you’re not interested in this?” Jill asked as she drew a bag of cocaine from the cleavage of her dress.
I let her go as if I’d been burned. She approached me, swinging the small bag full of white powder.
“I know all about your Percocet problem. I’ve been hanging out with the asshole that was selling it to you. Does Mason know you were buying pills off the street?”
“Stop,” I said in a weak voice. No one knew how I’d gotten the Percocet once the refills had run out. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
“Oh really? Well, how about your first job then? Did Mason tell you that he set it up and you were going to get a job no matter what?” She had advanced me backwards until I had nowhere to go but on my ass, on the couch.
My heart broke. I didn’t know if it was true or not but deep down I didn’t need to. I already believed her. Mason had made sure I would get the job which meant maybe I wasn’t as good as I thought I was when it came to acting. My boyfriend had called in a favor and