desperate as the image of an unconscious Felicity on that red sofa flashes through my head again.
“Yeah, I guess it's okay.” Jack glances at his buddies, and they sort of nod their approval. “You got a pen?”
I quickly pull out a pen and a scrap of paper and write down what is obviously a cell phone number. “Sorry to bug you guys,” I say as I slip it back into my bag.
“It's okay,” says Jack.
“You want me to tell her to call you if I get hold of her?”
“Yeah, sure.” Jack almost smiles but not quite. That'd be cool.”
Then I thank them for their time, and they almost seem to be sort of okay with me. Like I could almost be one of them. And I feel slightly stunned. Or maybe I'm experiencing a form of culture shock—I read about that in my humanities class last semester. As I walk away, I feel like I just visited another planet where I thought the inhabitants might kill me and eat me for lunch, but they turned out to be somewhat civilized instead.
I try Felicity's number a couple of times, but her phone and her voice mail are both turned off. Finally I give Ebony a call. I quickly remind her of the vision I had, even though I already told her about it on Wednesday Then I add my concerns that Felicity is absent today.
“Do you think something has happened to Felicity,” asks Ebony, “something that should be checked out by the police?”
I'm not sure how to respond. “Possibly,” I finally say. “I mean, the vision I had didn't look good. But on the other hand, I was hoping Felicity could lead me to a dealer or something more significant.”
“Let me look into it,” she tells me. Then she takes down Felicity's cell-phone number. “I'll get this traced to a street address, then I'll let you know what I come up with.”
“Thanks, Ebony. I mean, it might be nothing…at least I hope that's the case.”
“But if Felicity
is
in danger, the most important thing is to help her.”
After school I drop Olivia at band practice and take Garrett to his counselor where, after a quick introduction, I sit in while he confesses his addiction problem to her.
She nods and makes a note of something, then looks at me with a curious expression. “Is that why you're here?”
I feel sort of silly now, like maybe it wasn't really necessary or maybe I should just mind my own business. “I was just trying to give him some moral support, you know?”
She smiles at me. “Good for you. That's what friends are for.”
Then I ask Garrett if he'd like me to wait for him in the lobby while he finishes his appointment, and he nods yes.
Ebony calls while I'm in the waiting area. She tracked down Felicity's address, which is on the other side of town. “I've learned a few things about her too,” Ebony says in a somber tone.
“Anything I should know?”
“She was expelled from Madison.”
“Do you know why?”
“No, apparently the police weren't involved, but I suspect it was drug related. Maybe it wasn't anything they could prove, and they decided to just let it go.”
“Oh.”
“But until this past year, she was a pretty good student.”
“She does seem smart…but unhappy.”
“Her parents divorced a couple of years ago. She's been living with her mom but, judging by the address, in a bad part of town. They must be having a hard time of it financially.”
“That's too bad.”
“Yeah…” Ebony sighs. “And if Felicity is using serious drugs, which seems likely, she's got to be getting money for that somehow. It's not cheap to support an addiction like that.”
“Where do you think she'd get money?”
“The obvious possibilities are working for a dealer or prostitution…or both.”
Now this doesn't really surprise me, and yet it makes me sad. Incredibly sad.
“I know it's hard to hear that, Samantha. But these are the facts.”
“I just feel so sorry for her. What a horrible way to live.”
“Well, hopefully you'll be able to help her. Maybe even prevent her from something
“Yeah, I guess it's okay.” Jack glances at his buddies, and they sort of nod their approval. “You got a pen?”
I quickly pull out a pen and a scrap of paper and write down what is obviously a cell phone number. “Sorry to bug you guys,” I say as I slip it back into my bag.
“It's okay,” says Jack.
“You want me to tell her to call you if I get hold of her?”
“Yeah, sure.” Jack almost smiles but not quite. That'd be cool.”
Then I thank them for their time, and they almost seem to be sort of okay with me. Like I could almost be one of them. And I feel slightly stunned. Or maybe I'm experiencing a form of culture shock—I read about that in my humanities class last semester. As I walk away, I feel like I just visited another planet where I thought the inhabitants might kill me and eat me for lunch, but they turned out to be somewhat civilized instead.
I try Felicity's number a couple of times, but her phone and her voice mail are both turned off. Finally I give Ebony a call. I quickly remind her of the vision I had, even though I already told her about it on Wednesday Then I add my concerns that Felicity is absent today.
“Do you think something has happened to Felicity,” asks Ebony, “something that should be checked out by the police?”
I'm not sure how to respond. “Possibly,” I finally say. “I mean, the vision I had didn't look good. But on the other hand, I was hoping Felicity could lead me to a dealer or something more significant.”
“Let me look into it,” she tells me. Then she takes down Felicity's cell-phone number. “I'll get this traced to a street address, then I'll let you know what I come up with.”
“Thanks, Ebony. I mean, it might be nothing…at least I hope that's the case.”
“But if Felicity
is
in danger, the most important thing is to help her.”
After school I drop Olivia at band practice and take Garrett to his counselor where, after a quick introduction, I sit in while he confesses his addiction problem to her.
She nods and makes a note of something, then looks at me with a curious expression. “Is that why you're here?”
I feel sort of silly now, like maybe it wasn't really necessary or maybe I should just mind my own business. “I was just trying to give him some moral support, you know?”
She smiles at me. “Good for you. That's what friends are for.”
Then I ask Garrett if he'd like me to wait for him in the lobby while he finishes his appointment, and he nods yes.
Ebony calls while I'm in the waiting area. She tracked down Felicity's address, which is on the other side of town. “I've learned a few things about her too,” Ebony says in a somber tone.
“Anything I should know?”
“She was expelled from Madison.”
“Do you know why?”
“No, apparently the police weren't involved, but I suspect it was drug related. Maybe it wasn't anything they could prove, and they decided to just let it go.”
“Oh.”
“But until this past year, she was a pretty good student.”
“She does seem smart…but unhappy.”
“Her parents divorced a couple of years ago. She's been living with her mom but, judging by the address, in a bad part of town. They must be having a hard time of it financially.”
“That's too bad.”
“Yeah…” Ebony sighs. “And if Felicity is using serious drugs, which seems likely, she's got to be getting money for that somehow. It's not cheap to support an addiction like that.”
“Where do you think she'd get money?”
“The obvious possibilities are working for a dealer or prostitution…or both.”
Now this doesn't really surprise me, and yet it makes me sad. Incredibly sad.
“I know it's hard to hear that, Samantha. But these are the facts.”
“I just feel so sorry for her. What a horrible way to live.”
“Well, hopefully you'll be able to help her. Maybe even prevent her from something
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