one in town,” he said.
“Do the accept visitors outside the family?” Rob asked, smartly.
“Well, now that you mention it, I don’t think so. Sorry, looks like you can’t see her.”
“You don’t really think I’m going to give up that quickly do you?” Rob asked.
“Um..?”
“You will call now and say I’m a cousin in from out of state to see her and that they should expect me,” Rob said.
“What?” her father asked. “I can’t do that.”
“You can and you will!” Rob said, walking over to him again as if to hurt him or torture him in some other fashion.
“STAY BACK!” her father pleaded. “I beg you!”
“Listen, I’m going to head over to the hospital now, and if they don’t let me in, I’ll be back here for you. Do you understand me?” Rob asked seething with anger.
“You better not come back here, do you understand ME?” her father asked. “I’ll call the cops on you.”
“Oh yeah, what do you think they’re going to do to me?” Rob said, mocking him.
“I wouldn’t try me,” her father said. “I’m a powerful guy.”
“Listen, I don’t really care who you are to be frank. I just want to see your daughter,” Rob said.
“Well, let me tell you one other thing. This is no way to enter into our family, young man. If you ever think you stand a chance with my daughter you are out of your mind. So, if I were you I’d just quit now.”
“NEVER!” Rob said. “This has nothing to do with you, or your family. I don’t care about your dumb family. You guys mean nothing to me. All I care about is Rachel. Nobody else in this world matters to me. I am different and she is different. It is something you will never understand,” Rob said.
“Just leave, would you!” her father said, pointing to the door. “I’ve heard just about enough out of you.”
“Ok, but remember, I’ll be back if I can’t find her. So you better be pointing me in the right direction.”
“GOODBYE!” was the last thing he heard as he made his way out of the house and towards the hospital for more answers.
CHAPTER FOUR
Mark drove through the streets feeling energized as he knew he’d get his fix soon. It had been a few days since his last smoke, and he couldn’t wait to get his hands on more. He’d become addicted, and it was all he could think about. He knew it was illegal, but he didn’t care. Something inside him had shifted and he’d become a guy he hardly knew anymore. He was suddenly doing things that were completely out of the ordinary and hanging with types that he’d never liked before. Although, he was happy about it because it made him feel cool and like a rebel. He’d always wanted to revolt against society, but for some reason or another, felt contained in his skin and he couldn’t break free. Now, things had changed for him, and he suddenly felt free of his inner chains and able to express his real true self.
As he pulled down the back alley way of this sketchy town he’d never been to before, a cat ran in front of him, and then smoke from a pipe in the street started billowing in the air in front of him making it hard to see. He was along, and was suddenly feeling a bit creeped out by the situation. He knew he had to stay the course though, or else he wouldn’t get his pot.
He turned the corner, and then outside on an old concrete porch stood two unkempt men, standing there as if they’d been waiting all day. Mark drove by and looked at the number on the house and saw this was where his dealer lived. He slowly approached the men, looking around the perimeter to make sure this wasn’t a sting operation and making sure there were no police following him. He then rolled down his window and said, “Are you Romano?”
“What’s the code?”
“427,” Mark said, still watching his back for trouble.
“Bro, that’s not the code!” Romano said and reached into his pocket and pulled out a police badge.
Mark’s hear began to race as he watching this unfold before his eyes. He knew he should have never come here and now he was going to be arrested.
“I think I have the wrong house,” Mark said.
“I’m just messin’ with you kid!” Romano said, laughing and looking back at his friends on the porch, who were also hysterical about the whole thing.
“Listen, this was a bad idea,” Mark said. “I should have never come.”
“What do you mean, kid? You ain’t gonna buy?” Romano asked, beginning to look angry.
“No, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Mark said.
“What do you mean?” Romano said. “Hey guys, he’s not going to buy anymore. He faked us out!”
“WHAT?” the guys said on the porch as some stood up, with their muscles showing and started swaggering over to Mark’s car.
“Come out here,” Romano said. “I’ll show you what I have. I don’t think you will be disappointed.”
Mark thought for a second and then decided he still wanted to get high, so he got out of the car to look at what they had.
“Come up here,” one of the guys on the porch said. “It’s up here.”
Mark got out of his car and headed up towards the broken down front porch with iron railings. He knew in his heart this wasn’t the best idea, but at this point he’d do anything for his weed, even if it meant entering into the lion’s den.
As he got to the top of the steps he saw more guys in the house, staring at him. He got a weird and creepy feeling about this as they all came out onto the porch to see what was going on. It was as if he’d entered the wrong side of the tracks and these guys knew it.
“Well, well, look what the cat drug in,” one of the guys said, as he came out of the front screen door.
Mark stood there, waiting for Romano to show him the weed. He didn’t want to engage with these guys, because he knew it could end badly and he didn’t want to get hurt. After all, he was a little bit out of his element. He’d never done a drug deal before.
Mark stood there waiting and silently praying that he would leave here in one piece. These guys looked like they were bad news and he was suddenly regretting his decision to get out of his car.
“Where you from, bro?” one guy asked.
“You must be from the good side of the tracks?” another guy said.
“Well? What cat got your tongue? Don’t be scared of us,” another guy asked, as he approached Mark and pushed him on the shoulder.
“Don’t
