Losers Never Win by Black Ghost (book suggestions .TXT) 📕

            The lunch bell echoed through out the classroom, making Serena flinch. She slowly gathered her things and headed to her locker. Walking through the busy hallways, Serena held her books close to her chest. As usual, it felt like everyone was staring at her.

            She finally made it to her locker and began unpacking her things when Jenifer and Eliza stepped to her. Serena raised her eyebrow, wondering what they wanted.

            “Hey, I was told to give you this,” Jenifer had a mocking smirk on her face as she handed Serena a pink sticky note. It read, “Warning: don’t ever wear that again, ‘signed by fashion police’,” Serena’s heart sunk a little while Jenifer and Eliza broke into laughter. “That’s your warning, next time ‘You Will’ be arrested,” Jenifer teased, walking away.

            Serena dropped the note on the ground. She never understood why people did things like that. She always questioned why she was the one to be picked on and made fun of. What was it about her that made people belittle her? Questions like those were what made Serena hate herself.

            Brushing off the insult that was just handed to her, Serena closed her locker and went to the lunch line. She entered the cafeteria going straight to the reduced lunch section. Today they were serving mash potatoes, green beans, and ham. Not exactly her favorite, but better than starving.

            Serena received her food and sat at a table in the far corned by herself. It was a little cold in the lunchroom, so she curled up a little bit. She lifted her fork and scooped up a portion of green beans when she felt someone standing behind her. Serena turned around to see Cain gazing down at her with a plate in hand.

            With out asking, Cain dropped his plate on the table and took a seat. Serena stared at him like he was crazy. They talked one time yesterday and he’s already trying to have lunch with her? He had to have something up his sleeve she thought.

            Serena continued to eat her food like Cain wasn’t there. She figured if she didn’t say anything, then maybe he’d leave, but he didn’t. Cain sat there quietly eating his lunch next to her.

            After five minutes of no words Serena couldn’t take it anymore. She placed her fork on the plate and stared at Cain. “What do you want?” She asked, sounding spiteful.

            Cain paused eating to swallow his food. “What you mean?”

            “What do you want from me?” Serena repeated. “Why do you keep trynna talk to me? You aint got nobody else to hang with?” her eyes were more tense than usual. She kept her stare on Cain as he lowered his fork.

            “I don’t,” he shrugged. His words took Serena off guard. For a brief second the two locked eyes, and Serena saw in Cain what he saw in her.

            “Oh… I’m sorry,” she shyly apologized, changing her tone.

            “About what? Me not havin’ no friends?” Cain replied; his voice was calm but cold at the same time. Like Serena, Cain had been branded as an Outcast since his first day. His outburst in English was to thank for that. It wasn’t long after that that word of his actions spread across the school, making everyone think he’s crazy.

            “Your not the only one,” Serena remarked, adding to Cain’s negative comment.

             “If that’s true, then what’s the problem with me eatin’ with you?” he persuaded. Serena shifted her eyes to the table; a smile secretly glowed inside her. She didn’t want to show it, but it was nice to be around someone else, even if she didn’t know really them.

            “I guess you have a point,” Serena replied, holding in her nervousness.

            Cain took a bite out of his bland burger and stared at Serena with Interest in his eyes. “So, What you been up to…”

            Fast forward five hours and Serena was hanging outside by the group home she lived in. She sat on a bench near her building thinking about her time with Cain at lunch. It actually wasn’t that bad, and Serena was beginning to think that Cain wasn’t either.

            The thing that got to her the most though, had to be the vibe she got from him. They’ve only conversed twice, but yet she felt like she knew him. His eyes held the same sorrow, regret, and loneliness as hers. Not to mention the pain that scratched his voice. Cain was someone she could relate too, and Serena loved the idea of that.

            Serena’s warm thoughts were abruptly put to a stop when an old school Monte Carlo swerved in front of her. The crisp, blood red paint job gleamed in the sun, and the roar of the motor vibrated the area. Serena sighed as the window of the car rolled down, and a guy called K-9 peeped his head out.

            K-9 was a 23 year old drug dealer with dark skin and a bad attitude. He stood at 5’9”, had permanent gold teeth, and wore black and grey. K-9 was the one who persuaded Serena to try heroin in the first place. He’s part of the reason she lives where she lives now.

            “Aye what up baby girl?” K-9 asked. Serena cringed at the sound of his deep, criminal voice. She hated when he called her ‘baby girl’, which was something he always did.

            “nothin’,” Serena retorted, not directly looking at him.

            “I aint hear from ya in like a week. Just so happen I be the area when I seen ya,” K-9 eyed Serena up and down. “You know I got what you need, all you gotta do is say the word,” Serena kept her mouth shut. She didn’t want to encourage him. “Oh so you good then?” K-9 removed a small pack of powered heroin from his pocket. He lifted the bag in the air and dangled it from the car window. “Baby girl,” he exclaimed, catching her attention. Serena glanced up and her eyes got stuck on the bag of drugs.

            Her heart quickened as she watched the heroin sway side to side before her very eyes. She’s been clean for a week, but that wasn’t of her own will. Serena had craved to get high since she got here, and now the opportunity was directly in her face.

            Serena got up from the bench stepping to the car door. “I don’t have any money,” she told him. K-9 shrugged his shoulders like he didn’t care.

            “I do credit…” he said, placing the bag in Serena’s possession. She slid it in her pocket while looking around. “I know you still got my numba’.”

            “Yea,” Serena nodded, happy to have her ‘medicine’.

            K-9 put his hand on the steering wheel, shifting the car in drive. “Don’t be no stranga’ now.” He rolled his window up, hit the gas, and sped down the street.

            Serena remained where she stood, excited and disappointed at the same time. Deep down inside she did want to quit using heroin, but her hunger for it had grown too strong. A week without it seemed far too long, and Serena had plans to ‘get away’ tonight. 

At 10:01pm, Cain stood in the clean kitchen of this group home. He pulled off his tight, latex gloves and flung them in the trash. Kitchen duty wasn’t a joke, but Cain made short work of it. Back when he stayed with his parent’s, his mom would make him clean up all the time.

            Cain stretched his arms to the sky and yawned. It’s been a long day and his body cried for sleep. But first, he had to have a quick smoke. For some strange reason, Cain couldn’t sleep soundly unless he had a cigarette.

            He walked up the stairs to his bedroom, ignoring the racket that came from his housemates. Cain somehow managed to stay out of trouble so far. He figured if he didn’t talk or interact with the others then everything would be good, which proved to be true. Cain swung open the door to his room and staggered inside. He went ahead and changed clothes, putting on some sweat pants and a tank top.

            After grabbing his pack of cigarettes, Cain headed for the stairway. Since it’s after 10:00pm, it would be breaking the rules for him to go outside. Technically, smoking cigarettes under eighteen was breaking the rules, but Cain didn’t care. To him, that just meant he had to smoke elsewhere, and he knew just the place.

            Creeping up the stairs, Cain made it to the top floor and gently opened the door. He didn’t want to make too much noise and alert Mr. Tony. The second he got completely outside he stuck a cigarette in his mouth and lit it up. He walked around the rooftop, blowing out the smoke that entered his lungs. His nerves began to relax, until he heard somebody coughing.

            Cain’s eyes narrowed as the coughing continued. He crouched down and looked around him, wondering where the noise was coming from. As it continued Cain was able to pin point the location. He quietly snuck to a tall air conditioning unit that was planted on the roof. Cain got behind the unit and glanced around it. He was shocked at what he saw.

            Serena was sitting on the ground, curled in fetal position. She let out another cough and stared at Cain. The pupils of her eyes were constricted and she smelled like sour vinegar. Although the expression on her face was blank, Serena recognized who stood in front of her.

            “…Cain…” she said in a raspy voice.

            “Wha… Serena? What you doin’?” Cain knelt down to her side, not knowing what to do. He put his hand on her arm, feeling how cool her body temperature had gotten. “Serena you aight?”

            “Yea… I’m, perfect,” she replied. Cain looked at her shivering body and shook his head. He recognized the scent that stained her clothes. It was that of heroin, which he was no stranger too. He had an uncle who was addicted to heroin; so seeing Serena like this was disappointing. 

            Cain read the lost expression on Serena’s face and took a seat next to her. He knew how long the high could last, and was willing to wait it out. Serena was so far gone that she leaned on Cain’s shoulder. He sighed and put his arm around her, rubbing her back gently.

            Part of Cain questioned why he was doing this; showing such strong concern for someone he didn’t know. But deep inside he knew the answer to the question. Empathy and pity, two emotions he wasn’t fond of. Serena coughed a little and unknowingly snuggled closer to him.

            About an hour later, Serena’s high had faded completely, and she opened her eyes. For some strange reason she felt