Lucy hadn’t been home in three years and was ashamed at the fact that she hadn’t kept in contact with anyone especially Dixie her best friend. They were supposed to leave town together and go to California and eventually leave college to become supermodels. In the end though it had only been her that went off to California, she didn’t become a supermodel; instead she managed them. She wiped back tears as she remembered the last time she saw Dixie begging her to come with Lucy. Lucy looked up at the cold grey building and shivered she didn’t want to believe that Dixie lived here.

The building was old and bird waste was running down the

side they almost looked like tears; like the building was crying for itself. The green paint was wearing away and you could see the cold concrete underneath she took out the piece of paper she had written the directions on she remembered how surprised Dixie’s mother had been when she called. She stayed in her car for five minutes thinking of what she was going to say to Dixie. What if Dixie didn’t want to see her? Not that Lucy would blame her Lucy hadn’t exactly kept up with the people she left behind.

     She finally got out of the car and made sure to lock it. There was a group of men sitting outside drinking things out of paper bags. They all looked up and began making cat calls she looked past them and opened the door. The smell was overwhelming; the hall smelled like week old piss mixed in with fresh vomit Lucy gagged took a handkerchief out of her purse and put it over her mouth. She took the piece of paper Dixie’s mother had written directions on apartment number 303 she sighed at least she didn’t have to climb all the way to the top. She began to climb the rotting staircase afraid that one of them would fall apart as soon as she stepped on it.

     She finally reached Dixie’s apartment and knocked on the door. “Yeah who is it? Whatever you’re selling I don’t want.”  Lucy could barely recognize Dixie’s voice it sounded so hollow.