Chapter 11

I waited patiently outside the large amphitheater-style classroom. There were a lot of pot dealers on campus, but for whatever reason Jimmy always had the best product. He had a bit of a hygiene problem, though, and I always dreaded our interactions, regardless of how brief they were. However, I didn’t have much of a choice if I was going to purchase the weed I needed for this evening.

It was my birthday, so I thought maybe he’d give me a good deal and lower his exorbitant prices. Yeah, right, wishful thinking.

I tapped my foot against the hallway tile and watched for several minutes as other students passed me by. A huge, handsome jock, who had to be on the football team; a pretty coed; two ordinary students who looked more like me ... what did they all have in common? None of them noticed me. I was virtually invisible, not even a blip on their radar. That didn’t shock me, though; it had been that way my entire life. I was the nameless, faceless, little Asian guy that no one recognized, no one knew, and no one wanted to know. The only times that I got any type of attention in middle school or high school were when I was bullied by the other students. Unfortunately, that’s the type of attention that no one wants.

Finally, the door opened and the class was letting out. I watched the business students begin to shuffle by. It was Friday afternoon and some of them were off to their next class, while others were ready to get their weekend started.

I saw a tall, pretty, blonde girl walk by and she gave me a polite smile. She then pulled her cell phone out of the back pocket of her short, jean skirt.

“Hello? ... Hi, Gianna, yeah, I’m headed to the Bellagio now...” Her voice trailed off as she walked down the hall and out the door towards the parking lot.

Damn, about time, there’s Jimmy.

“Jesse, what can I do you for?” he said once he saw me.

I tried to hold my breath as I spoke. He smelled like he hadn’t showered for at least a month and I felt sorry for his classmates who’d had to endure that stench for an hour.

“I need a little green for the weekend,” I said in a soft voice.

“Step into my office then and let’s do some business,” he said in a booming voice while motioning me towards the bathroom.

Damn, did he have to be so loud?

We walked into the bathroom and I looked underneath the row of stalls, ensuring that we were alone.

He started laughing. “I love this James Bond shit you’ve got going on.”

“I’m just trying to be careful, Jimmy.”

“Okay, okay ... I got it, but I’m in a bit of a time crunch here, so can we just move things along? What are you looking for?”