"We got some money. We'll pay, don't worry about that," Julie said, straightening her dress.
"Come on, let's get out of here," Janet whispered again, tugging her friend away.
"Hey, little lady, come on, we ain't gonna hurt you. Yeah, we could use some extra bucks for tonight. It's the weekend and all that. Come on, it's just a short walk from here down by the canals."
"Okay," Julie said, giving her friend a superior look, then moving away.
I should stay right here until she comes back, Janet thought as she joined Julie and followed the three men down Ocean Front Walk. It was madness, insanity to go with the strange men… and on a drug-buying deal to boot! Of course she wasn't horrified at the thought of Julie buying weed. The stuff was sold at school almost as freely as milk at the cafeteria lunch line. She had tried it a couple of times at Julie's, although Janet wasn't sure whether she liked it or not.
"Don't be such a prude," Julie said, pinching Janet's arm as they turned east on Venice Boulevard and crossed Pacific Avenue. "You said you wanted to have a little fun."
"Yes, but I didn't think, I mean, I didn't know you were gonna be down here picking up guys… guys like that."
Janet looked around her, God, it was getting darker, more creepy. A few cars zoomed up and down the boulevard as they reached a small bridge. To the right she saw a long waterway wending its way toward the marina. Tumble-down homes and apartment buildings clung precariously to the grass-covered banks. A sour, pungent odor seemed to hang over the area, a smell far from, pleasant that grew stronger as the party descended rickety wooden stairs to a cement walkway.
"Careful here," one, of the men warned. "Lots of cracks. Fuckin' city don't fix nothin'."
Janet picked her way carefully in the semi-darkness. A few lights in the homes were the only indication of life in the area. More than once Janet thought about turning around and going back to the car. She drew closer to Julie, wishing time would pass quickly so she could be back home in her boring community. This was the kind of excitement she didn't need.
"Here we are."
They stopped at the corner of two adjoining waterways.
"Don't worry," Julie reassured her.
Janet smiled weakly, bugging her thin shoulders as they stepped into a one-story wood house on the canals. It was damp inside, reeking of a mixture of odors. Janet wrinkled up her nose as she walked in. Someone turned on a dim light that barely illuminated the place.
"Name's Jack," the tall dark-headed, bearded stud said, closing the door behind them and locking it. Yes, he locked it! Janet was sure! She had heard the snap of the bolt even if Julie hadn't. Should she say something? "That there's Bill and Greig."
"Get the stuff, man. The girls gotta go," Greig, a tall wiry blond said, wiping his nose with the back of one hand.
Janet moved behind her girlfriend protectively, watching the way Jack moved. He seemed cocky, self-confident, even… yes, she had to admit it to herself, even sexy! In a moment he was back with a small plastic packet filled with marijuana.
"You girls wanna try it first?" he asked, holding the packet out.
"No."
"Sure, come on," Julie countered.
Jack had everybody sitting in a circle in spite of Janet's attempts to get her and Julie out of there as quickly as possible. Opening the packet and pulling some papers from his pocket, he rolled several wrinkled, hand-rolled cigarettes. Janet held her breath. She guessed it was good grass from the way the guys were smiling at Jack. There was the sound of a match striking, the familiar smell of burning marijuana. They were passing it around. Janet took only a little, handing the smoldering thing to Jack again. He took advantage of the moment to brush her palm with his fingers. The sensation was electric, thrillingly hot.
"Wow, this is good stuff, you know, Janet?"
Her friend was looking bleary-eyed. Janet didn't like this, didn't like it at all. She could feel the men closing in on them. Janet scooted back slowly toward the door. If Julie weren't going to get out of here, then she was going to leave. She had enough money for a cab.
"Hey, where you goin'?" Jack asked, handing the stub of the joint to Greig. He was starting to get up, stretching out one hand toward her.
Julie was swaying back and forth, mumbling something incoherent. Already Greig was making his move, rubbing her back with one hand while fondling her ass with the other hand.
"I… uhhh… don't want any more." Janet's voice sounded funny.
Janet got to her feet, feeling the room sway a little. Yes, she was high, but not as high as her friend. God, what was that guy doing to Julie? He was feeling her up and down, nuzzling her neck, moving his hands around her ass. And Julie was laughing, throwing her head back and laughing while he touched her all over! It was more than Janet could stand. She felt real panic as she backed up, one hand stretched behind her, feeling for the bolt.