The Heart of the Matter

"Can I use the restroom?" Jake tried his best to sound brave but his voice came out like a tiny squeak. The chairman and his men looked at him as if he had gone nuts.

"Young man, the next time you are leaving this room is after we must have told you exactly where you are going to sell these drugs. So sit tight cause my men are coming to take you to a party."

"A party?" Jake asked confused.

"Yeah darling, a party." The man said and smiled. 

Breathe Jake. Just breathe, you will get yourself out of this one way or another.

Jake tried to console himself and he was close to succeeding when the door flung open and a few rough looking men came in. 

"Is this him?" They pointed at him, Jake heard Marion voice and he turned to look at him.

"Yes, he is the one. I know he doesn't look much but he is really eager to start the business."

"Okay. If you say so. Stand up, let's go!" The order was barked at Jake but his legs could not move. He was busy calculating the number of years he would spend in jail.

The men finally pulled him by his shirt and before he knew it, he was thrown into the back of a truck.

"Okay, listen up. You have one hour to finish selling this and get the hell out of that place. You got that?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now, once we arrive I will introduce you to a few men who you will be selling the goods to. It's an easy job man. Get in and get out. You got all that?"

"I think so." Jake's voice was still shaking and so was his body.

"Okay. Let's go now." He didn't even realize that the truck had come to a halt. The man who Jake didn't get his name pushed him out of the truck and he was standing in front of a high school party. 

"Follow me." The man walked briskly into the room and Jake followed after him. They moved past the drunk and almost naked teenagers to a VIP section. Few minutes later, a short man walked into the room and took his seat at the head of the circular table they were seated around. 

"Snake! What do you have for me today?" The man's voice sounded hoarse and Jake could have sworn that he had heard it before.

"The usual boss. The usual and I want to introduce you to your new supplier. Yeah, I've been relieved off working this area and he is taking my position."

The man looked at Jake and Jake could see the judgement in his eyes.

"Him? Is he any good?"

"He comes highly recommend boss." Snakes turned to Jake. "Go on, give the man his product!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Jake didn't think that his legs would allow him to move but his brain told him that they are almost done with the transaction and so far nothing bad had happened. With bravery, he stood up and place the drugs in front of the man.

"Freeze! Police!" 

Jake didn't know where they came from or what they wanted. All he knew what that everyone ran but fear crippled him on the spot. When he attempted running, a policemen apprehended him and knocked him to the ground.

"You have the right to remind silence cause whatever you say will be used against you in the court of law." Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Snakes smiling and running away. Jake suddenly knew that he was set up.

The policeman dragged Jake to the back of the police van and searched the contents of the bag. One of the policemen who Jake believed be to the deputy looked at him strangely and then moved to his head.

"Sir! Sir!" The man shouted as he ran towards the sheriff. 

"What is it deputy?" 

"It's just powder sir."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's just powder and not drugs."

"You are sure?"

"Positive sir."

"Okay fine. Let the young man go then."

The deputy came back to Jake and removed the handcuffs from his wrist. Immediately it was off, Jake went to massage the spot while wishing that he had some massage oil.

"You are free to go."

"Really? Why?"

"Because what you were trying to sell was powder and not drugs. Now come on, get out of here kid." Jake was more than happy to be leaving. He kept thinking about how terrified he was and why his friend would do such a thing to him. He took a turn and headed straight to Marion's place.

When he got there his face was red with anger and he didn't know when he banged so hard on the door.

"Open up you bastard!" He kept knocking till Marion opened the door. As soon as Jake saw him, he threw a punch on his face.

"Ahhh!" Marion cried and fell to the floor. That was when Jake saw his entire group of friends apart from Michael in Marion's palour. 

"What are you guys all doing here?"

"It was a joke Jake."

"What sort of sick twisted joke is that. I come to my friends about a problem and the best they could do was to play with me!?"

No one could say a word. That was when Jake heard the sounds coming from the laptop in front of them.

"What is that?" He walked and grabbed the laptop to see the events of the evening playing in front of him.

"You recorded it? Why would you do that?"

"To get more viewers." Marion finally got up from the floor and spoke. "My YouTube page was going down and I needed new viewers so I thought to make a short reality TV show of your life. One that would be interesting. I'm not into shady businesses, I'm a YouTuber."

"You're sick. That's what you are. You're all sick. Take it down right now!" Jake demanded.

"I can't. It already has like a thousand views and it would be stupid for me to take it down."

Jake walked angrily towards Marion till he was standing right in front of him.

"Take. It. Down. Or else this friendship ends, right here right now." Jake said through gritted teeth.

"I can't Jake. Boys gotta eat." 

Jake walked out the door and slammed it so hard he could feel the door frame shake.