Saving Rain

by Kelsey Kingsley

we drove away, and Billy reached for the orange bottles in the center console. “Holy shit! What did you do, hit the fuckin’ jackpot?!” “We’re not selling them all,” I warned him, flashing him a pair of narrowed eyes. “But I need to get rid of them. I dunno … maybe I’ll, uh … I dunno. Maybe I’ll throw them in the lake or something.” “Fuck, no, don’t waste them! I’ll take whatever you don’t get rid of tonight.” He popped one of the tops off the bottles. “God, how much did she buy?!” Billy was the only person on the planet who knew where I got my supply from—and who the hell knew who Mom bought them from? It was a question I never asked because I knew she’d never say. But I had my suspicions. “I’d say nine thousand dollars’ worth,” I grumbled as I begged the anger nagging at my nerves to settle just a little. Nobody wanted to buy from a guy who sounded like he was two seconds away from choking the life out of someone. “Get the hell out.” He shook his head with disbelief, then plucked one pill from the top. “Well, don’t mind if I do.” He swallowed it in one quick gulp and sighed with satisfaction. I shook my head, the disappointment in my soul never ending as I drove toward the high school parking lot. The snow had melted, the night was a little warmer, and I was hopeful that enough young people wanted a Friday night out of the house. I wouldn’t sell enough to replenish my savings—of course not—but with any luck, I’d make enough to pay the rent and keep a roof over our heads f...