16-Donovan

"Siri, text Shorty," I instruct as I press my fingers deeper into the steering wheel.

Siri replies, "What do you want to say?"

"I'm on my way. Love you."

"Do you want to send it?""Yes."

While meeting with Coach, I desperately wanted to leave. When he said the word dismissed, I sprinted out of his office and jumped in my car. The GPS says I'm about three minutes out, but this can't be right. The clinic is located on the east side of town. Prostitutes are hanging at every corner, there's a sketchy house across the street where it looks like illegal shit is happening, and garbage is scattered on the grass and sidewalks.

I park in the lot of a free clinic and hope my 190k car will still be here when I leave. I climb out of the car and lock the doors.

God damn. Even the air smells like piss and weed.

What the hell is my girl doing here?

The red brick building with a flat roof is the size of a convenience store. I walk up the cracked sidewalk and through the single dark brown door. I am greeted by babies…lots of crying babies and angry mothers. I taste burnt coffee and cleaners that linger in the air.

The middle-aged woman behind the plastic barrier is getting her ass handed to her by an irate younger woman with a screaming toddler on her hip.

Bypassing them, I walk through the door that leads to the exam rooms.

"Excuse me, sir?"

I turn around to see a tiny nurse with superhero-printed scrubs glaring at me. "What do you think you're doing? You can't just come back here without your name being called. You need to wait just like everyone else."

"My girlfriend is here," I say, my voice even.

She spins and walks further into the area. "Name?"

I follow her to the nurse's station. "Sadie Ramirez."

She scans the log and looks back at me. "She's in room eight. Go down this hall and turn right. It's the last door on the left."

I walk past her and head to Shorty's room. I don't bother knocking and walk into the room.