Karma was deep in thought. She couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was that Stella wanted from her. After all these years, why now? Whatever it was Karma didn't have a good feeling, but she felt it was best to play along for now. It wasn't like she had anything to go back to.
Even though she stayed with her mom, she knew she meant nothing to her. At least, that's how it felt. Her mother put her through so much, yet here she was feeling sad about how she left her. Part of Karma wanted to believe she gave her up like this because she wanted better for her, and maybe she did, but in reality it was probably the exact opposite. Her mom, before her father died, might do something selfless like that, but again, just her thinking about all the bullshit she was drug through from a young age by the woman she called mother made the sadness she felt evaporate. She puffed that last bit of cigarette and flicked it out the window.
"You really pay Renae off?" Karma said rolling up the window and breaking the silence that had consumed the limousine.
"Yes...yes I did."
Stella eyed the girl cautiously as she spoke, "Do you have a problem with that?"
The way those last words rolled off of Stella's tongue, made the girl's throat sting.
"I saw the apartment," she continued as she sipped on her 12th glass of scotch, "You're better off with me."
Although Karma didn't trust her grandmother, the fact that the woman went out of her way to get her helped to relax her nerves and lower her guard a bit. She knew she was ok for now, and a little time was all she needed to figure out her next course of action. If it comes to it, tucking and rolling wasn't on the list of things Karma hasn't done.
Karma didn't know if it was the lack of sleep or the tension in the car finally wearing down, but whatever it was made her sleepy. She leaned onto the car door and watched the sun as it set. Before long she had drifted into a dreamless sleep.
-----------------
The sound of helicopter wings slashing the air woke Karma.
Outside the car was a helicopter landing in the center of what looked like a parking lot. It was dark, but the flood lights on poles that surrounded the concrete lot revealed the trees that surrounded it, leading Karma to believe that they were in the middle of nowhere.
Confused and half asleep she whipped her head around to Stella.
"Where we at? I thought we were going to your house?"
Stella chuckled and shook her head.
"We did," she said, "You were very busy coating my door in a layer of saliva, and I couldn't bring myself to interrupt."
Karma hurriedly wiped her mouth and scowled. She couldn't deny the trail of slob that cascaded down the window onto the car door. The embarrassment almost overtook the gut feeling in her stomach. Something wasn't right.
The driver got out from the car and opened the car door opposite the girl.
"Madam," he said loudly, extending a hand.
"You can stop the act now. We have a lot to get done."
The woman grabbed her sun hat along with a full bottle of whiskey and exited the car, completely dismissing the young man's hand.
She looked back at the girl and yelled over the helicopter noises, "Let's go. I have a lot to tell you, and I'd like it if we didn't waste time."
Karma's eyes showed visible disbelief. She looked at the helicopter, then Stella, then again at the helicopter, then back at Stella. Her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Me? Follow you? On a helicopter?" Karma scratched the back of her head and yelled back, "Yea...Fuck no."
The whole scenario was like something in a movie. What was the need to get on a helicopter? Why is there an airfield in the middle of nowhere? Who the fuck is Stella? All these thoughts flooded Karma's head in that moment.
Throwing the car door open, she quickly hopped out and darted off.
Stella sighed and hollered out, "Karma stop."
She didn't hear the old woman, nor did she want to. The girl hadn't got a good five feet away before a shot rang out. She felt her legs go tense and rigid. Losing her balance, her head slammed against the concrete.
Lights out.