Josie stepped slowly out of her car and glanced down once more at the folded sheet of notebook paper in her hand. Double checking the address one more time, she took a deep breath and glanced up at the ancient looking house in front of her. The smell of mildew mixed with pot filled her nostrils and she considered backing out for a moment.

No, Josie thought, remember why you're here.
*          *          *
It was about a month ago. She had just walked off the bus, an abnormal feeling for her as she would usually be at school every day until late, due to practice. Josie was a runner, had been since her freshman year, and there was nothing she loved more. That day was different though. Her mother had texted her and told her to come straight home.
Apprehensively, she walked toward her house, growing more anxious with each step closer. An icy breeze suddenly hit her, blowing her long dark hair back and rocking her petite frame. She crossed her arms tightly and continued walking purposefully. Josie finished her short journey and stared at her residence. She hesitated. What was this about? Slowly she took one last breath and made her way toward her front door.
A strong scent of raw meat slapped her as she entered. She noticed her mother first, hovering over the kitchen counter and toying with an uncooked piece of chicken. Her eyes were focused and determined, seasoning the meat intently in a way only a mother seemed to know how. Josie took a huffed breath and crossed her arms impatiently.
“Oh, hey, how was your day?” Her mother, Nancy, quickly wiped her hands on her old tee-shirt,  turned her attention to Josie and smiled lightly.
“Fine, I guess,” Josie sighed, “Is everything alright?”
Nancy’s eyes quickly shifted from elation to guilt and she folded her arms across her chest.
“Yeah, have a seat.” Nancy moved quickly toward the dining room table and Josie nonchalantly followed. Tapping her fingers impatiently, her mother glanced over her shoulder.
Almost as if on cue, her father, Keith, slowly entered. He stepped behind his wife. His tall frame towered over his wife's small one and he rubbed her bony shoulders reassuringly before taking a seat next to her. Slowly, hesitantly, Josie replicated them, gently pulling out a wooden chair on the opposite end of the table.
“So,” Josie spoke first. “What’s this about?”
“Well, it's about your aunt,” said Nancy delicately.
Josie put her head down and fingered the red table cloth in front of her, attempting to distract herself. “What do you mean? I thought she was already in the hospital.”
“Yeah, she is,” her father added quietly, “And we got the bill today.”
“Okay, so what's the damage?” Josie demanded while looking back up to stare her father in the eye. He evaded her glare and looked down at his fingers, then back up to his wife.
“It’s...well, it’s a lot,” she added cautiously. Josie sighed and leaned in close.
“And what does all of this have to do with me?”
“So as a family we need to start making sacrifices if we have any chance to pay this bill,” Keith jumped in again, this time using a stern voice. “We obviously didn’t expect this to happen, no one expects a close family member to have a stroke, but she did. We didn’t expect to have to pay for this either, but your aunt doesn’t have medical insurance and we’re all she has left. That means that some things are going to need to change around here. That starts with pulling you off the team.”
“What?!” Josie pushed out of her seat and slammed her fists on the dining room table in one swift motion.
“Josie, please!” her mother exclaimed in an effort to reason with her. “The expenses are just more than we can handle right now.”
Josie's fury quickly shifted into sadness and she glanced out the window. The tolerable climate outside had turned stormy and she bit her lip in an attempt to hold back the tears brimming in her eyelids. She wiped her face and looked back at her parents. Four eyes stared right back at her, all filled with sympathy.
Josie loved nothing more than running and she couldn't help but feel betrayed by her parents. She sighed a shaky breath and stormed into her bedroom, ignoring the pleas from both parents. She slammed the door and plopped down on her bed. She felt the tears brimming again and this time she let them flow freely. She placed her hands on her face and crumbled onto her lap. Several minutes passed and Josie’s mind was still running wild. What can I do? She thought, There must be something I can do…
Suddenly, a thought came to her. She smirked deviously, pulled out her laptop and began typing furiously.
*          *          *
Craigslist, she thought, it does wonders. She didn’t have the time for a job. Josie would rather be doing anything else than what she was doing now. Her mind told her it was a mistake, but the raw passion in her heart told her that she needed to stay on the team somehow. So, she put an advertisement up. Painting. Cleaning. Gardening. Any other odd jobs she could think of. It didn't take long for the responses to flow through.

Josie chuckled to herself and approached the faded white door ahead of her. As she walked up the porch, her stomach began to churn. She brushed it off, and knocked slowly on the door.
She took this free moment to survey her surroundings. The grass was dead, yellow. The pavement, well what was left of it, was cracked and broken. The house was old, it creaked with every movement. A cool breeze blew by her, blowing the horrid smell she had noticed before, even farther up her nose. Josie coughed and crossed her arms.
Suddenly, the door flew open and a woman greeted her. She was smaller than Josie, which says a lot, she was only five foot. The woman's eyes were sunken in and dark. There was something about them that seemed maniacal, maybe even evil. Her cheekbones jutted out and her face was pale. Her hair was placed lazily on her head. It was frizzed and grey. She wore baggy, dirty clothes and reeked of various drugs and alcohols. Josie swallowed.
“Ms. Callaway?” Josie meekly questioned. The woman smiled a toothy grin, even though some were missing.
“Please,” she said in a scratchy, hoarse voice, “call me Kate.” She opened the door wider, inviting Josie inside. She stepped in and coughed again. The scent was stronger than ever before and her eyes watered. She wiped them away swiftly while turning her attention back to Kate. Josie waited patiently for her directions, yet none were given. she tapped her foot uneasily. She just wanted to do whatever Kate needed and leave. The only thing keeping her here was the money promised to her.
“Uh, what is it that you need me to do?”
“Oh!” Kate exclaimed, breaking out of her trance. “Yeah, hold on.”
She left the room for a moment. Josie heard rustling, a thump, and an explicit exclamation from Kate. This gave Josie time to realize where she was. She was in a living room, or what appears to be one. The only things in the room were a small couch with a white sheet covering it, an old tv and black, dirty curtains covering any light from entering the room.
Slowly, Kate waddled back into the room, this time a box in her hands. She placed it into Josie's hands and she shivered when the woman's boney, icy hands caressed her own.
“I just need you to deliver this,” Kate stared into her eyes, changing her tone into a more serious one. “It’s important.”
“What’s in it?” Josie questioned innocently.
“It doesn’t matter!” Her kind tone turned into an evil one and she stood tall. Something in Kate changed, snapped almost. Josie shook with fear as the sweet woman who opened the door a few moments ago shifted so quickly into someone new. She stared at Josie with crazed, spasmodic eyes. It was only then that Josie noticed the small amount of white powder crusted onto Kate’s nose. “Here, you little brat, I’ll just give you the address and--”
A flashing red and blue light shining through the dark curtain caused them both to pause. Josie should’ve ran. She should’ve ran the moment she pulled up to the house. She should’ve ran the moment Mrs. Calloway opened the door and her stomach starting to churn. She should’ve ran the moment she noticed the white powder surrounding Kate's nose, but she didn't. Now she stood, frozen like a statue, as two police officers barged into the home. One, the smaller officer, went to search the house, while the other focused his attention onto where the two women stood. Kate’s eyes grew wide and she quickly wiped off her nose.
“Against the wall, hands up!” The two obeyed without a fight and backed up against the wall. As they put their hands up, the officer questioned, “Which one of you two is Kathryn Callaway?”
“Her!” Kate exclaimed, pointing at Josie innocently. Josie stayed quiet, frozen with fear and too afraid to speak. What?
“This little delinquent brought drugs into my house!” Kate continued, “All I wanted was for someone to help me clean up around here, I’m old, too weak, and she brought drugs in here! I should’ve called the police but she threatened me! Look inside that box!”
The cop snatched the box out of her hands and ripped it open. Slowly, painfully slowly, he pulled out three small bags of white powder. Cocaine.
Josie’s mind whirled and she finally snapped back into reality. “Wait, but I--”
“You’re coming with me, Ms. Calloway.” The officer shook his head, grabbed Josie harshly, and dragged her outside. Josie’s eyes welled up with tears as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. The flashing car grew closer.
“But wait! I’m not Kath--” Josie was shoved into the car, the slamming door cutting off her plea. Her hands, now clammy and raw, shook violently and she stared back at Mrs. Callaway, the real Mrs. Callaway, who was talking to the second officer. As the officer leaned down to scribble something in his notebook, Kate glanced up at Josie innocently. Although her eyes were now blurry with tears, Josie could clearly see the smirk on the face of Kathryn Callaway.
That was the last thing Josie saw before the car pulled away.