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Part 1: Eric Mitch Sedjwick

February 24 1986
I start college in 2 weeks

I stare down at my half empty paper twiddling my black ball point pen between my skinny fingers. What more do I have to write about anyway? I shut my journal and placed it on my dusty book shelf above my bed. Man do I need a smoke. I grab my brick sized phone and dial Jason's number.
"Dudeeeee." I hear on the other end.
"Seems to me you are high. Can I buy some Philly's, please?" I scuff through the phone.
"Yo, Eric you've been sellin me out. Nervous?"
"In fact, extremely nervous. College is in 2 weeks bro. Enjoy the laziness while I can."
"Agh. Come over right now."
Jason clicked the phone and I grabbed my car keys which were slightly dangling over my night stand. Jason has been a very close friend of mine since the 4th grade. He was a totally innocent person before getting into drug dealing and alcohol. The only reason that led him to that was the death of his mother when he turned 14.
I stepped over piles of dirty laundry and walked into my living room scattered with balls of cat hair and food stains all over the dark blue carpet. None of my parents were in sight so I ran to my cheap green and black subaru just outside the house.
When I stepped outside onto the cracked concrete decorated with weeds. I noticed a robin perched on my mothers watering bucket. This was a perfect shot. I knelt down and whipped my camera out from my large satchel slung on my shoulder. I always take my camera with me so I could capture anything beautiful in a dull moment.
I put it into focus and waited until the bird was in the perfect position. Her little stick legs were perfectly straight and her red belly was puffed out in clear sight. I made sure I had the essence of the ghetto, silver rusted bucket in view to create more of a messy yet vintage photo.
"1...2..."
On 3 I snapped the shot. The robin looked towards my way and instantly fled away into the gray sky. I watched as it fluttered its wings. I lifted my camera up and got a second shot. I looked through the two photos and bit my lip. This will be great to add to my collage of photos I keep on a wall in my bedroom.
"Eric!!" I hear in the faint distance. I see a nest of curly black hair and a wrinkly skinned woman across the street call my name. It was my 58 year old mother.
"Yes Mom?" I said and pushed my camera back into the bag.
"Don't be taking pictures of that disgusting yard." She yelled.
"Mom! Bird. Robin. Good!" I gave her two thumbs up. I tried keeping my words loud, and minimal with her. She smiled and went back to talking to whoever lived in the house across the street.
I ran to the minivan and charged the keys into the hole and drove off.

It took me about 15 minutes to reach Jason's house. I saw tank tops and panties scattered all over the floor in front of the main door. A beer bottle here and there across the front lawn, and a horrible stench of drunk women and cigarettes. I knocked on the glass door and saw someone rise from the sofa.
"Yo man." Jason had cheese-its planted in his blonde curly hair and he only wore a pair of yellow swim shorts.
"Hey. Hangover party?" I asked as I walked in.
"Yeah? Some people are still here but whatevs." He gurgled from his Bud Light scented breath.
A whiff of perfume and beer engulfed my nose, and I couldn't help but gag. Two girls and one guy laid completely stoned on the torn up couches while the TV played Rick Steves travels in Europe.
"Back here." Jason motioned me to the far end of his condo to his somewhat nice smelling room. He unhinged a lock that belonged to a big black case and pulled out 3 fresh boxes of Marlboro cigarettes.
"30." Jason said and handed me the boxes.
I reached into my charcoal black jeans back pocket and pulled out a 20 and a 10 dollar bill.
"30 it is my friend." I said as I crumbled the money onto his wet palms.
"You gonna stay?" Jason asked.
"Um, nah. I got a shift at 5:30 and I need to pack some." I opened one box of cigarettes and pulled out a long pearly white wrapped poison stick.
"Oh. That's cool. My Dad went out of town for 2 weeks so I have the place to myself for a while." Jason grabbed a lighter from his desk and lit the cig for me.
As I puffed the drug I let out rings of smoke from my lips and it went onto Jason's face. He didn't cough or budge. I knew he was very much so used to it.
"More like for you and your hangover parties." I said with a small trail of smoke escaping my lips.
Jason rolled his eyes and locked up the black case again. Stashing his money away in a small safe he had in a broken drawer on his dresser. I saw several hundred dollar bills peeking out right before he shut it.
"I have a request." Jason walked over to his bed and laid down staring up at his ceiling. I did the same and lied next to him.
"Please tell me what college is like." He said.
I made a few more puffs before I answered, "school and work. Hot girls, too."
We kept silent for a bit and then Jason looked at me confused, "college is going to determine wether you'll have a life or not."
"Haha, Jason what are you talking about? You have 100's of dollars from drug dealing and all I need is a camera and the beauty of mother-nature."
"Well, Eric you gotta open your eyes. Miracles happen in college. You can actually do something with yourself. Not sell and do drugs constantly."
I paused and then looked back at Jason, "selling and doing drugs is the fun stuff kiddo. Plus you make GOOD MONEY! Doesn't everyone want to have fun and make good money? You are living the life."
Jason's blue eyes glimmered like the bottom of a swimming pool. This would be a good photo to take. "This isn't living, E. It's dying."