What Goes Up... (Book #2 of the "Cassie" Series)

Chapter #20: Fine Lines (Chad's POV)

A/N: This chapter contains descriptions of drug usage, death, survivor's guilt, and implications of suicidal thoughts. It's definitely not one of the lighter chapters of the series, so feel free to skip if you don't feel comfortable with any of the scenes described.

Saturday, February 18, 7:30 pm

"I thought you'd be spending tonight with your little girlfriend." Kai mused as he lay out thin lines of white powder on the black wooden coffee table in front of me.

"Yeah, well, so did I." I huffed, watching him set up the cocaine on the table. I sat on the grey loveseat, my elbow resting on my knee with my chin in my hand, my hand started shaking under my head as beads of sweat started to slowly roll down my head. I needed that line and I needed it now.

"What's her name again? I forgot. I just remembered her as a sweet, pretty little thing, sometimes I wonder what she's even doing with a guy like you." he chuckled to himself.

"Yep. Sometimes I wonder that too." I sighed, trying to let out a small smile, but nothing around my face moved. "Her name's Cassie, and I really don't want to talk about her right now."

"Girl trouble?" he asked, raising a brow and flashing a grin at me.

"You could say that, and once again, I really don't want to talk about it." I sighed, leaning back into the hard and uncomfortable couch cushions.

"Fair enough. You came here for coke, not a therapy session. Although something tells me that you need that more than the blow." Kai handed me a silver metal straw, and I snatched it from his hands, scowling at him. Kai simply laughed and sat on the armchair across from me. "Damn, someone's really pissed you off today, haven't they?"

"Shut up."

"Right, don't wanna talk about it, that's cool. Enjoy, my friend." Kai flourished his hands and presented three perfectly laid-out lines of cocaine on the table, wiping some excess white powder on his black polo shirt.

"Thanks. You have no idea how much I need this."

"I really don't, because you won't tell me anything." Kai crossed his arms and shrugged, leaning back in the black chair.

"I come here to forget why things are so shit, I don't come here to give you the "that's what you missed on Glee" recap of why everything's so shit." I pointed out. 

"Look on the plus side, the coke clearly hasn't rotted away the part of your brain that contains your sense of humor." Kai laughed, as I looked up from the table at him blankly. Suddenly, Kai's demeanor changed from cheerful and chirpy to concerned, as he cupped his hands together and leaned forward. "Listen, man, you seem like a decent kid. You look like you've got a good head on your shoulders, you've got this gorgeous girlfriend on your arm who clearly cares a lot about you. Why are you spending your Saturday nights getting high off the white stuff with me?"

"You don't know me." I snapped. "I do it because I want to, is that so bad?"

Kai raised his hands and leaned back. "Hey, no judgment on my part. It's just a question and an observation. But to be fair, I don't know you because you don't seem to want me to know you."

"Let's keep it that way." I fired back, leaning forward to the table, holding the metal straw far up into my nostril. As I snorted the powder from the table, that awful sensation kicked in, the burning feeling as the powder traveled up the straw and down my nose, as the powder trickled down the back of my throat. I slammed my fist on the table, inhaling and waiting for the burning to subside so the euphoria could take hold, and I could just let the feeling take over and feel the weight of everything holding me down just slowly falling from my shoulders, letting me finally stretch out and feel lighter.