Even Heroes Have Scars

[81] Back Around

Jacob's P.O.V.

Cole and I had gotten to know each other relatively well over the last few months. He was obviously here to stay, especially since he was in the friend group with Ben and everyone else. I was really starting to like Cole, though. We even got together a few times sober, just playing videogames or talking. He had even taught me how to ride his skateboard, which resulted in me falling and scraping my knees and elbows. I had to keep those hidden from Ansley, though, because while I did get them from hanging out with Cole, it wasn't Cole's fault. It was mine, 'cause I was a klutz that shouldn't be trusted doing anything sporty.

One night in the early spring, he had invited me and Ben over to his place while his mother worked a night shift. It was when Ansley was visiting Demi right before she left for tour. The three of us laid on the floor of Cole's bedroom spoking and drinking.

"What's a place y'all wanna live one day?" Cole asked, exhaling a puff of smoke as he passed me his joint.

Ben laughed. "Shit, man, I don't know. I wanna go somewhere with mountains and beaches. But I want the water to be clear, like in the Caribbean. Oooh, Greece!"

"Bro, I think Greece is in Europe," I told him.

His face immediately relaxed as he thought, and then he laughed. "Oh, shit, you're right!"

We all laughed for the longest time, 'cause how could he think Greece was in the Caribbean?

"I think I'd wanna live in Montana or Oregon or something. Somewhere pretty. If I had to pick somewhere out of the U.S., though, maybe Ireland? I like mountains way more than beaches," I announced after all of our laughter died down. "What about you, Cole?"

He pondered for a moment. "Somewhere with no drama. I'm tired of dramatic shit. I can't wait to get out of this state and out of high school in general. Maybe I'll go to Canada or England or something. Anywhere that ain't Texas, you know?"

Everyone chuckled again about how we all fucking hated Texas.

"As long as the weed is legal wherever I go, I'm there, man," Ben joked, though we both kind of knew he was pretty serious about that, actually. "Oh, shit, guys, I forgot to tell you. My brother got me something for us to try."

We all sat up, intrigued. A month ago, he'd introduced us to shrooms, which everyone in the friend group all loved. Well, everyone except Pedro, who vomited and thought he was seeing the whole galaxy in Ben's living room.

Ben dug into his pocket and retrieved a little bag with white powder in it.

"No fucking way. Is that coke?" I asked him, keeping my voice down as if there was anyone else in the house.

He nodded excitedly. "Hell, yeah."

"Can you even have that with alcohol? I mean, isn't that a lot all at once? I don't wanna go crazy..." I was honestly worried.

"Dude, the alcohol will make this even better. Plus, I'm pretty sure it's safe. Everyone in the media has done the two together. And if you start feeling too wild, I've also got Xanax to bring you down." He was so knowledgeable about this stuff that I didn't understand.

Cole was elated. "I've always wanted to try this. I'll grab a dollar. There's a book on the dresser right there you can line it up on."

Cole stood up and riffled through his wallet on his nightstand for a dollar and brought it over as Ben set up the book and poured a tiny little pile. Feeling useless, I pulled out my phone and used the edge of it to straighten the pile into a line.

The two of them tried it first, so much high relief settling onto their faces within seconds. They then turned to me. Cole extended the rolled dollar out to me. "You gonna try, kid?"