I Smoke To Die

Two days after

I had gotten back to the room from calling my parents to find that the Colonel had left. To where, I didn't know. Flopping on my bed, I let my eyes close, and within seconds, I was asleep. The night before, I had expected dreams of Alaska, but tonight I didn't see her, or anyone, for that matter, just darkness until I was shaken awake.

My vision blurry with sleep, I glanced at my clock. It read 3:47 AM. A voice was shouting in my ear. I rolled over, meaning to escape the chaos, but instead I fell out of bed. Groaning from the impact, I finally recognized the voice. But I couldn't make sense of why it was in my room.

I faced the shouter, eyes wide. Her dark hair was twisted into a messy bun and her sharp green eyes angry, tears falling out of them like raindrops. 

"Come on, Pudge! Get up!" she hollered again. I tried to stand, but I couldn't catch my breath. It was her.

"You're dead," I said flatly. It was a dream. It had to be a dream. I was about to climb back into bed when a rough hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. Alaska slapped me and I flew backwards, falling hard on the floor. Not a dream.

I took her hands in mine and we sat on the floor.

"Pudge, do you know where Takumi is? Or the Colonel?" Alaska's hands were shaking in mine. I shook my head no.

"The Colonel was gone when I got back from calling my folks," I informed her. A sob racked her thin shoulders and she doubled over, her head almost knocking into mine.

"Takumi is dead," she choked out. I laughed. "No way," I said, "no one catches the fox."

"He's dead, Pudge. I found him. He did something, I don't know, but I found him in his room. It smelled like alcohol or something in there, but he was on the floor, and I went over to him, but he didn't respond, so I touched him and he was cold and didn't move. God, Pudge, he didn't move." She took a deep, shuddering breath, and her hands stopped shaking. I felt like I had been punched in the neck. I couldn't breath.

"What about the Colonel? Does he know about Takumi?" I asked. Alaska shook her head, tears flying.

"He went home. I saw him backing out of the parking lot with all his stuff on the way in. Drinking ambrosia. Crying."

"And where were you?" I let go of her hands, angry now. "Why did you do that? Was it a prank?"

"I thought... I wanted to know what would happen if I died." Alaska's response was so soft, I had to lean in to hear it. "I was at Jake's house," she continued, "and hid out in his room. No one knew where I was except him."

At the mention of Jake, I felt my anger rising. "So while Takumi was killing himself and the Colonel was packing up, you and your boyfriend were having a grand time back home," I summed up, teeth clenched.

Alaska stood up and for a second I thought she was going to kick me. Instead, she opened the door and slammed it, leaving me feel like an absolute jerk.