The Last Summer

Chapter 3: Disaster

July 6th 2022

We were stargazing on the roof of Miros's car. Well, not really stargazing, more like cloud watching. It was still just the beginning of the sunset where the stars weren't visible yet but the dark clouds were really accentuated against the fading blue sky. Bella, Miros and I sat staring at a heart shaped cloud that we were all able to find at the same time. That's when Miros decided to pull out her dab pen, taking a hit and then handing it to me. Making sure to hand it over Princess Bella, who did not partake in this heinous act, every time the poor thing smoked her anxiety would climb through the roof and her heart would start racing.

"Man, I wish I could smoke." This didn't stop her from wanting to join us.

Miros and I continued to pass it around and at that point I didn't know what my tolerance was so I continued on without any precaution. I was at the perfect spot. Everything felt right, my body was light, a permanent smile upon my face, my mind racing with thoughts of being in the moment and enjoying what we all had when the pen got handed to me again.

I'm at a good fucking spot, I thought, we going again!

So I take it from her and take one last big hit. It burns my throat and my eyes begin to water as I cough it out. And then... everything just stops. Before then my mind was racing and now nothing. I just froze.

"Alrighty Miss Hunter, it's time to take you home." Miros says from beside me, noticing my moment of distress.

Home?

At that moment I didn't even know who I was, let alone where home was.

Miros was able to get me into the car and Bella placed my stuffed dinosaur Dirk in my lap. "Here, somebody wants you." She cooes. Miros headed off into the direction of Bella's house to drop her off first.

We're riding along the dusty backroads of Scottsbluff Nebraska as I try my hardest to focus on something, anything. But I just can't. My mind is too fogged. I didn't know who I was. I didn't feel real at that moment. I could barely feel the car moving beneath me or hear the conversation that Miros and Bella were having. Everything my mind was telling me is wrong.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong

The words repeat in an endless cycle. That's when I feel the familiar burning sensation rise up my throat. My stomach churns and I lean forward a bit in hopes to ease it but to no prevail.

I'm going to puke.

The realization hits me like a truck and I begin to freak out. What am I going to do? There's no fucking way I'm puking in Ramona but I can't find the words to ask Miros to pull over. I'm afraid to open my mouth too much in fear of my dinner being the thing to exit.

"Mwhere are we?" I mumble my best to Miros

"On a country road, on our way to Bella's house." She says slowly, enjoying the evening drive. Well that was no help, I needed to know how close we were.

After what felt like an excruciatingly long ten minutes I look out the front windshield and finally see Bella's driveway coming up in the distance. Church bells are ringing in my head at the glorious site.

We're almost there! I can make it, I just need to-

I puked everywhere.

It's on the door, it's on Dirk, it's all over me.

Miros slams on the brakes jerking us all forward, poor thing still high off her ass is alarmed at the sudden movement and sour smell that hits all of our noses.

Bella, the only functioning one, directs Miros the rest of the way to park in front of her house. She gets us pulled in and hops out running to my door. She's able to get me inside and into her bathroom. From there I was able to undress myself and hop in her shower. Rinsing the remains of my dinner from my skin and hair. Checking and double checking that no puke remained on my body, I step from the shower and freeze.

My mind went blank. I had forgotten what I was doing .

What was I doing? Where am I?

Nothing looked familiar, nothing in that small room reminded me of what I was doing or even where I was.

I was stuck.

Miros, slowly but surely, was going through the steps of cleaning up her car when she came across the bile covered Dirk. Bella was about to start a load of my clothes so Miros ran into the bathroom to throw him in the wash as well. Instead she came across a nude, dripping wet, and very confused Hunter.

"Oh my god!" Miros exclaimed, covering her eyes enough to not see the naked girl but enough to get the beloved stuffed animal into the washing machine. She quickly exited and called through the other side of the door.

"Uh, Miss Hunter? You need to get dressed now!" She called as calmly as she could muster. To keep herself and her greened out friend calm.

Dressed... yes. That's what I needed to do.

I looked over and saw a stack of gray clothes resting on the sink counter, courtesy of Bella. Struggling to get them over my still damp body I am finally modest and ready to exit the bathroom as well.

I walk out and somehow make it to Bella's couch.

I need to detox. I am waaaay too high.

But of course it wasn't as easy as that. The room was spinning and I was stuck right in the middle of it. My eyesight coming in and out of focus and my mind a jumbled mess. I don't know how to artfully explain the feeling but everything just felt wrong. I truly believed that I didn't exist and none of this was real.

As it got worse I started to voice my concerns, Incoherent mumbles. With that, Miros came and cradled my head, making me focus on her. She assured me that it was all going to be alright. And that I was real, despite what my brain was trying to convince me of otherwise. With that I was finally able to calm down enough to focus on the movie that was playing. "Perks of Being a Wallflower '' filled the screen, Miros's favorite movie.

Ironically we were at the part where the main character, Charlie had accidentally eaten a pot brownie. I watched as the characters made a milkshake upon his request. My stomach gurgles at the thought of consuming anything.

Ding

With the dryer ending Miros and I were ready to begin our embark home. The backseat of her car was laid down and our stargazing blanket was sprawled out for me. As soon as my head hit the makeshift pillow of my now clean clothes I was out and wouldn't wake up again until we arrived at my house.

Miros, however, did not have such an easy trip back. A state trooper trailing his way behind her almost the entire length it took to get back to my apartment. Miros's nerves were through the roof, still high, with a very much blacked out person in the back of her car she could only think the worst. She was able to lose him but as soon as she pulled in and got me out of the car, I stumbled forward as a Gering Police Officer drove by.

"Alrighty Miss Hunter." I jerked awake with those words and stumbled my way from her car and down the stairs to my basement apartment. Miros didn't fully sober up until I was laid in my bed, falling fast asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. She crept out slowly, leaving me to sleep it off.

July 7th 2022

It wasn't until the next morning that with great horror I realized just how gross the events of last night had been. I apologized many times to Miros and Bella and that morning was when I realized what truly great friends they were. They stuck with me and helped me through a hard (and very gross) time and still came back, wanting to hang out the next day. 

I'm very lucky to have them. I thought to myself.