She Ends With Him

'Penjamin'

( Josh's POV ) 

Ace looked at me from her rear view mirror, her eyes dull yet glossed over, stitches of red covering the white.

"Hungry?" She asked.

Phoenix giggled in the front seat, setting her pen on the dashboard. 

I smiled, putting my wallet on her console. 

"Starving."

Ace smiled a bit and looked back at the road. 

"Mexican or.. Mexican?"

Phoenix giggled again, looking at Ace. Ace looked back at her, a cheeky smile pasted across her face.

"You fucking baby stoner." Ace laughed. 

I smiled, feeling the blood rush into my eyes, I chuckled. 

"Hmm, hard choice," I said, my words slurred. "Mexican."

Ace grabbed the pen and hit a blinker, I wasn't too worried. I think she could handle driving while high out of her mind, but drunk? No, that shit scared me. Never again. 

Phoenix looked at her. 

"You're just a pothead, I'm not a baby stoner. We call this an addiction, babe."

Ace looked at her and laughed, coughing over and over then. One of those real raspy, throat coughs, one that makes you wheeze. I could tell she was absolutely faded. 

"Shut up 'shrump', now sit back and enjoy your high, before I slap it out of you." Ace said, her cheeks bright red, matching her eyes. 

My stomach growled. I grabbed the pen myself and hit it a few more times. I joked, 

"Uber uber, hurry up please before I shit out my own stomach."

Ace laughed, pulling into the drive-thru. In the least to say, we got way too much food, but what can you do when you have the munchies? Eating while intoxicated is just better, the food is so much better, you can actually have an appetite. Ace drove up to the window to pay and get the food. I handed her my wallet this time, she tried to refuse but was clearly not in any shape to find her own wallet, so she accepted. She paid and handed me my card. We drove off into the old Shopko parking lot, munching down on our food. 

It had to have been close to midnight, but it started to rain. Nobody else was in the parking lot. Ace took another hit, and passed it around. She and Phoenix then got out of the car together and laid down on the wet concrete. The raindrops slowly sliding down their faces and drenching their clothes. I watched, and soon came out as well. I laid next to Ace, looking up at the few stars I could spot. We just talked about life, about our problems. Phoenix talked about an issue with one of her friends, I talked about my family issues that had been bothering me, and then it was Ace's turn. Phoenix turned her head and looked at her, I did the same.

"What about you Ace?" I said. 

She shrugged, her face blank. 

"I don't know, I'm doing pretty good as long as I don't have to be sober for more than 12 hours."

Phoenix giggled and nudged her shoulder.

"Come onnnnn," She teased. "What about Isaac? Has he done anything lately?"

Her face dropped, then her lips went into a thin line. She shrugged again.

"I'm tooo far gone to be thinking about it anyways. Let's just enjoy the high while we can."

Phoenix snickered. 

"Or before 'I slap it out of you!'" 

Ace giggled, looking at Phoenix. 

"You're such a fucking dork Phoenix. You're a good friend." She smiled.

Ace looked over at me and nudged me. 

"Hey shitass," She joked. "Whatcha doing?"

I looked at Ace, my eyes still so slow, so heavy. 

"I'm fuckin' tweakin'."

Ace laughed, sitting up. She pulled Phoenix up and came back up to me. She held out her hand so I could grab it. I smiled and grabbed it, and she helped pull me up. We all walked back to the car slowly, our clothes drenched, our hair soaking wet, we smelt like the earth though, so I'd say it was worth it. 

We ended up renting a hotel for the night, we were too high to go anywhere else. 

Phoenix got high to have fun, to be more bubbly, I got high because I actually liked the taste of weed, and it helped me sleep. 

I looked over at Ace. She got high so she could forget, she got high so the day was bearable. I looked down at her phone, messages upon messages. My stomach churned for a moment. I grabbed it without Ace knowing and shut it off completely. Forget about it.

I knew you couldn't always forget or erase trauma. But I wanted her to be happy for once again, not constantly reminded of what traumatized her. I set her phone on the nightstand and climbed into bed, shutting the lamp off. 

Phoenix and Ace giggled in their bed, talking quietly. I smiled, I missed hearing those laughs. 

We all deserved them to say in the least. 

((( Sorry for the shorter, less detailed story. I've been super busy but hopefully I'll be able to get back to writing this weekend or the upcoming! Been very busy with school. )))