Boy Next Door - Evan Peters (Alex from Adult World)

First Hit

Alex passed me the bong, his hands cupping over mine like I was going to drop it.

"Now this here, is my baby girl, don't you dare let her smash," he smiled up at me through his thick curls as his joked.

"Alex, I'm considering not doing this," I snapped back, watching as he put both his hands up in defence.

"Alright now, I've packed the bowl for you. All you have to do is put one finger here-" he guided my finger over the hole in the back, "and put your mouth in here," he pointed to the top.

"I will light it for you, all you have to do is inhale- do not, I repeat, do not exhale into the bong, it'll go fucking everywhere and bong water smells like absolute ass," he cackled, tapping a white lighter on his knee as I ran over his instructions in my head.

"So when you've pulled, the entire tiny bowl, take your finger off the hole and suck up the rest of the smoke," I nodded, my hands starting to sweat.

"Can't we just smoke a joint?" I asked him, leaning back on his leather sofa. It was the first time I'd been inside Alex's apartment, because I refused to smoke in mine, and it looked much like I'd expected - dark, grungy, kinda dusty, but homely.

"No, you're smoking from my baby girl and that's final, I don't have any papers," he looked at me with a glimmer in his eyes. He'd had the first bowl to show me how it was done, and he seemed completely unaffected by it.

"Ready?"

I did as he told me to do, putting my mouth into the glass, my finger over the hole, closing my eyes tightly as he reached over with the lighter.

"Del! It'll be fine stop being stupid," Alex laughed at me as I opened my eyes again, focussing on the lighter as he switched it on and held it to the bowl.

I inhaled only for a second, before I took my mouth away from the bong, coughing from how much it hurt my chest and throat. Alex sat next to me, patting my back as I coughed. He reached towards the table and grabbed a glass of water, offering it to me.

"Holy shit, your first ever hit, and I was here to see it," Alex teased, rubbing my back until the coughing finally subdued.

"That- was terrible," I let out a soft laugh, giving him back the bong.

"Hey no, you're finishing the bowl," he handed it back to me and I groaned.

"Alex, I physically cannot," I argued, pouting at him.

"You've committed to it now you have to finish it, come on you won't have to do it again," he egged on, one of his hands still on my back.

"Okay, but this is peer pressure, I hope you know that," I grumbled, making him laugh as I held it up to my lips for the second time.

"Okay great- now inhale," Alex instructed as he lit the bowl again, this time, the pot escaping through the hole and into the water. I lifted my finger off the hole, and did what he told me, sucking up the rest of the smoke.

"WooooHOOO!" He screamed, standing up on the couch and jumping up and down, "you did it, baby!"

I put the bong on the table, picking up the glass of water again and finishing it, before laying back on the couch in a slump.

Time passed excruciatingly slow. I watched Alex pack maybe 3 or 6 more bowls before he collapsed beside me.

"Alex?" I asked him, finding it hard to keep my eyes open.

"Hm?" He asked, before letting out an unprovoked chuckle.

"I don't do drugs," I said to him, looking back towards the TV.

"I know sweetheart, but you just did then," he picked up his tv remote and turned on the TV.

"Now, call me crazy, but I love watching Rick and Morty when I'm stoned, it must be all the colours," his voice sounded strange, the beating in my chest almost completely overriding all my senses. 

This was a really weird feeling, why does he like it so much?

I turned to the TV, watching Rick and Morty while Alex opened a bag of popcorn beside me. His chewing was so loud, I turned to him in a huff.

"Alex, would you please shut the fuck up," I groaned, before taking a handful myself and shoving it my mouth. I was no better than he was.

"Hypocrite," he mumbled with a mouth full of food.

"I'm so hungry but my mouth is so dry," I said, ignoring him, chewing on the food and trying to swallow.

Alex laughed, and it soon turned hysterical.

"My god Del, you're so innocent," he got out between laughs, clutching his stomach as I shoved more food in my mouth.

"You know why I don't do drugs, Alex?" I looked at him with narrowed eyes, as he stared back at me, the best he could anyway while trying to stop laughing.

"Because you're straight edge?" He asked me, tilting his head to the side.

"No, because my brother smoked weed in high school, and then his dealer gave him a taste of fentanyl, and then he got addicted, and then he overdosed."

Alex looked at me with wide eyes as I just sat there, realising that I'd just revealed everything. We didn't speak, for maybe 5 minutes, until Alex leaned over and rubbed this thumb across my cheek. I didn't even know I was crying.

"Mom would be so disappointed if she knew I was smoking pot right now," I cried out, hiding my face in my hands. Our fun little dinner and movie turned into a therapy session, and I didn't want Alex to have to sit through it.

"Hey- it's okay Del," Alex pulled me in for a hug, his big hands rubbing my back as I continued to blow snot into the shoulder of his sweatshirt.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think this would happen," I choked out, as he caressed my hair and whispered to me that it was going to be okay.

"No, no Del never apologise. It's my fault, I pressured you into smoking, I'm so sorry," he reassured me, cupping my face in both his warm hands and continuing to wipe my tears with his thumbs.

"I did want to do it, I just, thought of him- and you didn't know Alex, it's not your fault," I tried to explain, but Alex just nodded, understanding and pulling me in for another hug.

"I should go," I said, suddenly feeling more sober now that I'd cried, getting up off the couch and leaving Alex's arms.

"Del! Come on, don't be ridiculous. Stay with me," Alex pleaded, grabbing onto my hand and pulling me back down on the couch.

"I don't want to be a burden," I mumbled, as he pulled me down with him on the couch, spooning me from behind.

"Look at me, I'm a living breathing burden all the time and you still deal with me," he joked, making me laugh.

"You're right, you are," I joked back, sniffling away any tears I had left.

"So.. is that why you don't drink either?" Alex asked hesitantly, not sure whether I wanted to talk about it or not.

"Yeah, I just don't not want to feel in control. Jake didn't wake up one day because he let the drugs control him, I don't want that," I explained, watching Rick and Morty as it continued to play.

"I get that," he said, his face snuggled into my neck. I liked the feeling of him there, it made me feel safe.

"I do it so I can escape reality," he whispered.

"I get that, too," I replied, and I really did.

"Thanks for listening Alex," I said, grabbing onto the hand that was tucked around my waist.

"Thanks for telling me," he replied, before I closed my eyes.