The Gated Return

Chapter 8 - Muzzle Burn

"Shit yeah! Pass that shit over hear nigga, I want a hit."

"You don't even smoke, what the hell?"

"Yeah man, like you really gotta chill out. You seem like you need a break anyway. Have you even slept in like, three days dude?"

"Don't worry about me, I know what I'm doing. And girl, shut your mouth, you don't know me. Hell yeah I smoke and have long before you and I were together."

"Well, I'm not going to sit around here and watch ya'll get trashed, fucken junkies. And I don't date liars so we're done!"

Mike just sat there and watched her leave out the door not having a care at all. Turned back to Tony and took the pipe out of his hand to spark up while shrugging his shoulders as if to say he didn't care.

"Yo man we gotta get another roommate soon so we can pay rent"

"Yeah what ever. Go find someone, I don't give a shit who."

"Well, I already know this one dude and he seems pretty cool. Like he smokes weed and shit."

"Cool cool" Mike confirmed.

A few days went by while Tony was getting things prepared for having this new guy move in, hoping he would cause rent was due and no time to get all the money. He had to come up with something to get some extra money. He met up with his friend to discuss the terms and convinced this new roomy to fork over some dough early.

"Hey, yo, this is Jason. He's the guy I told you about. He's cool and all and can pay the rent up front for us this month."

"Alright, sweet! I'm down with that. But we have another problem. We are out of shit."

"But we don't have any extra money, bro."

"No worries, I got this."

That afternoon, Mike came home with a stack of cash, a new pipe, and some fresh crystal. He sat down on his purple covered couch and got comfortable while flipping on the television to see what was on. This was about the time Tony flushed the toilet and came out finding Mike sitting and staring at the TV screen in a haze as if he were lost inside of his own mind. Tony noticed the cash in Mikes left hand wadded up next to the pipe sitting on the sofa.

*Knock Knock* echoed through the house as mike sat staring off at the TV. Mike's eyes quickly looked around the room and he jumped up off the couch in a panic. He grabbed the pipe, cash, and baggie running around the townhouse in a frantic manor trying to find a hiding spot. The knock came again and Mike's head turned and looked at the locked door for only a moment. Then ran to the corner of the bedroom closet and lifted up the carpet. He removed some padding to offset the cash and paraphernalia he was hiding underneath. He relayed the carpet and stuck some shoes on top in effort to hid the stash. Once again the knock came but harder and more abrupt. Tony just stood watching Mike run around the house not knowing what to do. He eased towards the door in small footsteps looking at mike for approval. Mike ran and jumped back on the couch in effort to make things look normal and nodded at Tony to open the door. He unlatched the chain lock with an effortless glide and dropped it to allow the noise to resonate inside the door and let the person on the other side know, its time.

"Oh hey! What's up?"

"Is Mike here?"

"Hey who is that?" Mike asked as he got up from the couch and approached the doorway.

"Hey Mike! It's me!"

"Woah..." Mike stood in awe just staring at the person that stood in the doorway. "C'mon in Bro! Where ya been?"