New Drug

Chapter 1

I loved getting high. I loved the feeling of euphoria I got when I smoked marijuana. I loved how everything I did, even something as simple as eat a cookie, felt better when I was high - every feeling seemed to be enhanced. And most of all, I loved how I could forget about the past by simply smoking a joint. That was why I was addicted to drugs.

   If I were to be honest, I was only addicted to one drug - weed. It was the only drug I did, yet everyone knew me as the drug addict. It was what I was known for in my school and honestly, I admit I deserved the nickname Logan Weed. As someone who spent half of high school outside smoking joints, the name suited me well.

Today was the usual. I was outside, sitting on the hood of my red Toyota. The sun beat down on me and kissed my skin lightly, and the sky was clear. No one was around because it was fourth period, which meant everyone was in class. I wasn't because I had skipped, simply to smoke weed.

   Glancing around the parking lot I was in, I made sure no authority figure was around. It was illegal to smoke weed in Canada, so I had to take precautions. Even if I was a druggie, jail was the last place I wanted to be.

     Pulling up the hood of my sweater, I then pulled out a blunt I had prepared in third period. I sighed delightedly and eagerly grabbed my lighter, wanting to get high. I wanted nothing more than to forget about the world for a moment and feel like I was floating. That was why I hastily lit the blunt.

   Placing the blunt between two of my fingers, I then brought it to my mouth and took a whiff of it. I blew out smoke slowly then, letting the ash tinge my tongue. The taste was bitter, but bitter was who I was as a person.

     I was about to inhale the toxic fumes again, but suddenly I heard someone exhale heavily. Surprised, I nearly jumped at the sound, thinking a hall monitor had caught me. But when I whipped my head to see who it was, I only saw a small, blonde girl. She was glaring at me, putting her hands on her hips. I simply stared at her, curious.

"What are you doing?" she asked, clearly disgusted as she glanced at my blunt.  

I stared at her for a few seconds more, wondering about her. She didn't look familiar with her long hair tied in a ponytail and glasses, so I wondered why she was calling me out. More than anything else, I wondered why she cared.

"What do you think I'm doing?" I asked casually, waving the blunt for emphasis.

"Being an idiot." She scowled. "You do realize that smoking weed is illegal in Canada, right?"

"Is it now?" I cocked my head, lifting the blunt to my mouth.

No one in my school ever commented on my bad habit. It was something they left alone and surprisingly, most people didn't treat me differently. Having this girl give me attitude for it was a first.

As I inhaled the blunt, she scoffed. Disgust contorted her features and she stepped back as I blew out the smoke slowly. Seeing her judging look, I gave her a lazy smile, entertained. I never met someone who was so bothered by drugs.

"You're an idiot," the girl finally commented, shaking her head. "Don't you care abut your future?"

"Not really." I looked up, pretending to be deep in thought. "I mean death is inevitable, so here I am living life to the fullest."

She rolled her eyes, looking at the sky above us as she tilted her head back. Now she looked defeated, but to my surprise I wasn't happy about that.

"I can't stand guys like you," she said, turning around and walking off.

As she walked, I stared after her. I couldn't help it because my eyes just seemed to be drawn to her. It was like they had found something they had always been looking for, and now they didn't want to risk losing it. I wondered about that for a bit and then went back to smoking. As I got high, my thoughts became consumed by the mystery girl.

*****

"Where were you during class man?" Carter, my best friend asked.

"The usual," I answered, gliding through the hallways.

Carter scurried forward so that he wouldn't lose me, but I knew it was still hard for him to keep up. I was abnormally tall, which meant my legs brought me to my destination quicker than for most. Knowing that, I slowed down for my friend of average height.

"Getting high?" Carter asked when he reached my side.

"No, playing hide and seek with myself." I sighed. "Although, trying to find myself is starting to get too easy."

Carter shook his head and soon enough, we reached my locker. I plugged in my combination and then threw the door open. I then grabbed my Calculus textbook and shoved it into my bag, knowing my mark was on the brink of failing. My mom would murder me if I failed, so I had to bring it up.

I turned to tell Carter that we could go to his locker now, but suddenly my eyes spotted the platinum hair I had seen an hour ago. My eyes went to the owner and they widened, seeing that it was the girl who had told me off. She was talking to the class president, wearing a smile, and I stared at her, unable to help it.

"Dude, are you okay?" Carter asked next to me.

I wasn't sure if I was. The girl had been on my mind the entire time I was high, and I had no idea why. All she did was snap and judge me, yet something about her kept luring my eyes her way. I wasn't sure of what it was, so I shook my head, looking at Carter. Questions swarmed my mind and I knew I should ask him.

"Who is she?" I asked, motioning my head to her. "The blonde girl."

   Carter's eyes went to the girl and curiosity sprung into his eyes. Looking back at me, he gave me a smirk.

   "That's Hayley, Ms. Righteous," he said. "She's in our Calculus class."

    I tried to hide my surprise as I tried to recall her. Hayley was a face I had never seen before and I hadn't expected her to be in my grade. The fact that she was in my class was stunning, and I wondered why I didn't know her.

    "I can't seem to remember her being in our class," I said honestly.

    "That's because she doesn't say much. She's one of the quiet kids." He shrugged. "I only noticed her because she has a very nice figure."

   To my surprise, a surge of annoyance flooded into me at his words, but I didn't say anything. I simply glanced at Hayley, watching her talk animatedly to the same guy. Innocence was written all over her face and body language.

     "Why are you asking?" Carter asked, bringing my attention back to him.

   "Don't worry about it," I said, swinging my bag over one of my shoulders. "Let's go to your locker."

   Carter stared at me, but began to follow me once I took off. Helplessly, I glanced at Hayley one last time, feeling something stir within me. Something in me was awakening and I had a bad feeling I was about to be screwed.