Charade

Benji

"So wait, you try to help this girl and then she goes and tells her dad you raped her?"

I took a long drag of my cigarette.

"Pretty much," I agreed, watching the smoke cloud my nostrils.

"What a bitch."

I laughed, looking up at the sky, with billions of shiny eyes looking right back at us. It must have been three thirty by now and Ashley and I were lying on the oval, drunk, talking, with cigarettes hanging out of our mouths and blades of grass between our fingers. And the world was glorious and out of focus, like I was child spinning in circles with my arms outstretched. It was magical.

"So what are you going to do now?" She asked, glancing over at me.

"Wither away," I said, words slurred. Ashley's eyes locked with mine. "Go back to squatting, I guess. Find somewhere nice to lay low for a while."

"And what about Vic and Lily?"

"Vic'll get the money together, one way or another. Whether Lily actually wants the op is a whole other story."

"And you're okay with that? Just, stepping out of the picture?"

"Fuck no; I'm not okay with it. But Vic tried to kill me. What can I do?"

Ashley sighed and went back to looking at the sky. She, too, took a long drag of her smoke. Only, when I looked closer, it looked a little more like pot. I smiled. Some things never change.

"What if you gave him the money?" She said suddenly.

"What?"

"If you gave Vic the money for the op, he might just believe you. Or at least not hate you."

"He's still got, like, a hundred grand left to go." I said, both of us sitting up.

"I've got some money. I can give it to you."

"You just happen to have a hundred grand just lying around?"

"Sort of. I have most of it. The rest won't be too difficult to get a hold of. You can crash at mine until I get the rest of it."

"And where the fuck are you gonna get that kind of money?"

With a cheeky grin, Ashley held up her 'cigarette'.

"You're a drug dealer?"

"No! Well, sort of. Maybe. A little bit. But I'm careful. I don't do anything stupid."

"You have literally been chastising me for months telling me that I was being a dumb fuck for moving into a friend's place, telling me it's 'too dangerous', and you've been selling drugs?!"

"Only pot! Oh, and a little coke. But nothing major."

I scoffed, rubbing my eyes.

"Unbelievable."

"Fuck up." She retorted. "You can't judge."

"Fine," I said. "I can't. But I will if you don't share."

Ashley giggled and handed me the joint.

"You know I hear this doesn't mix well with grog."

"Since when do you give a fuck?"

"True."

With a nervous grin, I brought the joint to my lips and took a drag.

"How is it?" I heard Ashley ask.

I looked up, disorientated.

"Ashley, I think I'm floating."

© A.G. Travers 2015