Blood

Blood ~ Devon

                “Come on, Devon! Don’t be such a pussy!” My friend Michael yells in my face.

        “I am not a pussy!” I yell back. I’d been friends with Michael for four years, since eighth grade.

        He’d taken on drugs in ninth grade, the same year all the drama with Lauren went on. She had quieted down since then but every once and a while the rumors would circle again about Lauren’s cuts. She had become a good friend of mine regardless of the wounds she inflicted onto herself.

 

        P.E. in ninth grade was when I had finally decided to be friends with her. The memory is as fresh as if it were yesterday, although it wasn’t. It was four years ago. I was a senior now. We hung out every Wednesday after school. Scott hated me; he said I was “A cheat in the making.” He thinks Lauren and me have been together, but we haven’t. He’s the one who stole her virginity in ninth grade. I say stole because he did steal it. She backed out last minute, but he kept going, kept pushing. I remember her tears as they streamed down her face. I pleaded with her to leave him, but she said no, she said he didn’t mean it. Ever since then she wore heavier makeup and sunglasses to hide the black eyes and bruises he gave her that coated her snow-white skin. He still hated me; so Lauren kept our visits private. We thought it was best so he didn’t hit her over me at least. Michael’s shouts suddenly brought me back to reality.

“Dude!” He yelled again.

        “What?” I say a little annoyed.

        “Just fucking try it already.” He holds out the pipe full of crystal meth. He shakes it a bit for emphasis. I shake my head, but I feel my guard slowly slipping away.

        “I don’t think I should. Maybe next time. I do have to drive after all.”

    Anger grows in his eyes.

    “Dude. You say that every time. When are gonna finally gonna take a hit, man? You can’t say no forever; besides that driving is overrated, you can crash here!”

        He has a point. I can’t say no forever. I sit and think for a moment. I have nothing to lose: no girlfriend, my grades are mediocre, my car is nice, but not good enough apparently, my parents are never there, my teachers hate me, Lauren, Hunter, Michael, and Matthew are my only friends, and Aiden ditched me after I started hanging out with Lauren. I honestly have nothing to lose.

        “Fine, but just this once.” I grabbed the glass pipe and look up into Micheal's eyes. He nods and smiles like a creep, his teeth are already yellowing. He lights the lighter and suddenly I'm drowning in a horrid smell. I take a big whiff of the ice. I immediately felt the rush in my brain. I felt light on my feet and all my worries slipped away. I felt like I was flying.

        “Wow.” I said feeling the high. It felt like even my blood was dancing.

        “Want some more?” Michael holds it out to me after taking a huge hit for himself. I grab it greedily.

        “Hell yeah. I don't know why I waited so long, this shit is fucking amazing.” I say taking another huge hit. This time it sent shivers up my spine and sends my brain whirling.

        I grab my phone and call the only person I want to talk to. I want to share this buzz I feel in my viens, I don't want to come down. I dial in the number and look at the clock, three A.M. I press send and hold the phone up to my ear. The dial tone rings and rings and rings, with each ring I shudder, the noise is deafening and roars into my soul. I feel my thoughts rushing a hundred miles a minute. I look in the mirror hanging on my door; my pupils are the size of a dime. I smile at this. The rings stop all at once and I listen closely for a voice.

        “Hello?” Lauren says shakily, her voice clogged with sleep.

        “Hi, darling.” I feel my words slip out before I can stop them. There’s silence on the other end of the line.

        “Devon?” Lauren asks shakily.

        “Hey, baby. I need you right now. I’m so horny.” I laugh a gurgled laugh; it’s the most hilarious thing I have ever said. At least I think it is.

        “Devon? Are you fucking nuts? Scott is sleeping right here and if he even hears who I’m talking to he’ll beat…” her words are cut off as I hear a quiet rustling on the other end.

        “Who are you talking to, bitch?” His voice is gruff and sends waves of hatred through me. None of your business, I want to scream out in his stupid face.

        Michael sits shocked beside me.

        "Dude... chill... You're gonna have the cops called on us."

        "I didn't say anything, Michael!"

        "Wow, you sir are very fucked up right now. You yelled at a phone. Ha. I love it." He starts to laugh and I'm reminded immediately of a dying hyena.

        “Who was that?!” Scott yells in the background. I hear a struggle and suddenly he is talking to me, his heavy breathing is loud and hysterical; I can practically smell his foul breath through the phone.

        “Devon? Is that you? You little piece of shit. You think you love my hoe? You think she loves you too? Fuck no! She loves me, you white trash son of a bitch! And now I’m gonna beat her while you listen.” Suddenly a scream erupts and sobs burst through the line. I listen quietly, stunned at how awful the noises are. My eyes tear up and even Michael senses my distress.

        “Here,” Michael hands me the pipe. “Take another hit. It will help.” I take it from his hands and take three big puffs of the magical stuff. The noises surround me and the walls begin to move at warp speed. The cries from Lauren become just noise in Michael's room and I don’t even remember who they belong to. I am flying, I am weightless, and I am nothing.

        “Who was that whore you were talking to anyways?” Michael asks cooly as I pass the pipe back. My thoughts are soaring and I don’t even remember I’m still on the phone. I can almost not hear Lauren crying out my name, begging me to save her, almost.

        “She’s just a friend, man. Only a friend.” I sigh and push the phone away from me. Never wanting to come down from the height.