chemicals

iii

Clyde had gone to stay with Bebe for a week: to sort things out after the party.

Token was working towards going to another college, wanting to study Law.

Craig was gonna go back to California to end things with Flo.

I was coming with him.

---

"We're here, sleeping beauty." Craig woke me up. I'd managed to fall asleep after the coffee Craig had made me for the journey. I highly doubt it wasn't laced with sleeping tablets, but I didn't mind at all. At least I'd managed to sleep for however long it took.

"I swear it takes like a day of driving straight to get there." I stated.

"About 19 or 20 hours of driving straight, but we're stopping every 5 hours so we can stretch our legs."

"You drove for 5 hours straight?"

"I'm just as suprised as you; I was next to you sleeping for 5 hours straight."

"You drugged my coffee!"

"You're right." Craig got out my truck. We'd taken it so it'd be easier to sleep on the journey. I followed him as he walked around.

"Want anything to eat? I was waiting for you to wake up."

"5 hours without food, because of me?" I almost screamed the question.

"Yep." Craig kept his deadpan face, causing me to groan. He then laughed and shook his head, "Of course I ate, dumbass." I laughed with him, feeling like we were best buddies all over again.

"I'll drive the next 5 hours." I offered, hoping desperately that Craig would refuse the offer. I had no idea where I would be driving, and I'd probably crash the truck. I'd never even drove further out into Denver than Colorado- I didn't trust myself greatly.

"No worries." Craig fulfilled my hopes.

We shortly after got back in the car, Craig gave me another flask of coffee, which almost definately had sleeping pills dissolved into it.

"This one will actually be about 3 hours, so don't drink all the coffee." Craig told me after about ten minutes.

"Uh." I'd drank it all.

"No worries, I can get more tablets."

"I don't need to sleep." I told him.

"Alright. There is 12 hours left after this load, though."

"Why didn't we get a plane?"

"Am I gonna spend $300 on a flying bus without free food, to go somewhere I don't wanna visit, when I could stall visiting longer, with a cheaper, and less public ride?"

I didn't respond apart from the laugh I let leave my mouth. Then, I let myself sleep.

---

I woke up in the back of the truck next to Craig. I didn't remember getting in the back, so I figured Craig had moved me. Not wanting to wake Craig up after seeing it was 4 in the morning, I looked around the truck for more sleep tablets.

It took me 10 minutes to find them- they were just in the glove compartment. My dad's pills had taken two for me to actually sleep, but his were prescribed, so they must have been stronger than these. I wasn't sure how many to take, so I finished the packet to be sure I'd sleep.

---

"Jesus." Craig let the word crawl its way out his throat. He hugged me a while before I realised we were not in the truck.