INTO THE LIGHT

Out of all people to spaz out, I wouldn't have guessed Dom to be the one. This was a man so big and hairy he was mistaken for a parent when he showed up to high school. Pretty well established reputation as a fuckup - had to love him though. Thinking about it now, it was pretty retarded to leave him alone.

"Dude, you're gonna be fine. Just turn on some music and sit down." The calmness in my voice surprised me. "I wish you could have been with us on the walk back, man. It was amazing."

"Oh really, dude?" he asked. I felt like I was in a hostage negotiation.

"Yeah, man, it was amazing. It was dark, but at the same time it felt like we were walking into the most peaceful place. The hills, trees, and ponds, man - made it feel like I was in a scene from Lord of the Rings." We both laughed, and I continued. "It was so cool. I didn't know what it was. Just felt good to be walking into it, you know? It was so beautiful, man." There was a pause. I worried I'd lost him before I heard a voice come through the speaker.

"Thanks, dude."

Situation avoided.

I should give a little background, I guess.

Nobody wants winter break to be boring. Figured I should try some new things in an effort to find myself, end freshman year right. You know, college experimentation and all that bullshit. I sound like a basic white bitch.

I'd come into a drug connection through a friend of a friend (laid back frat-bro kinda guy, the way Ricardo told it) and ended up with a decent amount of LSD and mushrooms. Another story, but it's getting told anyway.

I showed up at the address dude had given me and was confused from the jump. My fault for expecting a yuppie to live in a trap house, but the mansion and hybrid cars set me off. I knocked on the door half expecting camera-men and policemen to come sprinting out. No answer. Waited a minute, and almost left before I heard a raspy voice.

"Who the fuck is it?"

"Trippy guy," I answered. Smooth as broken glass, I know.

There was an awkward pause followed by what I think was laughing. The door opened. "Come in."

Now I'm not easily spooked, but dude creeped the shit out of me. Dude looked like a walking AMBER alert. Overpriced polo, uncomfortable shorts, and dad shoes. This was either the most unfortunate fortunate kid ever, or he'd broken into the house. I wasn't in the position to ask and wasn't looking to get stabbed, so I tried my best to ignore it.

"Follow me upstairs, man." Creepy Carl grunted. I looked around the house as I walked behind him, nothing remarkable. Typical man-child cave, all cheap furniture and grade school sports trophies. Either way, I was up for one when we reached the attic.

On my soul, I walked into a scene out of Suburban Scarface. We turned the corner and there was luxury furniture all around, a huge TV, four mini-fridges. Stereotypical "I smoked weed once" Bob Marley poster was hanging on the wall, but what caught my attention was under it. On the couch was, I swear to God, a girl counting money. Only ever seen that shit in music videos. I was sitting there in shock when Carl piped up again. "Come check it out, bro." He walked over to a fridge and pulled out a frying pan covered in tin-foil. "OK I got these ones with the guy from Breaking Bad on them, and these with Goku from Dragon Ball Z. Your pick, they work the same." He laughed at himself. I took the Goku ones, because I'm a well-adjusted adult. He smiled and kept talking. "Ah, bro, I forgot to say. Some shrooms came in yesterdayif that's your thing. They're good shit." Being a good decision maker, I bought $100 worth.

I walked out of old Carl's castle with a felony's worth of hippie drugs. Enough for a good time with friends, I thought. The "good times" started before I left campus.