Raised in a Gang

Chapter 36

RAY POV

I pulled up to Chresanto's house and got out the car in a rush. I took the keys out the ignition and ran inside his house, not even bothering to knock on the door. I looked throughout the house, not seeing him in the living room or kitchen. I checked his bedroom, which was wide open. He wasn't there either.

I decided to check the bathroom. I knocked lightly and heard shuffling.

"Chresanto," I called. "You there, bud?"

"Uh, yeah. Gimme a sec." He called back from the opposite side of the door. He opened the door and I was immediately greeted with smoke all over the place. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked around the bathroom. "What're you doing here, Ray?" Chresanto asked.

I looked at him suspiciously. His eyes seemed to have been drooping from the last time I saw him. He looked completely different than what I remembered. He looked like all the life was sucked out of him, like the happiness he once held in his body language was completely gone and replaced with some unrecognizable feeling that I had no idea what it was.

I completely ignored his question and continued to look around the bathroom. I found what I was looking for. I sighed frustratingly and held the bag up to Chresanto's face.

"What the fuck is this?" I yelled.

"Drugs," He laughed. "You should know what it is."

I glowered at him and shook my head. "I'm so disappointed in you, August." I spat.

"What? You make it seem like it's a--"

"It is a bad thing, Chresanto! What the fuck are you doing with rocks in your house? In your bathroom? In your fucking system?" I snapped.

Of all the stupid things my best friend has done, leaving Mickie to go smoke crack cocaine instead of sticking by her side in the time she needed him most was probably at the top of the list. I couldn't help it anymore. I swung on Chresanto and my fist collided with his jaw. He toppled over and fell to the floor, probably too high to function.

"What the fuck was that for?" He asked, still not getting up.

I shook my head and threw the bag in the toilet before flushing. "You need help, man." I said.

"I'm fine," Chresanto retorted. Total lie. I could see clouds in his eyes practically. He was obviously not fine. That's what everyone says when they have something to hide.

"I'm fine" is a gateway statement to avoid talking about what's really bothering them. I've used that statement plenty of times in my life and I know that when I use it, it's definitely not me being honest. I'm completely lying when I say "I'm fine." I'm never fine. Nobody's ever fine when they use that statement.

"Chresanto," I wanted to cry at the sight of Chresanto like this. He was the person who I'd think was least possible to resort to crack, of all things, for pleasure. I didn't expect him to be so broken at any point in his life. I wanted Chresanto to go back to the way he was before when he was always joking and having fun.

"What Ray? I said I'm fucking fine!" He snapped. I was close to punching him again for using that tone of voice towards me, but he needed help and I could tell.

I just glared angrily at him and took a picture of him. I planned on showing him when he was sober how pathetic and helpless he looked. "You owe me ten dollars." I said. With that, I walked out the house and back to my car. I was going to tell Chresanto that Mickie and her mother were going to come through later on to see him, but considering the fact that he was way to high to function, I didn't think he was going to care regardless. Whatever he did was on him for now on. I had no fucks to give anymore.

I drove to Mickie's house, arriving there in less than ten minutes. I grabbed her things from the trunk and made my way inside. The door was open but the screen door was closed so I had to use my foot to knock on it. Tyra answered and greeted me with a wide smile.

"Hey, Ray! Come in. Drop the stuff on the couch and I'll sort it out later." She said. I did as told and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"I missed you, Ty-Ty." I said with a smile.

"I guess," she laughed. "Why you smell so weird?" She asked.

I froze in my spot and looked at her confusingly. I sniffed my shirt and realized I smelled like the smoke from Chresanto's house. I sighed and looked down. "I'm so sorry." I said.

"What did you do?" Tyra asked scared.

I took her hand and led her outside on the porch. We stood, leaning on the railing, and looking out towards the street. "I went to Chresanto's house." I started.

"Oh, I though he was working." Tyra said confusingly. "What was he doing?"

I sighed and looked down. "He was smoking in the bathroom when I found him." I said. "He looked so exhausted. I felt like he needed help. No, scratch that. I knew he needed help. He said he didn't but I knew that he was lying. He was doing crack in the bathroom. I couldn't believe it, I swear I couldn't Tyra. I flushed it down the toilet and took a picture of him." I showed her the picture on my phone. "Tyra, he needs help."

When I looked to Tyra, she was crying silently. Chresanto looked so much skinnier than I remembered in the picture and I punched myself for not noticing this sooner. He was in need of desperate help and I couldn't believe he was like this. I felt so bad for Mickie, of all people. The man who she needed more than anything else in the world at the moment was falling apart and she didn't even know it. She couldn't do anything about it.

"Are you going to tell Mickie?" Tyra asked.

I sighed and shook my head. I couldn't tell her. It'd crush her.

"You need to." Tyra said. "She has to know something."

I nodded silently and sniffled. I brought Tyra in for a hug and just cried silently in her embrace. My head was buried in her shoulder an I just cried and cried without a care in the world. Anyone could see me and I wouldn't give a fuck. I just was happy that I was able to cry to Tyra and not feel judged or embarrassed. My best friend was a crackhead now and I wasn't able to help him overcome his addiction before it got this serious. I felt so bad.

Hugs not drugs.

Crack is wack.

Dick is better than needles.

IDK.

Didja enjoy ?

Okay...

~•RIP CINDY 02.08.98-01.27.14•~

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~•Miqualia•~