Life of Max ✔️

Eighteen

MAX

I walk out of class, and put my hand down into the pocket of my leather jacket. I dip my thumb into the plastic bag of white powder, and pull it up from the pocket again. I place my thumb under one of my nostrils, and inhale quickly, pretending I'm scratching my nose as I do so.

No one is paying attention to me either way.

Ever since Hannah spread the word that she slept with me twice, I haven't talked to anyone. Well, except Brad. He's been clinging onto me like never before, and I'm getting kind of tired of it. He's worried about me, he says, but I don't really see why. He backs off when I tell him I'm fine.

I haven't slept all week. I'm barely eating. I've suddenly lost my appetite, and I feel fucking tired all the time, unless I snort some cocaine. Then I'm fine for a while. If I don't, then I feel even worse than before. It's like all the colors are being drained slowly, but surely, from my vision as I sober up, so I don't sober up.

I'm not an addict or anything, though. I can stop whenever I want to, it's just nice to have that high present most of the time, so that I can actually breathe.

Brad slings his arm around my shoulders as I successfully close the plastic bag in my pocket with one hand, and I send him a grin.

"Wanna go get some lunch?" he asks me, and I shrug.

"I'm not really hungry, but I'll keep you company."

"Have you eaten at all this week?" he asks me, and raises an eyebrow at me.

"Of course I have," I say, and I'm not technically lying. I've eaten a few fries here and there from his and Grayson's food, and I've tried some ramen on my own, but I couldn't swallow it.. "You think I'm stupid?"

Brad laughs at me.

"I know you're stupid," he says.

"Fuck off," I mutter.

We walk together to the cafeteria, and I get in line with him. I guess I could get something to drink. Maybe a smoothie, or whatever the fuck those are called. They have some nutritional value, right?

Brad is occupied with something on his phone as we enter the packed building, and I grab his arm to guide him through the sea of people. He always does this. I'm high, and he's lost. We're the perfect duo. Especially since he doesn't know I'm high, or if he knows, he thinks it's just weed.

We get in line together, and I rip his phone from his hands to look at it. I choke a laughter as I see he's in a very intense sexting-session with some girl from one of his dating-apps, and I wiggle my eyebrows at him.

"Is she hot?" I ask.

He takes his phone back, and starts typing again. For a second I don't think he's gonna answer me, until he turns his phone around and shows me a picture of a brunette, biting her finger and showing off a very impressive cleavage.

"Yeah, okay," I simply say, and chuckle at him.

He grins back, but puts his phone down into his pocket, as we get closer to our turn.

I pick one of the red smoothies, hoping it wont have an overbearing taste of banana like all the other's I've tasted, and wait for Brad as he purchases his usual burger and fries. We bring our food to an empty table, and he sits down across from me, as I turn around the chair around and lean my elbows on the back of it when I sit down.

I put the straw into my mouth and taste the smoothie.

Banana. Great. How the fuck does it taste like bananas when it said strawberry and cantaloupe on the sign? Whatever.. I'll get it down somehow.