Better Than Sex
1/1
"Just relax okay? This is a celebration," Andy said, wrapping the elastic around Daniel's upper arm. Daniel had never tried heroin before. The craziest thing he'd ever done was smoke pot at his older sister's Bat Mitzvah. But today, he received his letter of acceptance to Princeton University. All doubts had been tossed out of the window and he was ready. He had a full ride academic scholarship and planned to major in engineering. Andy, his best friend, who'd been on heroin for a year now, figured there'd be no better way to celebrate.
"Man…are you sure I'm gonna like this? I already hate the needle…" Daniel stared at Andy's hands as they tightened the band.
"It's totally okay. This stuff is so incredible, you won't even think about the needle. Man, it's like…it's better than sex," Andy said, nodding.
"Better than sex? That um…seems a little exaggerated," Daniel said, raising an eyebrow. Andy kept a straight face.
"I shit you not. That's why people get addicted to this stuff. But I can quit anytime I want. That's why I do it." As soon as Andy finished speaking, they heard the basement door open.
"Shit," Andy said before grabbing the band around Daniel's arm and snapping it off. He put it behind him on the couch, and put the tray holding the supplies under the table. Light footsteps were heard until Daniel's mother appeared, wearing a red dress and no shoes with her stockings.
"What are you boys doing down here?" she asked, smiling.
"N-nothing ma. Just talking," Daniel answered.
"Well your father and I are going to a banquet. We probably won't be home until later, but I wanted to check on you," she said.
"We're fine. Go have fun, mom," Daniel said, balling his hands into fists, something he did when they got clammy. They got clammy when he was nervous. His mother smiled and stared at him for a few seconds.
"God, I am just so proud of you," she said before trotting back up the stairs and closing the door.
Andy shook his head and took everything back out.
"That was close as hell, man. Let's just do this. I wanna see the look on your face when you feel it," he said, grinning. Once again, he wrapped the elastic around Daniel's upper arm and adjusted it until it was tight enough for his veins to show. Andy had the needle already set to go and held it up. Daniel scrunched his nose up.
"Stop being a pansy. You get shots all the time at the doctor's office," Andy said, scooting closer and taking his arm.
"Yeah, well I hate it then too," Daniel said. Andy shook his head and looked for a vein. When he found a good one, he lowered the needle and slowly injected the drug.
When he retracted, Andy looked at Daniel, grinning again.
Daniel blankly stared ahead.
"Here it comes, man. Just sit back," Andy said, taking the elastic band and starting to tie it around his own arm. He was tying it with his teeth when he stopped suddenly, shocked by the noise coming from where Daniel was sitting.
He looked at his best friend, who was shaking, and in an awkward position in his chair. Daniel's eyes were rolled back into his head, and only the whites were visible. A bit of foam had formed in his mouth.
Andy's eyes widened and he stood.
"Oh…shit. Fuck…Daniel! I asked if you had heart problems before we did it!" He began to pace and gripped his hair, glancing back at Daniel, who was dying.
Finally, he grabbed his school bag and threw it out of the open basement window. Then he hopped onto the washing machine and climbed outside. He looked both ways, and as his friend lay on the couch inside, finally dead, he ran.
"Man…are you sure I'm gonna like this? I already hate the needle…" Daniel stared at Andy's hands as they tightened the band.
"It's totally okay. This stuff is so incredible, you won't even think about the needle. Man, it's like…it's better than sex," Andy said, nodding.
"Better than sex? That um…seems a little exaggerated," Daniel said, raising an eyebrow. Andy kept a straight face.
"I shit you not. That's why people get addicted to this stuff. But I can quit anytime I want. That's why I do it." As soon as Andy finished speaking, they heard the basement door open.
"Shit," Andy said before grabbing the band around Daniel's arm and snapping it off. He put it behind him on the couch, and put the tray holding the supplies under the table. Light footsteps were heard until Daniel's mother appeared, wearing a red dress and no shoes with her stockings.
"What are you boys doing down here?" she asked, smiling.
"N-nothing ma. Just talking," Daniel answered.
"Well your father and I are going to a banquet. We probably won't be home until later, but I wanted to check on you," she said.
"We're fine. Go have fun, mom," Daniel said, balling his hands into fists, something he did when they got clammy. They got clammy when he was nervous. His mother smiled and stared at him for a few seconds.
"God, I am just so proud of you," she said before trotting back up the stairs and closing the door.
Andy shook his head and took everything back out.
"That was close as hell, man. Let's just do this. I wanna see the look on your face when you feel it," he said, grinning. Once again, he wrapped the elastic around Daniel's upper arm and adjusted it until it was tight enough for his veins to show. Andy had the needle already set to go and held it up. Daniel scrunched his nose up.
"Stop being a pansy. You get shots all the time at the doctor's office," Andy said, scooting closer and taking his arm.
"Yeah, well I hate it then too," Daniel said. Andy shook his head and looked for a vein. When he found a good one, he lowered the needle and slowly injected the drug.
When he retracted, Andy looked at Daniel, grinning again.
Daniel blankly stared ahead.
"Here it comes, man. Just sit back," Andy said, taking the elastic band and starting to tie it around his own arm. He was tying it with his teeth when he stopped suddenly, shocked by the noise coming from where Daniel was sitting.
He looked at his best friend, who was shaking, and in an awkward position in his chair. Daniel's eyes were rolled back into his head, and only the whites were visible. A bit of foam had formed in his mouth.
Andy's eyes widened and he stood.
"Oh…shit. Fuck…Daniel! I asked if you had heart problems before we did it!" He began to pace and gripped his hair, glancing back at Daniel, who was dying.
Finally, he grabbed his school bag and threw it out of the open basement window. Then he hopped onto the washing machine and climbed outside. He looked both ways, and as his friend lay on the couch inside, finally dead, he ran.