Insidious.

Tommy smokes a cigarette. He exhales and the smoke moves toward my face making my eyes water.

"Greg started a band," he tells me.

I nod. "Yeah. He told me."

Tommy flicks some ash off the end of his smoke and takes another drag. I want to ask him if I could bum one, but I know he'll say no. He's too stingy.

"They're calling it dick-pig," he says.

I laugh. "Yeah? Who thought of that?"

He shrugs. "I think he said it was the drummer. Some guy named Seth."

I keep laughing. "'dick-pig,'" I repeat. "That's a fucking retarded name for a band."

Tommy nods. "I know. I told that to Greg, and he told me that he loved it and I need to stay the hell out of his business."

"Greg said that?" I ask.

"Yep." Tommy puts the cigarette out on his arm. My eyes wander up the skin taking in all the small circular burn marks.

"Fucking Masochist," I mumble to myself, not caring if he hears me.

"Shut the fuck up, Zack," Tommy tells me.

I look at him. "Ore what? You know it's true."

Tommy ignores me and stands up so he can grab a beer from the kitchen. "Want one?" He asks as if nothing had happened a few moments ago.

I call out a 'yeah' and he brings back to beers. He sits back down and takes a drink. I do the same.

"Who else is in Greg's band?" I ask.

Tommy shrugs. "Greg does guitar, some chick named Ashley is playing bass and does vocals and then you have that retard Seth on drums. Anyone who names a band dick-pig should be shot in the fucking nuts."

I shrug in response. "Who gives a fuck, the band is probably shit anyways." I take a swig of my beer.

Tommy changes the subject. "What's up with you and Harlow?"

I look out the window. "I don't know. I think she's going through some shit right now."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. All she wants to do is have sex, and while I'm not complaining about having sex every day, I want something more than that with her, you know?"

Tommy laughs. "Fucking pansy. You know Harlow is a good lay."

I groan. "Don't be a dick, Tommy."

"What else do you want then, Zack?"

I want things to be normal again, is what I want to say but I know all Tommy will do is give me shit about that so I don't say anything at all. He takes that as the end of the conversation and says he has to go do a run.

I nod. "Hit me up later. I'll have some cash then," I tell him.

He nods and says I can stay at his place until whenever. He'll be back by six. I tell him I'll be gone by then and thanks.

"No problem, Zack."

I watch him leave and lean back into the couch.

"You wanna share?" Harlow asks me as she re-enters the living room. Tommy follows soon after and I wonder if she's just some girl who will fuck a guy ten minutes after meeting him. I wonder if that is really her or if she's just drunk or high or both.

I nod. "Yeah."

She takes the baggie and the key from my hand and does a bump. Then another.

"Thanks," she says and smiles.

I want to say she's more than that because I like her.

When I leave Tommy's apartment I lock the door and head home. I don't have my car because Harlow crashed it one night while we were leaving a club.

I get home in fifteen minutes and take a shower before laying in bed naked, tossing my towel somewhere into the mess of clothes on the floor. I feel vulnerable and exposed, but it's better than feeling nothing at all.

I close my eyes and think of Harlow as I fall asleep.