Shooting Stars and Satellites

I stared at the large diamond ring on my left hand, waiting for my mother to get off the phone. She had been on the phone with our lawyer for the last two hours, and I was growing rather impatient at the moment.

"Uh huh. Right ... Right. Okay! Thank you so much, Ralph! We'll see you tomorrow!" she said before hanging up. She looked at me with a wide, but teary eyed smile. "They found the boys, baby!" she cheered before running and giving me a hug.

I felt a sense of relief wash over me. These criminals were no longer roaming the streets, but were now in the hands of the law.

"Alaska, we're going to be having a court date set soon, and Ralph wants to see us tomorrow. Honey, those boys are going to pay for what they did to you!"

I smiled and nodded my head, a rush of emotions entering me. "I'm happy, mom. I really am! I just need a moment," I whispered before standing up, feeling slightly dizzy.

I heard the door open as I began walking through the living room, trying to steady myself. My legs began to give out and right when I expected to meet the floor, I felt a strong pair of arms wrap around me, holding my body up. I looked up and my eyes met beautiful, green orbs. It would have to be him to catch me.

"Alaska, are you okay!?" he asked me, clearly worried.

I nodded my head, and stood upright, rubbing my eyes and clearing my throat. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

He gave me a skeptical look but let it go as my brother and the rest of our friends came into the house. I waved at them before slipping my feet into a pair of sandals and walking outside. I needed fresh air and a relief.

I pulled the American Spirit Menthol box from my pocket and pulled out a stick. I lit it, inhaled and blew carelessly out, feeling the tension leave my body.

I had only reached the end of the sidewalk when I heard someone walking behind me. I turned around and saw it was none other than John. I sighed and took another drag of my cigarette, waiting for him to reach me.

"Dove! Your mom told us the news!" he smiled, catching his breath.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, it's great."

He cocked his head to the side. "You don't seem too happy."

I shrugged, ashing the cigarette. "I am happy. It's just a lot to take in, John,"
I admitted, feeling better now that the words were out.

He placed his hand over mine. "That's understandable. I'm guessing this is why you nearly passed out?"

I nodded my head. "There's just so many emotions running through my mind,"
I told him.

He glanced down, and I noticed how his eyes landed on the ring on my hand. He quickly looked back up and smiled, but I could see the hurt in his pools. "We're all here for you, Alaska. Don't forget that, okay?"

"I won't," I smiled before taking the last puff of my cigarette. I flicked it into the street.

"So, are you just gonna walk around?" he asked.

I looked at him. "You want the truth?" He nodded his head, his facial expression showing he was confused. "I'm going to Jake's house to buy a dime bag."

"Weed? Dove-"

"Look, I'm not asking for your opinion. I just need to relax for a little bit, okay? Jake was a good friend of Gavin's and I trust him."

He sighed but nodded his head. "I'm coming with you."

"Pitch in a five to smoke?"

He laughed. "We'll see."

I led the way as we walked side by side to Jake's house. We talked nonsense and I loved it. It made me forget the tension and drama that had been going on between us, and made me remember how easy our friendship used to be.

After a good twenty minute walk, we reached Jake's house. I knocked on the door twice, and he answered.

"Alaska," he smiled, seeming surprised.

"Hey, Jake. How're you?" I asked as he pulled me into a hug.

"I'm as good as I can be, and you? How're you holding up, kiddo?"

I shrugged. "As good as I can be, like you said." I noticed his doe eyes dart to John, and I could see the alarm in them. "This is my friend John. He's in my brother's band. He's cool, don't worry," I laughed.

Jake chuckled before nodding his head at John. "Nice to meet you. I'm Jake."

"Nice to meet you, too," John said.

"So I'm guessing you didn't just drop by to see how I was doing," Jake smirked.

"Well ... Do you have a dime bag you could sell me?" I asked, biting down on my bottom lip.

He nodded his head. "You know I always keep green in stock. Come in," he said, opening the door wider.

John and I stepped inside and Jake closed the door. His house was warm and cozy, filled with thousands of little trinklets that needed to be fixed; fixing things had always been a hobby of his. You would never know that a drug dealer lived here.

"Take a seat on the bed. I'll get my scale."

I sat first and John took a seat beside me. "So, how's your mom doing, Jake?"

"She's good. Working mostly, you know?" he answered before sitting down at his desk. I watched as he broke up the weed and placed it on the scale. "Now, because I know you and like you, I'm giving you good ass dro, Brock."

I laughed. "I appreciate it, Naubs," I said, calling him by his last name. John seemed to look out of place, and I nudged him softly with my elbow. "Relax," I whispered and he nodded his head.

"Done. You want me to roll it or bag it?"

"Actually, I'm glad that you asked. Can we smoke here?"

He laughed. "What kind of question is that? Of course you can. Let me get Nabowleon Highnamite, since this is a special occassion!"

I smiled, instantly feeling better. "Go get him!"

He left the room and John turned and looked at me. "What is he getting?"

I laughed. "It's his bowl's name."

He nodded his head. "Right."

I shook my head and Jake returned with the blue bowl, decorated with white lines. He loaded it up and passed it to me, along with a lighter.

"You can do the honors, ma'am," he told me.

"Thank you, sir," I said before putting the bowl to my lips. I lit it and inhaled, holding the smoke in my mouth, and tried not to choke on it. I passed it to John, who looked between me and Jake. "Just hit it," I told him.

He did and coughed a bit, but was able to hold most of it in. He passed it to Jake, who took his hit before handing it back to me. So began our rotating ...

;;;

I laid back on Jake's bed, staring up at his ceiling which was plastered with psychedelic posters. If you stared directly at one, you'd swear you felt ten times higher. John laid beside me and Jake took a seat on his green bean bag.

"Where the hell did you get all these posters?" John asked with a slight laugh.

"Everywhere. My brother travels and always brings me back one," Jake explained.

I felt my legs twitch and a sort of numb yet relaxed feeling take over my body. I loved it. I looked at John, who was staring straight ahead at the posters and smiled. Looking at him gave me butterflies.

He turned his head, looking at me, and smiled back. "What?" I could see the glaze in his eyes and the redness, which probably looked a lot like my own eyes.

"You give me butterflies," I whispered softly.

His smile grew. "You're so perfect, Dove."

I closed my eyes. I heard Jake put on music, the sounds of a slow, rhythm guitar filling the room.

"Don't give up on me," I breathed.

"I would never," he replied just as quietly before I fell asleep.