Status: Doing an upheaval to fix things I don't like.
Small Cities Feel Smaller
Four
Jack put his hood up, covering as much as his face while still being able to see. He didn't quite feel the weightlessness the tv shows promised him he would have if he was drunk, they got the stumbling part right at least. As he walked it got easier but he could still feel the swerving with every step. He was scared, not just about smoking weed for the first time, he had a strange paranoia he had never experienced.
"Are you supposed to smoke pot in public places?" Jack repeated for the thirtieth time.
"Just relax," Alex replied each and every time.
He lead the way to the nearest park as he promised Alex. Once they reached the park the other took over the lead and bolted towards some trees, cheering and jumping. The excitement was infectious and Jack sprinted to keep up. Alex went about choosing a perfect spot, somewhere hidden, where he could see the sky through the trees. There was something about seeing the sky framed with leaves that made him happy.
Flopping to the ground, he pulled out his baggy and papers. He rolled himself a blunt. Jack watched hesitantly. Was it too late to back out? In Jack's mind, it was. Alex lit up, inhaled, held the smoke. He offered the spliff to Jack. Jack took it, sighing.
"You don't have to if you don't want to," Alex chuckled catching the sigh.
Jack didn't respond, he instead took his first hit. He tried to hold the smoke but ended up pushing it out his nose instead. He spluttered at the slight burn in his nose. Alex was in hysterics, snatching back the blunt.
"It's "puff, puff, pass," not puff and splutter," Alex demonstrated again.
The other boy quickly got the hang of it, being somewhat used to the cigarettes Alex had supplied him with. The pair shared, Alex rolling a new one every so often.
"When I first tried this stuff, I didn't even notice I was high, until I stood up," Alex went back to being giggly, slurring his words, "Like I was in England bitching to my friend about how much my life sucked, how I hated myself and everyone around me. I didn't think he appreciated that but anyway, he snapped me out of it and decided we should get high. So we did," Alex fell back on to his back, growing serious, "It made me feel so much more at peace, Jacky. I want you to feel the peace too."
If he could think at all, Jack would have thought that was sweet and sort of sad. But his mind was clouded. He quietly watched the clouds, lying down next to Alex, only breaking the silence to laugh at something funny he had thought, then Alex would laugh at him laughing and he would laugh at Alex laughing at his laugh, while Alex laughed at him laughing at Alex, laughing at something. Until laugh didn't even feel like a real word anymore. Jack's laughter intensified so much causing him to vomit on Alex.
"Dude, sick! Oh my god," Alex squealed a little, still laughing profusely, "Maybe giving you so much beer before this wasn't such a good idea," he pulled Jack to his feet, "It's getting dark anyway, let's roll, yo."
Jack groaned, spitting on the ground in an un-classy manner. He was once again being pulled away. He babbled on the walk home, he couldn't remember what he was saying the next day, so he assumed it was just mindless chatter, Alex held him up most of the way. What he did remember however was waking up in Alex's bed the next morning, cuddled up to him. He regretted opening his eyes, they burnt and his head pounded. The other boy slept on until Jack tried to untangle his legs from his own.
"The aspirin is on the desk," Alex muttered rolling over to bury his face in his pillow, "Water bottles are under. Give me more blanket."
More eye rubbing and groaning, Jack climbed over Alex making his way to the aforementioned items. He vaguely noted that he was only in his boxers, but that was normal right? He always slept like that. When he stayed with Zack he slept in his boxers, they didn't wake up tangled together like that- but they also didn't drink or do drugs, Jack mused. An accident was all this was.
He chugged back some water and went slightly over board with aspirin. He never knew a hang over would hurt that much. He took in his surroundings, slightly more focused, bed shoved against a wall, two posters (one was a ripped Sid Vicious close up, the other a band picture that he didn't recognize), a desk covered in mess and an alarm clock reading 2:30 pm in green LED. That caught the boy's attention.
"Shit, Lex, wake up!" Jack panicked.
He was out all night and now he was skipping (more) school. He is literally going to be in so much trouble.
"Nooo..." a groaned response.
"Alex, it's like almost sixth period, get up."
"So the days almost over. Shut up, I'm sleeping."
"Alex..."
Dashing around picking up his clothes. Jack frantically got dressed and he let himself out. His mom was waiting for him when he quietly creeped in his house. He was fucked.
Joyce Barakat launched int a hug, gripping her son tightly. She waited up all night for Jack to return, and by ten she wanted to call the police.
"Bas, we should call the police," Joyce started again.
"He left school of his own accord, they have it on camera. He'll come back."
By 10:30 pm, her husband had talked her out of it, but he couldn't talk her into going to sleep while she waited. Every half hour precisely, she peeked through the blinds praying that Jack would appear. She was worried sick. Worry if left too long, quickly turns to boiling anger when the worry ceases.
The held Jack at arms length, "What compelled you to leave school and then just stay out all night, leaving me worried for a full day before just walking in here," she shouted.
Jack cringed, the noise hurt. This was going to be a long afternoon.
"Are you supposed to smoke pot in public places?" Jack repeated for the thirtieth time.
"Just relax," Alex replied each and every time.
He lead the way to the nearest park as he promised Alex. Once they reached the park the other took over the lead and bolted towards some trees, cheering and jumping. The excitement was infectious and Jack sprinted to keep up. Alex went about choosing a perfect spot, somewhere hidden, where he could see the sky through the trees. There was something about seeing the sky framed with leaves that made him happy.
Flopping to the ground, he pulled out his baggy and papers. He rolled himself a blunt. Jack watched hesitantly. Was it too late to back out? In Jack's mind, it was. Alex lit up, inhaled, held the smoke. He offered the spliff to Jack. Jack took it, sighing.
"You don't have to if you don't want to," Alex chuckled catching the sigh.
Jack didn't respond, he instead took his first hit. He tried to hold the smoke but ended up pushing it out his nose instead. He spluttered at the slight burn in his nose. Alex was in hysterics, snatching back the blunt.
"It's "puff, puff, pass," not puff and splutter," Alex demonstrated again.
The other boy quickly got the hang of it, being somewhat used to the cigarettes Alex had supplied him with. The pair shared, Alex rolling a new one every so often.
"When I first tried this stuff, I didn't even notice I was high, until I stood up," Alex went back to being giggly, slurring his words, "Like I was in England bitching to my friend about how much my life sucked, how I hated myself and everyone around me. I didn't think he appreciated that but anyway, he snapped me out of it and decided we should get high. So we did," Alex fell back on to his back, growing serious, "It made me feel so much more at peace, Jacky. I want you to feel the peace too."
If he could think at all, Jack would have thought that was sweet and sort of sad. But his mind was clouded. He quietly watched the clouds, lying down next to Alex, only breaking the silence to laugh at something funny he had thought, then Alex would laugh at him laughing and he would laugh at Alex laughing at his laugh, while Alex laughed at him laughing at Alex, laughing at something. Until laugh didn't even feel like a real word anymore. Jack's laughter intensified so much causing him to vomit on Alex.
"Dude, sick! Oh my god," Alex squealed a little, still laughing profusely, "Maybe giving you so much beer before this wasn't such a good idea," he pulled Jack to his feet, "It's getting dark anyway, let's roll, yo."
Jack groaned, spitting on the ground in an un-classy manner. He was once again being pulled away. He babbled on the walk home, he couldn't remember what he was saying the next day, so he assumed it was just mindless chatter, Alex held him up most of the way. What he did remember however was waking up in Alex's bed the next morning, cuddled up to him. He regretted opening his eyes, they burnt and his head pounded. The other boy slept on until Jack tried to untangle his legs from his own.
"The aspirin is on the desk," Alex muttered rolling over to bury his face in his pillow, "Water bottles are under. Give me more blanket."
More eye rubbing and groaning, Jack climbed over Alex making his way to the aforementioned items. He vaguely noted that he was only in his boxers, but that was normal right? He always slept like that. When he stayed with Zack he slept in his boxers, they didn't wake up tangled together like that- but they also didn't drink or do drugs, Jack mused. An accident was all this was.
He chugged back some water and went slightly over board with aspirin. He never knew a hang over would hurt that much. He took in his surroundings, slightly more focused, bed shoved against a wall, two posters (one was a ripped Sid Vicious close up, the other a band picture that he didn't recognize), a desk covered in mess and an alarm clock reading 2:30 pm in green LED. That caught the boy's attention.
"Shit, Lex, wake up!" Jack panicked.
He was out all night and now he was skipping (more) school. He is literally going to be in so much trouble.
"Nooo..." a groaned response.
"Alex, it's like almost sixth period, get up."
"So the days almost over. Shut up, I'm sleeping."
"Alex..."
Dashing around picking up his clothes. Jack frantically got dressed and he let himself out. His mom was waiting for him when he quietly creeped in his house. He was fucked.
Joyce Barakat launched int a hug, gripping her son tightly. She waited up all night for Jack to return, and by ten she wanted to call the police.
"Bas, we should call the police," Joyce started again.
"He left school of his own accord, they have it on camera. He'll come back."
By 10:30 pm, her husband had talked her out of it, but he couldn't talk her into going to sleep while she waited. Every half hour precisely, she peeked through the blinds praying that Jack would appear. She was worried sick. Worry if left too long, quickly turns to boiling anger when the worry ceases.
The held Jack at arms length, "What compelled you to leave school and then just stay out all night, leaving me worried for a full day before just walking in here," she shouted.
Jack cringed, the noise hurt. This was going to be a long afternoon.