Ashes to Ashes
VIII
The rain didn't stop for three days, and by then Seth had found a place for them to stay at. It was an abandoned house on Shelby Avenue, with boarded windows and a sagging foundation. But it served to put a roof over their head, and Seth found a way to keep them warm in the form of an electric blanket that was hooked up to an extension cord he'd discreetly hooked up to an outlet on the outside of a neighbor's garage.
He had found steady work as well, leaving Carter to spend most afternoons and early evenings by herself in the house. Several rats called the place home as well, and she'd named them Bo and Jangles. They had taken to sleeping near the heated blanket and every now and again, Carter sat out bits of food off her plate for them.
It was evening now, and the sun was just starting to set. She had just gotten back to the house from the grocery store down the street when Seth walked through the back door, a few of their friends with him. She wondered if the neighbors had seen them walking up to the house through the alley, but quickly realized that even if they had, people in this neighborhood probably wouldn't be calling the cops on them any time soon.
"This is Sam. He brought some gear," he told her as he sat down on the blanket.
Sam wasn't someone she had seen before, and she wasn't sure she trusted him as much as Seth seemed to. He wasn't their usual type of friend, with his clean image and freshly-washed clothes. Everything about him stunk of money and affluence. What did he possibly have to gain by hanging out with homeless drug addicts?
Seth could sense her discomfort and did the best he could to keep her calm as he prepared a shot first for her, and then for himself. He'd seen Sam here and there, but it hadn't been until today that he'd actually seen the boy smoking a joint behind his school on his way home from the warehouse he'd gotten a job at.
"So...Have you guys been doing this a long time?"
Sam's voice broke the silence as Carter injected the heroin into the only vein in her arm that hadn't collapsed, and she arched her eyebrow as she looked up at him. Her distaste for the boy was only growing with every word that came out of his mouth.
"By this, do you mean being homeless?" She snapped at him. "It's not as glamorous as you think, kid."
"Carter, that wasn't nice," Seth spoke softly. "He bought the stuff we're using."
"And we would have gotten it without him, Seth, because that's just what we do. We don't need his fucking money."
Carter didn't say another word as the heroin hit her system. It was almost instantaneous, and God, that rush felt so damn good. She could feel her body melting into the delicious warmth of the blanket, and in the corner of the room she could see Bo and Jangles peeking out from their hole, waiting for an opportunity to seize some of the food sitting next to them.
Seth watched as the drug took over her and then turned to Sam, arching his eyebrow. The boy looked terrified and was biting down on his bottom lip. It was obvious that he'd never watched someone shoot up before.
"Little bit different than smoking a joint or swallowing some pills, innit?" Seth spoke softly, his hand resting on Carter's leg. "You sure you want me to--"
"No. I-I'm good, thanks," Sam spoke as he stood. "Look, it was fun hanging out and all, but maybe she's right. This isn't my scene."
Seth nodded, watching as the younger boy dipped out the door, letting the wind slam it shut as he disappeared. He'd already been anticipating this, but it had all been part of his plan to get the gear in the first place. Convincing some rich kid who had plenty of money at his disposal to buy their gear was a hell of a lot more convenient than stealing something from a store and waiting to take it back for an illegitimate refund. And really, could Seth be blamed? Sam had set himself up for this, after all. If there was one thing Seth had always told everyone around him, it was that a drug addict couldn't be trusted.
He had found steady work as well, leaving Carter to spend most afternoons and early evenings by herself in the house. Several rats called the place home as well, and she'd named them Bo and Jangles. They had taken to sleeping near the heated blanket and every now and again, Carter sat out bits of food off her plate for them.
It was evening now, and the sun was just starting to set. She had just gotten back to the house from the grocery store down the street when Seth walked through the back door, a few of their friends with him. She wondered if the neighbors had seen them walking up to the house through the alley, but quickly realized that even if they had, people in this neighborhood probably wouldn't be calling the cops on them any time soon.
"This is Sam. He brought some gear," he told her as he sat down on the blanket.
Sam wasn't someone she had seen before, and she wasn't sure she trusted him as much as Seth seemed to. He wasn't their usual type of friend, with his clean image and freshly-washed clothes. Everything about him stunk of money and affluence. What did he possibly have to gain by hanging out with homeless drug addicts?
Seth could sense her discomfort and did the best he could to keep her calm as he prepared a shot first for her, and then for himself. He'd seen Sam here and there, but it hadn't been until today that he'd actually seen the boy smoking a joint behind his school on his way home from the warehouse he'd gotten a job at.
"So...Have you guys been doing this a long time?"
Sam's voice broke the silence as Carter injected the heroin into the only vein in her arm that hadn't collapsed, and she arched her eyebrow as she looked up at him. Her distaste for the boy was only growing with every word that came out of his mouth.
"By this, do you mean being homeless?" She snapped at him. "It's not as glamorous as you think, kid."
"Carter, that wasn't nice," Seth spoke softly. "He bought the stuff we're using."
"And we would have gotten it without him, Seth, because that's just what we do. We don't need his fucking money."
Carter didn't say another word as the heroin hit her system. It was almost instantaneous, and God, that rush felt so damn good. She could feel her body melting into the delicious warmth of the blanket, and in the corner of the room she could see Bo and Jangles peeking out from their hole, waiting for an opportunity to seize some of the food sitting next to them.
Seth watched as the drug took over her and then turned to Sam, arching his eyebrow. The boy looked terrified and was biting down on his bottom lip. It was obvious that he'd never watched someone shoot up before.
"Little bit different than smoking a joint or swallowing some pills, innit?" Seth spoke softly, his hand resting on Carter's leg. "You sure you want me to--"
"No. I-I'm good, thanks," Sam spoke as he stood. "Look, it was fun hanging out and all, but maybe she's right. This isn't my scene."
Seth nodded, watching as the younger boy dipped out the door, letting the wind slam it shut as he disappeared. He'd already been anticipating this, but it had all been part of his plan to get the gear in the first place. Convincing some rich kid who had plenty of money at his disposal to buy their gear was a hell of a lot more convenient than stealing something from a store and waiting to take it back for an illegitimate refund. And really, could Seth be blamed? Sam had set himself up for this, after all. If there was one thing Seth had always told everyone around him, it was that a drug addict couldn't be trusted.