Narcotic Sweet Talk
Crying Backwards
When Vic finally got into his car and found enough energy to drive to his tiny apartment shared with his brother, Mike, he thought about everything he had just been through. Maybe, Vic thought on a practical and almost optimistic whim, this wasn’t meant to be. Maybe he should just try to forget Shannon, say so long to her and the love he lost. He parked his car and walked up four flights of stairs, not wanting to have to go through the main lobby and allow everyone in there to see his red-rimmed eyes.
His key clicked in the lock and Vic opened the door to a hunched over boy with dark black hair and huge gauges which naturally and another drooling, sleeping boy with huge spiked hair. He realized that two of his best friends Tony and Jaime were asleep on his couch for some reason he couldn’t figure out. It was nearly four in the morning and he couldn't handle much more than he had endured at this hour in the morning.
As he closed the door, Jaime's head popped up, his breathing quickening and he let out a surprised gasp and kicked Tony off of the couch to wake him up. Normally, Vic would have found this hilarious and burst out in laughter but under the circumstances his mouth wouldn’t budge from its newly permanent grimace. Tony muttered incoherently as Mike walked in from the kitchen with a bottle of water and a pad of paper.
Mike looked at Vic without really seeing him and yelled "Congratulations!" at the top of his lungs. Tony and Jaime chimed in and Vic's stomach turned. He felt like he was going to collapse again as he stumbled his way to an overstuffed and ripped arm chair. He hung his head on his chest and didn't dare look at his friends' faces again.
Jaime's smile fell from his face and Tony let out a small, barely audible "oh" from next to Vic on the couch. Mike immediately began cussing and set his water bottle down on the table and sat on the chair's arm, at a sad attempt at comforting his brother. Jaime muttered a long string of words, the most repeated ones being "bitch" and "fucking shame". Vic shook his head and wished everyone would leave him the hell alone. He was too busy brooding over his lost love, thinking over what went wrong. He came to the conclusion that Shannon never really loved him, that his love for her was just an understudy in one of her drama filled chapters of life. Vic grimaced again, what a shame the understudy died under the pressure. He almost laughed at how fucking stupid and pathetic his analogies were.
Fuck me, Vic thought sourly to himself, how could I compare something as beautiful as love could be to going under for an operation where there were chances of not surviving? His pessimistic train of thought was broken by Jaime clapping him hard on the back and giving him a bottle of beer. The rock star's remedy to anything.
Vic took a swig of the caramel colored liquid in the bottle and Mike raised his own, saying "Atta boy, Vic. Everything will be okay, drink up." As Vic obediently listened to his brother, he began to feel even worse than before. Not that that stopped his vicious drinking. Never one for alcohol and taking his small size into account, Vic was completely out of it after two and a half bottles of beer. While the other boys were tipsy and light hearted Vic was stuck with a biting cynicism that made him wallow in a well deserved self pity.
Suddenly, Jaime made a swift movement and jumped up onto the couch, announcing at the top of his lungs, "Gather round, gather round- ladies and gentlemen, come from far, come from wide! The moment you've all been waiting for- tonight join us as we explore the spine-chilling mystery of death and the miracle of resurrection!" Tony shook his head and punched Jaime's stomach as Mike cussed at him to shut up before the neighbors complained.
Vic drank in Jaime's words as he began his fourth beer. He bit his sarcasm back, the spine-chilling mystery of love and betrayal was more like it. He looked around dizzily as he thought of resurrection and how he missed Shannon and hoped their love could come back from the not so long ago filled grave.
His vision became blurred and the scene of his friends faded away as an old, painful memory appeared in his mind.
His key clicked in the lock and Vic opened the door to a hunched over boy with dark black hair and huge gauges which naturally and another drooling, sleeping boy with huge spiked hair. He realized that two of his best friends Tony and Jaime were asleep on his couch for some reason he couldn’t figure out. It was nearly four in the morning and he couldn't handle much more than he had endured at this hour in the morning.
As he closed the door, Jaime's head popped up, his breathing quickening and he let out a surprised gasp and kicked Tony off of the couch to wake him up. Normally, Vic would have found this hilarious and burst out in laughter but under the circumstances his mouth wouldn’t budge from its newly permanent grimace. Tony muttered incoherently as Mike walked in from the kitchen with a bottle of water and a pad of paper.
Mike looked at Vic without really seeing him and yelled "Congratulations!" at the top of his lungs. Tony and Jaime chimed in and Vic's stomach turned. He felt like he was going to collapse again as he stumbled his way to an overstuffed and ripped arm chair. He hung his head on his chest and didn't dare look at his friends' faces again.
Jaime's smile fell from his face and Tony let out a small, barely audible "oh" from next to Vic on the couch. Mike immediately began cussing and set his water bottle down on the table and sat on the chair's arm, at a sad attempt at comforting his brother. Jaime muttered a long string of words, the most repeated ones being "bitch" and "fucking shame". Vic shook his head and wished everyone would leave him the hell alone. He was too busy brooding over his lost love, thinking over what went wrong. He came to the conclusion that Shannon never really loved him, that his love for her was just an understudy in one of her drama filled chapters of life. Vic grimaced again, what a shame the understudy died under the pressure. He almost laughed at how fucking stupid and pathetic his analogies were.
Fuck me, Vic thought sourly to himself, how could I compare something as beautiful as love could be to going under for an operation where there were chances of not surviving? His pessimistic train of thought was broken by Jaime clapping him hard on the back and giving him a bottle of beer. The rock star's remedy to anything.
Vic took a swig of the caramel colored liquid in the bottle and Mike raised his own, saying "Atta boy, Vic. Everything will be okay, drink up." As Vic obediently listened to his brother, he began to feel even worse than before. Not that that stopped his vicious drinking. Never one for alcohol and taking his small size into account, Vic was completely out of it after two and a half bottles of beer. While the other boys were tipsy and light hearted Vic was stuck with a biting cynicism that made him wallow in a well deserved self pity.
Suddenly, Jaime made a swift movement and jumped up onto the couch, announcing at the top of his lungs, "Gather round, gather round- ladies and gentlemen, come from far, come from wide! The moment you've all been waiting for- tonight join us as we explore the spine-chilling mystery of death and the miracle of resurrection!" Tony shook his head and punched Jaime's stomach as Mike cussed at him to shut up before the neighbors complained.
Vic drank in Jaime's words as he began his fourth beer. He bit his sarcasm back, the spine-chilling mystery of love and betrayal was more like it. He looked around dizzily as he thought of resurrection and how he missed Shannon and hoped their love could come back from the not so long ago filled grave.
His vision became blurred and the scene of his friends faded away as an old, painful memory appeared in his mind.