took the first stall he could find, but he wasn’t alone. A trio of boys about the same age as he was were already waiting in the bathroom near the sinks.
“You try that new batch?” the dark haired skinny one asked. The boy had a wave of black hair that partially covered his face like some kind of Justin Bieber wanna be.
“I did. Tried it last night and I didn’t sleep all night. Shit had me up and feeling like a rock star,” the other boy said. The second boy was a muscle bound jock wearing a letterman's jacket. The two boys high-five’d one another and the clap of their hands smacking together echoed off the tile walls.
“Yeah, I tried it too. I was higher than a mother fucker,” the third boy said.
Barber finished his business, zipped up, and turned toward the sinks.
“Excuse me,” Barber said politely.
“Hey, ain’t you new here?” the dark haired boy with the twig arms asked.
“It’s my first day. Why?” Barber asked.
“Don’t worry. We ain’t gonna haze you or nothing,” the jock said. “Just wondering if you get down?”
“Get down?” Barber asked as if they were speaking a different language. The boys looked skeptically at one another in turn.
“Yeah, do you get high?” the jock asked.
“I have before,” Barber admitted. In truth he had got more than just high, he had been a full fledged heroin junkie. This was the kind of scenario that gave an ex-junkie nightmares. It was the kind of situation that would wake Barber up in cold sweats. He knew the inevitable question that was coming before the other boy even spoke it.
“You wanna try some Pow?” the jock asked. “It’ll make you feel like a superhero.”
Barber almost laughed aloud, but managed to stifle his outburst. These guys were oblivious to the fact that he was a User, and he needed to keep it that way.
“Naw, I don’t think so,” Barber said. He tried to remember the steps he had learned, tried to dig deep in his bag of tools to find something to keep him from making a big mistake, but this was his first opportunity to do drugs since he had sobered up. He didn’t know how he would react up until this exact moment. He had done the right thing telling them no, but he knew too what was left to come.
“Come on man,” the jock said. “This shits brand new and better than any of that garbage you’ve messed with before.” They started in with the peer pressure.
“What’s it called again?” Barber asked.
“Pow. It’s like a cross between every drug you’ve ever tried all wound up into one ball.” The jock pulled a bottle from his jacket pocket and extended it to Barber.
“Just take a swig,” the boy with the dark wavy hair said. “It only takes one. It makes the time in class fly by.”
The boys were saying all the things that Barber’s addict brain wanted to hear. It was right there in front of him. He only needed to reach out and grab the bottle. After that, it would be easy. Barber felt the cold sweat beading on his forehead. His lips were dry.
“Maybe just one swig,” Barber said grabbing the bottle.
“That’s it,” the jock said. “What did you say your name was again?”
“I didn’t,” Barber said. “But it’s Barber.” He put the bottle to his lips and took a quick swill of the foul tasting liquid. It was thick like cough syrup and tasted like hell.
“Taste that?” the jock asked.
“Yeah, it tastes like shit.” Barber wiped his lips with the back of one hand as he handed the bottle back with the other.
“Naw, that’s the taste of pure bliss in a bottle,” the third boy said.
“Well, I think it tastes like hel-” Barber froze as it hit him. The Pow popped something in his brain. A rush of ecstasy washed over Barber, starting with the hair on his head and it didn’t stop until it reached the tips of his toes. That was it, he was hooked.
Chapter 2
The door was not locked as Carter had instructed before he left. Alarm bells rang in his mind. Maybe it was just
“You try that new batch?” the dark haired skinny one asked. The boy had a wave of black hair that partially covered his face like some kind of Justin Bieber wanna be.
“I did. Tried it last night and I didn’t sleep all night. Shit had me up and feeling like a rock star,” the other boy said. The second boy was a muscle bound jock wearing a letterman's jacket. The two boys high-five’d one another and the clap of their hands smacking together echoed off the tile walls.
“Yeah, I tried it too. I was higher than a mother fucker,” the third boy said.
Barber finished his business, zipped up, and turned toward the sinks.
“Excuse me,” Barber said politely.
“Hey, ain’t you new here?” the dark haired boy with the twig arms asked.
“It’s my first day. Why?” Barber asked.
“Don’t worry. We ain’t gonna haze you or nothing,” the jock said. “Just wondering if you get down?”
“Get down?” Barber asked as if they were speaking a different language. The boys looked skeptically at one another in turn.
“Yeah, do you get high?” the jock asked.
“I have before,” Barber admitted. In truth he had got more than just high, he had been a full fledged heroin junkie. This was the kind of scenario that gave an ex-junkie nightmares. It was the kind of situation that would wake Barber up in cold sweats. He knew the inevitable question that was coming before the other boy even spoke it.
“You wanna try some Pow?” the jock asked. “It’ll make you feel like a superhero.”
Barber almost laughed aloud, but managed to stifle his outburst. These guys were oblivious to the fact that he was a User, and he needed to keep it that way.
“Naw, I don’t think so,” Barber said. He tried to remember the steps he had learned, tried to dig deep in his bag of tools to find something to keep him from making a big mistake, but this was his first opportunity to do drugs since he had sobered up. He didn’t know how he would react up until this exact moment. He had done the right thing telling them no, but he knew too what was left to come.
“Come on man,” the jock said. “This shits brand new and better than any of that garbage you’ve messed with before.” They started in with the peer pressure.
“What’s it called again?” Barber asked.
“Pow. It’s like a cross between every drug you’ve ever tried all wound up into one ball.” The jock pulled a bottle from his jacket pocket and extended it to Barber.
“Just take a swig,” the boy with the dark wavy hair said. “It only takes one. It makes the time in class fly by.”
The boys were saying all the things that Barber’s addict brain wanted to hear. It was right there in front of him. He only needed to reach out and grab the bottle. After that, it would be easy. Barber felt the cold sweat beading on his forehead. His lips were dry.
“Maybe just one swig,” Barber said grabbing the bottle.
“That’s it,” the jock said. “What did you say your name was again?”
“I didn’t,” Barber said. “But it’s Barber.” He put the bottle to his lips and took a quick swill of the foul tasting liquid. It was thick like cough syrup and tasted like hell.
“Taste that?” the jock asked.
“Yeah, it tastes like shit.” Barber wiped his lips with the back of one hand as he handed the bottle back with the other.
“Naw, that’s the taste of pure bliss in a bottle,” the third boy said.
“Well, I think it tastes like hel-” Barber froze as it hit him. The Pow popped something in his brain. A rush of ecstasy washed over Barber, starting with the hair on his head and it didn’t stop until it reached the tips of his toes. That was it, he was hooked.
Chapter 2
The door was not locked as Carter had instructed before he left. Alarm bells rang in his mind. Maybe it was just
Similar Books
Frankentown
Aleksandar Vujovic
PctureThis
Kaily Hart
Natural Selection
Malinda Lo
That Witch!
Zoe Lynne
Cocotte
David Manoa
Bewitched on Bourbon Street
Deanna Chase
The API of the Gods
Matthew Schmidt
Thyme to Live: A We Sisters Three Mystery
Melissa F Miller