TRIGGER WARNING: drug abuse and overdose

There was already a haze hanging low in the room when Jennison woke up. There was the smell of weed and cigarettes and beer that hanging in that cloud. It was a familure smell. Next to him was a mess of dark hair resting on a pillow. The girl in his arms wiggled trying to get comfortable again. Jennison let a sleepy smile play and kissed that mop of hair and then rolled off of the futon.

Danny needed to get the door back on the hinges to the bathroom. Jennison had offered to help but they got drunk that night. Nothing got done and the door was not in the space that it was supposed to be. He glanced around, maybe it just got moved….there in the living room. The bathroom door was set up as some makeshift beer pong table. He smirked, clever.

A kid was curled up in the bath tub, some ratty blanket covering him. On his face in bold sharpie lines a penis was drawn on his cheek. Jennison only gave the kid a once over. Ronnie. That asshole. He was always the first to pass out.

Jennison took his time in the bathroom, peeing and then shooting up. He brushed his teeth and turned the shower on. Ronnie woke in a shock. Called Jennison a dick and threw the soggy blanket at his face. Jennison just laughed and caught the blanket. “Get out of the shower you douche bag I need to get clean.”
”You didn’t have to soak me, just a little shove and I woulda gotten up.”
“Mm yeah but that would have been no fun,” grin.
”there is not even a door up, gonna put on a show?”
“It’s the only shower in the place so looks like it. Now get out.”

He could feel the drug starting to make his fingers go numb as he stepped into the shower. That was what he liked to do, sit and nod off in the shower for a while. This was the high that was getting harder and harder to obtain. Marks along his arms showed where veins used to be. Time seemed to melt by. Eventually Jennison managed to get himself up and out of the shower, the water off and a towel around himself. He shuffled back to the room still feeling lucid in his high.

That mass of hair had turned into a girl sleepily rubbing her eyes. “Mornin’ sunshine,” Jennison slurred and wrapped his arms around her too thin waist. “Hey Babe,” She giggled into a kiss. Jennison returned the kiss sloppily.

“Wanna go get me some blow?” she then said with a bite of her bottom lip and pleading eyes. Jennison hummed. “I could do you have money or do I?”
”I got some form last night, sold some shitty smack to that red head….K something…”
“Kory?”
”Yeah that girl.”
Lacey held out the wad of bills. Jennison took the money and glanced down at it. His lids sliding shut in an exaggerated blink. “Mkay I’ll slip out. Danny is gonna throw another party tonight.”
”Oh then if there is anything special you wanna throw in there for the shindig go for it. “

“Will do,” There was another sloppy kiss between them and Lacey stood up pushing her hair back out of her face. Jennison tugged on cloths that he had no idea when the last time they were washed and walked out of the room.

”Jenni where is the door?” Lacey asked standing in the bathroom door way with a toothbrush in her mouth. He pointed down the hall to the living room where the door was, cups set in a half finished game. ”oh” She shrugged and got back to her morning routine.

The deal was a quick one. Jennison got his girlfriend’s drug of choice and a couple dabs of acid just for fun. He got back to the house and there were already a couple people there. Lacey was curled up on the couch with a glass in her hand and a strung out smile. ”Thank you baby.”

Jennison nodded and tossed her the drugs. She wasted no time putting out a line for both her and her boyfriend. She took the two dollar bill that she always used to do her coke. A quick snort and she passed the rolled up bill to Jennison while pressing her thumb to her nose. He accepted it and then inhaled his own line up his nose. Coke was always a shock compared to Heroin. His brain zapped to life as the drug entered his system and the night seemed to fly.

After hours of the party, playing drinking games and talking with friends Jennison pulled Lacey over putting out another line for the both of them. The trusty two dollar bill was lost but they made do without it. He didn’t remember the rest of the night but the two made it back to their stained futon.

There was a haze that hung in the air around the house. Weed and liquor perfume. Next to him was a mess of hair resting on the pillow. Jennison groaned as he sat up. He looked over at Lacey. She was laying on her back and her chest wasn’t moving in the rhythm of sleep like normal. “Lace?” He spoke nudging her shoulder. It was obvious, the mess all over her face that had dripped onto the pillow and her hair what had happened. Jennison wasn’t putting it together. Her skin was pale, more pale than normal. “Lacey,” He said a little bit louder shoving her shoulder. She turned over from the force but did not stir.

“Oh god Lacey…it’s because we didn’t use the two bill. You always said….geezus Lacey, “ As his girlfriend lay dead next to him Jennison had never had his heart beat so fast or his brain so frantic. Not even that one time he had done speed. “Lace…lace…” His voice started to get softer as tears bubbled over his eyes. His head dropped into his hands and he started to rock thinking of something, anything to make this better.

Run, you have to get out of here. That was all that was running through his head. You gave her the line it would be your fault you will go to jail of you don’t get out. That was ridiculous she took the drugs herself, she was possibly on five other things. She always liked to mix too much. She would say she felt better like her body didn’t exists and her soul was flying. Really she would end up curled in a corner shivering like a sick dog. Finally she had done it. Her soul actually got free.

Jennison scrambled. He grabbed a back pack and shoved some cloths in it and the meager other things he owned. One final glance at the body in the bed. She was facing the wall all he could see was that mess of hair and the blanket draped over her too thin body. It was like she was asleep. She would coo an turn around any moment. “Goodnight sweetie pie….” He whispered and then left stepping over all the other people that were in the house passed out or too stoned to move not realizing a girl had died just a couple of feet away.