The sky glowed a fiery red, with traces of violet and purple snaking their way through the colors as the sun set. The breeze was strong, yet still calm enough to not be a trouble as Andrew made his way through the thicket of trees and low lying bushes. Loveless park was a large section of land that the city had put aside for the parks & rec association on the West side of the town, away from the crowded projects of the East Side. Andrew's breath froze in the chilled air and was quickly whisked away by the swift breeze, his eyes stinging from both the lack of sleep and the continued wind in his face. His footsteps were heavy yet quick as he crunched along a long forgotten path littered with fallen branches, leaves and the random scattered wrappers of food and the such. Andrew zipped his Sweater up as he continued forward, the thin shirt and the almost as thin sweater not adding to his warmth. The shirt's lettering, 'Bless the fall' was covered by the sweater's logo, 'A Heartwell Ending.' Towards the end of the trail a decrepit shell that was once a public restroom stood, the woman's section caved in with the men's seeming burned out. Andrew Pulled his Thin Sweater tighter around himself and walked towards the yawning building, whispering as he reached the door, "You here?"
Andrew looked into the semi-darkness and saw a small flicker of light, the end of cigarette as someone takes a last draw before putting it out, "Yeah, Im here." A man stepped out of the darkness of a stall down the line, his ebony skin gleaming with sweat as he exhaled the final wisps of smoke from his lips. Andrew relaxed slightly and stood in the doorway, his hands slightly shaking in anticipation.
"Dont be so jittery, you haven't even payed yet." Andrew rubbed his hands together, clenching and relaxing his fingers, trying to regain some warmth as he walked forward, a hand reaching into his pocket. He brought out his wallet and fished inside, a food stamp slipping out and laying on the floor as he withdrew several large bills, placing them in the man's hand and placing his wallet back into his pocket. The man counted the bills and nodded, putting the tender in his pocket and reaching into one of the low hanging zipped leg pouches on his pants and withdrew a small zipplock bag, placing it in his hand along with a small plastic box.
The man chuckled, "You look tired, get some sleep man."
Andrew smiled weakly and placed the items into his small dark green backpack, shivering slightly as he rolled his shoulders, "Why sleep when I can feel the sun rising in my veins?" The man rolled his eyes and pulled his sweater's hood over his head, briskly walking out of the building with Andrew, looking up at the now almost completely violet sky, stars and satellites dotting the sky, "I'll need double the normal price next time, the cops are keeping an eye on my boys at the Greyhound station in Chance." Andrew tugged on the lone strap draped over his right shoulder, looking at the ground, then at the sky, and finally at the Man, "Alright, I'll have it." The man smiled and turned his head to Andrew, laughing softly as he walked away, shaking his head.
Andrew watched the cars pass him as he stood outside the Lovecraft Cafe, his sunglasses hiding his eyes from the lights that stung his sensitive eyes. He tossed his head to move the bangs that had draped over his eyes and looked in through the Cafe's Window; his friend Noah's shift was almost over and he always got a free cup of coffee and at least a cookie, which he always liked to tease him with since he couldn't eat the store's products. Noah was cleaning off a table when he noticed Andrew, his hair falling over his face as he leaned over the table with a cloth. Noah stood and brushed back his hair, walking briskly to the door.
Andrew kept his hands in his pockets as he grinned widely, Noah walking out onto the sidewalk and shaking his head, "You know, the boss is going to wonder why some bum keeps showing up and getting my ONE free coffee and snack I get per day from here."
Andrew shrugged, pouting his lips, "He'll just assume your Gay and that I'm your lover." Noah sighed and motioned for him to enter the store. Andrew walked in halfway and turned slightly, kicking his leg back and bending his back so he could leap into the store, nearly slipping on the freshly mopped floor.
"see, thats why I don't like you doing the commercial kick, your going to end up breaking your neck."
"nuh uh!"
"Just go find somewhere to sit."
"Yes Ma'am" Andrew walked slowly towards a table near the back, crossing his legs as he gained some feeling back in his extremities. Andrew tugged at the back of his pants as he waited, the tight fitting legs always tugging the waist down as he walked.
Noah returned, his apron draped over his shoulder and his work shirt unbuttoned, "heres your coffee sir, the way you like it, and of course, teh cookie." Andrew golf clapped and accepted the drink and snack, biting down into the cookie and over exaggerating by fluttering his eyes and going limp in his seat, " Its like I just bit into pure Euphoria."
Noah laughed and leaned on the table with one elbow, his fist pressed against his cheek, "Whens the last time you ate, like, really ate, Andy." Andrew put the cookie down and sipped at the coffee, mumbling after he took a small drink, "Im fine, just, money's coming in a bit slow, its cool."
Noah closed his eyes and rubbed at them, "How much did you blow, on your drugs." Andrew set the cup down and crossed his arms, leaning back into his chair, "None of your business." Noah opened his eyes and looked up through his drooping hair, "It is when I'm the one who lent you some." Andrew clicked his tongue and looked off to the left, " about....200"
Noah groaned, "Andy, I gave you that money to get some better clothes, food, something, your wearing the shirt my mom gave you two years ago."
"How is Mrs. Haisee anyways?"
"Dont change the subject."
"Im not, I just want to know."
"She's fine, worried about you now since your parents cut you off." Andrew picked up the coffee and slowly rotated the cup in his palms, watching it's contents swish about.
"You know, you could live with me, in Couldbe, my apartment's not big but it could hold another person, come on, I've seen your place, Im surprised the City hasn't condemned the whole complex."
"Well, Mr. Morality, I'm Fine, my job at the store is holding me over."
"Till what, Till you die with a F%#$ing needle in your arm?"
"what the f*&$ ever, I've lived this long, I think I can take care of myself." Noah leaned forward and placed a hand on his lap, "I just, dont want you to get hurt."
Andrew looked down at his hand and shifted his legs so that it fell, "Im fine, alright?" Noah breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, running his hands through his hair then placing them behind his head, lacing the fingers, "Okay, but how much do you have, like, for spending, on food and stuff."
"enough."
"You said that last month when you almost lost that hole in the wall." "800, about, my paycheck came in last Friday."
"Well, My day off is tomorrow, want to get together and do something?"
"Sex?"
"Smartarse, you know what I mean." Andrew grinned and nodded, standing as he tugged his backpack further up onto his shoulder, "Sounds like fun, you know my cell right?"
" 'Course."
Andrew nodded and waved as he exited, doing the kick again as he stepped out into the street, Noah shaking his head and smiling as he watched him disappear around the window's edge.
Andrew skipped steps as he walked up the creaking flights that led up to his floor. He skipped down the hallway leading up to his room and stopped at his door, rummaging through his keys and quickly unlocking his door, walking in and shutting it behind him, fastening the bolt and re-locking it behind him. Several Minutes later he was seated next to his rickety stove, tapping his foot rapidly as he waited for the Heroin to cook, a needle already prepared and waiting. He tugged at the band of cord he had wrapped around his arm, making sure it was just tight enough. He watched it cook and pop, forming something like a lillypad as it did, his body shook as he watched it. Finally he dipped the needle into the small cap-full of the drug, withdrawing a large sum and slowly tapping the syringe with his finger as he placed it against his arm, the needle searing his flesh a bit as he sank it into his arm. It took just a few seconds for it to take effect, the needle and cord lying next to him on the table as he cupped his head in his hands, music playing in the background. As the Punk Cover of Hotel California ended, another song slowly pulsed to life, Clint Eastwood by the Gorillaz. As the opening Base and drum slowly thumped the singer's soft opening coo coincided with his body as the full effect overcame him, his pupil's dilating, his body feeling light and loose. As the singer went into the first Chorus he stood, "I aint Happy, Im feeling glad I got Sunshine, In a bag im useless, but not for long, the future is comin on." Andrew braced himself as the song and the high began to merge, his world slowly vibrating with every string strum and drum beat. He bumped into the refrigerator and fell as the song sang out in a hip hop beat, "You like it? Gunsmoken' righteousness with one token, Psychic among those, Possesses you with one go!" As the final few words snaked their way into his consciousness, he realized he wasn't breathing, his body shuddering as it tried to force his lungs to draw in air. He stumbled towards his room as he gasped for air, his inhaler and mister were in a medical case underneath his tattered bed and frame. The chorus rang out a second time, the singer's slow almost haunting voice overpowering the crazed thoughts running through Andrew's head "I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad I got sunshine, in a bag I'm useless, but not for long the future is coming on" . He gasped Loudly, his lungs sounding as if they might rip if he tried to breathe any harder, and fumbled with the latch on the plastic case and tossed numerous attachments to his mister aside as he frantically sought out his inhaler. His head felt as if it were on fire, his lungs beginning to burn as well, and he pressed his head to the mattress as his fingers finally felt the curved outline of his inhaler. He quickly put it to his lips and drew in a deep breath, his lungs finally catching and allowing him to breathe. He leaned forward and gagged, then vomited phlegm and bits of food onto the floor, his fingers curling and digging his nails into the floorboards. The song ended in the same consistent beat, the mournful voice trailing off with an echo as Andrew felt himself slipping into sleep, his body dragging him down for his own good "its comin' on, its comin' on, the future, its comin' on, its comin' on, my future". He slumped against the floor, his head laying limply on his shoulder as he felt his body relaxing, his head cooling, his lungs returning to normal pace. His eyes fluttered as he glanced over at the stove, he had luckily turned it off before he went into his episode. His eyes closed just as the next song in line began, a soft yet sturdy voice soothingly singing, "Pound, my knuckles hard against the floor, my head against the wall, But I did this to myself, Assume its just not worth getting back up, so I'll blame it on bad luck and shake responsibility." and just as the singer uttered the next word, Andrew echoed him in perfect unison, "yeah."
Andrew awoke with a start as his playlist blasted his morning wake up song, 'Could tell a Love, By Bless the Fall' "Well there go, My big plans, to build up this fortress into the clouds!" He shakily stood and walked into the kitchen, everything seeming colder and more distant, as if he was completely alone. His phone blinked on the corner of the small TV he had up against wall adjacent to the window. He picked it up and checked the time; 12:00 pm. He groaned and checked his messages, he had three, all were from Noah. He hit play and held the small cell to his ear, "Hey, Its me again, I'm in town so just call me up whenever you want me to pick you up, I was thinking we could hit a movie or even raise some hell at that one club we hate." Andrew chuckled and walked to the counter as he checked his text-messages. He had only one, and as he read it, the song rang out, "we'll make it out of it
your not the only one."
Andrew waited outside his complex as he waited to see Noah's tan Altima turn the corner onto his street. South and 8th wasn't the most cheerful corner of the city, the police even designated it a 'hostile district' like the military with unfriendly civilians. He felt warmer than the day before, of course it was sunny, but now he was wearing a thick black jacket and a pair of regular dark faded jeans, with his cotton 'John Carpenter's the Thing' Shirt making him feel even more cozy. Finally, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Altima turn the corner, pulling up slowly and coming to a stop, a Ramones cover song blaring out of the windows. Noah leaned over to his window and pushed his sunglasses down his nose, "I'll give you 50 for a Quickie." "Andrew rolled his eyes and climbed into the car, relaxing as the song's carefree lyrics questioned him with a timeless phrase, "I wanna Know, Have you ever seen the Rain? Coming down, on a sunny day." He smiled and leaned the chair back as the Altima pulled away from the curb and sped along the rain-slicked streets, the song ending and moving straight into the next, "I See trees of green, red roses too, I see em bloom, for me and you, and I think to myself, what a wonderful world." The music echoed through the crowded street, as if to tell the kids playing with the slightly deflated ball, the wino in the gutter, the hopeless debtor, the fatherless child, the unmourned daughter, that everything was going to be alright.
.