Young Writers Society

I could describe the dinner that we had with Elizabeth's aunt and uncle, but I won't. It was boring as all hell. They were both accountants and two of the most mundane people you could ever meet. Their whole lives revolved around going to work, watching NCIS and the weather channel, and sleeping. They asked me about my hobbies and my family. They seemed a little interested in the fact that I was into weight lifting but, I'm sure they were just being nice. Elizabeth dropped me off back at my grandparents' house after the dinner.

Elizabeth called me once she got home. "Hey baby, guess what?"

"What?" I said.

"My aunt and uncle just surprised me, saying that we're going to Hawaii for the week and we're leaving for the airport tomorrow," she said excitedly.

"That's awesome baby!" I said, attempting to sound excited for her. Honestly, I was relieved. I needed some time away from her to reflect on everything.

"Yeah. I just wanted to let you know so that you didn't wonder where I was," she said. She went on just gushing about how excited she was and remarking on all of the activities her and her aunt and uncle planned on doing while there. Again, I didn't care. I listened, halfway jealous because I'd never been on a real vacation, and halfway just wanting to not talk to her for a whole week.

The next day at school, I saw Jackson and Daniel in my weight lifting class. Caleb was there too. Caleb was the guy who threw the party that I'd met Elizabeth at. It was weird for all four of us to be at school at the same time since Jackson and Caleb liked to skip a lot. "Ay, what's up bro?" I said slapping Caleb's hand.

"Not much man. They said I had to start coming to school or they wouldn't let me graduate, so here I am," he said, nonchalantly. Caleb was a guy who I'd met through my cousin, the same cousin who I'd met Jackson through.

I proceeded to shake Jackson and Daniel's hands. "You guys ready to crush some arms today?" I said, flexing my biceps a little bit.

"Fuck yeah man," said Jackson. "Dude, you're looking pretty fucking cut. What've you been doing lately?"

I blushed a little. I loved when people noticed my gains, even if they were because I was of coke. "You already know I do work in this bitch bro," I said, hitting the front double bicep pose.

"Shut the fuck up," Daniel said, laughing. "Where's your lady?" He said, looking behind me.

"She went on a vacation with her family," I said, shrugging. "Just means that I get to focus on making some fucking gains bro."

"I bet she just got tired of beating your ass," chuckled Daniel, pointing at my left eye.

I got defensive. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I said.

"Relax bro, I'm just playing. But really, what happened to your eye?" Daniel said, holding his hands up.

"Nothing man, I just got in a little scuffle at a party. Nothing major, just defending my girl from an asshole," I said, trying to act a little tougher than I actually felt.

"Well, she must be your fucking good luck charm, because ever since you got her, you've been the biggest guy in this damn class," remarked Daniel.

"The fuck you mean," I said sarcastically. "I've always been the biggest guy in this class." I motioned to the other 8 guys in the class. Our lifting class was full of wanna-be's. Little ass dudes that were just in the gym for their own egos.

These were the little juniors and sophomores who thought they were hot shit just because they could bench with one plate on either side of the bar. I heard this kid, Mikey, a sophomore, bragging about his 315 squat. I hated him because he would brag and brag but all of his form was crap. His squat didn't even go all the way down and he bragged about lifting big boy weight.

"Well, Caleb and I are going to work out today," said Daniel.

"That's cool," I said. "Wanna be my partner today?" I said motioning to Jackson.

"Sure, man," Jackson said. "Gotta get my arms bigger anyways," he said pointing to his defined, but still average biceps.

Jackson and I made our ways to the dumbbells and started doing some standing curls. "Hey, do you want to come over to my place after school?" Asked Jackson. "We haven't chilled in a minute, and word is you're getting to be a little bit of a pothead. You know I got that good shit. I'll smoke you out if you want."

"Fuck yeah bro," I said. We had rode the same bus so I just had to get off at his spot.

After school, Jackson and I walked from his but stop to his house. His mom was at work so as soon as we got in his room, he was already breaking out his pipe. He filled the bowl with greens. "You want the first his?"

"Sure man," I said as I took the pipe from him. I held the flame to the weed and inhaled sharply, allowing my lungs to completely fill with the smoke. I loved that smell so damn much. I knew I was going to have a good time whenever I smelled that good skunk smell. As I exhaled, I let out a few little baby coughs. "Damn bro, that shit is nice."

"Yeah man, it's a new strain my dealer just got. I thought you'd like it," said Jackson, smiling. "So...I kind of asked you over here to talk to you a little bit man."

My face twisted a little in confusion. "What's up?"

"Well, there's a rumor going around that you've been doing coke with Denise and her boyfriend," he looked up at me a little concerned. I let him take a hit before responding.

"Shit man," I said taking the pipe. "You know rumors at our school can never be taken seriously." I took another big hit, this time coughing sharply as I exhaled.

"I know man, but, you just don't seem like you lately. I've seen you at some of these parties. I usually just stay in the background but I've seen you at like two of the ones I've been to," he sounded a little serious. "I really just hope that you have control of the path that you're going down."

I looked at him in the eye. I could tell that he was genuinely concerned. "Why do you care so much man?"

"Because man, I don't want to see you end up like Joey," he said.

Joey was my cousin that used to have a crush on Jackson. She used to be my best friend. We had grown up together and I had even looked up to her. When we started high school, she had everything going for her. She was pretty, she was smart and she had friends. She was getting ready to take over the world.

She eventually started to get into the party crowd. My aunt and uncle lived with my grandparents as well as my dad, and subsequently, Joey lived with us. I used to wait up at night, wishing she would come home. Sometimes, she'd tap on my window and I'd sneak her in, letting her sleep in my room so she wouldn't get caught.

Eventually, she got this boyfriend who introduced her to meth and heroine. She stopped going to school and what was worse, she stopped coming home. I waited and waited for her. Eventually, I left my window closed.

Jackson had been one of her friends as well and we both watched her spin into a downward spiral. She ended up in a trap house, dead with a needle in her arm. She was only 17.

"I could never end up like her," I said laughing. "I don't do that shit man, I just drink and smoke weed." I wanted to get off of the subject of Joey. People who said that they loved her didn't understand. I grew up with her. I loved her as my sister and we were especially close because we were the same age. I knew Joey in a way that nobody could've understood.

When she died...I didn't go to school for almost 2 weeks. I didn't eat, I barely slept. Eventually, I just stopped thinking about her altogether, because when I did, I grew hateful at the world. I hated that it had extinguished one of the brightest lights I'd ever known. I just had to laugh it off.

I took another hit. "Well, good. You can always talk to me, man. If you ever need some advice or anything," Jackson said as I inhaled.

"Stop getting me in my damn feelings man!" I said, trying to get the subject off of somethings so serious. "Let's just play Dragonball Z on your ps4 and keep getting high." As he turned away to start the game, I had to wipe away a few tears.

I was starting to realize the path that I was going down, but I was still fooling myself into believing that I could get myself out of it if I went too deep. Then again, I wonder if that was what Joey told herself.