Chapter 7

The club was packed. Teenagers grinding on each other with no care in the world. The music was so loud Mike could barely hear himself think but that was all to be expected. He thrived in the noise it at least quieted the loud voice at the back of his mind. He heaved a sigh and ventured further into the club Luke trailing behind him.

Getting to the bar proved to be more trouble than Mike had first thought. He could hardly pass through the swarm of bodies. The smell of sweat and perfume invaded his nostrils with vengeance but he persisted to hurry to the bar. It was also a good thing Luke was there since he helped to push and shove whoever was upfront of them. A long torturous time passed before they reached the bar.

Luke order shots on his tab and told the bartender to keep them coming. There was no available seat but Mike didn't have any problem with standing as long as he got to quench his thirst. It had been quite while since he tasted tequila and he was almost going through withdrawals. The first taste of tequila reached his throat he felt like he could finally breath. He liked the burn of it and how it unsettled his stomach. He took another two shots in a breath. Besides him Luke was talking to a girl he probably didn't remember. She wore a skimpy black off shoulder dress. Her hair was an unnatural pink color.

Mike didn't realized he was staring until the girl cleared her throat in irritation. Mike couldn't even bring himself to be embarrassed at being caught blatantly staring, he was just too curious about her hair but figured it would be rude to ask her what product she used for it. Because it was clear her hair was bottled nothing like Lila’s natural blonde hair.

“Your friend is staring" Mike thought he heard the girl complain to Luke but couldn’t be too sure. It was too loud to be certain if he heard right. Luke turned around and faced him. “Mike this is Talia, Lia meet my best friend Luke”

Talia smiled though forced and clung to Luke's side even more. Clicking his tongue Mike went back to drowning his sorrow in tequila ignoring the couple on his left. He saw in his peripheral view as Luke dragged Lia to the dance floor. He continued drinking shot after shot until he himself lost count of how many he'd taken. He was starting to see double and decided to look for his friend.

He turned too fast and almost went pummeling to the floor on his ass.

Mike’s POV

My head was spinning. Lifting myself off the floor I ventured on to the dance floor to look for Luke. Hey that rhymes.

My eyes wandered all over the dance floor but didn’t find him. I swear he was here just minutes ago. Where could he have gone.

A flashing neon light with the words VIP caught my eyes. Like had to be there. He probably took the girl in there to eat her face. Stumbling I went forward.

The door was unlocked so I just entered. I took the steps which led me to a long hallway. This place was too quiet but I still persisted forward. I opened the first door which turned out to be a bedroom. A shrieking voice made me turn to see a girl, no two girls kissing. I shut the door and moved on to the next one.

What I saw in there just proved my theory more. Luke was behind one of these doors.

The second door was empty so was the third. I was close to giving up when the last door in the hallway opened and a guy called me in. Thinking he was one was Luke’s many friends I followed behind in.

The room was dark. There was a table in the middle where couches were placed around it. “Come on sit besides me” the guy from before said scooting over and creating space for me to sit.

“Wanna hit”

I turned around to see a guy around my age. He was pointing to the table where white powder was arranged in lines. It didn’t take a genius to discover what that was, cocaine. I turned away and ignored him. “what you think you’re better than us pretty boy” the guy taunted.

Everyone turned to look at me expectedly. Maybe it was the influence of alcohol or it could have been pure curiosity but I found myself saying “Fuck it. Let me give it a try”

A guy named Jason took me through the steps on how to snort the white powder. Apparently not every Tom dick and Harry could do it.

I learned down on the table next to the singular line pinched the one side of my nostrils and inhaled deeply as he’d demonstrated. I coughed as the white powder entered my nose. Tears springing into my eyes at the invasion.

My head started to feel light instantly as the drug too course. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I didn’t feel sad like I did all the time. This was a miracle.

I started laughing hard. It felt good. Like for the first time in a long time I was living not just surviving. “What the fuck is that” I asked no one in particular after my series of laughter.

The room erupted in laughter too. But they weren’t laughing at me they were laughing with me. I felt like this is where I belong. No one was judging each other for laughing too hard or snorting. This was life.

“That my friend is what I call the happy white. But mostly its called cocaine. Now get up let’s dance”

I laughed again. It was funny but I just felt so care free. I joined in on the dancing and having fun.

Two hours later I started to feel disoriented. I suddenly felt down and my anxiety came back in rolls. Now I was regretting it. It seems that’s all I do these days just do stuff without thinking.

I dragged myself away from the passed out bodies and left the room. Just as I was about to reach the steps to the main part of the club someone caught my hand

“Where the fuck have you been man” Luke asked frantic. I shook my arm from his hand and continued forward. It was getting too hard to breathe I just needed to get some air. I ran out Luke hot on my trail.

“Mike what happened in there. What did you do” he was suspicious of. He had every right to. He had left me at the bar then I was gone only for him to find me hours later on the verge of a panic attack. That raised all the red flags.

“I’m fine man. I was just looking for you. Let’s go home. I’m tired”

That wasn’t a lie. I really did feel tired. It was getting too hard standing upright. I just wanted to get some shut eyes.

Luke frowned obviously not believing me. I was a bad liar anyways.

“You’re lying to me mate” he seemed offended but really at this moment I didn’t care. My head was pounding. I kept running my hand though my hair as he was scrutinizing me.

“If you’re done judging we should leave.

Like I said I’m tired. And don’t act like you haven’t been lying to me this entire week”

Luke shrugged with indifferent but led the way to the car anyways. “I thought I’d already apologized for that”

“Just stop questioning me as if I’m a child Luke”

The ride back to the apartment was quiet. I’m not even sure if Luke was sober enough to drive but between the two of us he had the least chances to crash the car.

All the silence was just making me nervous. I need a destruction. Plus I was starting to feel guilty for how I’d talked to Luke when he was trying to look out for me as always. The stress of taking drugs was weighing on me.

Statistically since I’d only snorted it once I was not in any danger of going through withdrawals. The first ten minutes after the drug wore off was all I’d feel of it and if I didn’t take it again I was safe. This was at least good news. I knew I was never going into that club again so the chances of seeing Jason and the others were slim. Plus I had no intention of ever taking it again. Sure the euphoria of the drug was exciting but the aftermath wasn’t worth it. I just had to stick to alcohol. Drugs have the worse case scenarios. A hours of ecstasy were not worth the risk.

I cast my eyes over to Luke who was too concentrated on driving.

“You know I really was looking for you up there. But the other rooms were empty and the only one with people had two girls kissing.” A lie two rooms had people but Luke didn’t need to know that. I didn’t want to worry him with it. It was over and never happening again.

Luke smirked and I immediately realized my mistake “You slept with two girls at the same time' I know I was probably gasping right now but really it should not have come as a surprise

“Well you know what they say, two birds one stone”

“You’re a pig Luke whatever happened to Talia”

“Yeah and you’re starting to sound like Lila. Didn’t I tell you she has a sister”

“Just drive I don’teven want to hear it.”

I don’t think I will ever be able to understand women. How can you share a man with like and one that was a player like Luke.

We got home in twice the time it took to get to the club. As reckless as Luke was he never risked speeding. He had once told me that if he ever were to hit someone he’d probably kill himself. I guess Michelle accident didn’t just affect me, I just showed it. Luke knew how to hide his grief and he did it well. If you saw him you’d think he wasn’t affected at all, that he didn’t care. But the way he always made sure I was okay taking the extra precautions to guarantee my safety meant a lot.

Most people wondered why I was even friends with him but they didn’t know Luke like I do. They just saw what he wanted them to see. He portrayed himself as this uncaring asshole to the world when he was anything but. Sure he used girls for sex but he always made sure they knew what they were getting themselves into.

Maybe that was his way of dealing with the grief. Pretending as if it wasn’t there and just living life to the fullest. Some days I just wished I wasn’t so sensitive that I could also shut off my feelings of despair. But I was yet to feel that bliss. Yes the drugs did make feel bliss but they made me forget as well. I didn’t want to forget her that was the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to get rid of the guilt not her every memory.

Sleep came over that night and the next thing I know I was waking up to Luke literally jumping on me.

“Get away from me Luke I want to sleep”

“No sleep is for the weak and we need shop for groceries”

Luke left me to take shower. The spray from the cold water helped wake me up. I hadn’t had a sleep like that in a long time. I quickly showered and washed my hair then got out. I really need a haircut. My hair was so long it was not reaching my eyes. Mom usually took me to the barber every two weeks because my hair grew at a fast rate.

If I was a girl I’m sure people would be jealous of me but no one wanted to see a guy with long scruffy hair, I’d probably look like a werewolf. Luke had once jokes at me about straightening it and having a pony tail. But like I said it was a joke. Mom would never allow that. Also I don’t think I would look good with a pony tail no offense to the guys who do have them.