Page 49 of Maid in America

“Sssssssherri! Please. For God’s ssssake,” she cackled, ready to piss her pants with laughter, “Call me Sherri. And no…” She laughed so hard she wheezed. “I haven’t… had anything.”

Her laughter grew so intense she was no longer even making any noise beyond a quiet hiss. Her face grew red.

Chastity pulled Barrett to the side a few feet. “She’s high,” she said confidently.

“On what?” Barrett felt out of his element, unsure what to do.

“Fuck, if I had to wager a guess, I’d say ketamine or weed. Even LSD, maybe.”

“Ketamine?!” Sherri laughed, having overheard their not-so-subtle conversation. “How the hell…” She laughed again, smacking the wall with her forearm and doubling over.

Chastity pointed to the pool table. “There was a guy hanging out down here who offered me some when I got here. I turned him down. I played around with party drugs in college. I don’t really mess with that stuff anymore.”

“Fuck. Ketamine?” Barrett muttered. “What do I do? Do I call an ambulance?”

“No,” both women said in unison.

Sherri jovially added, “I don’t… need this… kind of thing in the papers.”

“She’ll probably be fine.” Chastity addressed Barrett. “When I tried it, it made me feel really happy, real euphoric.Manic, even.” The word felt rotten on her tongue. “Then, later, it made me drowsy, and the next day, my roommate said I had been slurring a bit.”

“So, she should be okay?” Barrett ran his hands through his hair.

“Yeah, I mean, it depends on how much she took. If it was just a little, her high will be really short. If she took alot…”

“Jesus Christ. How could this have happened?” Barrett looked around.

“If she didn’t take it willingly, she could have gotten dosed.”

Barrett suddenly recalled the image of Sherri earlier in the evening, washing down the stuck ibuprofen tablets with the unknown contents of a solo cup seated on the edge of the pool table. All of the pieces clicked into place.

Barrett rushed over to the cup, lifted it, and pointed at it. “It was this. She only took a sip. I watched her. She had a headache, and I gave her some ibuprofen, and they got hung up in her throat.”

“Oh, if it was just a sip, Sherri, you’re gonna be fine. You just gotta ride it out, Honey, okay?”

Sherri giggled. “Myheadacheis gone, at least.”

Chastity laughed. “Yeah, I’ll bet nothin’ hurts right now, does it?”

Sherri shook her head. “Noooooope!”

Chastity shrugged. “That’s whyItook it. People told me it would make me feel happy and relax me a bit.” She smoothed Sherri’s hair softly, nurturing the woman. “I got just the thing for you. I saw you got that big ol’ TV in your room.” She took Sherri by the hand.

“Yeah?” Mrs. Nussbaum snickered, trying not to crack up again as she clutched Chastity’s arm.

“You got streaming channels on that baby?”

“Yeah.” Sherri snorted, face magenta from all the laughter.

“Let’s get you nestled in where you’re nice and safe and turn on someSummer Love. You ever seen it?”

“The reality show? God, no.” Sherri shook her head and laughed as if the question was absolutely ridiculous. “My son watches all that garbage. I don’t watch much TV.”

“Oh, Sherri, trust me on this, you’re gonnahatethat youloveit.”

“That’s agreatidea.” Barrett smiled, surprised by the new, caring side of Chastity he’d never seen before. “The two of you, go watch some trash TV. I’ll finish up here and pop in to check on you when I’m finished.”

“Okayyyyyyy,” Sherri sang, pressing against the wall for stability. Chastity tugged her away just in time for Sherri to miss a large, expensive-looking painting with her grabby hands.

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