Page 106 of Things I Wish I Said
$400
I scoffout loud at the sum.
ME:
You’re fucking joking. That’s nearly double.
DUSTIN:
Feel free to go elsewhere.
I snort. Dustin knows damn well he’s the only dealer in town, he made sure of that, and the last thing I’m going to do is wander aimlessly in the city for a little ganja.
ME:
Fine.
DUSTIN:
Meet me at Ernie’s in five.
Chapter twenty-three
GRAYSON
I sit in adarkened corner of Ernie’s, a seedy bar on the edge of town, with Dustin’s crew. A scarred oak table is in front of me, holding half a dozen drinks, including a fifth of vodka, while alternative rock plays in the background.
Thanks to their willingness to serve minors, the fact that I’m slumping in the booth completely shitfaced doesn’t faze anyone. Neither does the blunt I bring to my lips as I take a drag.
Some of Dustin’s best customers frequent this bar, so it’s no surprise he seems to have some kind of backdoor agreement with the owner. Hell, Dustin probably gives him a cut for looking the other way when he deals. He could slit my throat and dispose of me in the dumpster out back and management wouldn’t bat an eye.
I inhale, glancing at his harsh features through the haze of smoke.
I’ve lost count of how long I’ve been sitting here getting high, but it’s been long enough to fuck me up.
I feel different than usual.
Euphoric.
Nothing matters, and all is good in the world.
It’s exactly what I wanted.
I smile, my fingers numb as I stare down at the blunt between them, then frown. “You put something in this shit, didn’t you?” I ask, slurring my words.
Dustin laughs, the glow of the pendant light above him bouncing off his buzz cut. “What you don’t know won’t kill you, De Leon.”
I should be scared, but the prickle of fear doesn’t come. Even my anger is muted.
“What did you put in here?” I ask again.
My voice doesn’t sound right, like each word is traveling through mud, and I’m miles away.
Fuck it. I press the blunt to my lips and inhale again.
If I feel like this, who the hell cares?
The world goes hazy around me. My breathing slows and my head falls back against the vinyl seat.
