Part VII: The Next 7 Months

The next seven months for seven characters.

Part VII: The Next Seven Months

Month 1

Sydd

“Do you know why you’re in here?” Leon asks Sydd.

“Yeah…”

“You need to learn how to control yourself. Control the demon that controls you.” He walks away.

“If only it were that easy.” Sydd says to himself. A guard comes up to Sydd’s cell.

“You have a visitor.” He says. He’s taken to the visitor’s center and sits in front of his guest.

“Do I know you?” he asks the woman sitting in front of him.

“You don’t recognize me, do you Sydd?” The plump woman, with dark skin and long, dark brown hair says.

“Marissa?”

“Good, so the drugs didn’t kill all your brain cells. So you’re in jail…again.”

“Yeah…”

“What the f**k is wrong with you, Sydd?”

“I don’t- I don’t know…”

“Didn’t being in state prison change you?”

“Yes, yes it did, I’m not a drug addict anymore.”

“Then why are you in jail again?”

“Because I can’t- I can’t control myself.”

“Are you taking your medicine?”

“YES!”

“Are you lying to me?”

“No, I swear!”

“Then why are you still having attacks?”

“I don’t know why you suddenly care, it’s been ten years and you haven’t talked to me, or contacted me or anything!”

“What’s your excuse?”

“Why do you suddenly care?”

“I’ve always cared, it’s you who stopped caring.”

“I’m sorry. I guess we just kind of, grew apart.”

“No, you fell into Rob’s world and that’s all you cared about.”

“I’m sorry, I loved the feeling, I could forget about everything.”

“You still didn’t answer my question.”

“Look, I don’t know, something about the way that guy was hurting her… I snapped.”

“What are you talking about, you broke into their hou-“

“NO! I was invited; I thought they were dropping the breaking and entering charge.”

“Regardless, you’re back in jail, so…”

“Yeah, cause I really wanted to end up back here.”

“Look, I’m sorry; I just go by the evidence in front of me.”

“Can’t you ever believe me for once?”

“But I do believe you-“

“No you don’t, I see the doubt in your eyes.”

“Pfft. Whatever.” She turns her head.

“Look at me Marissa.”  She looks at him, but not in the eyes.

“See, I knew it, you don’t believe me.”

“I’m sorry but you’ve lied more times than you’ve told the truth in the past thirteen years.”

“How do you know? You weren’t around for ten of them.” The guard comes by.

“Time’s up.” He says.

“Visit me again?”

“Maybe.”

Leon & Gabriella

“Do you know why you’re in here?” Leon asks Sydd.

“Yeah…”

“You need to learn how to control yourself. Control the demon that controls you.” He walks away. He goes back to the station. “Ok, he’s in, what’s he looking at?”

“Six months, he got off lucky.”

“Well, I’m gonna enjoy my last week of vacation.”

“Yeah, go, have fun with that.” Leon leaves and goes home to Gabriella.

“Hey babe.”

“What’s up? “She asks.

“I’m having doubts about my job.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“It’s not what I expected at all, it’s way too stressful for me.”

“I thought that’s why you took this vacation.”

“I know, and I still don’t feel better.”

“So what are you thinking?”

“I dunno, I’ll go back and see if maybe it’s all in my head or something.”

“You’re not gonna quit?”

“Not yet, maybe I’ll be able to relax a little and it won’t be so bad.”

“So why bring anything up?”

“I just- I’m unsure, do I want to or not. Every time I arrest a drug addict, I’m reminded of my brother and how I know it’s not totally his fault, and maybe it’s not theirs either.”

“Ah, so what are you expecting to go back to?”

“Going back to arresting kids, drug addicts, dui, speeders, or just sitting in the car all day.”

“Kids?”

“Yeah, one time I caught a couple vandalizing a parked car, and then they tried stealing it, but that’s when I caught them. They were like, 16, I thought they’d be scared and surrender, but instead they mouthed off to me, flipped me off, and started running. I chased after them, and there was a fat kid and a skinny kid. I ended up tripping the skinny kid and the fat kid fell on top of him and that’s when they gave up. I called for backup and did the cop thing.”

“Woow, what was the worst thing that ever happened while you were on patrol?”

“You really wanna know? It’s pretty bad.”

“Ooh! What?”

“The donut shop burned down.”

“That’s a joke.”

“It really isn’t. They held a memorial service and everything.”

“That’s a joke too.” Leon gets up, goes to a drawer with an envelope of newspaper clippings and takes one out and hands it to her.

“Is it still a joke?”

“Wow, that’s hilarious.”                                  

 

Frank & Laura

“Hey, hey Jarod!” Frank says as he opens the door to a skinny guy with long, brown hair and goatee.

“Hey man.” Jarod says. He walks into the house and sits on the couch. “Ok, so to celebrate the joining of two forces, I brought lucy to celebrate.” He puts on a grin and holds up a bag of sheets of LSD pulled from his pocket.

“Come on in, my friend.” Jarod walks into the house with a couple of bags of clothes and other things. He sits down and Frank passes the bong.

“Before or after?”

“After the bong. Here, hit this.” Jarod takes it, hits it, and passes it to Laura. They finish smoking and take a half sheet each. Frank is the first to feel it. “Woahhh!” He looks over at the dog. “Hey Spike.”

“Hey Frank” the dog answers back.

“What? You answered me?”

“Sure, after all, it was thanks to you I got this banana.” He picks up an orange and peels it like a banana and throws it at the wall.

“Why’d you do that for?”

“Because of this.” And he explodes on the spot, leaving a patch of roses growing out of a bush. He turns to Laura and sees a lizard there.

“Did you just see that?”

“Seventeen times already, I’m sick of seeing it.”, Laura says. After Laura takes it, she looks at the couch opposite the room. It’s a hammerhead shark eating the dog. After it finishes eating it, it swims over to the table which is now a monkey and it resets back to the shark eating the dog, finishing the dog, and starting on the monkey over and over and over. The gorilla next to her asks if she just saw what she thought she just saw, though he saw something different. She turns to the can of spaghetti next to her and it shoots light bulbs out of the top and when they smash on the ceiling, candy falls. She attempts to pick up the can, but it’s too heavy.

“Hey, what are you doing?” It asks. Jarod takes his and looks at the wall. It moves to the music they are listening to, and then shatters like glass when the song ends. He hears Frank talking to somebody and looks over and sees a bicycle and dog next to him, and the dog is talking to a cat. He takes out a cigarette, which looks fatter and longer than normal, takes out his lighter that is a fire breathing pocket dragon, lights and starts smoking. He breathes the smoke straight up in the air, and it comes out in multicolor and he stares at it. He feels someone grabbing his arm.

In reality, all three take it, Frank starts talking to the dog, Laura watches the couch, and Jarod stares at the wall. The dog didn’t stay for the whole supposed conversation, instead walking over to the corner, lying down and starts licking himself. After Frank asks Laura if she saw that, she tells him she saw it seventeen times already. Jarod lights a cigarette and starts smoking. Laura grabs Jarod’s arm thinking it was a can. A few hours later, long after they’ve all come down, there’s a knock on the door, and Frank answers it.

“Yo, Brian, wassup?”

“Yo dude, I got your shipment, you got the dough?”

“Yeah, come on in.” So, Frank finds and hands over the money and Brian hands over the two ounces of pot. “Thanks man.”

“No problem, if you need anything else, just lemme know.”

“Whaddya mean?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Think about it, and when you come up with anything you wanna sample, just tell me and I’ll hook you up.”

“Nah, man. Weed’s good for me…and pills…maybe some psychs here and there, but none of that rock or powder s**t.”

“Hey man, don’t knock it till ya try it.”

“Just get out.”

“Your curiosity will hit sooner or later. It always does.” He says to himself.

Brian & Charlotte

Charlotte opens the door after coming home from her second job. She walks up to Brian, who is sitting in a t-shirt and boxer briefs on the couch watching TV, and gives him a kiss. “Hey, where are the kids?”

“In their room playing.”

“For how long?”

“All day, I suppose, they haven’t left their room except to pee.”

“Did you feed them anything?”

“Like what?”

“So they didn’t eat either?”

“They never said they were hungry.”

“Did you at least make dinner?”

“Nah, I figured you were better at it, besides, I don’t know what to make.”

“Did you at least change Darryl?”

“I don’t know how.”

“What the f**k?” She picks up the remote out of his hand and throws it out the open window. “Go get it if you want it so bad.” He leaves the house to get the remote and she shuts and locks the door and closes the window.

“Hey, hey! Lemme back in!” As he’s knocking on the door, Charlotte walks down the hallway to check on the kids and Jason is playing while Darryl is asleep on the floor with an overloaded diaper that’s been smeared on the walls and such around the room. The room smells tremendously bad.

“Hi mommy!” Jason, her older son says.

“Come on, Jason. Wake up your brother and I’ll give you guys a bath. And if you’re really really good during bathtime, we’ll go out for pizza!”

“I love pizza!”

“Well come on! Let’s go!” Jason does as he’s told and Charlotte goes back downstairs. She lets Brian in.

“What was that for?”

“Not being a parent. From now on I’m going to be calling the house every hour while I’m at work to check up on you. I’m going to change and shower too. Oh, and we need to have a serious talk tonight. While me and the boys are out at dinner, I need you to clean their room. I expect it sparkling when I come back.”

Later that night, after the kids are in bed, Charlotte and Brian get ready for bed. “What’s so important that we need to talk about?”

“Working two jobs is draining me out. I’m exhausted every day, and when I have a day off from one, I still have to work the other, and you’re not helping at all. You don’t do s**t all day and let the kids do what they want. I need to quit a job and you need to find one, this way we can rotate who watches the kids, and I’ll know for sure they’re taken care of.”

“Babe, you know I’m no good at finding jobs, remember when I applied to be a meat cutter and they said no? You’re better at having jobs than me.”

“No, that bullshit won’t work. You’re going to search your a*s off for a job and you’re going to find one. You’re going to keep it and bring money into this house.” The next morning, Charlotte goes to work. Brian picks up the phone and dials.

“Hello. Yeah, it’s Brian. No, no, Zakk died, but I need back in. Everybody?? No way, they caught everybody? Do you know where I can get party packs then? Oh, good, good, ok, can he deliver? Awesome. Bye.” A few hours later, a shady guy knocks on the door.

“Lemme in.” Brian answers the door. The guy walks in, carrying a suitcase.

“Alright, so what do we have?”

“Depends, you got the dough?”

“It’s still 5,000, right?”

“No, it’s up to 7,000 now.”

“Holy damn.” He walks back into his room, opens up a lockbox and takes another two grand out.  He walks back downstairs and hands him the money. “So what do we got?” The guy opens up the case.

“Alright, you got your speed, various assortment of pills, dust, meth, heroin, weed, coke, crack, you know, the usual.”

“Alright, cool.” He spends the day selling drug after drug to people until an hour before Charlotte is due home. He stuffs the weed in his dresser drawer and hides all of the hard drugs in his lockbox along with the rest of his share of the money he made with Zakk. He hides the suitcase among the various things in the basement, makes the kids lunch and waits for Charlotte to get home. When she finally comes home, she approaches Brian immediately.

“Where are the kids?”

“In their room playing with action figures.”

“Did you give them lunch?”

“Yeah, I made them sandwiches.”

“How’s the job hunt?”

“I found one already.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. I’m back to selling weed.”

“Are you f*****g serious?”

“Yeah, look at all this money I made so far.” He holds up seven hundred dollars in twenty dollar bills.

“Holy s**t! Um, I only have a half hour before I start my second job; I came home for something to eat. Um, know what? If it makes us money, I guess I can’t complain. But if it’s just weed.”

“Just weed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, if you could hang out for ten minutes, I have to drop some off at Frank’s. It’s right down the street, so…”

“Then hurry up.”

 

Month 2

Sydd

“Hey! You came back!”

“Yes, I did. I figured you made coherent sense last time, let’s see what else you have to say.”

“Well, I don’t know… do you still hang out with Kelly?”

“No, after high school she just basically went off and did her own thing. She was too much up her own a*s to deal with anybody, so f**k her. Are you still friends with Rob?”

“No, I’ve decided to disassociate myself from him since leaving. He’s in solitary anyway.”

“Not surprised. So you finally killed someone? I told you.”

“Look, I still feel bad about it, I don’t remember it happening. I do remember waking up, seeing myself covered in blood and pieces of her. The mangled body in and out of the truck’s grill, the truck stopped, the shocked look on the driver’s face, realizing what I had done, running into the house and doing every drug I could until I passed out. I woke up disoriented in the hospital to my brother in full uniform next to my bed. I had forgotten what happened until he refreshed my memory. I’m still glad my brother took my request to see her grave before I was put away. It was also the first thing I did when I got out. But as I look back, I can see why she did it, I was a piece of s**t. But then I find out she was dating Brian, Zakk’s old associate, those guys were good at what they did. They never told me why they separated, but looks like Zakk got his wish. So I wonder if maybe I didn’t care who I was with, because I just didn’t care.”

“Wow, that’s pretty rough, I had no idea.”

“How about you? Maybe one day we’ll fulfill that promise.” He laughs.

“I’m married, Sydd. I’ve been for a few years now.”

“I-what?”

“Yeah, isn’t it crazy what you miss when you live life in a haze?”

“To who?”

“Oh, you don’t know him, but you’ll get to meet him. Maybe.”

“I-ok…”

“So you never told me why you stopped being friends with Rob, instead you went on a tangent about your ex.”

“Oh, s**t, yeah, sorry. So anyway, it turns out he’s way worse than we thought?”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s more than capable of cold blooded murder.”

“You murdered someone too.”

“There’s a difference, he enjoys it and does it intentionally.”

“You make it sound like he’s done it more than once.”

“He’s in solitary for attempted murder of  a fellow inmate.”

“Oh my god!”

“Yeah, it’s bad enough I’ve got this hanging over my head, I don’t need him dragging me down further.”

“You’re absolutely right. It’s about time you listened to me.”

“I’m sorry, ‘Rissa.”

“Apology accepted.”

“Time’s up ladies.” The guard says.

“Oh, s**t, well um, visit me again?”

“Yes, definitely, I just don’t know when.”

“Ok, see ya later then.”

“Bye.”

Leon & Gabriella

“Xero, how are you feeling?”

“I’m mighty fine today cap, why?”

“How would you like to move to homicide, there’s an opening.”

“Yeah, sure.”

     “Oh good, I’ll be right back.” He leaves and comes back a few minutes later with a short, bald, skinny guy with thick glasses. “Alright, I want you to meet your partner. This is Luxor Alpha, Luxor, this is Leon Xero.”

“Oh, hey, hello, pleasure to meet you my friend, I researched you when your boss told me he was going to find me a new partner and I must say your physical performances during your training were outstanding, I bet nobody’s escaped from you, heh, heh, which I know is also true, because your arrest record is, well, it’s a lot, then it’s none, then it’s a few. Also, you had trouble when you were undercover in narcotics and had to go to rehab. Hah, hope you don’t start killing people now that you have this job, ha, I kid, but, yes, let’s get started, I’ll fill you in on proper procedure and when we get a case, I’ll call you in.” They head over to the office to get started and on the way, Leon asks:

“Um, how did you know so much about me? How long was this planned?”

“Oh, I did my research in the time it took your boss to tell me he may have found me a new partner to the time he came back to get me.”

“Holy s**t, dude.” Luxor tells Leon about his job and proper procedures and that Leon will have to attend classes.

“Go home and take the rest of the day off, read your handbooks and come in at nine a.m sharp tomorrow, ok?”

“Ok, sure.” He goes home to Gabriella. “Babe, guess what?”

“What? She asks.

“I’m a homicide detective now!”

“You seem kind of excited.”

“Well, it’s something different.”

“Are you sure you can handle dead bodies, torn apart bodies, mangled and rotting and-“

“Stop, gross. When you put it that way, it sounds terrible; but really, dead bodies I can handle, it was because of a dead body I saw when I was ten and the cops investigating it looked really cool, which is why I became a cop in the first place, I’ve come full circle now.”

“That’s pretty messed up.”

“No, no, you misunderstand me, it wasn’t the fact they were investigating a dead body, but because police were allowed in places and do things normal people can’t, and I wanted that kind of freedom, but it’s completely different.”

“Grass isn’t greener?”

“Nope, but now that things are changing, maybe it’ll be for the better.” The next day, Leon wakes up bright and early and heads to work. “Morning Luxor.”

“Salutations my good friend, help me review this case: man walks in to find wife cheating on him with another woman. Asks if he can join in, gets denied, shoots both of them. He claims to not remember a thing that happened. Neighbors claim he should have remembered because between the time that he went into the house and the time the shots were fired was 57 seconds.”

“Does he claim any type of insanity?”

“Amnesia.”

“No, not in that short of time, plus, usually passing out precedes amnesia.” The captain comes inside the room.

“We’ve got a case. One hundred north Green Street. One dead, gunshot wounds.” Leon and Luxor hop in the car and head to the address and when they go inside, they find the scene: a naked woman, bleeding profusely out of her head and genitals, she’s on her hands and knees on a bed, facedown, tied wrists and ankles.

“So what’s going on here?” Luxor asks as he goes inside, but, when Leon walks inside he gets so disgusted that he starts to throw up.

“He’s compromising the crime scene, get him out of here!” So, they push Leon out of the house until he’s done puking.

“Seems a gun rape happened here.” Luxor says.

“What???”

“Yeah, he either used one or two guns to commit this crime, ballistics will tell us.”

“I can’t do this, I-“He runs outside and starts puking again. He doesn’t return to the house, instead, he hops a bus home.

“You’re home early.”

“I quit.”

Frank & Laura

“Hey guys.” Jarod says one day.

“What?” Frank asks.

“Wanna trip again?”

“No, last time I did I kept seeing the same thing over and over again.” Laura says.

“You sure?” He holds up and shakes the baggie.

“Alright.” Frank says.

“Fine.” Laura says. They each take their hit of LSD:

“Whoa.” Frank says. He looks at his surroundings and the different colors of everything start blending together, everything starts to look bigger as he feels like he’s shrinking. He stares straight into the carpet fibers and starts to crawl through the seemingly giant forest of carpet. “Help me, somebody help, I’m stuck in this giant forest!”

“What?” Jarod calls over.

“Get me out of here!” He sees a giant hand in front of his face and he grabs it. He feels himself get bigger as he stands up. “Thanks, I thought I was gonna be lost forever.”

“It’s ok, man, just ride that pony over there and you’ll feel much better.” Frank walks over and sits on the dog, and the dog instantly falls.

“Hey man, it won’t hold my weight.”

“Oh well.” Jarod takes his hit and he looks at Frank and Laura. As Frank thinks he’s shrinking and brings his body down, first squatting, then kneeling, then laying down grabbing the carpet, Jarod sees Frank doing this, but he’s turning into a ball the lower he brings his body. When he starts crawling, the ball starts rolling by itself, he turns to Laura, and she’s dancing with an orange bug eyed alien with four eyes and two teeth sticking out of its nose. He sits on the blue and black spotted mushroom that is the reclining chair and as he gets comfortable, he hears the ball call for help, so he goes and holds out his hand to the slowly rolling ball until it rolls into his hand. It sticks to him and as Frank gets up, he goes from being a ball back to Frank again.

“Thanks, I thought I was gonna be lost forever.”

“It’s ok, man, just ride that pony over there and you’ll feel much better.” He points to a table, and under the table is the dog, which Jarod sees as a little one foot by one foot chair. He sits back on the mushroom and watches Frank try to sit on the tiny chair and it instantly breaks.

“It won’t hold my weight, man.”

“Oh well.”

Laura takes her hit, and looks at Frank. He splits in two and while one shrinks, the other one approaches her. When he gets close to her face, she sees that he has the bone and face structure of a cat, but as a human. “Let us dance this night away and together we can be as one.”

“Okay.” The whole room shatters, leaving a blackness. They start dancing together and every time she knocks into something, she feels a spongy wall. She dances until she collapses. They all wake up in different places scattered around the living room to a knock on the door. Frank and Laura get up off the floor and Frank answers the door.

“Hey man, brought you some more weed.” Brian says, as he hands it over.

“Ugh, um, thanks man, ouch…”

“Remember, if you guys need anything else…”

“I wanna try meth.” Laura says.

“Whoa, we agreed that if we were gonna try anything new, we’d do it together.”

“Will you?”

“Yeah.”

Brian & Charlotte

“Well, I finally quit my second job yesterday. I must say, I can’t say I approve fully approve of what exactly you’re doing, but you’ve made more than both of my jobs combined. Now, help me bring in the groceries.” He gets up and helps her. They go through the rest of the night without incident. The next morning, Charlotte goes to work. He starts texting people, letting them know his hours were cut short and people start coming over.

“Yo dude, I need some crack and some coke, man.” Says a tall, skinny black guy.

“Alright, how much you need?”

“Couple rocks of crack and a gram of coke oughta do me.” He makes his purchase and leaves.

“Damn, I gotta start pushing this meth, man, everyone wants everything else.” He texts Laura and asks her if it’s just him that doesn’t want anything else or if it’s both of them. She says it’s just him and that she would like to try something different. So he asks what about meth, and she says sure. People continuously come over the house, getting their usual and leaving. He looks at the clock and tells people that shop is closed for the day. An hour later, Charlotte comes home.

“Hey babe.” She says.

“Hey.”

“How much did you make today?”

“Five hundred.”

“Oh, that’s good; maybe we can get a better car soon.”

“Yeah, maybe. Listen, I gotta go drop some off at Frank’s if you don’t mind.”

“No, yeah, sure, go ahead.” He leaves and heads over to Frank’s house. Frank answers the door.

“Hey man, brought you some more weed.” Brian says, as he hands it over.

“Ugh, um, thanks man, ouch…”

“Remember, if you guys need anything else…”

“I wanna try meth.” Laura says.

“Whoa, we agreed that if we were gonna try anything new, we’d do it together.”

“Will you?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, here’s your starter kit, for twenty dollars extra.” He hands him two small baggies. Frank hands over the money.

“Will you do it with us?” Frank asks Brian.

“Know what, yeah, sure.” So they break it all up into three lines and they all snort them.

“Wow!” Frank and Laura say together.

“Glad you guys enjoyed it. Lemme know if you guys ever need more.” 

Month 3

Sydd

“You came back and kept your promise!”

“Yeah, I don’t know why you’re so excited to see me.”

“Well, you’re my only connection to the outside right now.”

“You mean no one else visits you?”

“No, they’re too mad at me.”

“Ah, I see.”

“No you don’t.”

“You’re right, anyone new in your life?”

“Excuse me?”

“Yeah, well, something I was wondering, were you able to date anyone after killing your girlfriend?”

“Why do you have to put it like that? That sounds horrible. The answer is not because I can’t, or won’t, it’s just, I’m a little afraid, because you know that girl whose boyfriend I beat up?”

“Oh, you mean, why you’re in here?”

“Yeah, I was trying to get her to leave him for me because I feel I could treat her better, but the conflict inside of me says that I might hurt her again, so I tried to restrain myself the best I could, but I just couldn’t control it.”

“Why would you even try to break up a relationship?”

“Because he beat her.”

“And what if you were to get into an argument with her and ended up freaking out and hitting her, she’d feel like she was back with him again.”

“I know, that was the conflict inside of me, even though I was taking my meds, I still felt uncontrollable anger when I saw what he was doing, my thought was to help, not hurt, and I bet you she won’t even talk to me anymore.”

“Because no matter what the circumstances, you can’t break up someone else’s relationship, that’s something they have to figure out and do together.”

“Yeah I know but I hate seeing people in pain that don’t deserve it.”

“You can’t be a hero, Sydd.”

“And why not?”

“Because you’re not good anymore, now you’re a bad guy.”

“I’m not bad; I just have an uncontrollable dark side.”

“Heroes don’t have dark sides, Sydd.”

“Yes they do!”

“Not like yours.”

“Then I’ll be an antihero.”

“Whatever, you like being in jail so much.”

“What do I do?”

“For what?”

“To stop myself from becoming a monster.”

“I don’t know Sydd; you have to figure that out on your own.”

“But I can’t control it. I’ve tried taking heavy drugs to try to dull myself, and that doesn’t work.”

“Maybe because most of them just aggravated it.”

“So what should I do?”

“I don’t know, I’m not a doctor.”

“Pfft. You’re a lot of help.”

“I’m sorry; I did the best I could.”

“Time’s up.” They hear.

“Visit me again?”

“I don’t know.”

Leon & Gabriella

“So, you’re actually finally done?”

“Yes, I said so already.”

“Ok, ok, so what are you going to do now?”

“Well, I wanna relax a little, and get my bearings back together.”

“Ok, well don’t take too long, I can’t support us forever.” She leaves for work, and Leon is left alone. He calls up Aaron and he comes over.

“Yo dawg, it’s been a minute since I seen you.”

“Yeah, it’s been nuts, but I made the decision, and I’m not a cop anymore.”

“Aw, damn, so you’re out of the pig pen, huh?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t take it anymore, and my first case back I couldn’t handle, it was too much.”

“But you saw a dead body when you were a kid, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but this was really gruesome.”

“How gruesome?”

“Her junk was blown open, there was a gunshot in her head, and she was bleeding all over the place.”

“Oh, gross.”

“Yeah, imagine what it was like to see. The body I saw when I was a kid was already covered.”

“Oh man, that sucks. Hey, since you’re not po po anymore, you wanna smoke a joint?”

“Oh yeah, that would be nice.” So they spark up the joint and smoke. A few minutes later, they’re high.

“So how long- how long are you gonna stay home before you start looking for a job?”

“I was thinking, like, a month at most.”

“Ah, that’s cool. Gabby ok with that?”

“Yeah, she saw the stress I was under and is supporting me.”

“Oh, good s**t. That’s cool, what kind of job were you thinking?”

“I dunno man, I just, I dunno.”

“Maybe I could ask my dad if you could work with us.”

“Maybe, I don’t know, working on cars really isn’t my thing.”

“Well, lemme know, maybe my dad will make an exception for you.”

“Yeah, your dad is pretty cool with me.”

“Well, if you make up your mind, you know how to reach me.”

“Yeah, man, sure.” That night, Gabriella comes home from work.

“So, how was your day?”

“Aaron came over and told me I might be able to work at his dad’s shop, and smoked a j.”

“Sounds like a productive day.”

“Yeah, I might have a new job soon, and it’ll hopefully be better.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I won’t have to worry about arresting people, or my own brother, I can smoke again, and I don’t have to look at dead bodies anymore.”

“You figure it’ll be less stressful?”

“Yeah.”

Frank & Laura

“Yo man, I found a new place, man.” Jarod says to Frank one day.

“Good, we were wondering where Zane was going to go.”

“Oh. Well, glad you guys care. See ya.” He leaves.

“Bye.” A few hours later, there’s a knock on the door. Frank answers it, and there’s a guy with brown hair, beard, gages, and a cap.

“Hey, what’s up Frank?”

“Zane, what’s happening?”

“Oh, you know, the usual, smoking blunts and skateboarding.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“It’s alright. Say, I’ve got a newspaper route, I was wondering if you guys would help me with it, they’re a b***h to handle, and my car’s not big enough to fit them all.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” That night, they go on the newspaper run and end up doing a terrible job.

“Oh, man did that suck!” Zane says. “I’m ready for a blunt.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan.” Frank says. So they roll one up and smoke it, about halfway through, they quit.

“Wow, what the f**k is in this? I’m freakin’ out!”

“It’s meth, dude, chill.”

“Holy s**t! Holy s**t! Holy s**t!”

“What?”

“I’ve never had meth before. Holy s**t!”

“Why are you freaking out?”

“Because I wasn’t expecting to feel like this. Holy s**t!”

“Heh, get used to it, it’s how we smoke all of our blunts.”

“Bongs and bowls too?”

“Nah, just joints and blunts.”

“Holy f**k.” He goes over to the couch and sits down.

“Damn, he can’t take it.”

“What a p***y.” Laura says.

“Shut the f**k up, both of you.” A couple of people stop by in the house getting weed or meth. “You guys are selling meth now?”

“Yeah, man, we buy it and sell it, dude, it brings in more than weed, we’re making a killing!”

“Damn, man.”

“Hey, you wanna finish this blunt with us?”

“Hell no.”

“Your loss.”

“Don’t ever ask me to smoke a joint or blunt with you.”

“Fine. More for us.”

Brian & Charlotte

“C’mon, you buy it, you might as well.” Brian is telling Frank.

“Alright, alright.”

“Yay, now we have our own supply.” Laura says.

“I figured you guys know more people who’ll buy meth. Everyone I sell to wants everything else.”

“Yeah, no, we got this.”

“Ok.” Brian goes back home and Charlotte is sitting in the living room. “Hey babe.”

“Oh, hey, so, a guy named Paul was over here while you were gone, he said he knows it’s late, but he’s itching to get some dust. Now, if you only sell weed, why would he be looking for angel dust?”

“Um-“

“You’re selling other s**t again, aren’t you?”

“I-uh-um-“

“AREN’T YOU??”

“Yes! Yes! Ok, just some extras here and there, but we’re making enough money!”

“Damn it, Brian, are you doing it too?”

“No, no, I swear.”

“How do I know you’re not lying?”

“Because I’d be really fucked up now if I was.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I remember how I was when I was on them; can we just drop this please?”

“I don’t want to see any of those kinds of people in my house. Sell, but don’t let them in.”

“Got it.”

“And don’t you do it either.”

“Ok, ok.” As she goes downstairs, Brian closes the door and snorts a bag of heroin. He closes and locks the lockbox and tears the little bag into tiny pieces and throws it out. He goes downstairs and the rest of the night goes fine and the next morning she leaves for work. He goes upstairs and takes a little bit of angel dust and mixes it with a bag of heroin and snorts it. He walks into the bathroom and flushes the bag. He walks downstairs and turns on the TV. He’s zoned out until he gets his first hit of the day. His customers come and go; he feeds the kids, but mostly stays on the couch. As he’s coming down, one of his customers opens the door, lets himself in, and stands against the door. “Dude, get the f**k out of my house.”

“Hold on.” He peeks out the window, opens the door and leaves.

“F*****g idiot.” Charlotte comes home a little bit later and they go about the night. After dinner, Brian disappears from the table.

“Jason?” Charlotte says.

“Yes mommy?” Jason says.

“Where did daddy go?”

“Upstairs, I think.” Charlotte goes upstairs and walks into her room and catches Brian mid snort.

“What the f**k, Brian? You lied to me!”

“Babe I-“

“You better cut that s**t out.”

“I-“

“Now! And no more selling it, you obviously can’t handle it without doing it.”

“I-ok.”

“Good. Now, get rid of it, where is it?”

“That was the last of it, that’s kind of why I did it.”

“F**k, Brian!”

“I’m sorry ba-“

“No, don’t; don’t even talk to me right now.”

Month 4

Sydd

“Here ya go, Xero. Enjoy your new big, beefy new cellmate.” The guard says as he throws a muscular guy with long hair inside of the cell.

“Samson?”

“Sydd, well, look at this, of all the possible cellmates I get the crazy murderer.”

“Well, that’s a bit harsh; you know nothing of what really happened.”

“I knew you’d end up killing someone someday, I thought I was going to be the first one.”

“Look, I’m real sorry about that, honestly, I don’t like to hurt people because when I get like that, I can’t control myself.”

“Because you’re crazy, you always have been.”

“Alright, alright, fine, you want me to say it? I’m crazy! Loco! Insane! I know I’m not perfect, nobody is, not even you.”

“I’ve always been perfect, I’m in perfect shape, I have nothing wrong with me, graduated with honors and football scholarship, went specifically for football so I took general studies, and then I got screened during national football tryouts, cause they didn’t want me otherwise I would have made it, so I decided on joining the Marines. I ended up getting shipped to Iraq and I got to see some action.”

“So what are you doing in jail?”

“Shut up.”

“No.”

“Shut up or I’ll kick your a*s like I did in high school.” He puts up his fists.

“Bring it, if you feel like dealing with my full on rage again.” Samson looks at Sydd for a few seconds, and then lowers his hands.

“You’re lucky you’re so psychotic.”

“Yeah, sure, I don’t see why you have to make fun of me over it.”

“Because I can.”

“That’s not a reason.”

“I don’t see why you have to get all uppity about it.”

“Because there’s no reason for it! I don’t call you a douchebag even though you’re like, the biggest one I’ve ever met.”

“F**k you.”

“Damn man, will you ever grow the f**k up?”

“Like you should be talking.”

“Know what? To prove it, I’m just going to say this: you’re in here for a f*****g reason.”

Leon & Gabriella

“So, when’s this vacation going to end?”

“Soon, why?”

“Because you need a job.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I know.”

“Why don’t you talk to Aaron’s dad? Isn’t that what you were gonna do?”

“…yeah…”

“When are you going to do that?”

“I don’t know, just gimme a little more time.”

“How much time?”

“I don’t know. I’ll let you know.”

“Well, don’t wait too long.”

“Ok, I get it.” The next day, he walks over to Aaron’s dad’s garage. “Yo Aaron.”

“Yo, what’s up, dude?” Aaron asks.

“I’m here to talk to your dad.”

“Oh, yeah, hold on.” He leaves and comes back with his dad.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Hello Leon, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen you.” Aaron’s dad says.

“Yeah, working the beat took a lot of my time.”

“Still protecting and serving?”

“No, I quit the force.”

“Oh, really? Wow, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Nah, it’s all right, I couldn’t do it anymore.”

“Oh, ok, so what’s up?”

“Oh, well, the reason I came here was to ask you if I could get a job helping you guys out.”

“Ooh, sorry there Leon, I can’t afford to hire anyone else, it’s just been me and Aaron, and we don’t get too much business. Maybe once the weather gets colder and people’s cars start to break down we could use you, but not right now, sorry.”

“Oh… well, ok then.” He goes back to the house and plops himself on the couch.

“So how’d it go?”

“I can’t get a job because he won’t be able to hire me until it gets colder.”

“Well, don’t give up, I’m sure there’s lots of jobs out there, you just gotta find one.”

“Ok, thanks Gabby, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Well, what do you mean?”

“I’m just saying, you’re great to have around.”

“Oh, thanks.”

“Yeah, no problem. I love you.” She smiles at him.

“I’ll make you a sandwich to help you feel better.”

“Aw, thanks babe.”

“Sure, no problem.”

“You’re the greatest.”

Frank & Laura

“Holy s**t babe, how long has it been?” Laura asks Frank.

“Twenty six days.”

“Wow, we’ve been awake for twenty six days.”

“We go through this every day.”

“Whaa-? No we don’t.” Zane comes downstairs.

“Dude, I need some weed.”

“We don’t have any.”

“How, I just needed a couple grams! You sold a whole half already?”

“No… we sold a quarter and smoked a quarter.”

“In two days?”

“Yeah, the meth makes us jittery, but the weed slows it down.”

“So stop doing the meth.”

“Nah, I would rather die than give it up.” Laura says. Frank turns to her,

“Seriously, you wouldn’t quit?”

“No way in hell, this is too much fun!”

“Yeah but withdrawal is hell.”

“I don’t care; I’ll go through the pain.”

“Seriously?”

“F**k yeah, I love it!”

“I dunno, I’m getting kinda sick of it already.”

“You need some more, that’s what you need.” She breaks out two lines and does one.  She passes the broken straw over to Frank and he does the other line. “There, you feel better?”

“A lot better.”

“See, I told you.”

“Thanks for nothing, a******s!” Zane says. He goes back upstairs and slams the door.

“What’s his f*****g problem?” Laura asks.

“I dunno, something about he thought we smoked all his weed or something.”

“Oh, ok, I get it.”

“So, anyway, about quitting…”

“You’re still on this? No!”

“But we could save money and still sell it.”

“But I like doing it.”

“Me too, but, seriously, we have to stop.”

“If only there was a way we could do it and sell it and still make a profit.”

“Wow! Why didn’t I think of it before when he first asked us to sell?!”

“What? What? Tell me!”

“We make it ourselves.”

“What? How?”

“I dunno, I just know that its common stuff.”

“We need to find someone who knows how to make it.”

“I already do, he offered to teach me once, but I was all like, nah, maybe later.”

“Well, looks like later has finally arrived.”

“Well, actually we’ll wait, we’ll study the next few weeks and see who buys and how much and how often, then, we’ll know how much to make for a day and make a batch for ourselves.”

“Yeah, cool.”

“I’ll give him a call when we’re ready.”

“Sounds good.”

Brian & Charlotte

“Ok, so I just got back- Brian, are you listening to me?” She waves her hand in front of his face as he’s staring at the TV.

“What?”

“I said, I just got back from the store, could you help bring in the groceries?”

“Sure.” She goes upstairs and changes out of her work clothes and takes a shower. “Jason!” He calls. His son runs down the stairs.

“What?”

“Bring in the groceries.”

“Ok.” Jason goes and gets all the light bags and leaves everything else in the car.

“Is that everything?”

“Yup.” About a half an hour later, Charlotte comes downstairs.

“Groceries are in and put away, right?”

“Yup.” Brian says. Charlotte walks to the kitchen to see only the few bags that Jason brought in.

“Honey?”

“Yeah…”

“Where’s the rest of the bags?”

“Should be in there.”

“Nope.” She puts her shoes on, leaves and checks the car.

“BRIAN!!!” He bolts out of his seat on the couch and rushes outside.

“What?”

“Do you mind telling me why there’s a gallon of milk, case of soda, a whole chicken, and other random items sitting in a car in seventy degree weather?”

“Damn it, Jason told me everything was in.”

“You told Jason to bring in the groceries?”

“Yeah, I figured he could handle it.”

“Damn it, Brian, he’s five!”

“Still-“

“Still nothing, I told YOU to do it.” She points at him.

“But-“She holds up her hand to his face and reaches into the back seat of the car. She brings everything inside with Brian trying to help. They finish and Charlotte closes the door.

“You’re on drugs again, aren’t you?”

“What? No, not- not me.”

“And you’re still selling the hard stuff, aren’t you?”

“No, of course not.” Just then, there’s a knock on the door and Brian answers it, cracking the door only a little, to a skinny white guy in a dirty flannel and ripped jeans.

“Yo dude, sorry I know it’s late, could I get some horse off you?” He whispers.

“Now is not a good time.”

“Please man? I’ll sell you this CD player. He pulls out a portable CD player with headphones.

“No, get out of here.” Brian whispers back. He closes the door.

“Who was that?” Charlotte asks.

“Just someone looking for weed.”

“You can find weed anywhere, it looked like he was practically begging, and you’d have to sell something special to get that kind of attention.”

“Ok, alright, fine.”

“Fine, what?”

“I sell heroin too.”

“Oh, that’s what he wanted? Heroin? Lemme guess, crystal meth, angel dust, crack, and cocaine… all stuff you’ve been selling?”

“How- how did you-“

“You’ve left your lockbox open more than once, I was just seeing if you were man enough to admit you were lying when I caught you. And you continue to lie, so guess what? I’m taking the kids and we’re going to my dad’s house.”

“What the fu- seriously?”

“You brought it upon yourself.”

Month 5

Sydd

“So, you get out soon, don’tcha Sydd?” Samson asks.

“Yeah, I get out at the end of next month.”

“Lucky you, I’ve got four more months.”

“What are you in for? Last time I asked, you said you were gonna hit me, but, you’d just be extending your sentence or dying, so it’s better you tell me.”

“Know what, I thought about it, and the reason I’m in here was because I became something I’m not.”

“Thought about what?”

“I know how it feels.” He looks at Sydd in the eyes with tears in them.

“So what happened?”

“Well, me and my buddy were drinking one night, and I got really, really hammered. “I just remember we left the bar, got in the car and drove for a bit, ended up on the highway, and something was said, I can’t really remember, all I remember  is waking up in the drunk tank. They told me I had smashed my friends’ face off the steering wheel and we crashed into a guardrail. The cop on duty patrolling the highway came over to check on us to make sure we were ok, and my friend was unconscious in the driver’s seat and I apparently jumped out of the passengers’ seat when I saw the cop and immediately started wailing on him.  He called for backup and it took three cops to subdue me, they could tell I was drunk, they tasered me and threw me in. I got charged with three counts of assault on a police officer and reckless endangerment. I have to serve six months in county jail and serve another six on probation, and I have to attend alcoholics’ meetings.”

“Wow, that’s just-“

“Ironic? Yeah, I know.”

“You-“

“I know how it feels now, Sydd, to become something you’re not and cause harm you don’t want to, I don’t see why anybody would want that.”

“It’s alright.”

“I also now know what it feels like to have an addiction. That was the heaviest night of drinking I’ve ever had, but I’ve been in an alcoholic haze for quite awhile now.”

“Wow Samson.”

“I see now that what you did back then was to wake me up, to realize not to mess with people, but I didn’t listen. Instead, I became the one thing I was terrified of dealing with.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah, I didn’t know the extent of your craziness until you got back at me. Until then, I thought you were exaggerating. After that, I decided that I wasn’t going to make fun of people with problems anymore.”

“I forgive you, Samson.”

“I forgive you too.”

Leon & Gabriella

“When are you going to look for a job? You haven’t moved from that spot since you were turned down at Aaron’s dad’s shop.”

“Well, I don’t know what you want me to do.”

“Go to other places, I’m sure someone will hire you.”

“I don’t know.”

“Leon, I can’t keep supporting us both like this, we’re starting to stretch to make any kind of bill.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll start looking tomorrow.”

“You better.”

“I will.”

“Fine, what’s your plan?”

“I’ll check the paper and online and then look, okay?” The next day, he sets out to look for a job. He tries the grocery store, Redmart. He approaches Lori, the manager. “Hello, I heard you were looking for someone to stock shelves?”

“Did you fill out an application?”

“Yeah, here ya go.” He hands her the complete application.

“Hm, says you were recently a cop.”

“Yeah. I quit because I couldn’t deal with the stress and certain aspects of the job.”

“Says here your last name is Xero.”

“Yeah, so?”

“You wouldn’t happen to be related to Sydd, would you?”

“I’m his brother, I’m the one who helped him get his job here in the first place, don’t you remember talking to me and my captain?”

“Oh, that was you?”

“Yeah!”

“I’m sorry; I’m not going to hire you. I can’t risk hiring someone from the same family.”

“But I was the good guy.”

“I’m sorry, that may be true, but you may genetically share some mannerisms that would cause you yourself to get fired.”

“What, because he was sarcastic?”

“I’m sorry, I just can’t risk it.”

“Damn.” He leaves the store, and tries a few other places, getting rejected every time.  Disappointed, he goes home.

“How’d it go?” Gabriella asks.

“Terrible.”

“I’m sure it’ll go better tomorrow.”

“I just don’t understand it, I thought it’d be easier to get a job because…”

“Why? Because you were a cop?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Well, I figured it was a respected position, so it should have been easier to get hired.”

“Just because you had a position like that doesn’t guarantee you anything.”

“I know, I just thought on an unofficial basis…”

“Look, just keep trying.”

“Whatever. Babe, thanks again.”

“You’re welcome?”

“Yeah, I’m glad you’ll always be there for me.”

“Forever?”

“Probably.”

“I don’t know, Leon.”

Frank & Laura

“Where’s Zane?” Laura asks Frank one day.

“I dunno, he left, remember? He said ‘I’m out’ and left.”

“No, I don’t remember.”

“Oh, oh well.”

“Where’s Jake?”

“He went to get some more supplies.”

“Oh yeah, wanna do a line?”

“Can’t, we don’t have any more, that’s why he went to get more supplies, so we can make more.”

“S**t, this sucks, I need to get high.”

“We just got high an hour ago.”

“I’m not anymore, it wore off already.”

“Damn, do we have any weed left?”

“No, we haven’t had weed in awhile.”

“Oh yeah, do we have any pills?”

“No…”

“Damn, he better hurry up.” An hour later, Jake, a tall, skinny, guy with glasses and a shaved head, shows up with the supplies.

“Hey, I’m back.”

“What took you so long?”

“Can’t get all the stuff at the same place, duh!”

“Well, hurry up, we need some, now!”

“Not gonna be that easy.”

“Why not?”

“It’s gonna take some time.” When it’s finally finished, they get their meth and immediately break up and snort two lines each. “Holy s**t, you guys were fiending, weren’t you?”

“N-n-needed it.” Frank says.

“Damn, you guys are nuts. Maybe it’s time I teach you guys how to make it.”

“Yes! That would be great!” Laura says.

“Are you sure you guys can handle it?”

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.” She nods her head quickly.

“Your enthusiasm intrigues me.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not sure you’re able to handle it, you’re too into it, and you may be careless.”

“No way, I’m good with common sense.”

“Are you sure, because this is pretty intense stuff.”

“Oh come on, we can handle it!”

“I just don’t want you blowing yourselves up.”

“Pfft. We’ll be fine.”

     “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, trust us, stay with us awhile and watch us if you’re so unsure.”

“Yeah, alright, let’s see how you do.”

Brian & Charlotte

Brian wakes up as usual, opens up the suitcase and sets up three bags of heroin. He does all three and lets people in and out all day. He looks in the case and sees he needs more. He calls up his dude. “Yo dude, I need another case.” He hears from the other line,

“Dude, I just sold you a case last week, are you seriously moving it that fast?”

“Wha, yeah.”

“Ok, I’ll be over then.” Fifteen minutes later, the guy comes over.

“Here’s the cash.”

“You’re a little light.”

“Yeah, no, I, You know, it’s there.”

“No, no it’s not.”

“Yeah it is.” He counts it.

“No, it’s not, you should make a profit, are you hooked on your own supply?”

“Wha, no, I, yeah.”

“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. You’re not supposed to get hooked on your own supply.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Listen, it’s only a grand, pay it back when you reup and if you can’t, well we’re going to have to make sure you pay one way or another.”

“Yeah, no, I got it.” The guy leaves and Brian puts the case in his room. He gets a call. “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me.” He hears Charlotte say on the other line.

“Oh, hey, what’s up?”

“I’m bringing the kids to visit you for a little while.”

“Oh, ok.”

“You’re not busy or wasted, are you?”

“I, what, no, I’m fine.”

“Good, we’ll be over in ten minutes.”

“Ok.” Ten minutes later, Charlotte shows up with the kids.

“They already ate; I just need you to take care of them for a couple hours, if you can. I know I shouldn’t trust you because I know you’re still addicted to drugs, but you’re the only person left who can watch the kids while I do the s**t I gotta do, a couple hours shouldn’t be torture for you, if you even remember their names. I gotta go, I’ll be back later.” She hugs the kids. “I love you.” She leaves.

“So, what do you guys wanna do?”

“Cartoons!.” Jason says.

“Go.” Jason turns on the tv and puts in his favorite dvd. Brian plops down and zones out watching it. A half hour later, the phone rings. “Hello?”

“Yeah, I’m just checking in, I got myself a few minutes, I’m gonna keep checking in. Like I said, I don’t trust you, so is everything all right?”

“What, yeah, everything’s fine.”

“What are the kids doing?”

“Cartoons.”

“Ok, good, I gotta go, I’ll call you later.” She hangs up. As soon as the movie’s over, Charlotte knocks on the door and Brian answers it. “I’m here, where are they?”

“Living room.” She walks in.

“C’mon, it’s time to go.” The kids get ready and stand next to Charlotte. “You didn’t f**k up, I’m surprised, we’ll keep visiting, and depending on your condition, will depend on if we come back. If you can cut down on how much you do, I’ll help finish getting you off of them and get you help, ok?”

“Ok babe.” Brian smiles. Charlotte gives him a kiss on the cheek.

“C’mon guys.” He closes the door.

“Whew, that was close.” He goes upstairs and snorts another three bags of heroin and passes out on the bed.

Month 6

Sydd

“Alright, Xero, last day.”

“Finally. Catch you around, Samson?”

“Maybe.” Sydd gets released, and outside he sees a girl crying. He stands and looks at her.

“Should I? I, hm…” He thinks to himself. He sighs, and approaches her. “What’s the matter?”

“My boyfriend is in prison and he just broke up with me.” She says.

“Why?”

“He said he’s his cellmate’s b***h now.”

“But this isn’t that kind of jail”, he thinks to himself. “Ok, um, walk with me, talk with me.”

“Well, we’ve been going out for a few years; we have a kid together, too.”

“Ok…”

“Well, he found out that he was doing five years in prison for almost beating a guy to death with a crowbar, but he’s never been in jail before. I guess he said that he heard about dropping the soap and so he surrendered immediately to his cell mate as soon as he got in, and his cellmate told him to break up with me because he was his b***h now.”

“Wow, that’s pretty fucked up.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“What’s your name?”

“Sally. Yours?”

“I’m Sydd.”

“Well, here’s my number.”

“Here’s mine.” They exchange numbers and head off in different directions. Sydd stops at a house and thinks about it for a second, then walks up to the door and knocks. Marissa answers the door.

“Sydd?”

“Wow, you still live here?”

“Yeah, I do, come in.”

“Husband home?”

“No, he’s at work. What are you doing here?”

“I just got out.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, so, what’s up?”

“Nothing much I guess.” They end up talking for a couple hours before he decides to leave. He texts Frank if he has any weed, and he writes back that he does. Sydd goes over to Frank’s house and he smells the burning chemicals as soon as Frank opens the door, but only slightly.

“Dude, that s**t is strong, what’s going on?”

“Nothing, here’s your weed.” He hands it over, takes the money and closes the door.

Leon & Gabriella

“Leon, you haven’t moved from that couch in weeks.”

“Yeah…”

“Don’t you care at all that you have no job?”

“Yeah, but it just seems impossible, why even try?”

“Do you really give up that easily?”

“I guess.”

“Wow, what happened to the ambitious Leon who wanted to go commando?”

“I’m all commandoed out."

“Did you actually get any satisfaction from your job?

“No.”

            “Did you like anything about that job?”

“I don’t know, I liked catching bad guys, but most of the time, it was screwing normal people over, people who never got in trouble, mostly. I got a few people who actually deserved it, but it wasn’t as much as first time offenders, and the fact that I’m the person who ruined their lives by giving them a record, even though a high percentage of those people won’t get in trouble again.”

“So, you feel guilt, is that why you won’t go back?”

“Partly. That, the fact that I can’t stand actual dead bodies, and I was proven to not be able to handle going undercover for Narcotics, and anyway, considering past and family, I couldn’t really do that for much longer anyway.”

“So you didn’t like any of it?”

“No, it was nothing like I thought it would be, I saw cop shows and real cops in action and it just looked so cool, bringing the hammer of justice on bad guys and making the world a safer place, but I learned that not every bad guy is a bad guy.”

“Like your brother?”

“Exactly.”

“So what’s your backup plan?”

“I have absolutely no idea.”

“Well that’s just great.” She says sarcastically.

“Look, I’m sorry, but I just don’t think I could find a job right now.”

     “Leon, this is ridiculous, you need a job, now. I don’t care if you make a dog poop cleaning business, you need to go back to being self sufficient.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I already told you a thousand times, I can’t keep supporting us both, I’m actually at that point where I won’t pay for you anymore.”

“Aw, babe, please, no…” He sighs. “Alright, you’re right, I’m sorry.”

“Also, there’s another matter we need to discuss.”

“What now?”

“It’s the fact that you said you’d be lost without me.”

“Yeah, cause I love you, maybe marry you someday.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of.”

“What?? Why??”

“I’m not ready to commit.”

“You… really?”

“Yeah, I’m not ready to settle just yet… I’m sorry Leon.”

“So, what does this mean?”

“I really need to get my life really together before I can settle, and I’m not at the point I wanna be yet.”

“Are you breaking up with me?”

“I’m sorry. I’m going back to Florida next month, if you don’t mind taking me back.”

“Back to where we began?”

“Yep.”

Frank & Laura

“Holy s**t, I can’t believe how much money we’re making!” Laura says.

“Yeah, looks like we hit a hot spot.” Frank says.

“Yeah, it’s great.”

“Oh, s**t, Sydd just got out of jail and is looking for weed. He can’t know we’re making meth.”

“How soon will he be here?”

“He said like, five minutes.”

“Then just weigh it out, and bag it up for him before he gets here and open the door a crack, give it to him, but first, take his money.”

“Looks like you guys have everything under control.” Jake says, after he enters the room.

“Yeah, thanks man.”

“Looks like my work here is done, oh, and you should probably move the lab to the basement, living room is too open.”

“Ok, thanks for the info.”

“Be very careful.”

“I already told you, we got this.” Laura says smugly.

“Okay then.” Jerry packs his stuff and leaves. Frank and Laura move the meth lab to the basement and air out the living room.

“Wanna bang a line?” Frank asks Laura.

“Hell yeah.”  She responds. They each snort a line and have an eventful day of selling.

“Wow, looks like we gotta make more.”

“We should take the night to make as much as we can.”

“Why? You mean a lot?”

“Yeah, remember Jake told us he was leaving so I told my sister she and her boyfriend can move in once Jake was out?”

“No, I don’t remember.”

“Oh, well, yeah. They could have the attic and they’ll be so far from the basement, it’ll be fine.”

“Alright, I don’t want any problems.”

“There shouldn’t be.” Just then, a medium height brunette woman and her medium height sized boyfriend with long, red hair and beard are knocking at the door when Laura answers it.

“Hey, Laura.” The woman says as the door’s opened.

“Hey Karen, hey James.” Laura says.

“So, are you gonna let us the f**k in, or what?” James asks.

“Yeah, yeah, get in here.”

“Hey, I don’t want any bullshit while you’re here.” Frank says.

“Yo dude, shut the f**k up before I beat your a*s, I haven’t even done anything yet.”

“Keep it that way.”

“Shut the f**k up.” They start moving their stuff to the attic. Frank and Laura have a successful night of making meth and fall asleep, just as James wakes up and goes to work. Karen wakes up and goes downstairs to find them passed out on the couch. As she walks by them, she smells the chemicals on them. She shakes Laura awake.

“Hey. Hey!” Karen says.

“What?” Laura asks.

“You guys smell strongly like cleaner and fire.”

“Yeah, no we were cleaning all night last night.”

“Um, ok…” Just then, there’s a knock on the door. Karen answers it. “Hello?”

“Oh, damn, is this the wrong house?” The guy asks.

“For what?” Just then, Laura pushes Karen out of the way and makes her sale. She closes the door and walks back into the living room.

“What was that all about?”

“Never mind, don’t worry about it.”

“Um, ok.” Laura wakes Frank up and they end up falling asleep in their room. Karen just goes back upstairs, confused, but accepting.

Brian & Charlotte

Brian starts the day like every other day: with three bags of heroin and a line of coke. Then he passes out in front of the TV until he wakes up sober and does it again. One day in the month, Charlotte is back to drop off the kids again, and she knocks on the door. After about ten minutes of knocking, he finally answers it. “What took you so long?” Charlotte asks.

“I was akim…” he stumbles into the living room with the kids following her.

“I needed you to watch the kids for an hour or two, or can’t you?”

“Yeah, sure… I… can…” He fades out and passes out.

“WAKE UP!!” He jolts awake.

“I need you to watch the kids for-“

“Hold on a second.” He runs upstairs and does a line of heroin before coming back downstairs.

“Where were you?”

“Upstairs.”

“Doing what?”

“Stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?”

“Nothing important.”

“Then why’d you have to-“She walks over to him and notices a little bit of powder underneath his nostril. “You had drugs to do.”

“Yeah, that’s it.” He laughs.

“I needed you to watch the kids, but obviously you’re too fucked up to care.”

“Sounds about right.” The kids start crying a little bit.

“You don’t care about the kids?”

“Not really, Jason was an accident, and his little brother was only because we already had a family.”

“Don’t you know his name?”

“No, I forgot.”

“What kind of father are you?”

“I’ll admit, I’m not a good one, I’d rather sell and do drugs the rest of my life, that’s what I know.”

“You’re disgusting, you sicken me.”

“Think what you want, I’m just being truthful, isn’t that what people want?”

“Not when it’s like this, Brian.”

“Oh well, sucks to be you.”

“I don’t believe what I’m hearing.”

“Better believe it, b***h.” He pulls out a bag of heroin, breaks it out, and snorts it in front of Charlotte and the kids. “There ya go.”

“Oh my- that’s it, c’mon kids, we’re leaving.”

“See ya, don’t wanna be ya.”

“Just so you know, I’m getting the paperwork done to get us divorced.”

“And I’ll gladly sign them.”

“You heartless b*****d.”

“Pfft. Heartless? I was the softer of the two.”

“Goodbye, Brian. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

“Later, b***h.” 

Month 7

Sydd

“Well, thanks for letting me crash for a few days, it was nice catching up, and I can tell that your husband doesn’t like me too much.”

“Well, good luck.”

“I’m gonna see if I can reason with my brother on letting me back in.”

“Ok, I hope you accomplish what you want.”

“Thanks.” Sydd walks back to the house and lets himself in with his key. He notices that all of Leon and Gabriella’s stuff are both missing, but his stuff remains. He notices a note on the table written by Leon:

‘You should find yourself a place to live, even if you get a job, you won’t be able to pay for it all yourself, I know I couldn’t, that’s why I left. I’ll be at Aaron’s, and no, you can’t move in. "Leon’. Sydd leaves and heads over to Aaron’s house. He knocks on the door and Leon answers it.

“C’mon in, bro.” Leon says.

“Yeah, sure.” Sydd steps in and they walk into the living room and sit on the couch.

“You’re just in time for a blunt.” Aaron says.

“Cool…wait…is something going on here? Am I being set up?” Sydd asks.

“No… no… I’m not a cop anymore, dude.” Leon says.

“What?”

“Yeah, I just couldn’t do it anymore.”

“Wow, I guess I missed stuff while I was in jail, huh? Aaron, you still with that chick, uhm…”

“Vanessa?” Aaron answers.

“Yeah, her.”

“No, she didn’t wanna do it anymore.”

“That sucks, man.”

“It’s alright.”

“What else did I-“His phone rings. He checks it, it’s Sally. He hits ignore, but it just rings over and over again.  “Guys, could you save that? I need to take care of something real quick.”

“Yeah, sure thing, bro.” Sydd goes to the location specified in the last text and meets Sally there.

“What the hell do you want from me?”

“You keep ignoring me!” She says.

“Because every time we hang out, all you talk about and all you b***h about, is your boyfriend.”

“Yeah, so?”

“I don’t wanna hear that s**t, it’s f*****g annoying.”

“Oh, well excuse me; I thought you were the listening type.”

“I am, but usually when I’m IN the relationship, not a friendship who all she can find nothing else to talk about is her boyfriend. To me, that’s not hanging out, that’s lying on my couch and bitching, as I adjust my glasses and take notes.”

“Oh, you think I’m crazy?”

“A little bit, yeah.”

“Oh, well f**k you a*****e, I never want to talk to you again!” She storms off; he deletes her number from his phone, and says,

“Good.” He notices that the location is not far from Frank and Laura’s, and so he stops over.

“What’s up, Sydd?” Frank answers as he opens the door, fully.

“Hey, I was wondering if maybe I could move in with you guys.”

“Yeah, sure, but the only place left is the pull out sofa.”

"Sofa's fine I guess."

 “Ok, whatever, man, you can use a room to store stuff in then.”

“Alright…” He says uneasily.

Leon & Gabriella/Aaron

Leon finishes loading Aaron’s car, with Aaron driving, Leon in the passenger seat, and Gabriella in the backseat, on the way to the airport. “Wow, it’s kinda like déjà vu.” Gabriella says.

“Yeah, and again I’m sitting next to a b***h.” Leon says.

“F**k you, dude.” Aaron says.

“Aw, come on, I’m just messin’ with ya.” They finally arrive at the airport and Leon and Aaron wait as Gabriella gets her ticket.

“I can’t believe this; we ended the same way we began, here.”

“Yeah, man.”

“We came full circle, which means that was it.”

“Yeah, are you all right man?”

“Yeah, I think I’m ok.”

“Ok, man, I don’t want you freaking out or nothing.”

“Nah, I think I’m ok, it was nice while it lasted, I just thought, you know…”

“She would be more of a keeper than Charlotte?”

“Yeah.” Gabriella walks over after getting her ticket.

“Well, I have a few minutes yet…”

“Aaron, could you give us a minute or two?”

“Yeah, sure man.” He walks over to the vending machines.

“Does it really have to end this way?”

“I’m sorry Leon; I’m just not ready to commit to anybody yet.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I want to do things in life, go and experience things, I’m not ready to settle down yet.”

“I just wanna let you know that I respect your decision, and I hope you figure out your life. Also, it was really nice while it lasted.”

“Well, I would like to let you know that I agree.”

“Are you going to keep in touch?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Ok, I just hope we can stay on really good terms.”

“Sure.” They hug, and Gabriella’s flight is called.

“Well, that’s me, I guess I gotta go.”

“Good luck.”

“Thank you.” She leaves and he watches through the window as she boards the plane.

“You alright, bro?” Aaron asks.

“Yeah, c’mon, let’s go home and smoke a blunt.”

“Yeah, wow, now that’s the Leon I missed, like when we were teenagers, man.”

“Yeah, now, let’s go.”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry.” They head to the parking lot, and leave the airport. They stop at a gas station. “What flavor?”

“Grape.”

“Yeah, good choice, n***a.”

“Yeah, c’mon, hurry up.” Aaron runs in and out and back in the car. “That was quick.”

“No lines, bro.”

“Oh, cool.”

“Alright, anything else, your majesty?”

“Haha, no, we can go home.” So, they start driving, and end up back to the house. They sit downstairs, and Leon sits on the couch as Aaron rolls the blunt.

“Alright, you ready, n***a?”

“Yeah dude.” Just then, there’s a knock on the door, and when Leon opens it, Sydd is standing there.

Frank & Laura

“What’s up, Sydd?” Frank answers as he opens the door, fully.

“Hey, I was wondering if maybe I could move in with you guys.”

“Yeah, sure, but the only place left is the pull out sofa.”

“I’ll take the sofa; that’s fine.”

“Ok, whatever, man, you can use a room to store stuff in then.”

“Alright…” He says uneasily. He puts his stuff in the room anyway and hangs out on the couch and smokes a bowl with them as they watch TV. “S**t… I gotta go back to my brothers’ house, um, see ya guys later.” He leaves.

“Damn, we got a bunch of people here, now.”

“Good, that’s more meth for us, and less for bills.” Laura says.

“F**k the f**k yeah.”

“Hey, c’mon, let’s do a couple of lines.”

“Hey, yeah, ok.” They snort a couple of more lines and get the energy to go downstairs and make some more meth.  They finish making a batch, go upstairs and take a shower together, and sit back on the couch.

“Where were you guys? I thought you were in the basement, but it was locked.” Karen says.

“Yeah, no, we took a shower together.” Laura says.

“Oh… for three hours?”

“Shut up, Karen.” Laura says.

“Pfft. Whatever.” Karen goes back upstairs, and Sydd comes back to the house.

“Hey, man.” Frank says as he opens the door.

“What’s up?” Sydd says.

“Nothing much, come on in.”

“Oh, ok.” Sydd steps in and sits on the couch and starts watching TV.

“Hey Sydd.” Frank says.

“Hm?”

“C’mon.” They both step into Frank’s bedroom. “Listen, I know your brother’s a cop, but he can’t know that Brian is selling me weed, because his buddy Aaron buys it off me.”

“Oh, yeah, ok man.”

“And another thing, we’re also selling meth if you’re interested.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah, man.”

“Dude, that’s heavy. I don’t do that s**t anymore.”

“Ok, but if you change your mind, lemme know.”

“Sure, whatever.” Sydd says dismissively. They step back into the living room and there’s another knock on the door. Frank opens it, and it’s an incredibly high, stumbling, Brian.

“Here’s your weed, man.” He hands it to Frank, Frank hands over the money, and hands the weed to Sydd. “Anything else?” Brian says.

“Nah, Sydd’s pussying out.” Frank says.

“Haha, he’s ‘sober’ now?”

“Apparently.”

“Haha, what a piece of s**t.”

“Later.” Frank says as he closes the door.

“So, Lt. X is your dealer?” Sydd asks.

“Wait, that’s-“

“Yeah.”

“Awesome!”

Brian/Charlotte

“Well, that’s it, they’re all gone.” Brian looks around, as everything that wasn’t Brian’s wasn’t taken. All he does each week is slowly increase his dosage.  One day, Frank calls him for weed. He checks the suitcase and stumbles over, weed in hand and knocks on the door. “Here’s your weed, man.” He hands it to Frank, Frank hands over the money, and hands the weed to Sydd. “Anything else?” Brian says.

“Nah, Sydd’s pussying out.” Frank says.

“Haha, he’s ‘sober’ now?”

“Apparently.”

“Haha, what a piece of s**t.”

“Later.” Frank says as he closes the door. Brian stumbles back home, and collapses on the couch. He wakes up a few hours later.

“So I lost one of my oldest and most loyal customers, I lost all my money because I bought that last batch, and I still owe the guy, I’m almost out, because I did them all, my wife and kids are gone, haha, yes, I’ve finally been waiting for this day to arrive. See you in hell, Zakk, Sydd, and Charlotte.” He opens up the suitcase and takes out three huge lines of angel dust, cocaine, and heroin. He mixes the three together to make one big line. He starts snorting, before he collapses and smashes his head through the small glass coffee table he was doing it on, slowly dying. A few days later, Charlotte knocks on the door.

“Hey, we need to talk.” She says. There’s no answer. She sighs and uses her key. She walks in and finds Brian facedown in dried blood on the floor. “Great, I was married to a selfish a*****e.” She calls the coroner and they arrive and take him away. She’s talking to the officer in charge. “Yeah, I don’t know, he just kind of… fell back into drugs and fell hard.”

“Ok, thank you ma’am.” The officer says as he leaves.

“Oh, how am I going to tell the kids? I don’t think I can… I’m going to need some time…” She goes upstairs and makes 5 scratches on each arm with four cuts and finishing with the slant over the four cuts. “Wow, first time I’ve ever had to do that, I thought I’d never have to.” She takes a shower and rinses the blood off, waits until it scabs over, and goes back to her father’ s house.

“Well?” Her father asks.

“He’s dead.”

“Well, looks like you picked a winner.”

“Shut up. Could you please take care of the kids for a little bit while I sort things out?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” She goes back to the house and throws everything that is his out, including the drugs. Just then, there’s a knock on the door.

“Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Brian, where is he, he owes me.” A guy in a pinstripe suit says.

“Brian’s dead.”

“Damn, that f****r owes me thousands of dollars in drug money.” Charlotte picks through the garbage and finds the drugs and hands it to him.

“Take it, I don’t want it.”

“Ok, it’s not enough to cover what he owes, but I guess it’s all I’m gonna get.”

“You’re damn right.” She slams the door on him. “Oh, what am I going to do?” She takes a shower and goes to bed, collapsing from the stress. She wakes up after her nap, and heads to the bar to drink her misery away.  She keeps up an alcoholic haze for months, up to, and including over a year. She never goes back for the kids during this time, though she does visit them, her father pressuring her to take them back, she keeps refusing, saying she’s not ready, every single time. She completely ignores mostly everybody, and works and drinks, and in a drunken rage, fights with Leon after running into him on the street...