A pot pipe, some bags and a childhood picture.

Ellen shifts, and picks the skirt and silky black panties off of her shoulder and pulls them onto her lap. As she does, a very worn stuffed animal rolls over her ample chest, and fall on the carpeted floor between you. It’s a grey kitten. Tufts of fur are missing, others are a bit matted, and one of the green glass eyes is missing.

“Aww isn’t he cute?” Ellen says rhetorically as she picks the toy kitten up off of the floor to examine it.

As you straighten up and brace yourself against Amy’s mattress, you turn you attention to the items that had caused you and Ellen to gasp in the first place. Several plastic baggies containing what you’re pretty sure is marijuana. Turning to look on the floor behind you, you also find a pipe and a faded photograph of a six or seven year old redheaded girl in pigtails and wearing overalls. In her arms she’s holding a brand new, gray stuffed toy kitten. The little girl has a wide toothy grin plastered all over her face.

Ellen reaches over, taking the dog-eared photo from you. “I’m pretty sure that’s Amy. She’s pretty adorable, huh?”

“Cute as a button.” You reply, bringing the pipe up to your nose and sniffing the bowl. Definatly a pot pipe you think to yourself, and drop the three baggies and the pipe back into the box.

“She’s grown up a lot since that picture was taken, hasn’t she?” You add, watching Ellen’s blue eyes scan the childhood picture of her roommate.

“She’s not a druggie or anything. I don’t think she smokes much at all. So you don’t have to say anything, ok?” Ellen says, the concern evident in her voice. Ellen continues to study the picture, squinting her eyes, and then hands the picture back to you.

“What’s that, in the background on the kitchen table, can you tell?” She asks.