Fun Before the Comedown

Sandie pokes a long stick into the fire to stoke it. She eyes Nicholas, who’s absentmindedly eyeing her ass, and I can’t tell if that’s the flames reflecting in her glassy eyes or if she’s genuinely upset. Maybe it’s because Nicholas recently transitioned and it grosses her out or simply because they're both stoned, I don’t know. But I do know he's not wrong to be staring - Sandie does have a spectacular ass.

Next to Sandie is Melanie. She's got on these short shorts that really show off her thighs. I can't help but notice a small bruise on her left leg, just beginning, right below the hem. I remember her complaining when we got here about having to carry her heavy bag all by herself. It kept bumping her thigh as she walked. Evidently, it left its mark.

Even though I don't have a blunt myself I'm starting to feel a little dizzy. I wonder if someone tossed one into the fire or something, as a sort of joke. Regardless of how, I'm definitely getting secondhand high. This is exactly what I didn't want tonight. I only agreed to hang out because Nicholas told me I have to leave my room sometime, but he doesn't know how hard it is. He doesn't understand. He didn't lose a sister two months ago. He didn't watch his apartment burn and realize she was still inside. He doesn't have nightmares about how he should've run in to save her or call the cops sooner or something, anything.

"Marshmallow?" groans Nic. His arm is outstretched toward me with his sleeve dangling straight over the fire. In his hand is a stick with the sad remains of a burnt and melting marshmallow. It drips slowly and pathetically off the stick as he waits for a reply.

"I'm good, man." I try to keep the malice out of my voice but some of it leaks through anyway. He's too stoned to care but I add a thank you onto the end to ease my own worry. Then he retracts the stick with the marshmallow corpse and waves it around a bit before chomping it up in one bite.

"Gross, that one was totally burnt," Melanie says. Nicholas ignores her, but Sandie chimes in with a snort and a chuckle.

Then we're all quiet. We all glance into the fire, watching it dance. I've never seen something so deadly and beautiful, so dangerously attractive.

“Wasn’t Andi supposed to be here too?” Melanie grumbles. She grips her blunt between her fingers and blows out a puff of smoke. “She said she’d bring more booze.”

“As if we’re anywhere close to running out,” Sandie says. “Cut her some slack, dude. She’s had a rough week.”

She has? Are you kidding me? “Anybody give her a call?” I ask. The flames spit up a little and almost ignite Nic’s shirt so I shove him back a little bit. He lets out a small grunt in an otherwise uncaring response. “Watch out, man. Hey, I know you’re still in there.”

This sends him into a laughing fit. I just sigh. I notice Sandie has pulled out her phone and is now angrily pressing on its screen repeatedly. “She won’t fucking answer,” she says. “This isn’t like her.”

“Why don’t we go check by the road? Maybe she’s just asleep in her car or something.” Melanie suggests. “Doesn’t she, like, live out of it?”

Sandie shoots her a look that screams daggers. “But why would she fall asleep instead of getting out to come meet us, dumbass? She knows we’re back here.”

“I don’t fucking know. You tell me.”

“Guys, guys,” Nic says, finally emerging from his giggles. “Come on. Let’s not argue. We’re here to have fun.”

The two girls scoff at him in response. I just look off into the trees and attempt to keep my focus straight. I can feel myself fading into the high and I don’t like it. “I think I’m gonna take a walk. Clear my head.”

“Clear it? But we’re just getting started, man!” Nic throws his hands up and almost falls back onto the dirt. He’s hopelessly gone.

I ignore him and stand up. I have to concentrate so I don’t fall on my ass - or worse, into the fire. Melanie watches me curiously. Sandie just stares into the fire, exhaling another cloud. I don’t care if Andi is here or not; I just need some air.

I’ve made it almost halfway up the hill and to the road when I hear the crunch of sticks and leaves behind me. It seems someone decided to follow me.