“Didn’t they get divorced already?” Chris asked, stretching.
“Whenever my mom signs the papers,” Evan sighed. He sat at the head of his bed, typing into the slide-out keyboard on his phone. The window behind him had a view of the backyard.
Jack stood by the door, looking around the room, unsure where to sit. If he sat on the floor with Devon and Chris, Evan might think he was avoiding him. If he sat next to Evan that would mean sitting on his bed, which felt invasive.
Evan glanced up from his phone and jerked his head towards the spot next to him for Jack to sit. Jack swallowed the tightness in his chest before climbing onto the bed. He sat cross-legged against the window. The chill from the glass crept in through his jacket.
“This is normal for them, don’t worry about it,” Evan said, shutting his phone.
“Yeah. Dude, his mom’s scary when she’s mad,” Devon said, focused on not letting Chris win. Their characters shuffled around each other on screen.
“Tell me about it.” Evan leaned over to dig through the nightstand drawer. He pushed back a strategically placed box of unopened condoms to reach a glass jar half full of weed and pre-rolls.
He took one of the pre-rolls and held it between his lips. With a lighter from his pocket, he lit the end. Smoke seeped out of the corners of his mouth.
“Does your mom actually think I’d fuck you?” Chris asked. Evan laughed, cutting his second drag short. The closed room amplified the smell.
“Man, who won’t you fuck is a better question,” Evan said.
“Yeah dude, Mono-Monica?” Devon asked.
“Listen, my standards are low, but dudes do not make the cut,” Chris defended himself. “Not that there’s anything wrong with-forget it, you know what I mean.”
“Wait, so you’re not into dudes?” Devon asked sarcastically. Chris’ character locked Devon’s in an unending combo. Devon frantically mashed the controller buttons.
“You’re the one with a crush on Buzz-Cut-Bailey,” Chris said.
“Her name isn’t Bailey,” Devon laughed.
Evan held out the joint to Jack. He watched it smoke in Evan’s hand before it clicked that he was supposed to take it.
“Oh, sorry, do you not?” Evan asked, pulling it back. A nagging paranoia sat at the back of Jack’s head about getting caught. He’d seen Chris do it, and Devon smoked actual cigarettes. It wasn't like he could get kicked out of the group home over it.
Fuck it. “We’ll find out,” Jack said, taking it. He planned to treat it like the cigarette he’d also never smoked. It burned all the way down as he inhaled too fast. His eyes watered as his throat tightened. He broke down coughing. Every inhale scratched against the back of his burnt throat. Chris leaned back and extended a long arm to scoop the joint from him.
Comments (4)
See all