Not That Bad #Wattys2018

Chapter Eleven

The smoke smells different from cigarette smoke for sure. I breathe in deeply and let out little o's through my mouth. I feel good. Very, very good. Relaxed and powerful all at once. Like it didn't matter if I failed my finals and it didn't matter if I became a bum and Jaq didn't matter, and nothing mattered. I giggle at the thought of that and Eli looks at me with his eyes wide.

"What does it feel like?"

"Bliss." I say. I move so my face is very close to his. "It feels like bliss." I cup his face in my hands and his lips part as he allows me to blow the smoke in. I watch as his pupils dilate. I watch his eyes get wild and his face relax.

"Wow." Is all he says after a while. His voice is low, "It feels like euphoria. I feel like I can do anything."

"Yeah." I say, backing away from him, "Like I'm on cloud nine. Wait, cloud ten!"

"More like cloud one hundred." Eli laughs. He looks around the room and his expression is all WOW, like it was his first time seeing the purple crystals on my desk or the band posters on my wall. Or the glasses on my face. Or my... face.

"Are you hungry? I'm hungry." I suddenly feel nervous and fluttery.

Eli shakes his head so I leave him lying on the floor of my room and head downstairs to the kitchen. I slide down the banisters and pretend my socks are roller blades as I slide against the kitchen floor. I'm craving a weird combo of peanut butter and jelly, bananas and kiwis so I go ahead get the blender and the fruits from the freezer. I sing loudly as I make my milkshake, and dance as I chug it down.

I've heard a high can last from fifteen minutes to four hours and it seems like mine has only lasted twenty minutes. It felt good though. It felt fucking amazing. I'm definitely going to do it again.

When I get back to my room, I find Eli sitting on the ledge of my window with his back to me and his legs dangling outside. He looks like he's waving his arms. He looks like a little boy with all his dreams before him. I pause at my door,so I could look at him without him knowing I was there, staring.

And then suddenly he leans forward. I scream and I lunge at him and grab his shirt to pull him back in. He's really heavy and it doesn't help that he's resisting.

"Come on Eli!" I shout, "Stop being stupid!"

Weed wasn't supposed to make you stupid.

I'm scared that his shirt will tear and he'll fall out. My fear makes me strong. With one last yank, he falls onto me and we collapse in a heap on the floor. I'm breathing hard. I didn't know weed could make smart boys insane.

Eli could've jumped.

He could have fallen from the window.

He could've died.

I stare at him shocked. "What?" Eli looks annoyed. "I was about to fly!"

I pound my fist against his chest. "I saved your fucking life. You could've DIED."