A New Life (River Phoenix)

Confessions to Connor

We sat in the living room, soaking in eachother's company and listening to Flea blabber on about the new record.

As excited as I was for him, I couldn't take another second of sitting in the same room with them; I knew what they were thinking.

"Well, I'm ganna go." I said, trying to sound nonchalant so no one would think anything of it.

"Where are you going?" Piper asked me.

I grabbed the first jacket I could find and slung it over my shoulders, heading towards to door.

"I don't know," I started. "Out."

-

Because I didn't have really any other friends besides them, I headed to the only place I could make them; the Viper Room.

It was funny how even on a Wednesday afternoon, it was still crowded as if Saturday night had crept up.

It was always Saturday night in Hollywood.

I trudged inside and headed to the normal spot we always went too, where I found Connor puffing a cigarette in a booth.

We exchanged small smiles as I took the seat across from him. 

He offered me his cigarette but I declined.

"No more of that." I said, laughing.

Connor took it back to his lips and inhaled.

"You never liked cigarettes." Connor stated. It was true, I didn't.

"The taste sucks." I shot back, glancing around the bar. No one familiar was there, not even River and Flea's acquaintances.

Connor must have noticed me searching when he spoke up.

"It's been dead around here lately," he started. "Johnny is working on a new movie and Patrick got busted, so no one has shown up for a while. At least, not the important people." He laughed.

"Patrick?" I asked.

Connor put out his cigarette.

"You know Patrick, don't you?" He asked me, sounding surprised.

I rummaged through every memory, trying to remember a Patrick, but nothing came up.

"I don't think so. Why?" I wondered.

"Patrick is like the Greek god of all drugs," Connor joked, taking out another cigarette from his pocket. "He sells to everyone; always has the best shit."

I laughed and sat back.

"Yeah, well I don't have a dealer." I told Connor. "I just take whatever ends up floating into my hands while I'm here."

I watched Connor laugh and clap his hands in satisfaction.

"Pretty smart logic, C." He complimented.

It was a pretty good idea.

"Let's get a little buzz, okay?" Connor asked. I smiled and nodded at him, waiting at the booth as he got up and walked into the crowd.

Patiently I waited until he returned, a small plastic bag and two rolling papers in his hand. I tossed my lighter on the table and watched as Connor crushed the weed between his fingers, sprinkling it onto the paper.

"I really need this," he said, hurrying to finish the first joint. "Life has been shit."

I laughed and shook my head at him.

"Same." I agreed, taking the joint as he handed it to me. I lit the tip of the paper and inhaled until the weed sparked up with orange. I exhaled as I continued talking.

"I might not be a virgin anymore." I joked, handing it back to Connor.

His eyes lit up as he took a hit, handing it back to me and laughing.

"What the hell, who?" He asked. "River?"

I nodded at him and waited for his reaction. As usual, it was a dropped jaw and two shocked eyes.

"You're fucking with me." He stated.

"Not even a little bit." I answered, passing the joint back to him.

I felt my eyes getting heavier and my mind getting clearer, and I thought back to that night.

"Wow. You just accomplished every girls dream in a matter of seconds." He laughed, sipping on a water he'd had with him.

"Hey." A voice said, capturing Connor and I's attention.

Keanu stood at the edge of the booth, smiling to us.

"Mind if I take a smoke?" He asked.

I handed him the joint and scooted over, allowing him to occupy the seat next to me.

"Thanks, man." He said as he took it from my fingers.

"So, what was it like?" Connor asked me.

"What was what like?" Keanu retorted, butting in.

Oh great, I thought. This is just my luck.

Connor laughed and took a hit.

"Someone at this table got laid last night." He joked.

I watched as Keanu began to laugh and nudge my shoulder.

"You're not the only one," he winked, causing us to smile. "Who was it?"

"Take a guess." I told him, taking the joint from Connor.

For a while, Keanu thought until he jumped up, looking at me with a wide smile.

"No shit," he started in disbelief. "You fucked River!" He yelled.

Multiple heads from people in the crowd near us turned towards the table.

"Who fucked River?" A man asked; he must have known him.

I kicked Keanu's leg under the table, causing him to jump.

"I did," Keanu answered seriously. "Last night. It was great." He joked.

The man laughed and took the joint from Connor's hand.

"You're funny." He said, taking a hit and returning it to me.