Light Me Up

14: Sick of being the good girl

"I was wondering if you were ever going to call," Matt said as I got into his car.

"Yeah, sorry," I apologized. "I just need a break from my life right now."

"I can definitely help you out with that," Matt smiled, putting the car in drive. "A couple of my friends are hanging out at this guy Joe's, so we can go meet them."

"Alright," I smiled, but my heart was pounding so hard. I was just hoping my mom wouldn't find out.

We arrived at a small, kind of dumpy house in a fairly standard suburban neighborhood. I got out of the car, the cool November air immediately raising goosebumps all over my body. "Joe's dad is rarely ever home, and when he is, he really doesn't give a shit what he does-so this place has become our little hangout." Matt said, and he led the way to the front door. He didn't knock, he just walked right in. The walls were painted a dark, muddy green, and the dark wood floors seemed to only make the place seem sadder. To the left there was a room bustling with noise, where the people didn't sound sad at all. I could smell the smoke before I could see it, and when Matt and I turned the corner there were a bunch of people lighting up. I was a little surprised to see Ana there.

"Look guys it's Matt!" a light-haired boy grinned, his voice a dead giveaway for how stoned he was. Ana looked up, her eyes settling on me.

She pointed, "Hey, I know you."

I smiled, "Hey."

"Yeah, man, introduce us to your friend," the light haired boy said.

"This is Ryley, she's kinda quiet until you get her fucked up," Matt introduced me, and I blushed. Everyone laughed.

"Alright, welcome, welcome," the light haired boy replied. "I'm Joe, this is Gavin, Dave, Jimmy, and I think you know Ana, but just in case." He went around the room. Gavin had short, cropped dirty blond hair, he was built and obviously took care of himself, except for the holes in his pants. Dave had long, crazy curly hair, and dark eyes, and he just kept grinning at me, grinning at everything, actually. And Jimmy reminded me of Alex, and suddenly I felt weird being here. He had the same dazed, blue eyes. Ana staring me down made me feel worse.

"How do you guys know each other?" she asked, as Matt made himself at home, he patted the seat next to him on the empty loveseat.

"I deal to her friend, and we hungout at a party together," Matt said, lighting up the bong that was set on the table. Ana nodded, puffing on her cigarette. I took a couple hits when Matt put the bong in my lap, and then I felt better. I grabbed one of the beers that were sitting on the table and claimed it as my own.

"So where's Alex?" Ana asked me.

I shrugged, "I don't know, does he usually come here?"

"Not unless he was with me, but I thought you guys had a thing going on, so I was just curius why you weren't with him."

"It's nothing serious," I replied.

"Yeah, well, Alex likes serious," she snapped. I really wasn't digging her attitude.

"Well then maybe you should go out with him, Ana," I smiled, taking another sip of my beer.

"No, I think she should go out with me," Joe cut in. "I mean, she's always here. She even sleeps her sometimes." Ana laughed.

"But did she sleep with you?" Gavin asked him. Joe's faced dropped, and he shook his head no. "Man, then why do you let her sleep here?"

"Because we both have douchebag parents," Ana replied, putting her cigarette out in the ash tray that was on the crowded coffee table. She unclasped the necklace that was around her neck. It was an opaque, elongated gem. I watched her unscrew the top, and dump a small amount of white powder onto the back of her hand. She snorted it into her nose and took another deep breath. She leaned back, screwing the cap back onto her 'necklace' and put it back around her neck. I was amazed. I could see her pupils from across the room.