Inside the Heifer (booked solely for Willow's birthday party by Josh and Darius), everyone except Willow had arrived. The kids all dressed in soft blouses and button-up shirts with ties, dress pants, flowing skirts, and shiny loafers and pumps. Victor had changed into his favorite Diesel jeans, a graphic tee, and a black leather jacket. He looked out of sync with the rest of the group.
"What's this?" said Kane, the first to spot Victor, and his choice of clothing. "Where's the suit, man?" He poked Victor in the chest with a stiff finger. "Willow's going to freak."
"I had no time," said Victor. He thrust a sparkle-encrusted, purple birthday bag—with lavender-scented gifts—at Kane, who oversaw the entrance. A tower of sparkling presents crowded the table.
"There's always time, man. Embrace the world you live in!"
"Not after a day like today." Victor looked around and leaned in to whisper. "I'll explain later. I have something to get your opinion on before the party's over."
"What?" said Kane, curious. "Tell me now man."
"It's important, but not in front of everyone else, Kane."
Kane noticed Josh waving by a couple dolled up girls from the eighth grade. Kane rolled his eyes and directed Victor to turn around, pushing him toward Josh and the crowd.
Eyes rolled as the kids looked at Victor, scanning his outfit from head to toe, whispering, and judging. Victor noticed, but remained deep in thought from earlier in the day, thinking: the same people, the same story, every day? His misty eyes merged with his thumping skull, and he blinked hard, trying to snuff it out.
"Vic, Vic!" said Darius. "Hey, I have something for you bud." The boy pulled out a small packet containing three smaller plastic bags of weed. "I think you need Lodi-Lodi man. Trainwreck might be too much. You look tired."
Victor looked up, squinting from the pulsating pain in his eyes.
"Fruity Pebbles, please," he said, pointing to another packet. "Let's go out back."
Victor scanned the eighth-grade girls sipping their sodas by the counter. He gave a distorted half-smile, feigning interest while being herded to the back door past the grill. Kane shoved him from behind, directing him, and the others, to speed up—he wanted his fix and sniffed the bag of Trainwreck.
In the back alley running alongside the Cascade parking garage, the boys whipped out a lighter, a couple of pipes, and proceeded to stuff them with weed.
"This is going to be hashtag AWESOME," Josh squealed, hardly containing his excitement.
"Like you don't smoke it every day, idiot," said Kane, grabbing the Fruity Pebbles for his pipe.
"How much do I owe you for this, Darius?" said Victor, rubbing his temple and observing the Fruity Pebbles Kane held.
"Oh, nothing Vic, it's on me this time. I believe you said you'd get it the next time, when we go to the new teen center, right?"
"Nope," said Kane. "It was me. I'll bring it. Victor can get it another time."
"Where do you go for yours?" said Victor. He grabbed the pipe and observed Kane holding in his drag of smoke.
Josh looked over and responded. "Darius gets it from this scabby guy named Sam in the park. He's homeless but has the best stuff. I heard he's not homeless, chooses to be. He's an ex-priest or something...." Josh looked at the others who—including Victor—challenged each other to hold in their smoke.
They didn't hold their breaths long. Victor coughed hard, bending over and holding his stomach.
"Some crazy Ganga," said Darius. "It's pretty damn strong, Vic."
YOU ARE READING
Victor Black - And the Garden of the Gods
Science FictionVictor Black seems to have it all. He graduated at the age of sixteen. His parents have money, and his father is a high-ranking military official in Colorado Springs. Victor is also a competitive figure skater and world traveler. Everything was supp...
