Chapter nine

“I’m thinking of becoming a vegetarian.” Chris told both Matius and James, as he sat below Matius's bed, his legs crossed, watching as both of his friends played with a play station.

“The fuck?” James said, putting the game on pause, turning to Chris. “Where the heck is this coming from?”

“I-” Chris stopped, “I just want a change, you know better myself.”

“Jesus, it’s like you're going through your mid-life crisis early.” Matius spoke, placing down his controller on the floor.

“First you quit smoking, now this. You are being beyond strange mate.” James said, looking Chris up and down.

“What? can’t i do something different for once,”

“Different is deciding to have rum and raisin ice cream instead of the bland vanilla.” James told him. “You're basically deciding to leave your stable financial job and move to the bloody alps for the rest of your life.”

“I think you're over exaggerating.”

“I am?” James questioned.

“Yes,”

“Wait,” Matius said, “is Dale a vegetarian?” he asked.

James' eyes widened as if he suddenly understood Chris, “is he?” James joined.

“No, i mean I don't know, it’s not something I really ask people.”

“Maybe you should,” Matius said.

“What? Just randomly slide it into a conversation?”

“Well i believe that is how it normally works.” James mimicked.

“I’m not doing it because Dale is a vegetarian, I'm just doing it because,” Chris said.

“Just because,” James repeated.

“Just because,” Chris said.

“Sounds like a load of bull,” Matius muttered, picking up his controller and resuming the game.

The two boys carried on to play their game, and soon after, Chris grew bored, jumping up off the floor and walking out of Matius’s bedroom, down the stairs towards his kitchen. He poured himself a drink, looking at a photo of their GCSE results day, he, James and Matius huddled together, in stiff forced smiles, holding their result papers in their hands. Next to the photo was a picture of Matius as a baby, his parents holding him, in a photo studio, a blue background with silk white clouds. Chris took a long gulp from his glass, setting it down by the sink. As he quickly scratched his lower elbow. He moved back up the stairs continuously stretching at any and all spots of skin. He stopped when he opened the door, finding both Matius and James standing up as they put both their heavy coats on.

“Why are the two up and wearing coats?” Chris asked, walking back into the room.

“We’re going on a drug run,” Matius answered, rummaging about in his pockets for his house keys, quickly finding them jiggling them in his hands.

“A drug run?” Chris questioned.

“Yes, my dealer lives nearby, he doesn't mind pickups.” James said.

“Why are we going on a drug run?”

“We need drugs,” Matuis spoke as if it were obvious.

“Turns out i didn’t have any weed with me today.”

“Right, and you were planning to smoke it in Matius’s room where his dad could come in later and smell it.”

“We’ll spray the room with freshener.” Matius said.

Chris groaned, “i wasn’t prepared to go outside,”

“It’s not outside, it’s going to a drug dealer house, now put on your coat.” James ordered, throwing Chris's brown coat over to him. Chris shoved his hands through the sleeves glaring daggers into James' skull, as he ushered them all out of the house.

climbing down the hill, Chris trudged behind them, with his tail behind his legs. “How far is his house?” Chris asked, moaning.

“Five minutes or so, lives on the same road of Katy,”

“Who’s Katy?” Chris grumbled,

“She’s in my German class.” Chris scoffed, James turned to face him, “at least i’m learning a language other than English,”

“Yes and you chose German bravo,” Chris fake cheered.

Matius sniggered. “You could have chosen something easy like Spanish.”

“Everyone chooses Spanish, besides i did it for GCSE and i am not going through that hell again,”

“Yet you chose German,” Chris said.

“Fuck off,” James sighed annoyed.

They made their way to the dealer's house, walking through his driveway, coming up to a nice looking cottage, shrubbery climbing up the brick walls, as vines tangled.

"Does he have kids?" Chris asked, looking down at the bumper sticker on the old grey volvo parked on the gravel driveway in front of the cottage's red door.

James shrugged, looking down at the sticker.

"Must do," Matius said, “why else would you have kids aboard, stuck on your car."

"So people don't think when a beaten down Volvo is parked on their street, it belongs to a drug dealer." Chris grumbled.

James turned away from the car, banging onto the front door with the knocker, stepping back from the door mat, as they waited. A few seconds went by as they heard footsteps making their way to the door. It opened revealing, a short lady, no more young and youthful, her hair a light blonde, obviously dyed in such a vibrant shade, cut in a short bob, she wore triangular glasses, the frame a colour of deep crimson red, she beamed a smile at the three boys. "Hello, may i help you?"

"We're here for Steve." James said in a sweetening voice.

"Oh," the woman smiled, turning her head away from the door and towards the stairs in view. "Steve!" She shouted,

"What!” a deep voice yelled back angrily “God mum don't you know I'm doing something up here?!"

"Well i just thought you'd like to know some friends of yours are at the door!"

“Send them up then!” he shouted.

The woman turned back to the three, smiling, “come on in, he’s just up the stairs, second room to the right, can’t miss it.” she chirped, moving away to another room, closing the door behind her.

James didn’t wait for anyone to say anything climbing up the stairs as soon as the lady disappeared. He opened Steve's door, walking in as if he had done a million times before. Matius and Chris followed behind cautiously, stepping into the room. The room was small, enough space for a bed and a dresser, the dark green walls plastered in posters, all things Chris could recognize, but not put his finger on, mostly of comic book female characters, in compromising positions, that verged to be overtly sexual. It smelled of something Chris couldn't identify properly, but it made his nose scrunch up in disgust, and his eyes water, the floor was scattered with discarded packets of food, crumbs sprinkled about and Chris could have sworn to see a rotting pizza slice laying on the carpet. Steve was a skinny man, looking to be in his early forties, his hair was blonde, but an darker shade than his mothers, his eyes a lovely hazel. He wore nothing but grey tracksuit bottoms, and a naked chest, that was hollow enough for the boys to see his rib cages.

Steve smiled at James, “James, what can I help you with, you're not here to buy the mushrooms are you, because I swear by the Steve guarantee that you won’t regret it.”

“No mate, we’re here for some weed.”

“Oh, are you sure i can’t-”

“We’re fine, really. Maybe another time.”

Steve smiled strangely to James, “alright,” he said sternly, “how much?”

“Half an ounce will be fine.”

Steve nodded. Moving about as he brought out some scales, weighing the nuggets of weed, then placing them into a clear plastic wallet.

"Are you sure i can't-"

"We're fine," James said. 

Just as the three boys turned Steve suddenly spoke, in a child-like excited voice."Oh!" He squealed. "Before you go, maybe you'd like to try my newest products."

James raised one of his brows, "like what?" He asked.

"Well if you follow me i will show you my friend." he smiled revealing he had one black tooth on the lower set of teeth. he led them out of his room, back down the stairs showing them into the kitchen, he went to the fridge bringing out five containers.

"I've been trying out baking," he explained, opening up a container full of biscuits and another of chocolate cake. "i make an excellent MDMA cake, my mum loves it." He bragged.

"And," he said, lingering up his hand telling them to wait as he went into another room, coming back moments later, "I'm also taking up calligraphy." He showed James, Matius and Chris a few pieces of paper of his works finding them to be surprisingly good "I've been selling them online."

"Wow your quite skilled how much-" James jabbed his elbow into Matius's ribs,ceasing his speech.

"Steve we're fine really-"

"Since I like you James, I'll let you and your friends have a free taster of the new stuff."

James stopped, looking at Steve, he quickly composed himself, smiling sweetly, "well if you insist." He laughed, as Steve did.

Chris turned around looking at all the containers. "What's in them?" He asked.

Steve moved around the table opposite the boys. "The biscuits have cocaine in them I think. The brownies, weed, the cupcakes ketamine, there might be heroin in the rice crispy cakes, to be honest I'm not sure, i was pretty high when i made them," he murmured "wait I'll ask my mum." He turned his head towards the other door shouting, "Mum! Mum!" Chris covered his ears at the sound as did James and Matius.

"Yes!" She answered yelling back.

"Do you know which drugs i put into my baking!?"

"What!" She asked, not hearing him.

"I said, which drugs did I put in my baking?!"

"I'm not sure sweetheart!"

"What do you mean you don't know?!" Chris could feel a splatter of spit hit onto his face from Steve.

"I can't keep track of your life!"

"God damn it mum! It is the one thing i ask you to do!"

He took a deep breath, twisting his face back to the boys. "It seems it is unknown at the moment," he laughed like a salesman, "but please don't let that stop you."

Chris frowned, "pretty sure it should." He whispered.

",just have one," James told him, "it's free, this stuff would cost you otherwise." Then he took a piece of chocolate cake, as Matius stuffed a square of brownie in his mouth. Chris sighed, he took a rice crispy cake waiting for the effects to catch up to him.

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