Dope Minds

"This town is dead," he said. We sat on the old stone bridge, with our feet dangling over the steady creek. "Where's Kacey?" I asked, hitting my cigarette, then passing it to see if he wanted some. He took a puff and looked off into the distance. "Probably still back at the house. Ya know, it sure is some bullshit, man. We fight, and she takes his f*****g side." He hands me the cigarette. I gesture to him to keep it. "Thanks," he sighs in a slight relief. He seems stressed enough. I can always buy a new pack. 

I take out my current one and pop a new cancer stick in my mouth. I shuffle around in my pocket to find a lighter, and spark it up. The nicotine on a cold, grey winter day like this has the perfect bite. I inhale, lick my chapped lips, and exhale. "Dude, it's just because he is younger. Remember how annoying we were when we were seventeen?" I pull his beanie over his face, hoping to at least get a smile. He lets a slight grin escape his aggravated demeanor, and slaps my hand away. "Yeah, you're still that damn annoying." We laugh for a brief moment, then the calm settles in again. 

I look to my left: brown grass, dead trees, and playground that has been neglected for months. Then, to my right: Eric, flicking the cigarette, the old auto parts plant, more dead grass, and the road. Everything has a grey and pale blue tint. This is what winter brings. Eric scoots back and stands up. He brushes gravel off his pants, "I gotta head out. Ally has to go to work, she needs me to drive her. You want to come?" "Sure, I don't have s**t to do anyways."

We hop in the car and drive off. I lean out and look at the stores in the town square as we cruise through: Barber, antiques, diner after diner. He's right: this place is dead. "Hey," Eric slaps my chest. Impact is reduced thanks to my puffy jacket, "Do you think Ally is just s****y enough to settle for a guy like me?" He smiles and looks in the mirror. Peeling off his beanie, he exposes his blonde, messy hair. To be honest, he wasn't that bad looking when he tried. Maybe if he would just shave that creepy soul patch. "You know her better than I do, man," I say, "I mean, she asked you for a ride to work. I wouldn't look too far into it." 

The thing is, I don't want him to get his hopes up. This past summer, she and I slept together a few times. Instead of cuddling afterwards, she'd roll over, do a line of coke, then say she has to go somewhere. Easy to say, we were just f**k buddies. The part that is bullshit though: anyone I know who has messed around with Ally, gets trapped in this abyss of feelings. She makes you fall in love with her. But it's so hard to love her, too, because she's so strung out and scattered. These days you can't even tell if she's high or not. It has just become her. 

We finally get to her apartment and wait outside. I see her starting to come down from the third floor. Black and white Converse High-Tops with black stockings. They have a few runs and holes in them from our wild nights. She wore them the night we first had sex. Then a pair of frayed, high waisted, black shorts. She always knew exactly what to wear to show off her thin body. And finally, a simple black tank top. Her hair was in a messy, blue bun. Tattoos disbanded all over her body. Small simple ones, because she could never save up enough money to buy an actual normal one.

"Hey, b*****s!" She says as she crawls into the backseat, pushing empty cigarette packs and fast food bags to the other side. "What's up Ally?" Eric says, looking her up and down with a giant grin on his face. "Oh, ya know," she sighs as she digs through her purse. "Do you mind running by the gas station before you take me to Moonie's? I need some aspirin and a pack of Marlboros." "Moonie's? I thought I was taking you to work, not the bar! God d****t, Ally, if you want to drink I'll just buy us a bottle. It's much cheaper, and you can get as s****y as you want." Eric had no subtlety to the fact he wanted to get her wasted. "No, f**k face. I work there."

Eric and I just look at one another.

"When the hell were you going to tell me you work there?" He says, overjoyed. "I didn't want you dragging a sweetheart like Syd down there to be a little pervert," she says jokingly. It's not like I haven't seen it all anyways. "Besides, I'm not on the stage....yet. I'm just bartending"

  We made it to the gas station. Ally starts scrambling through her purse, pulling together wadded up bills. The sound of medicine bottles fills the car. Midol, migraine medication, and various other pills (and, honestly, I wouldnt be surprised if they weren't originally hers) "Okay," she said with a deep breath of relief,"I'll be right back." She hops out of the car and dances a small, hungover sway, one foot over the other. Eric and I watch as she heads in. I observe her tendencies, motions, and body language. Such a broken soul intrigues me. How is she okay with this? I feel protective of her, but desire a release. How does one care for such a soulless being? She finds her peace in stranger's arms. I was a stranger when we got together. Once we got close, she started at it again with the mystery men. Eric, he doesnt watch her, really. He stares. The guy might as well be drooling, standing on all fours like a dog. He doesnt observe her, notice the little things. He lusts for her body, much like all the others. She has that air about her. She could make the Pope sin, for God's sake. It's almost pure evil in that skin, but I know there is something fighting. She couldn't have always been like this. 

I must have spaced out, we're already pulling away from the parking lot. "Here," she says in a spunky and proud tone, as she tosses a pack of Newports up to Eric. "God bless!!" He shouts, closing his eyes in rejoice, "I've been out all day, bumming off of Syd, here, the past couple hours." He reaches over and pats me on the cheek. I shoo him away and turn up the radio. Arctic Monkeys, a black and white dream flows into my head. Saving her, but nothing could. I could grab her head and push it up against the wall, hold the needles, pipes, and pills infront of her, beg her to stop, and all I'd get is a smirk. I know it. No f***s given. 

We arrive at Moonie's. Blacked out windows, purple and red paint, black velvet door. It's the only strip club for miles around and tends to stay busy. Who would think I's spend my days here as a young adult, when I went to church right up the road when I was kid.

We walk in and sit at the bar. The only place i can drink at besides friend's houses. Moonie's son runs the joint now. His dad opened the place forever ago, long before any of us were even considered, or unwanted for a select few. Moonie, apparently, was like a small town Hugh Hefner, had his pick of the ladies. Messed around with his top dancer and had this son-of-a-b***h, Todd. "How's it hangin'?" Todd asks Eric and I as I reach for the ashtray. It's f*****g weird, no doubt. Todd looks like a middle school teacher who would spend his time writing in a coffee shop, not running a strip club or holding an impressive amount of assault charges. Curly brown hair, like Corey Matthews from Boy Meets World, skinny and tall. Button down flannel, fitted blue jeans, and the beard to top it off. Looks like a young dad, acts like it too. He looks after the "troubled youth" in this place. He provides love, sex, and drugs for those without. I've crashed a few times on his couch. He's charming, which would make sense to him being Ally's current weakness. I catch the glances they share as Todd awaits for either Eric or I to finish a drag on our cigarettes to answer. Now I understand how she got the job. 

"Uh," I say, exhaling smoke, "It's good man. Eric here shut down into "Little B***h" mode with his mom again." Todd and I laugh as Eric slumps down. His eyes fidget for a moment, as he searches for a comeback. "Dude," he says, as he places his hand down calmly on the bar. He closes his eyes, and slowly whispers,"I swear to God, f**k her." Eric sounds breathy and comedic, yet you can hear the truth in it. He and his mother never got along. He always idolized his dad, who left a long time ago. He says a lot that he wishes his dad took him along, and got him out of this town. He really hates it here. "I've seen your mom," Todd smiles and shakes his head as he breaks out three shot glasses, "and I would most definitely f**k her. You can call me 'Daddy Mother F****r'." "Absolutely not, you s**t head," Eric says, choked from trying not to laugh, "Touch my mother, and you die. Last thing I want is another little a*****e sibling, let alone, one related to you." he says, now laughing at his own joke. I must have no sense of humor, because none of this is funny. My parents raised me to respect women. I've seen Eric and Todd, both lay hands on Ally. She would get too drunk and start yelling and bitching. Granted, she antagonized them, but they know her. She's too f*****g little to REALLY fight. Luckily, it's never gotten past a few slaps and slams. 

We never got the cops involved. Todd wasn't a good man, at all. But, we had to respect him. He slings various drugs from his house, us being some of his best customers. Weed and cocaine, mostly. Occasionally, a little bit of heroin. I don't do it much, but when nothing else is working, it's my go-to. Ally loves it. She rarely pays, and when she does, it's still discounted. Countless times we have gone to a dealers house and she will slip away to the back room with them and won't be back for hours. No question, though, on what goes on back there. The negotiations and payments for an eight ball. Just within the few months i have known her, we have become very close. After all the sex, I still will pick her up when things get bad at a guy's house. Screaming muffled from the house as she runs out. Doors slamming, glasses or lamps breaking. 

"So, you've got Ally behind the bar, huh?" Eric asks. "Yeah," Todd responds as he fills the shot glasses with Grey Goose, "I wanted to see her fine a*s on stage, but the girl as zero rhythm." He laughs and shakes his head. "Have you seen her dance?" He asks me. "No," I say. Doesn't mean I haven't felt her body move. "We were supposed to go out one night to the club, but when I went to pick her up, she was passed out." I say shaking my head in disappointment. "Yeah," says Eric as he throws his shot back. He slams it down and looks at Todd, "Hey, man, can I get another?" he asks. "Of course, my brother!" Todd says in a high voice, "Anything for you." He means it. Todd loves Eric. They have the same perverted, dark, and dry sense of humor. Most shots taken at Ally's expense. She tends to just brush it off. She laughs at herself because everyone else does. They make me question myself. Am I just a little b***h? I always sit in the background and listen. I know too much about everyone and they know nothing about me. 

Growing up, my parents were great. Only child, so I had all their attention. I made great grades, had friends, wrote a lot, and drew. I was creative and wise for my age. That sounds cocky, but what can I say? It's true. When my mom and dad died, I was taken into foster care. I had night terrors, and soon the drugs were the only thing that could kill them. I had dreams of being in the back seat of the car, my mom looking back and smiling. My dad playing Red Hot Chili Peppers. They were young. I remember them vaguely, but know they loved me. Mom had long brown hair, I do recall that. Dad, thats a little different. He worked a lot. I couldn't tell you what he did, though. But, he always came home smelling like gas. I love that smell now. 

After being passed around in foster care, I was emancipated at eighteen. I moved here and Eric was my first friend. That was a year and a half ago. Since then, my world has turned upside down. Before, I only smoked weed, drank, and dabbled in psychedelics. These days, things are a lot more real, and I need to resort to stronger substances to ease it all. Heroin crept into my world a few months ago, and introduced me to Ally. She really is an exceptional piece of work.

Todd pours Eric another shot, and slides it across the bar. The announcer calls for another robbed soul to the stage. Men in ripped leather couches and zebra stripped chairs. The place, like I said, has been around forever; and it undoubtedly shows. The interior is frayed and distressed. So old, it almost fits the modern trend of angst among the young adults these days. I noticed this dream within many. A hefty amount of people are comfortable living in a slum. Their own mental asylum, medicating one another with "I love you" 's and substances unfit for human blood. Romances chemically designed for failure, of either the relationship or the heart. By overdose, or the small chance of sobriety.  You can tell that that is where this place is heading, this whole town. One great big Narcotics Anonymous meeting.  

The woman steps out onto her stage. Red and blue lights on both sides of her, a siren letting off. Cop themed, such an unoriginal concept. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Bad Cop: Brandy!" the announcer belts out. "See her?" Todd asks. Holding his shot glass and pointing with the same hand at Brandy, if that is her real name. "Yeah," Eric says intrigued. "Just turned eighteen," Todd says, full of pride. "Snagged her at my cousin's graduation. They're friends and we got into a conversation about their plans for the future." He laughs as he pulls out shot glasses in for another round. "The s**t wanted to go into Marine Biology. I told her she should take a year off and save up. Gave her my card, and the spiraling self confidence of a young adult did the rest." he says, sliding our glasses back to us. I let mine sit for a moment. I already feel a buzz. "Damn, Todd," Eric exclaims, slapping his knee, "Gettin' them young, aren't you?" "Well, I mean, come on, man," Todd says, putting off an innocent shrug, "The younger they are, the more flexible."

Ally makes her way behind the bar and bumps Todd to the side with her boney hip. "Move over, slacker," she lays with a giggle, "This is my domain now." Todd throws his hands up in the air, with a "don't shoot me" face. He throws his hand down on her shoulders and gives her a little rub, "Don't you worry, doll," Todd says leaning in with a faint whisper to Ally's ear, "I'm going to give you the world." Ally smiles and lets out an over exaggerated sigh, "Todd, will you get the hell out of here, you f****r!" She laughs and shoves him away. "Alright, alright." He says, slumping his body, drenched in a sarcastic fail to woo her. "You guys be good, alright?" He points at us with his middle finger. A goodbye we share. Flipping each other off as one leaves the room. The turns his point towards the sky and walks away.

"Bar Wench!" Eric yells to Ally. He swings his arm around me and pulls me close, almost off my chair. "Another shot for me," He looks at me and grabs my face, "and my fellow alcoholic!" "How much has Todd given you already?" I push Eric away and drum my hands on the table for a second as I think, "Um, two, maybe three." "Four, five, six, Ally sucks dicks!" Ally stops pouring Eric his drink, looks up, and glares. "Just for that, you just lost a round. Syd here, on the other hand." She says and slides me my favorite, Gentlemen Jack on the rocks. I grab it and cheers to Eric with a slight tilt of the glass. "To you, dumb a*s." Ally and I smile and throw our shots back together. "F**k you guys!" Eric throws his hand in the air, jumps off the stool, and stumbles off to Brandy's stage.

Ally leans in towards me across the bar. She doesn't have much, but when she leans like this, man, what a rack. "How have you been, Syd?" she asks. The spins her ring around her finger. Again and again. Her grandmother's who she had grown up with. One thing we have always shared, no mothers or father's day. We got drunk this past one. "I've been good, love." I say, dropping my cheek to my hand. I tilt my smile and ask, "How about you? Todd getting on your nerves yet?" She scaughs and looks away, "Todd has always gotten on my nerves, but..." She looks up with a weak wince, "he just has something." He sure does: drugs, sex, connections, money. 

"I'm guessing that "something", Eric doesn't have?" I ask. She stretches her neck over to see past my shoulders. I turn to take a look as well. Eric on the other end of the room, inches away from Brandy's breasts, gawking. "Yeah," she says, sounding as anyone typically would before they break unsettling news, "Eric is....." she pauses and searches for the correct word. "Eric is a little overwhelming." This makes complete sense on why she is turned off by him. Eric tends to have this strong energy, no matter what situation. With a combination of ADHD, cocaine, and adderall on a daily basis, he's a bit of a loose canon. You can't bring him around just anyone. His pupils stay enlarged, fingers always fidgeting, and they guy is the center of every conversation. He means well, but that idea doesn't seem to get across to most. 

"I can see what you mean." I nod as I turn back towards Ally. "But, who the f**k cares, right?" she says, shaking her head back to the moment and perking her voice back up, "That's none of my concern anyways. He has been screwing Natalia for weeks now as it is." I shrug my shoulders to her accurate observation. Ally looks down the bar and spots a few patrons, hanging their heads over their crossed arms, taking a load off after a long day of mindless and purposeless work. This town could completely shut down, and the country would probably be better off. It's just small time factories, broken schools, and barber shops. No contribution but to the state rehabilitation centers. 

Ally heads down the bar to the men in an apparent desperate need for a drink. Before the coaster she tosses in front of them hits the glazed oak bar, one man coughs and growls, "Whiskey. Double." Ally simply nods and turns to the bottles. What a gracious environment, so full of life and hope. I laugh to myself as I rub my temples. This place makes me think to much. It has never felt right being here, but there is no place else to go. To be honest, I don't even know what is out there. I've studied the maps in high school, know all the states and capitals. But, what is really out there? Surly not every town is strip clubs and crank. It can't just be broken dreams and a circle of f**k buddies, where everyone has been in contact. Everybody has manipulated their way into others' minds, leaving not one person pure to whom they were originally. We are all the same, yet insist on being unique. No new ideas have broken through the mountains on the edge of town in a long time. It's been years since something has happened. Last thing I remember was Louis and Sarah, quite the Romeo and Juliet story.

They both held reputations so far apart on the spectrum, no one saw it coming. Louis was my first dealer coming into this town. Eric and I would hang out at his house and play old video games al the time. Sarah moved in with Louis after her parents kicked her out for getting pregnant. She was class president our senior year, and had a lot going. She managed to stay up late working on scholarship essays and extra credit work by getting close to Louis and his stash. Eric and I were headed over to Louis's house when we saw the lights. Police, fire trucks, and ambulance crowded the scene. Sarah had overdosed about 7 months into her pregnancy. They say Louis found her and called 911. Before anyone had arrived, he shot him self in the bathroom. I'm sure the idea of losing the love of your life and your unborn child could get you to that point. During the next few weeks, everyone had their own opinions on the event. Those close to him claimed that if Louis had never met the s**t, he never would have offed himself. Others say it was Louis' fault from the beginning. He couldn't keep his "demon" hands to himself. At least thats what I heard in aisles at the grocery store, behind the counter at tobacco shops, and in stoned circles of friends. 

After a while, everything calmed. Louis' parents remained at home as much as possible. Ashamed to show their face after all the talk about their negligence, and disregard towards what was going on under their roof. 

Reviews

[Jo Billygoat]

My pion observation is that of a day in the life of a folks living in the dread of blue collar town -- more specifically, a day of a young adults. A good read to gather perspective of young adults in this day and age. Also felt like was about 2-3 chapters into a book. Curious about what transpired before and pondered what may have happened later. Both great qualities to have on a script. Keep up the good work.

[Brooke]

I love this! Your introduction to the characters was well done! Also, your references and use of slang were excellently placed and relatable! (I used to watch Boy Meets World all the time and I loved your Corey Matthews reference!)

The only think I thought could be improved is the placement of the dialogue. I feel like each piece of dialogue should have started on a separate line from the rest of the paragraph. It made the story a little difficult to read as I tried to distinguish between what was said and what was thought.

Other than that, I have no complaints! I'm excited to read the next part!...Oh and what would you call this story? 'Dope Minds?'

[hi]

well you seem to show the darker side of the world, and i admit it is different to read story about drugs and bars and stuff, mostly i myself never did much of that so that why i see it different

but i will point out two things,

one i think the story is a good start and flows really nice

but i think you kind of put to many characters in one short chapter, i had trouble keeping up with them but maybe iam just slow

[Asante]

This has strong potential! This is definitely something I'd continue reading further, having gripped me from the onset. Keep at it!

[sultrypoet80]

Yes I very much enjoyed it and would like to read more, Had me hooked from the begining.

Very discriptive

[Angierosey]

Keep writing...I want to read more.

[Lorry]

Yeah, can definitely see possibilities with this. Already, in such a short space you have pretty much filled in the reader to the characters, or maybe intentionally so, leaving some surprises for later in the show :)
. Let me know when you add to it and I'll be happy to review it.