Part VIII: Collapse, Year -1

Part VIII: Collapse

Year -1

Zakk/Brian

“S**t, that’s two meth labs busted already! What the hell? We’re next if we don’t be careful.” Brian says.
“Yeah, this section of the city is getting too hot, we’re gonna have to relocate.” Says Zakk.
“Yeah, I’ve been looking for an apartment in the Middle section of the city, I was planning on going somewhere close to the border so we can stay close to the boss, but not too close. Our mules are going to have further to travel, I just hope they don’t demand more cause of it.”
“Why don’t we go to the Upper section? The people there are richer.”
“Nah, man. That’s Big Don’s territory, you don’t wanna mess with Don, he’ll shoot you in the head right there for even asking for some of his turf.”
“Damn, you’re right. But I’ve got another question, what are we gonna do about Sydd and Rob?”
“Good question, we’re gonna need them to go.” Zakk goes looking for and finds Rob smoking a pipe with crack.
“Yo Rob.”
“What’s up, Zakk?” Rob asks.
“Why don’t you live with your parents anymore?”
“I f*****g hate them, I wish they were dead so I could collect the life insurance, I’d get the car, the house… why?”
“Oh, this is too perfect.” Zakk says to himself. “Remember the time that guy owed me a couple g’s and change?”
“Yeah, that was messed up, I wish I could pull it off like you did.”
“You can’t, but I could help you, just follow my instructions precisely and you could be richer. This is kinda short notice, but you and Sydd need to get out of here a.s.a.p.”
“But we’ve got nowhere to go.”
“I think we can help each other out…” About fifteen minutes later, Zakk goes back into the living room to join Brian. “Well, I solved the Sydd and Rob problem. I taught Rob a few tricks, he catches on quickly.”
“You didn’t!” Brian says.
“I did, we’ll see how fast he pulls it off. Oh, he’s gonna need Smithy.” He opens a closet and takes a medium sized box out and opens it. He takes out a pistol and makes his way toward the basement.
“Woah, hold on dude! Why don’t we just toss them on the street like normal people?”
“Because I like when people die.” He puts on a maniacal smile and heads to Rob’s room. He comes back up a few minutes later.
“You’ve gone insane, Zakk.”
“B***h, you always knew I liked whenever someone died.”
“But you’ve only killed three people.”
“That you know of.”
“What?”
“I’ve killed seven.”
“What the f**k? Dude, I’m out, you’re on your own.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m out of the game. It’s getting way too hot and I don’t want to go to jail either, but I don’t want to kill myself over it. I’m quitting while I’m ahead. Please, just let me take my half and I’ll leave you alone forever. I can’t take living like this anymore. I’m stressed the hell out.”
“But you’re the smart one, I’m the muscle.”
“I can’t, you’re out of control.”
“Actually, I have total control. I haven’t killed YOU yet, have I?”
“Well, no…”
“So this is how it is?”
“I’m sorry man. You asked me what I would do with my life, well here it is. I’m quitting before we get busted. I can’t handle this anymore. You can die if you want to, but I’m going to try for a normal life.”
“I respect that. You have 48 hours to disappear.”
“Yeah, yeah, 48 hours, I know, I know.” He steps out of the house and runs straight into Janis. “Oh, hey sorry about that, I got a lot on my mind… wait, aren’t you Sydd’s girl?”
“Is that what he’s been telling everyone? Gross! I think the drugs fried his brain, no I’m his cousin. I’m single in case you were asking.” she says.

Brian/Janis

“I wasn’t asking, but that’s good to know, walk with me, talk with me.”
“Okay.” She holds his hand and they start walking down the street. “So, how do you know Sydd?”
“Oh, I uh, live with his drug dealer.” He says sheepishly.
“Oh, so you sell drugs too…”
“No, actually, I’m out of the game now, I’m moving to a new place, but I haven’t found it yet.”
“You can stay with me until you find a place of your own.”
“Thanks, uh, Janis is it?”
“Yeah. You’re welcome.”
“I uh, have to get everything out of the house first. I have two days to do it.”
“Do you have a lot of stuff?”
“Not really, most of it belongs to Zakk.”
“So what are you so worried about?”
“Nothin. C’mon, let’s go back to your place.” They reach Janis’ apartment and head inside. “Nice place ya got here.”
“Wanna see the bedroom?”
“Hell yeah!” She grabs him by the collar of his shirt and yanks him inside. After a couple hours of sex, they’re lying in bed. “Are you like this all of the time?”
“Oh, I’m constantly hot.”
“I’m gonna be honest with you, I’m having trouble keeping up.”
“I can tell.”
“Oh, I-I didn’t mean-“
“No, it’s ok, you just gotta get used to it.”
“So, how long before I can bring stuff over?”
“You can start today, tomorrow, whenever you feel like it, just make sure Sydd doesn’t catch you.”
“Why?”
“He’s overprotective of me even though I’m old enough to screw or date anyone I want.”
“Ah, I see.”
“So when you’re not around, I’ll let you know when he leaves. You guys will never cross paths and he won’t know.”
“Now go, he’s on his way. Speak of the devil.”
“Seriously?”
“Go! Go!” Brian gets dressed and leaves within five minutes. Fifteen minutes later, Sydd shows up at the apartment.
“Hey baby!” Sydd says, obviously high.

Janis/Sydd

“Hey Sydd.” She says unenthused.
“So… I was thinking that maybe we could have some fun time.”
“You wanna screw?”
“Duh!”
“I guess.” They go into the bedroom and start to undress. While they are undressing, Janis is on her phone, texting Brian.
“I wish you weren’t on your phone so much, it worries me a little.”
“What’s your problem? So I have a lot of friends, so what?”
“I just feel like I’m not getting any attention from you at all. Here we are, half naked, you’re on your phone, I’m trying to get a mood started, and you haven’t looked at me for longer than five minutes since I got here.”
“You want to talk about attention?? You’re the one who’s high every waking moment of your life. The drugs mean more to you than I do. Sometimes I feel like you’re just going out with me just so you can have sex with me. That’s all we do when you come over anyway.”
“That’s bullshit, didn’t I take you out to dinner?”
“Yeah, that was when we were first dating, it’s been a little over a year now!”
“Can’t we just go on and do it?”
“No, I’m not in the mood anymore.”
“What the hell?”
“Because. Another thing, why do you suddenly care? You’re constantly on drugs and never make any sense.”
“I don’t know! F**k!”
“So once in awhile you can be able to talk to people and make sense?”
“I’m not as bad a person as everyone makes me out to be!”
“But that’s all we see, Sydd. You’re usually a living monster! Everyone’s starting to hate you!”
“I- sometimes it’s not me that everyone sees. I still have blackouts… Zakk told me the drugs would help but… I can’t see…” He screams loudly and his eyes roll back in his head and refocus.
“What’s happening to you??” Sydd heads toward Janis and puts his hands around her neck and uses his thumbs to press on her esophagus. She grabs his arms, trying to pull them off, but with no luck. As she is starting to pass out, she gives him a swift kick to the testicles which breaks his grip. She catches her breath and punches him in the face. He snaps back into reality at that moment. “Get the f**k out of my house, f****r! Until you stop being violent, get out!”
“But I-“

Sydd/Rob

“Now, Sydd!”
“Fine, f**k you b***h! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean tha-“
“NOW!” He leaves the apartment and slams the door on his way out. He heads back home and heads towards his room. As he’s passing Rob’s room, Rob stops him.
“Yo Sydd.” Rob says.
“What? Hold on.” He goes into his room, snorts two pills, a bag of heroin, and smokes a pipe of crack. He stumbles back into Rob’s room. “Wha’d ya wan’?”
“Zakk gave me some bad news, we gotta move out.”
“Damn, I got nowhere to go!”
“It’s alright, we’ll just move back into my old house.”
“No, you’re house is disgusting, plus, I don’t wanna hear your parents’ alcohol fueled drugged out fights.”
“Remember when Zakk swore you to secrecy? Now it’s my turn. You’re my best friend, right? Or supposed to be, I’m not sure anymore.”
“No, yeah, of course we’re best friends, we’re bros, we’ve been through all this s**t together, what’s up?”
“I’m about to come into some money, I’m taking my parents’ house and making it mine, and then I’ll use the money to fix it, I’ll hire some people and the car will be mine, I’m so excited right now I can’t handle it.”
“So, how do you plan to do this?” Rob pulls Zakk’s gun out of his nightstand drawer.
“Zakk gave me a going away present.”
“Dude, what are you planning to do?”
“You’ll see. By talking to me right now, you can’t back out no matter what we do, you have no choice.” He c***s the gun. “Let’s go.”
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Good, then you’re on the right track.” They leave the house and head towards Rob’s house. They reach the house and Rob opens up the garage. He takes an aluminum baseball bat and makes his way into the living room. He sees his mom sleeping spread eagled naked on the floor facedown among empty liquor and beer bottles with a quarter bottle of rum in her hand, slowly spilling onto a large wet spot on the rug. He goes upstairs with Sydd following him and he goes into his parents’ room where his dad is fully clothed, asleep on the bed with a little bit of cocaine still around his nose. Rob takes the bat and bashes his father’s head until he’s unconscious rather than asleep. He takes a piece of duct tape and tapes the hole on the back of his head and writes an ‘x’ on the tape. He rinses the bat in the tub and scrubs it with rubbing alcohol.
“Dude, you’re f*****g beyond insane. You’re killing your parents? You’re not going to get away with it.”
“Yeah I will. Zakk told me how, he should know.”
“I-I want no part of this.”
“Fine, I’ll do it all myself, or maybe Carmella will help me. Either way, you can’t say s**t because you’ll be living with me, so if you do, you’ll find a bullet in your head. I already told you were involved when you started to talk to me. You have nowhere to go, you have no choice.”
“Alright, I get it, but I’m not gonna be here when it goes down, I don’t think I can handle watching you kill your parents.”
“Come home around… ten-ish, start packing your stuff, keep yourself occupied.”

Rob/Carmella

“I’m out.” Sydd leaves the house and Rob goes downstairs, dragging his father with him and sets him against the couch. He picks up the bat and repeats the process with his mother. He calls up Carmella and she’s over the house within ten minutes.
“What’d ya need me for?” she asks.
“Help me load these into the car if you wanna live with me forever and ever.”
“You killed your parents?”
“Oh, they’re not dead yet, just deep into unconsciousness.” He rolls his mother in a sheet. “I don’t wanna see my mom’s junk.” He opens the trunk of the car and puts both of his parents in and slams it closed. He goes back into the house and cleans up all the blood in his parents’ room and the floor. He grabs the keys off the table and gets in and starts the car. “C’mon, we’re going for a ride.” Carmella sits in the passenger seat and they start driving. They go to the outskirts of the city, and head into the industrial part towards the toxic waste dump. “Good, we have the cover of night.” He pulls both bodies out of the trunk and puts them in a kneeling position. “You made me do this. It’s your fault we’re here, maybe if you gave a s**t, I wouldn’t be so fucked up.”
“Who are you talking to?”
“My parents.”
“But-“
“Yeah, I know they can’t hear me but it still feels good to say out loud. Dear old dad, great example you set for me. When life goes wrong, just give up. Nice, real nice. I think I’m doing you a favor, so you’re welcome. And mom… oh, mommy, the thorn in my side. ‘Hey, guess what? I saw your mom’s tits dude. Nice!’ Do you just come home from work, down a bottle of rum and just pass out? Because no child should ever, EVER see his mom’s junk as much as I have at my age. You’re trash! You’re both F*****G TRASH!! I F*****G HATE YOU BOTH!” He shoots them both in the back of the head and as their faces hit the acidic water, their skin starts to burn off. Rob goes over to the trunk and takes out a pair of pliers and pulls the bullets out of the back of their heads. He kicks them both into the waste, watching their bodies slowly sink. He drops both bullets into the sewer grate and they go back into the car and head back for home.
“I- I can’t believe I just watched you kill your own parents.”
“Say anything and you’ll join them.”
“What? You would kill me too?”
“I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Sydd: ‘You’re in this until the end.’”
“I-I-ok.”
“That’s what I thought, now welcome home.”
“But I can’t live with you.”
“Why not?”
“My mother.”
“So?”
“Can you take care of her too?”
“Not my deal.”
“But I can’t move in with you until I’m eighteen.”
“So what? Move in now, you’re close enough.”
“But my stuff-“
“Just slowly bring it over during the day while your mom’s at work. I’ll help you since you helped me. After all, you’re my baby girl.”
“Aw, I love you so much, Robbie!”
“I love you too, babe.” They arrive at the house with Sydd waiting outside with two garbage bags full of clothes.
“What’s he doing here?”
“Yeah, he’s gonna live with us for a while, remember, he’s in on it too.”
“Ok, well, tomorrow I have to go to school.”
“What? You’ve only been to school like, a total of three weeks this year.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna officially drop out.”
“See you tomorrow then, babe. I love you.”
“I love you too.”

Carmella/Charlotte

The next day, Carmella gets on the bus and sits by herself. She gets to the school and makes her way to clean out her locker and Charlotte approaches her. “So, haven’t seen much of you this year.” Charlotte says.
“Hi Charlotte.”
“Are you high yet?”
“Nope. Not yet.”
“Good, then you’ll understand what I have to say.”
“Make it quick.”
“I just wanted to say that I miss you, you’re never around anymore. We used to be best friends, but not anymore. Now you’re just the shell of the friend I used to know.”
“That’s cool.”
“That’s all you have to say?”
“Yeah, that’s it, I gotta go home to Robbie soon.” She uncovers a removable panel in her locker and takes out random paraphernalia and puts them in her bag. She slams the locker. “Anything else?”
“I just-I just wish you were my friend again.”
“Maybe someday. Right now, I need to get high.”
“I don’t know who you are anymore.”
“That’s cool.”
“Know what? I hate you.” Carmella just turns around and leaves the building. Charlotte drops to the floor and sits down and starts crying. Leon comes out of the classroom and sits next to her.

Charlotte/Leon

“What’s the matter babe?” he asks.
“I just saw Carmella.”
“Yeah, she was on the bus.”
“I hate her.”
“What? She’s your best friend, isn’t she?”
“No, she’s not who I thought she was. C’mon, we’re gonna be late for class.” So, they go to their classes and later, end up at lunch.
“How are you feeling, babe?”
“A little better, why?”
“No, I was just thinking about the whole Carmella thing-“
“Why were you thinking about Carmella?”
“No, I meant the whole thing with you and her.”
“We never had a thing.”
“Yeah you did.”
“No we didn’t! Get these sick fantasies out of your head, it’ll never happen!”
“I wasn’t saying-“
“Oh, so you want to screw Carmella is that it? Crack w****s turn you on, is that it?”
“That’s not what I was referring to at-“
“So, what, you want me and her to have sex while you watch?”
“LISTEN TO ME! I’m only talking about your friendship with her! Nothing else! Why would you bring up something that doesn’t even exist?”
“YOU STARTED IT!” A teacher comes up behind Leon.
“Mr. Xero, Ms. Dixon, if you don’t quiet down, I’ll be forced to separate you two and write you both up, are we clear?” she says.
“Yes Mrs. Reynolds.” They say together. She walks away
“We’ll finish this conversation later.” Charlotte says.
“There’s nothing to finish, there isn’t even an issue.” Leon says.
“Whatever.”
“Are you serious right now?”
“Just, whatever.”
“Wow, I can’t talk to you right now. Don’t even come over today. When you get your head out of your a*s, let me know.” He gets up and sits by Aaron and John. “What’s up?”
“So, she let you out of your cage, huh?” Aaron asks.

Leon/Aaron

“Shut the hell up, dick.”
“Aw, calm down man, I’m just messin’ with ya.”
“I know, I’m just not in the mood right now.”
“How about we talk about something else?”
“Like what?”
“Well, like what we’re gonna do after high school.”
“Look at you, sounding responsible.”
“N***a, we graduate next year.”
“Yeah, yeah we do. I already know what I’m gonna do, I’m going to join the police academy, and be a cop. I’m not turning into my brother.”
“I don’t know what I’m gonna do, I wanna be a deejay, maybe a musician... You should definitely do that with me, we make a great team.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The freestyling and the beat making we did at my house.”
“We’ve only done that a few times though.”
“Yeah, and I put together what we did and made songs out of them, they’re not that long, but it’s good s**t.”
“Maybe in the future, right now, I just want to focus on my career. You should get an actual job just in case.”
“I already help my dad at his garage, he told me I could work full time after I graduate.”
“Good. A job is more important than focusing on stupid s**t like ‘making it big’.”
“N***a, you’re seventeen, you gotta loosen up, you’re too serious.”
“Since my brother disappeared, I’ve taken the role of the oldest brother, I’m sorry if I’m too serious for you, but I have to be the responsible one. The only way I can be successful is if I have a serious paying job, I’m sorry Aaron, maybe someday, but not right now.”
“Alright, alright, I get it. Listen, what are you doing today? Is the wife gonna visit you?”
“I told her not to.”
“Mind if we come over?”
“Sure. Bring tree if you got.”
“What about being responsible?”
“I’m too stressed out right now; I need to relax a little.”
“Alright, I hear ya man.”
“So?”
“So what?”
“Got any?”
“Yeah, yeah, I got ya bro.”
“Sweet, I’ll see ya after school then.”
“Alright man, I’ll catch ya later.” The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch and the start of afternoon classes. They finish up the day and go home. Aaron goes home and changes and grabs his mom’s car keys, telling her he’ll be back. He decides to go pick up John.

Aaron/John

“You’re late.” John says.
“N***a, shut the hell up, there is no late, we’re just going to Leon’s.”
“You said three, it’s ten after.”
“Just get in the car.” John gets into the car. “We gotta pick up first.”
“Where are we gonna get it?”
“Ashley and Suzie.” So they drive a couple of blocks and stop over to the house. They knock and Ashley answers.
“Hi Aaron!” Ashley says.
“What’s going on, baby?”
“Um, girlfriend right here.” Suzie says, looking annoyed.
“Anyway, I got twenty bucks, so hook me up.” She opens a drawer on the coffee table and weighs out and hands it to him and he pays her.
“Ok, you can leave now.” Suzie says.
“Alright, jeez, you don’t hafta be such a b***h.” Aaron says.
“I’m not a b***h, but when someone else refers to my girlfriend as ‘baby’, especially in front of me, I tend to get pissed.”
“Ok, sorry, sorry, I’ll leave.” He leaves the house.
“Haha, she told you.” John says.
“Shut the f**k up.”
“Oh, calm the hell down.”
“Fine, we’re going to hang with Leon anyway, I’ll feel better then.”
“Actually, I can’t stay, I just got a message from this dude who’s gonna buy my Gamestation.”
“Seriously? I thought we were all gonna hang out?”
“Sorry man.”
“Woow, really? That’s fucked up!” John gets out of the car and Aaron drives away. John walks to his house. He waits about five minutes before he hears a knock on the door.
“What’s up, Zakk isn’t it?”

John/Zakk

“Yeah. So you’re John I assume.” Zakk says.
“Yeah, so how much did we agree on?” John asks.
“Not till I see it.” John brings out the video game system.
“It’s in mildly used shape, but it works perfectly. The disc tray sticks a little, but other than that it’s fine. So, I recall that we agreed on fifty dollars for it.”
“Eh, I’ll give ya thirty.”
“Fine, I guess.” He exchanges the console for the money and counts it. “If you ever want to do some business in the future, we don’t live too far from each other.”
“Know what, if you ever get any really good merch, hit me up.”
“How about normal stuff?”
“I don’t care, if you’re selling, I’m buying. I also do credit.”
“Credit?”
“Instead of money, I’ll pay ya in other… stuff.”
“I gotcha, sounds good.”
“You’re seriously up for that?”
“Sure, why not?”
“Then we could be great business partners then. I gotta go, peace.”
“See ya.” He starts to walk away, then calls back to him. “Hold up.”
“What?”
“I’ll uh, take some of that other stuff if you’re talking about what I think you’re talking about.”
“Follow me, I can hook you up with whatever you want.” So, John follows Zakk back to the house. “What are you interested in?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know any of this.”
“How about some cocaine?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.” He snorts it. “Wow!”
“Good, right?”
“Hell yeah!”
“Good.”
“How do I get more?”
“Whoa, slow down there, cowboy. Too much will kill you and you have no tolerance. Tell you what though, you pay me every day and I’ll give you some each time you pay me.”
“What if I don’t have money?”
“I’ll gladly take stuff. I can flip anything pretty quickly.”
“You just got a new regular customer.”
“Eh, so what?”
“So? What?”
“Shut up and do another.”
“Ok.” John does another line.
“How are you doin?”
“I’m great, really great. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I love cocaine.”
“Haha, already?”
“I want more.”
“You know, I could let you, but you’d probably overdose and I can’t have that happening right now, so-“. He hands John a baggie of cocaine. “Got another ten bucks?” John hands it over. “If you’re gonna die, do it in your own house, not mine, ok?” They make the trade and John stands up, shakes his hand, and leaves. “Sucker.”

Moxxie/Sydd sr.

“We have a problem, Sydd.” Moxxie tells her husband one night.
“What?” he asks.
“We can’t have Sydd show up anymore, I don’t want Lance around him, I don’t like what he’s become and Lance doesn’t need someone like that in his life.”
“You wanna leave?”
“Exactly. So I thought of something. We’re going to start looking for another place and leave this one in Leon’s name. We’re going to take the other two with us, but all of this happens after Leon becomes part of the force and has his own income. When Sydd comes back, all he will find is an empty house with only Leon to come home to.”
“Do you think Leon will be okay with this?”
“He won’t have a choice.”
“Are you going to at least tell him?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because… I just can’t.”
“It’s not really fair to Leon.”
“I know, I hope he forgives me.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Me too.”
“Will you at least tell him where we are?”
“As long as his brother doesn’t find out.”
“I agree.”
“Is it bad that we gave up on Sydd?”
“I wouldn’t say we gave up, the way I see it, we’re just waiting for him to make his move. We’ve done all we can, short of calling the cops on him, but jail isn’t a place for a drug addict. He needs to be in a center, getting the help he needs to straighten out his life. He’s broken out every time he had the chance to and you can’t force an addict to get the help they need, they have to want it.”
“But it feels like we’re abandoning him.”
“We’re not, if we were, we wouldn’t take him back if he got clean. He needs to experience reaping what he’s sowing. When he finally gets his brains back in his head, then he could talk to me. I don’t need him influencing the other two. Good thing Leon knows better, which is why we’re leaving him in charge.”
“Yeah, I know. Let’s just hope we know what we’re doing, I don’t think I can handle burying a kid.”