Page 37 of Howl for Me
“It’s Johnny. I was wondering if you guys could supply me with some herbal refreshments.”
A pause. Then laughter. “Oh, Johnny. Hey, man. How’s it going?”
“Bored outta my fucking mind. Like… I want to jump out of my own skin.”
Teddy chuckles. “Aw, man. Just chill. We got some stuff for you. You want the usual?”
The usual. Coke. Cassidy’s voice flickers through my head, stern and serious. I promised. I stare at the wall. The itch crawls under my skin like ants. I could just stay home. Keep it quiet. But…
“No, man,” I finally say. “Just some bud.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah,” I mutter, rolling my eyes. “I’m sure.”
“All right. Give us like thirty minutes.”
I hang up and wait. It takes two hours. By the time they knock, I’ve built an entire model car I found shoved in the back of my closet. It's a ‘68 Chevelle, and I even used tweezers for the tiny-ass decals. That’s how far gone I am.
When I open the door, Reggie’s holding a bag and grinning
“Finally,” I say, stepping aside to let them in. “I was about five minutes away from rearranging my sock drawer. Come in,”
They step inside like they’re entering holy ground, eyes scanning the living room. “Nice house, man,” Reggie says, whistling low as he looks around. “Didn’t know you had it like this.”
I shrug, slouching back onto the couch. “Thanks. Have a seat.”
Reggie and Teddy flop down on either side of me, settling in. Reggie hands me a little plastic bag full of bud and I hand him the cash.
“Well, if you need anything else, you know, just give us a call,” Reggie says, already half-standing.
I don’t know why I say it. Maybe because I’m pathetic and lonely. Maybe because I actually like these two. “I’ve got a bong. You guys wanna stay a bit?”
They exchange that slow, stoner smile. “Shit, yeah.”
We light up and zone out, the familiar sounds of Scooby Doo buzzing in the background. I can feel the tension unspool from my chest, slow and lazy, like syrup.
Eventually, Reggie turns to me, eyes a little pink. “So what had you all wigging out earlier? Usually, you’re on the go. Partying. Girls. Blowing cash.”
I sigh, letting my head fall back against the couch. “I agreed to behave.”
Teddy laughs. “Oh man, Hector’s busting your balls again?”
“Him and Cass,” I mutter, dragging the last hit off the bong before setting it down on the coffee table.
“Cassidy,” Reggie grins. “Man, that’s one cool chick. Real down-to-earth. I like her.”
I glance over at him. “Yeah… forgot you’re the reason she works with us now.”
Reggie grins wider. “Yup. Don’t let her fool you, either. She can get wild, bro. We met at a party. She was with Lori, and we got her high for the first time. Next thing you know, she’s dancing like a maniac and laughing so hard she snorted. Shit was hilarious.”
I feel that brief flicker of warmth in my chest again. Pride, maybe. I’ve heard that little snort, too.
“Yeah… she’s really something.”
Teddy lets out a low whistle, all stoner-slow. “Ohhh shit. I saw that look. You got it bad for her, don’t you?”
I scoff. “What? No. She’s basically my babysitter, thanks to Hector.”
