Underdose: Chapter One

            "Half a year," I thought as I awoke this morning. A wonderful half year. Merrill and I had had a perfect relationship. Well, perfect enough, anyway. No fights, no real disagreements, enjoyable conversations, and many matching views, these made us the ideal couple. The first couple weeks, a few rumours were flying around about us, but they quickly subsided. And I think I love him.

            We took a walk in my woods, talking for hours on this, our six month anniversary. I had hoped to get high with him, but unfortunately my little plant was sickly at the moment and my main feeder, Natalie, was also sick so I had not been able to visit her in some time. As for Merrill, he didn't have the chance to use as often as I. His parents were slightly more protective. Mine trusted me, which was nice, because I often disappeared into the woods for over five hours with my friends. Or Merrill, and hell, we could be having sex out there. We weren't, no...I figured on waiting until graduation at least.

            "Hey, Adrian," said Merrill to the gray cat who had crossed our path. Adrian glared at him and ran away, as the rude feline was wont to do. "Real sweetie."

            I laughed and pulled him down into a kiss. This curtailed all further discussion fairly effectively. Several hours later, we finally went inside for dinner. I watered my sage plant, anticipating the harvest of its crop. It had been some time since I had tripped on Salvia divinorum, and Merrill had never done it.

            "Hey, love," I said slowly, "do you want to try the salvia? Not now, but soon?"

            "I, well, I want to, but it sort of worries me."

            "I'm not gonna push it. I just figured, since I've got a few leaves ready now, and I would like a sitter."

            "Ah, well yeah, I'll do that. And I'll think about it." He grinned and flopped down on the bed. "Can we get blazed next weekend?"

            "Sure, if Natters is better before then." I laid down on the bed next to him. "So, I was thinking."

            "Not unusual."

            I shoved him playfully. "I was thinking about this dream I had last night."

            "Okay, tell me."

            "You and I were in the woods, well, it didn't look like my woods but it was, and we were gonna get high, but then Mendel--"

            "Band teacher Ms Mendel?"

            "Yeah, her. She came and was all like, 'Whoa, can I smoke with you guys?' and then we walked two feet over to a cliff and I jumped off, thinking I could fly, and so did you, and we were flying, and then we fell and splatted on the ground." I stopped for a breath.

            "Did I die?"

            "Ugh, yes, and I was dead but then I wasn't and I was crying over you and then Connie came along and I definitely broke her neck."

            Merrill burst out laughing. Connie was a girl who led him on and screwed him over shortly before we hooked up. "Okay, my interpretation: Mendel is a buddy, acts young, you like her. You want to fly but the world keeps you down. You're terrified of me dying, and you're protective enough of me to still be upset with Connie."

            "I didn't take it that seriously, I just thought it was funny. Kind of. Except when you died. That was the strangest feeling I've ever had. Just glad I wasn't on DMT."

            "Hey, sweetheart, I might have to leave soon. I said I was gonna be home in the nines."

            "Earlyyyyyyyyyy," I whined.

            "We're seniors! Next year, dorms but we can live together a lot of the time."

            "That makes me happy."

            I walked Merrill out to his car and we parted with a final kiss. It was an amazing relationship, never stressful.

            I was not prepared for what was to be thrust upon me the next day.