Junkie Piece of Shit

Man, I get tired of waiting in front of Anthony’s house every morning for him to come out when I know God damn well he’s probably doing heroin in there. He hangs out with that no-good uncle of his, that’s the problem. And his uncle throws some good-ass coke parties, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t know how you could still be shoving that stuff up your nose when you’re in your mid-fifties and you’re married with a kid.

I told Anthony to watch out. I mean we’re still in our twenties, man. Why the fuck are we gonna be throwing our lives down the toilet on some god damn stupid substance? But Anthony’s all about sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, so there’s no talking sense into him.

When Anthony answered the door, his eyes were pitch-black. I came into the house. His mom was in the kitchen, wearing a bathrobe.

“You want some coffee?” she asked, lighting a cigarette.

“No thanks, Ms. Maserati.”

She took her cup of coffee and went upstairs.

“Are you on something, man?” I asked.

“No, man. I’m tired of you grilling me like you’re a cop.”

“A cop? I’m your friend, Anthony.”

“You’re not my friend.”

“The fuck you mean, man? We’ve known each other since elementary school.”

#

We drank our slurpees from 7-Eleven in my car.

“How’s work?” asked Anthony.

“Same shit, different day,” I said, lighting a cigarette.

“You still taking classes?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s your major again?”

“Economics.”

“Why’d you major in that?”

“I dunno.”

I watched an old couple cross the street.

“You ever think about how your life would’ve turned out?” I asked. “You know, if you weren’t a junkie?”

“What’d you call me?”

“You heard me.”

“If you got a problem with the way I’m living my life—”

“You don’t have a problem with it?”

“When I think about what my life was like before the drugs, it was no better. That’s just how I see it.”

I turned on the music. A girl carrying an umbrella crossed the street.

BIO: Dmitriy Kogan’s work has been in Hobart, Literary Yard, Farewell Transmission, Some Words, and The Gorko Gazette. He edits serious-lit.

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