Adam by Ariel Schrag Page B

Francisco.”
    Ethan finished his hit and walked the pipe over to Boy Casey. Boy Casey took a hit and handed it to Casey.
    â€œNo thanks,” said Casey, waving her hand, and Boy Casey casually passed the pipe back to Jimmy.
What the hell?
Adam didn’t know you were allowed to pass. And he couldn’t just pass the next time it came around because that would show he’d changed his mind, was weak. He had to commit to getting high now.
    â€œLodi Dodi, I likes me a shawty, titties D to the double, gettin’ crackas in trouble . . .”
Jimmy bobbed his head up and down as he rapped.
    June passed the pipe back to Adam. Maybe he could get so high, he’d forget he was high. He took a big inhale.
    â€œIsn’t Piedmont kind of rich?” said Schuyler.
    â€œIt’s near Oakland,” said Casey.
    Why didn’t Casey want people to know they were rich? At EBP, the richer you were, the cooler you were . . . Isn’t that how it works? Adam glanced over at June. For the first time, he tried to imagine what she would look like normal—with long girl-hair and without the bull nose ring. She might not actually be that ugly. He looked around the circle of people and imagined that everyone, including himself, had a shaved head and a bull nose ring. Like they were all in a creepy cult. The weed was a special potion. Soon they would all enter a collective consciousness like the future human-robots in the movie
A.I.
June’s thoughts would be Jimmy’s thoughts; Casey’s thoughts would be Ethan’s thoughts. Adam’s nose would itch, and Boy Casey would scratch his own nose.
    Adam scratched his nose. Was everyone staring at him? No. A conversation was going on. A conversation about . . .
    â€œI like her,” said Schuyler. “I mean, she’s hot. But I don’t know if I wanna date a femme right now. I feel like she’ll push me to be trans, and I just wanna stay genderqueer for a while. I don’t know, maybe I’ll fuck her.”
    â€œWhat about Sailor?” said Boy Casey. “I think ze has a crush on you. I bet ze’ll be there tonight.”
    â€œZe’s all right. I just feel like I could kind of do better than hir.”
    â€œI met hir. Ze’s kinda annoying . . .” said Casey. “Roxanne was dating hir and said all ze ever did was talk about hirself.”
    â€œZe and I just go way back . . .” said Boy Casey.
    â€œWho’s Zee?” said Adam.
    Boy Casey, Schuyler, and Jimmy all laughed.
    â€œThere’s no ‘Zee,’” said Casey. “Hir name is Sailor, and ze uses the pronouns
ze
and
hir.
”
    Adam started to open his mouth, but Schuyler cut him off.
    â€œI go by
ze
too.”
    Adam looked up at Ethan to see if he was getting all this. Ethan looked totally out of it. He was just staring into his lap, not paying attention at all.
    Boy Casey continued, “Ze’ll be there tonight. If you want, I can ask hir what’s up. I’ll be casual about it—”
    â€œCan we change the song?” said Ethan. He was still staring into his lap.
    â€œYou don’t like Neutral Milk Hotel?” said Schuyler.
    â€œI love them,” said Ethan.
    â€œHey, pack that bowl again, Jimmy,” said Boy Casey. “I don’t feel high at all.”
    Adam had never felt more high in his life.
    Ethan was speaking really soft. “It just . . . reminds me of my ex. Can you please switch it?”
    Schuyler cocked her head at Jimmy. Jimmy picked up the remote and the song changed.
    â€œDude, I feel you on that,” said Schuyler.
    â€œWord,” said Boy Casey.
    â€œNo. It’s different,” said Ethan, looking up. His eyes were bloodshot. “It’s not that I can’t listen to it because it reminds me of her. I can’t listen to it because I save it.” His eyes fell back to his lap. “I don’t want to ruin it. I