Next to Me by Emily Walker Page A

conversation was bouncing from one subject to another. He took a deep breath. “Do you think she is ever going to get there, Dad? I mean, I love her, we grew up together. I want her to be okay.”
    “Zane, she is going to have to hit her bottom, and only she knows what that looks like.” He put a hand on Zane’s shoulder. Zane saw something shiny and grabbed his dad’s hand. He saw the gaudiest gold ring with a tiger and a snake on it.
    “What the hell is that?” Zane fought the desire to laugh, knowing his shoulders were shaking.
    “Okay, chalk that up to a fashion statement I can’t pull off.” Dustin removed the ring and set it on the counter.
    “How the hell did I not notice that this whole time?” he asked.
    “I slipped it on just now for a reaction. I was trying to have a thing, you know, like a hip thing I do. Without working and just going out for groceries or the post office it is hard to be an individual.” His dad walked over and sat down on the couch.
    Zane’s face softened, and he walked over, sitting in the chair across from his dad. “Let’s find something to be your thing, besides looking like a pimp, okay?”
    Dustin nodded, and they settled in to watch TV until it was time for Zane’s date.

    Whitney was not proud that she had to call Thor to bail her out. She would pay him back somehow. Owing a drug dealer, no matter how nice he is, is not something you really want to do. Today he had on a sleeveless Metallica shirt with holes on the sides and some cargo pants. As soon as they were out of the jail he lit up a cigarette.
    “Thank you, Thor. My parents are done with me at this point. You were the only person I had to call.” Whitney desperately wanted a shower and a pop tart if she had one.
    “No sweat, Whitney, you are my best customer, after all.” They climbed into his modest Toyota Corolla. She assumed Thor would have had a mean looking truck with flames down the side. That’s what she got for assuming.
    “Are you holding, Thor?” Whitney was itching for a fix to make her feel better after the night she had.
    “Wait until we get out of the police’s back yard, will you?” Thor pulled out of the jail parking lot and started toward her place.
    “I don’t have your usual flavor, but I do have some OxyContin. Different buzz, but you will probably like it.” Whitney usually stayed away from pills, but she wanted anything at the moment.
    “I’ll take them.” He pulled out a bag and tossed it in her lap. “For you, since you had a hard night, you can have six of them for free, otherwise you pay. I should have some of your usual tomorrow night if all goes well. I’m supposed to judge a cock fight tomorrow night.”
    “Like chickens?”
    “No, it’s where strippers have giant penis shaped ramming sticks and shove each other off different platforms. You should come, it’s Thursday night. Bring a friend.” Thor pulled out two penis shaped tickets that said simply ‘Cock Fight’ on them and smiled. The address was on the back and was not at a strip club to her surprise, but in a barn. This seemed a bit shady, but when Thor was involved everything did.
    “I might as well. I have nothing better to do.” She dry swallowed the oxy and waited for it to kick in while watching the road rush by outside the window. When they pulled into her driveway she felt like she was floating. All the bad feelings had disappeared and even the guilt was gone. She would have to call those little white wonders her pain erasers. She didn’t even think of all the trouble she had caused Zane. She flipped on the lights and grabbed Duchess up for a slow dance. The cat struggled until she put her down, returning to being a knot on a log.
    Even her rejection couldn’t dampen her spirits, but then she realized Thor was watching her act like a loon and tried to play it off.
    “She was just happy to see me. I thought she might want to dance. Can I fix you a drink?” Whitney sat down on the couch beside