to awaken.
“What are you slapping me for? I’m here.” Riley licked his dry lips
and swallowed to moisten his pasty mouth. “Hey, Bro, how long have
you been sitting there? I was getting a little rest.” He stretched
his back. His face contorted as he attempted to move. “Oh damn,
that still hurts.”
“Hurt your back?” Cooper asked.
“I blew it out burying Vinnie last night. I
broke the shovel and had to dig with the spade. I’m dying.” Riley
reached for the seat lever. “Help me, will you?”
“What do you need help with?”
“My back, jerkoff. I can’t sit up. I’ll pull
the lever, and you let the seat up slowly, just a little at a time.
I drove here with the seat almost all the way down.”
“You’re a mess,” Cooper said as he put his
hand on the top of the driver’s seat. “Okay, I’m holding it down.
Let it up.”
“Slow, got it? Don’t jerk it.”
“No problem.”
Riley released the seat. Cooper let it up
slowly, but not slowly enough, Riley winced as his back
straightened. “Christ that hurts,” he said. He grabbed a half-empty
can of Miller from the cup holder and took a gulp. He belched.
Cooper shielded his face with his hand.
“Dude, your breath smells like old socks.” He reached into his
pocket and handed Riley a plastic bag filled with heroin
packets.
Riley grabbed the bag. He snorted several
times to clear his nose and began to count the packets. “What the
hell is this? Where’s the rest?” He turned to Cooper; his
expression at once reflected his dissatisfaction.
“That’s all I have for now.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m not kidding; that’s all I have.”
“Hey,” Riley said as he pointed a menacing
finger at Cooper’s face. “I said, you’re kidding, right? You think
I lugged a corpse through the rain and dug a grave for this? This
is bullshit.”
“Hey, calm down, all right. I’ll have more by
the end of the week.”
“And what am I supposed to do until then,
huh?”
“Shit, Shawn, stretch it out. I mean how much
do you use?”
“What do you care how much I use? I told you
how much I needed, and that’s what I expected to get. Is this some
kind of game? I’m not messing with you. I need my shit.”
“Look, man, I said it’s coming. Deal, okay? ” He reached into his other pocket. “Take this if you
run short.” He handed him a prescription bottle.
Riley took the bottle from Cooper and
examined the label. “What the hell is this?”
“Hillbilly heroin.”
“Oxy? Get the hell out of here. What am I
supposed to do with this?”
“Look, it’s the same stuff. It’ll keep you
going.”
“Like I’m gonna shoot this crap; are you
kidding? Do you know how dangerous it is?”
“Don’t be such a drama queen, Shawn. You used
to be the man , now you act like a real pussy. You’re afraid
to shoot it, don’t shoot it. Lot’s of ways to skin a cat.”
“Hey, you’re a douche, you know that. This is
the stuff I got hooked on in the first place. You know you don’t
get a rush unless you mainline.”
“So don’t mainline, don’t get a rush. I’m
doing you a favor. You don’t want it? Give it back. I gave it to
you as an insurance policy to hold you until we get some fresh
goods.” He took the bottle out of Riley’s hand. “I ain’t your damn
nursemaid, Shawn. I’m just trying to help you out. We used to be
friends.”
The windows were completely opaque. “Leave it
and get the hell out of here,” Riley said. “And you call me the
minute you get more.”
“No problem,” Cooper said as he opened the
door. “Have a nice life.”
“Yeah, screw you, and you tell the boss I
ain’t happy.”
“Oh yes sir. I absolutely will,” Cooper said
sarcastically. “Like he gives a damn if you’re happy or not. Are
you kidding, Shawn? What happened to you? Do you realize how
pathetic you sound? You’re a junkie, cleaning up messes and digging
graves at the beach. What do you think, that you’re the
“What are you slapping me for? I’m here.” Riley licked his dry lips
and swallowed to moisten his pasty mouth. “Hey, Bro, how long have
you been sitting there? I was getting a little rest.” He stretched
his back. His face contorted as he attempted to move. “Oh damn,
that still hurts.”
“Hurt your back?” Cooper asked.
“I blew it out burying Vinnie last night. I
broke the shovel and had to dig with the spade. I’m dying.” Riley
reached for the seat lever. “Help me, will you?”
“What do you need help with?”
“My back, jerkoff. I can’t sit up. I’ll pull
the lever, and you let the seat up slowly, just a little at a time.
I drove here with the seat almost all the way down.”
“You’re a mess,” Cooper said as he put his
hand on the top of the driver’s seat. “Okay, I’m holding it down.
Let it up.”
“Slow, got it? Don’t jerk it.”
“No problem.”
Riley released the seat. Cooper let it up
slowly, but not slowly enough, Riley winced as his back
straightened. “Christ that hurts,” he said. He grabbed a half-empty
can of Miller from the cup holder and took a gulp. He belched.
Cooper shielded his face with his hand.
“Dude, your breath smells like old socks.” He reached into his
pocket and handed Riley a plastic bag filled with heroin
packets.
Riley grabbed the bag. He snorted several
times to clear his nose and began to count the packets. “What the
hell is this? Where’s the rest?” He turned to Cooper; his
expression at once reflected his dissatisfaction.
“That’s all I have for now.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m not kidding; that’s all I have.”
“Hey,” Riley said as he pointed a menacing
finger at Cooper’s face. “I said, you’re kidding, right? You think
I lugged a corpse through the rain and dug a grave for this? This
is bullshit.”
“Hey, calm down, all right. I’ll have more by
the end of the week.”
“And what am I supposed to do until then,
huh?”
“Shit, Shawn, stretch it out. I mean how much
do you use?”
“What do you care how much I use? I told you
how much I needed, and that’s what I expected to get. Is this some
kind of game? I’m not messing with you. I need my shit.”
“Look, man, I said it’s coming. Deal, okay? ” He reached into his other pocket. “Take this if you
run short.” He handed him a prescription bottle.
Riley took the bottle from Cooper and
examined the label. “What the hell is this?”
“Hillbilly heroin.”
“Oxy? Get the hell out of here. What am I
supposed to do with this?”
“Look, it’s the same stuff. It’ll keep you
going.”
“Like I’m gonna shoot this crap; are you
kidding? Do you know how dangerous it is?”
“Don’t be such a drama queen, Shawn. You used
to be the man , now you act like a real pussy. You’re afraid
to shoot it, don’t shoot it. Lot’s of ways to skin a cat.”
“Hey, you’re a douche, you know that. This is
the stuff I got hooked on in the first place. You know you don’t
get a rush unless you mainline.”
“So don’t mainline, don’t get a rush. I’m
doing you a favor. You don’t want it? Give it back. I gave it to
you as an insurance policy to hold you until we get some fresh
goods.” He took the bottle out of Riley’s hand. “I ain’t your damn
nursemaid, Shawn. I’m just trying to help you out. We used to be
friends.”
The windows were completely opaque. “Leave it
and get the hell out of here,” Riley said. “And you call me the
minute you get more.”
“No problem,” Cooper said as he opened the
door. “Have a nice life.”
“Yeah, screw you, and you tell the boss I
ain’t happy.”
“Oh yes sir. I absolutely will,” Cooper said
sarcastically. “Like he gives a damn if you’re happy or not. Are
you kidding, Shawn? What happened to you? Do you realize how
pathetic you sound? You’re a junkie, cleaning up messes and digging
graves at the beach. What do you think, that you’re the
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