Shared Addictions

By Jacob Gines

Jenna stared at her friend as she lay motionless on the floor. Her breathing was shallow and slow. Her eyes rolled into the back of her skull as she released the needle from her left hand, a belt still wrapped around her right arm. Jenna had just been cooking up her own batch to send coursing through her veins when she noticed her friend had begun to shake. She carefully placed her tools back in the leather pouch she had just purchased to hold her paraphernalia, laying the spoon on the ground so that the heroine didn’t spill and waste. She bent down over her friend and at first didn’t say anything. Sasha’s lips were turning blue, noticeable though she had on her ugly bright red lipstick. Her pupils were barely noticeable as they rolled around, but Jenna could see that they were incredibly tiny. She had not ever seen someone go through an overdose before. It was exciting.

“Sasha?” Jenna said. No response. She looked around at the house. On the coffee table was Sasha’s stash. Jenna eyed it hungrily. Jenna stood and walked to the coffee table. Next to the stash sat Sasha’s house phone. She picked it up and dialed 9-1-1. She did not hit send. She couldn’t do that. She would get in trouble herself. She was at Sasha’s to shoot up heroine. How would she explain that? The two women had their kids just one room over, playing with their Cabbage Patch Kids. Sasha needed a doctor. If she died her daughter would be all alone, but if Sasha was caught with heroine in her system Dana would be taken away anyways.

“Mom?” Jenna’s daughter Felicity said. She stood in the doorway of Dana’s bedroom with her ragged Cabbage Patch Kid.

“Yeah, babe?” Jenna said.

“I’m hungry.”

“Okay, Hun, we are going to leave soon, I think,” Jenna said. Sasha was just out of view of the little girl. She was still, completely silent. Felicity gave a small smile and turned back into Dana’s room. Jenna could smell feces. She bent over Sasha and placed her index and middle fingers against the side of her neck. She felt no beat. She rubbed her palm over her mouth, her lips were incredibly dry. The whole fucking house was dry. Jenna told her that it was some good shit. She fucking told her to take it easy, but the stupid bitch had to act all high and mighty. The Queen of getting high. Nothing gonna drop her down a peg.

If she left with Dana still here, Dana could easily say that they were home with Jenna and Felicity. Jenna had to bring her with her. She made her way into the little girl’s room.

“Hey, girls,” Jenna said. The two 6-year-olds looked up at her. Dana had Sasha eyebrows. Thick and brown. “Dana, your mum said we should go to the park and hang out for a bit.”

“Yeah,” the girls said in unison.

“Get ready and I’ll bring you two,” Jenna said.

“Oh, mommy isn’t goin’ with us?” Dana said.

“No, Hun, she isn’t feeling great,” Jenna said, “You two get all your stuff, I will be at the door.”

The two girls frantically ran around the room to get their shoes and jackets on. Jenna went out to Sasha. She gave her one glance and her gaze went over to the stash on the table. Without even thinking she decided it was hers. She wrapped it all up and put her leather pouch into her purse. She placed her spoon next to Sasha’s body. She picked up the landline and dialed 9-1-1. She muted the phone and put it next to Sasha, then headed to the front door just as the girls came out of their room.

“Let’s go,” Felicity said.

“Yes, let’s,” Jenna said. She opened the door and let the girls run out. She looked back into the house before she just closed the door.