“The weekend has begun! I wish I didn’t have class tomorrow,” Jade takes a drag from the second joint in rotation. Exhaling, “Macro Economics can suck a… Kugh hugh kuh, fat sack.”
“Tomorrow is Thursday, we have Anthro 101,” Erik reminds him from across the six-person circle.
“Whatever, class is class they all suck. Are we gonna do Acid or what?” The group nods, “Tiff you’re our sober buddy tonight right?” Jade asks as he sends the third joint into rotation.
Taking a hit, holding, exhaling, “If by sober you mean bud only then sure,” she passes to left.
Rummaging through his bag of treats, Jade stops and pulls out a vile with a dropper lid, “Tongues out ladies and gents.” Everyone receives their drop of sunshine, except Tiffany and Jade who thought it a good idea to pour half of the refilled dropper down his throat. No comments were made.
Thirty-five minutes of high-versation go by. Tiff and Jordan played Mario Kart. Erik watching from behind them starts miming driving a kart, “I’m Toad!” Leaning into the turns, throwing imaginary shells. This was some strong Acid.
Jade begins to examine the wall muttering, “How can the wall be so wall-y?”
“Because it’s a wall Babe,” responds Tiff as she crossed the finish line in first.
“But, but, but… ok. But this chair, how is it so chair like? This simulation is so really real. How does it feel so fuzzy? Like, moose, not mouse, I mean, mink! We don’t have a mink chair! They got that wrong.”
Simon as he stares at Lizzie the lizard, “Who? Who is they? Are the lizards they?”
“Not the, LIZzz-ards! The mechanical overlords,” Erik adds while driving through the track selection screen.
“Is this reality? Like real reality? Real-al-lity?” Pondered Nicole.
“Yes, this is reality. A fucked reality, but it is really real,” Tiff throws out while waiting for the next race to begin.
Looking out the seven-foot-tall windows across the city halfway up a 52-floor building, “This isn’t real we’ll wake up soon and understand this was all a lie.”
“Get away from there Babe. Come sit with me on the couch.”
Defiantly, “How do I know the couch is real?”
Sarcastically, “You won’t until you sit,” as she falls off Rainbow Road.
“Oh No! I’m falling!” Shouts Erik fixated on the screen.
Jordan laughs so hard she stumbles knocking the lit candle off the bookshelf, spilling wax over the corner of the TV, the Wii, and power strip, “Oh shit where did the fire go?”
“Damn it Jordan! The fire is gone, but the wax mess you made is here,” as Tiff gets up to unplug the strip before it shorts.
“It’s Cold,” announced Simon through chattering teeth
Tiff looks across the room to find Jade standing in the open window looking directly at her, “I’ll prove to you that this isn’t real.” He crosses his arms and throws his head back before any could react. Tiff gets to the window in time to see Jade hit the pavement below. A red splatter was all she could see under the streetlights, all that was left of the man she loves. Staggering back from the window the room begins to spin. Consumed by grief and shock her body goes limp.
Sunlight shining in her eyes, Tiff rolls over to find Jade in their bed. Brushing the hair from her face, “I told you it wasn’t real.”
Danton Lamar & Werd Ent. 