RUSTY, SPOOKY, AND TIM
"So what happened?" Spooky asked.
"I dunno," Rusty said, taking a hit off the joint. "I guess he just got fucked up."
"But he's okay now, right?" Spooky was concerned.
"I guess," Rusty let out a thick cloud of smoke.
"Oh," Spooky said and took the joint back from Rusty. She held the smoke for a minute and let it go. "Drugs will fuck you up," she said, handing Rusty the joint.
"Yeah—but they saved my life."
"Mine, too," Spooky agreed. She watched Rusty finish the last of the roach they were smoking. "Come on," she said when he was done, "Let's get back inside to the store. I don't wanna leave it for too long."
"Okay," Rusty said and followed her out of the alley and back into Church.
"I heard he died, you know," Tim stood inside Spooky's store, Ultra, talking to Spooky and Rusty. It was slow that night at Church. Most of the punks had been out the night before so nobody was out tonight. Tim hadn't been to Church in a while, so he decided to head out and hang.
"What do you mean?" Spooky took a drag from her clove cigarette. Two girls whose hair was died yellow and shaved here and there riffled through the clothing rack in the corner.
"I think he's dead. At least, that's what I heard." Tim was busy looking at the videos Spooky had for sale.
"Who?" Rusty asked.
"At least, that's what I heard," Tim said again. "I think he shot up some bad dope or something?" Tim picked up the new Cure Live concert and scanned the package.
"That's a good show," Spooky said.
"Is it?" Tim asked.
"I didn't like it too much," Rusty said.
Tim set the package back on the shelf. "We should hang out more," Tim said to Spooky. She looked at him for a moment blankly and he smiled. Rusty watched two posers look through the vintage clothing rack in the corner. Without waiting for a response, Tim left Ultra and went back into the club.
That night, after he left Church early, Tim drove down to the river. Across the bay, Canada lit up. On his side of the river, Detroit stretched out endlessly. He threw the end of his cigarette into the water and left. The Oven would be happening this weekend. It was Zodiac 13's first gig in a while and everyone would be there—including Tim.
