Chapter 12

"Hehe you got some on my foot! Hehe."

I burst into a fit of giggles with Eri and tried to wipe of the nail polish off her foot. We had found a whole bunch of nail polish bottles in the same cupboard as the tampons and I was currently painting Eri's toes orange. Mine were already purple.

"You're bad at this Kags."

"Well look at my toes! They look even worse!"

We laughed some more as I got some on her knee. We had finished off all the Jell-O shots. Well actually Eri had most of them. We were sitting in the large jet-tub and had been in the bathroom for an hour and a half now.

"Eri, maybe I should go find Kai now. He misses me I bet."

"Yeah and maybe I should go and show Yuka and Ayumi my toes!"

"They'll be so jealous."

"Hehe!"

We got out of the tub, with some struggle, and left the bathroom.

"Call me soon okay Eri?"

"Okay Kagome."

And then we went opposite ways. I asked some random guy if he knew where Kai was and he told me to go down to the basement. I hurried down the steps and then went down some more, the ones leading to downstairs. Looking around I saw lots of people. Kind of. It was so smoky downstairs that all I could see was lots of blobs, which looked like people. I heard Kai's voice a little ways away so I fast-walked farther in the basement until I came to a group of people. Some were sitting on the floor or on the couches, but some were also standing. And one of those standing was Kai.

"Hey Ka…"

My voice faded as I noticed what they were all doing. A few bongs were here and there and the smoke was coming from the several joints being passed around. There were even a few kids injecting needles into their skin. And Kai was accepting money from some kid, handing him a baggie of white stuff, and then continuing to suck on his joint.

They were doing drugs.

"Kai?"

I attempted not to fall over as I forced myself to speak. He looked up from counting his money and his eyes went wide for a second or two, a surprised and guilty look to his face. But the expression was quickly replaced with a smile, and he handed his joint to the guy beside him then came over to me.

"Hey baby. Where were you?"

"Uh…with Eri…uh Kai?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

He was lost for words for a minute, but grinned at me like it was nothing.

"We're just having a little fun, baby."

"But you're doing drugs. Drugs are bad!"

"Are you drunk hon?"

"Why are you doing drugs if they're bad Kai?"

"Woah. We don't do bad drugs, Kags."

I was utterly confused. The alcohol in me made it worse.

"Huh?"

"We don't do the bad drugs you hear about. We only do the safe ones."

"B-but isn't pot bad?"

"Pot? Not at all! It relaxes you. It's therapeutic."

I never really discussed drugs with anyone before. I hardly know what kinds are out there. When I we were supposed to learn about them in grade 6, I was on a vacation. The drug teacher couldn't make it for grade 7. In grade 8 they just told us that drugs were bad for you and that we shouldn't take them. And that's all. In high school they expect you to know that stuff already. My mom and my friends tell me about some drugs and what they do to you, but nothing specific. Is there really such thing as good drugs?

"My mom said that pot was bad though."

"Well, no offense to your mother, but she's kind of wrong. She probably said that because in her day it was bad. But recent tests show that it's actually not bad at all. Most drugs aren't, if you take them in small proportions. If you take too much then that's not good."

"Do you take a lot of drugs?"

"Me? Course not. I only have them once and a while."

"Why'd you sell some to that kid?"

"Because he needed some, and I have them."

"He needed some?"

"Yeah. He has a lot of problems at home and when he takes drugs, the pain goes away."

"It makes pain go away? Like medicine?"

"Exactly!"

Kai clapped his hands together and nodded his head.

"Like medicine. And I'm kind of like the doctor, prescribing him to a medicine that'll make him feel better."

"Oh…why do you have so much?"

"I have someone who gives them to me. He's like the supplier for the medicine."

"Kai? Why don't doctors give people drugs when they're in pain?"

He seemed to think about the question before answering.

"Well, doctors don't really know that drugs are good yet."

"Then how do you know they're good?"

He hesitated again, but answered slowly and carefully.

"Because the people that make the drugs took out all the bad stuff and tested them. But they can't tell the doctors because then the doctors will steal the idea and claim it as their own. So the drug makers just don't tell people, unless they're buying it. Do you get it Kags?"

I thought about it all for a minute. It did make sense, really. That might be because of the alcohol too though.

"Yeah…it makes sense."

"So don't you worry you're pretty little head off. No ones getting hurt."

"My friend Yuka has headaches all the time. Can I get drugs for her Kai?"

He paused, then placed his hands on my shoulders.

"Kagome, since you know now about the drugs being good, you cant tell anyone. It has to be a secret."

"Why though?"

"Because, Kagome. If your friends know they might tell other people who might steal the idea of selling good drugs. And there can only be a few people who sell them."

"Like you."

"Right. And people like me who sell them are the only ones who can."

"For money?"

"Yes…that's the main reason we sell them."

"But you have tons of money Kai!"

I proved my point by waving my arms around the room, indicating all the expensive things in it."

"Yes, but I give my money to people who really need it."

"Like charity?"

He smiled and ruffled my hair.

"Like charity. So are you okay with this then Kags?"

I bit my lip and thought about it. Am I okay with this? As long as Kai is okay and no one is getting hurt…

"I'm okay with it."

"Good. And you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Promise!"

He smiled again and leaned down and kissed me lightly.

"You're amazing."

I kissed him again.

"I know!"

"Hey Kai, we're starting a new one. You in?"

Kai looked over his shoulder at the guys talking to him, then he looked back at me.

"Do you want some Kags?"

"Uh, not now. I'm kind of woozy."

"No thanks guys. We're going to roam for a while."

"Kay man, later."

Kai wrapped his hand around mine and led the way out of the basement and back to the main floor.

"What do you want to do?"

"Mmm…"

I placed my palm against my temple and attempted to shut out the throbbing pain in it.

"I wanna lay down…"

"Hey, let me call a cab for you okay?"

I nodded my head and waited as Kai made his call.

"I need my friends too."

He nodded and took my cellphone from me and dialed the number I gave him. Soon later he had called Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka and made arrangements for them to meet me outside in 5 minutes when our taxi would arrive.

"Mmkay babe, I gotta go host the party. Thanks for coming tonight. You gonna be alright?"

I nodded again and he pulled me against his chest, his neck resting over my head.

"Call me tomorrow. Have a goodnight."

My friends were coming then so he kissed me on the top of my head and headed back down to the basement.

"Hey Kagome!"

Eri ran to me and wrapped her thin arms around my neck.

"I missed you!"

"Kagome are you alright?"

"Uh…"

"Oh my God, she's drunk too."

Yuka came beside me and placed my arm around her neck and put her arm around my waist, supporting me. Ayumi did the same to Eri. Or at least she attempted to but Eri was bouncing off the walls.

"Let's go now, I'm sure the taxi's waiting for us."