The Perfect Drug

Chapter 2

Can't keep control, can't keep track of where it's traveling

The black car raced along the busy streets plowing through traffic. Inside the vehicle the dark haired man was busy fidgeting with his speakers; narrowly avoiding colliding with other cars who were actually abiding the laws.

"So were do you live?" Wolfwood asked while increasing the volume, which was already loud enough to burst the insides of Vash's eardrums.

"Um…do you know where Lincoln Park is?" he asked trying to speak over a rather obnoxious rap song.

"Yea!" Wolfwood nodded.

"Well, make a left on the first light from there, and then head straight till you reach Ether Ave!" Vash shouted over the song.

"Oh… I know where you live" Wolfwood said while stopping at a red light. The songs final chorus ended allowing Vash to regain his hearing. "You live in the rich neighborhood," he snickered.

"Yea… I guess." The blonde sighed slowly.

He hated the fact that he was financially well off, while everyone else was suffering. It seemed that every turn he took he saw poverty, it surrounded and entrapped him. He lived his life in a neighborhood barricaded by iron gates in a weak attempt to keep the outside world out. It was an attempt to continue living in a post modern fairy tale, when in reality life was just one huge nightmare. There was no way to ignore that half the people living in this city were homeless, that half of them didn't have anything to eat, or a future to look forward too. It was just the times they were living in. The war was making everyone's life harder. Families lost their loved ones, fathers, brothers, uncles all ripped away from home to fight in a foreign land. Jobs were scarce, and suicide rates were high. It seemed that no one wanted to live anymore, everyone was just giving up.

And then there was Vash, someone who had grown up his entire life neglecting the world of the streets. Yea, he knew nothing about the world outside his home or school. He knew nothing other than pep rally's and prom. He was naïve, and that's why he believed he could save the world, change it somehow.

Turning around in his seat he glanced back at Meryl. "Are you okay?"

She nodded silently, her body slumped against the car door. "I'm fine."

"Ok then" he uttered before facing the front once more. It all seemed so surreal, Meryl just didn't look like a drug addict. She was one of his best friends, yet he had completely missed it. He was supposed to know these things. He was supposed to help her out when things got too badly, but he hadn't been there for her; when she obviously needed him the most.

Another rap song erupted from the speakers, this one not as annoying as the last. The melody was in sync to the miserable lives they were all leading. Sighing he took a quick glance at Wolfwood, who was engulfed with the song, rapping every rhyme perfectly.

The gusts of wind from the open window, tousled his natural black hair making it more ruffled than before. Perched on his nose were black sunglasses that seemed to have dropped right out of the eighties. Catching the glint of the sun were two silver piercings on his right eyebrow. His skin was a dark tan that was complemented by his white beater. The cut of the shirt exposed the dark muscles on his arm. Curving around his biceps was a tattoo of a long red dragon. Its elegant head peeked around his strong neck. The redness of the dragons tail mixed with the blood that was dripping down the length of his arm.

This guys a lunatic, Vash thought looking at the now drying blood.

"Do you need to go to a hospital you're arms bleeding pretty badly." He asked rather shyly. He was still scared shitless of what this guy could do.

The song ended and they reached another stop, Wolfwood took the time to look at his bleeding arm, "Naw, "came his reply, "the bullet just grazed me."

Nodding, Vash just stared off at the horizon were a slow string of cars were all lined up. The line of cars in front of them was expansive, stretching out as far as Vash could see. The orange sun causing them to look like bits of melting metal, swaggering on the road. Several car horns went off as many tried to plow their way through, all rushing to get someplace fast. Cars honked and just got jammed more as the afternoon traffic began to pick up.

"It's gonna be a while" Wolfwood murmured starring off into the horizon. The heat that had been left in the dust before was beginning to catch up to them. The smoldering warmth was causing sweat to begin gathering in Vashs forehead. The burning sun above them was cutting through the thick gray clouds enrapturing the whole city in heat. Not to mention that so many years of pollution had caused the greenhouse effect to increase drastically. 100 degrees was nothing compared to the heat California had to endure.

"Sorry, my AC's broken," Wolfwood muttered turning over to look at the passive blonde.

"No, its ok," Vash said looking up to meet his eyes, even though Wolfwood was still wearing his sunglasses.

The dark haired mans mind was racing, he hadn't really looked at Vash before, but now that he was starring straight at him he was left speechless. Vashs spiky honey blond hair was drooping down slightly. His long bangs brushing against bright aquamarine eyes. His face was glistening with a thin sheet of sweat; that slid down porcelain cheeks that turned pink from heat.

I can't fucking believe it, he thought starring at Vash, He looks exactly like him. The only difference is the hair, and the mole he has under his eye, but other than that they're exactly the same. He tried his best not to gawk. No way, this guy can't be the one though, he's too naïve, too innocent…Turning away from Vash he faced the cars ahead, Fuck I need a cigarette…

Sighing, Wolfwood opened the car compartment in front of Vash. His arm leaning against the blondes thigh as he fumbled through the various objects inside. Vash held his breath. The proximity of their bodies, the smoldering heat, along with smell of blood made him shudder. Their bodies were so close together, but it didn't feel awkward, it felt almost as though it was the most natural thing in the world…

Finally finding what he was looking for Wolfwood pulled away and leaned back in his seat. He opened a carton that contained cigarettes and took one long white cylinder out. Flicking open a silver lighter he lit the waiting filter. The next song started which literally made Vash jump since the opening guitar was heavy and all his muscles were tense.

"Are you alright" Wolfwood asked trying not to laugh, "If you want I'll turn it down."

"No it's ok, its just I'm not used to listening to Slipknot" Vash replied embarrassed.

Slipping the cigarette in between his lips Wolfwood threw his lighter back in the compartment, and turned the stereo down anyways. Slowly, the traffic began to clear up and the cars began to scatter towards their own destinations. Each one oozing out into the streets.

"I turn left here, right?" Wolfwood mumbled through the cigarette in his mouth.

"Yea," Vash replied, concentrating on the black straps of his backpack. He didn't know exactly why but he was starting to like Wolfwood. He was just one of those people you meet who you know from the start are gonna change your life. Just the way he drove, how he smoked, it was like he just didn't give a fuck. He didn't seem to care about himself or others. There was something oddly appealing about that.

It's just the whole bad boy thing Vash consoled himself, I probably just wish I could be like that. Wolfwood represented everything that the streets had to offer, starring out the window, he realized he wanted every single bit of it.

Tbc

Authors Note: Sorry about all the music references, (Slipknot, Linkin Park, Ether, ) I was just in a musical place when I wrote this.