James woke up on Thursday morning feeling irritable. It was 1 of the many side effects caused by the consumption of Cocerojuana.
"Damn it why do I feel so tired? I need to use the bathroom" said James as he got out of bed & went to relieve himself. Once he was done he returned to his room & grabbed some more Cocerojuana pills before heading to the bathroom where he consumed them with a mouthful of water.
"I hope these pills will make me feel better. They're the only thing that can improve my mood. Anyways I better go make myself breakfast" thought James as he left the bathroom & headed into the kitchen. After raiding the fridge & pantry he fixed himself a bowl of cornflakes flavored with sugar giving it a sweeter taste than normal. Mayabella woke up, got dressed & entered the kitchen just as James rinsed off his dishes & put them in the dishwasher.
"Good morning James. Did you sleep well last night?" asked Mayabella with a smile.
"I guess. I just feel really miserable. I must've had a really bad nightmare last night that I can't remember" said James as he sighed.
"OK. Have you already had breakfast? If not I can make you some" said Mayabella in a polite voice.
"I had cornflakes. Don't worry about me. I'm fine" said James in a reassuring tone.
"Are you sure? After the last few days everyone's on edge regarding your behavior. You're not feeling unusual in any way are you?" asked Mayabella in a concerned manner.
"Everything's OK. Everyone's just being paranoid. I swear I'm fine" said James.
"OK if you say so. Just remember I'm always here for you when you need to talk to someone" said Mayabella as she smiled warmly.
"Thanks. I think I'll watch TV" said James as he went into the lounge & flicked through the channels. Mayabella made herself some sugar coated cereal for breakfast which she happily ate. She then filled up Scrap's food & water bowls before grabbing her school bag & heading out the door.
"See you later" said Mayabella as she left for school.
"Bye Mayabella. Have a good day at school" said James as he continued looking for something to watch on TV. After a few minutes he came across an anime cartoon called Hariko-Chan: Samurai in America. It was 1 of his favourite shows.
"Sweet Hariko-Chan is on. Let's see what he's up to in this episode" said James as he got comfortable on the sofa. Hariko-Chan was about the titular character as he journeyed to the US from Japan to take down a samurai crime syndicate known as the Shogun Street Slayers. They were a gang who committed murder against anyone who got in their way & showed no mercy to their enemies. In the episode that was being broadcast Hariko-Chan was in Sioux City hunting down a gang member named Kenichi Damozatu who had been a part of the group responsible for the murder of Hariko-Chan's parents.
"When I find that bastard Kenichi I'm going to cut him open & make him eat his bowels. Soon ma & pa will be avenged" said Hariko-Chan as he walked around looking for Kenichi. Scrap soon entered the living room & sat next to James.
"What show is this?" asked Scrap with confusion in his voice.
"It's called Hariko-Chan: Samurai in America. No other anime show is as awesome as this" said James as he smiled enthusiastically.
"I've never even heard of it. I'm not much of an anime fan" said Scrap.
"Trust me you'll love it. The action's only just getting started" said James as the show continued. Hariko-Chan was confronted by many hostile forces that had been sent after him by the gang he was hunting down. Despite being on his own Hariko-Chan easily dispatched of his enemies cutting, hacking, slashing & slicing them to bits. Blood & gore appeared on screen as each member was mercilessly slaughtered. Son the hostile forces were reduced to nothing more than chunks of bone & flesh. The violent imagery made Scrap feel sick.
"Can we watch something else? This makes me feel sick" said Scrap as he gagged.
"Don't be a pussy. This is an awesome show" said James with a scoff.
"I'm changing the channel. If I watch this any longer I'm going to be sick" said Scrap as he reached for the remote. James snatched the remote away & glared angrily at Scrap.
"You're not changing the channel. If you even dare to change it or turn the TV off I'll gouge your f*cking eyes out, rip your dick off & cram them up your ass. Is that clear?" asked James in a sinister voice.
"Why are you getting so aggressive? There's no need to be so nasty. Don't make me call Mayabella & let her know what you're doing" said Scrap with a scowl of disgust.
"F*ck you asshole" said James as he punched Scrap in the face giving him a nosebleed. Scrap gasped in horror before bursting into tears & running off. James then turned back to his show showing no concern or remorse for what he did.
"That retarded mutt better learn his place. He doesn't have control over anything I do or say. I'm not going to have any issues teaching him a lesson if he continues to misbehave" thought James as he continued watching his show. Scrap was in Mayabella's room crying & trying to stop his nosebleed. He couldn't believe what James had just done.
"I can't believe James just hit me. Mayabella's going to hear about this. There's no way I'm going to let James get away with that. I hope he enjoys his show while it lasts. If he hits me again I'll make him regret it" said Scrap as he used some tissues to wipe away the blood & tears. After a few minutes his nose stopped bleeding. He decided to stay in Mayabella's room so that he wouldn't have to deal with James. At Adventure Bay Elementary Mayabella was at her locker grabbing her stuff for 1ST period. She was once again unaware of what was happening at home.
"I hope today goes by without anything bad happening. These last few days have been pretty rough for James, I & Scrap. So far this morning has gotten off to an OK start but that's what it was like the last few days. Literally anything can happen. All I can do is get on with my schoolwork & hope for the best" thought Mayabella as she grabbed her stuff from her locker. Angel, Elias & Kelly soon walked by.
"Hello Mayabella. How are you this morning?" asked Angel with a warm smile.
"I'm feeling OK. How are you 3 doing?" asked Mayabella.
"We feel great. There hasn't been any issues with James this morning has there?" asked Elias in a curious voice.
"No not that I know of. I can't say for sure whether or not anything will happen today but I'm hopeful everything will be fine" said Mayabella in an optimistic tone.
"We feel the same way. Don't forget we & everyone else are always here for you. We're all glad to help however we can" said Kelly as she smiled reassuringly.
"Thanks. I better get to class. See you later" said Mayabella as she headed to class. Angel, Elias & Kelly went to get what they needed for their 1ST lesson of the day. During the 1ST 2 periods Mayabella did her best to get her schoolwork done but she couldn't stop thinking about James. There was a strange feeling she had that something was wrong at home.
"I have this horrible feeling that everything at home isn't going well. I'm not sure if I should listen to my gut instincts or if I'm just being paranoid. Maybe I should just focus on my schoolwork. The less I think about what might be happening at home the less nervous & stressed I'll feel" thought Mayabella as she got on with her schoolwork. Back at home James was still watching TV while Scrap was still in Mayabella's room. Other than the sound of the programming on TV everything was silent in the house. For some odd reason Scrap was curious about what James had in his room. He hadn't been in that room at all since James moved in & he was starting to wonder what it looked like now that James had moved in.
"I'm sure James won't mind if I have a look at what his room looks like. It's not like he'll even notice anyways. He's probably still too busy watching TV to pay any attention to what I'm doing" said Scrap as he left Mayabella's room & walked to the door to James' room. He could still hear the TV meaning James was likely in the lounge. After checking to make sure James couldn't see him Scrap jumped up & grabbed the door handle before pulling it down to open the door. Inside the room Scrap only saw a mattress with a blanket & pillow on it, a closet filled with all of James' clothes & other personal belongings.
"There's not much in here. I guess this room isn't really what I expected it to be" said Scrap as he suddenly detected a strange odor. He ended up finding the bag of Cocerojuana pills James had been hiding. Scrap was confused. He wasn't sure what they were.
"I've never seen anything like this before. I probably shouldn't ask James what it is. He'd likely get mad that I've been in here. Maybe if I hide these in Mayabella's room she can help figure out what they are" said Scrap as he left James' room carrying the bag of Cocerojuana in his mouth. He then scurried back into Mayabella's room where he hid the bag under her pillow. He then decided to have a bite to eat.
"I feel hungry. It's a good thing there's still food in my bowl. Snack time" said Scrap as he entered the kitchen & walked over to his food bowl. James was still watching TV not paying Scrap much attention at all. Scrap ate some of the food left in his bowl before returning to Mayabella's room. He was curious to find out what was in the bag he'd found in James' room.
"I have no idea what those small things are but I doubt they're candy. Candy doesn't have such a strange odor. I can't even describe what the odor is. Once Mayabella gets home we can figure out this mystery" thought Scrap as he lay down for a nap. The day passed by rather quickly with Mayabella getting on with her school work & playing on the playground at recess. All the while she still couldn't help but think about James. At lunch she discussed her concerns with her friends.
"How has your day been Mayabella?" asked Ace as she tucked into her ravioli.
"It's been OK. All day I've been having this strange gut feeling that everything at home isn't what it should be. I don't know why I feel like that though" said Mayabella with a sad sigh.
"Has James shown any strange behavior today?" asked Carlos as he ate his fruit slices.
"I don't think so. He seemed normal this morning but then again that's how he felt the last couple of days before school. There's no way of knowing how he feels today" said Mayabella in an uncertain voice.
"Seeing as how he claims to have really bad insomnia maybe his behavior is being caused by the lack of sleep" said Danny as he drank his slushy.
"He did say he had a nightmare last night but he couldn't remember what it was about. Do you think maybe the nightmares he's been having are keeping him awake?" asked Mayabella in a curious tone.
"That's 1 possibility. I still find it odd that he claimed to see giant arachnids & rambled on about some Emperor guy who he said made public nudity legal. The connection between those & nightmares James has had is hard to figure out" said Elias as he finished off his chocolate mousse.
"I don't understand it either. Maybe he's in such a state of insomnia that his dreams are turning into hallucinations" said Mayabella.
"So far that's probably the most plausible theory any of us has come up with. Have you tried helping him sleep?" asked Katie.
"No not really. Maybe after school I can look for ways to help James get a better night's sleep" said Mayabella.
"1 suggestion could be setting a time for him to go to bed or at least making sure he takes it easy in the hours before bed. That way he'll feel more relaxed which will make it easier to fall asleep" said Kelly with a helpful smile.
"I suppose that might work. If it doesn't I'll try something else" said Mayabella.
"If you need advice we're always here to give you some. Never forget that" said Ryder in a reassuring tone.
"Thanks. I'll do anything I have to in order for James to get better" said Mayabella as she & the others sat & talked. The remainder of the school day came & went uneventfully with all the students getting on with their work. Once school let out for the day Mayabella headed home. She was completely unaware of the incident earlier that morning.
"Maybe today I'll finally be able to take it easy knowing that everything seems to be fine. It'll be a relief to spend the afternoon not worrying about James. In a few minutes I'll find out whether or not I'm right" thought Mayabella as she continued walking home. Once she arrived she went inside & saw James still on the couch watching TV. Scrap wasn't with him.
"Hello James. Where's Scrap?" asked Mayabella.
"I don't know. I'd assume he's probably in your room" said James as he shrugged in uncertainty.
"OK. I better check on him" said Mayabella as she went to her room. Scrap woke up just as she found him on her bed.
"Were you having a nap Scrap?" asked Mayabella with a warm smile.
"Yes. How was school?" asked Scrap.
"It was good. Basically it was business as usual. Was everything OK while I was gone?" asked Mayabella with uncertainty in her voice.
"No. This morning James was watching a really gory cartoon & when I asked to change the channel he used obscene language & even punched me giving me a nosebleed. I also found a bag with something weird in it. It has an odor that I can't describe. Here it is" said Scrap as he showed Mayabella the bag of Cocerojuana. Mayabella looked at the pills not knowing what they were.
"Let me see what this is" said Mayabella as she opened the bag & smelled the inside of it. The odor the pills gave off was indescribable for her to determine. She then took a pill & chewed it before spitting it out. She knew it wasn't candy.
"I think we better talk to James about this" said Mayabella as she & Scrap left her room & entered the lounge. They turned the TV off which made James mad.
"What the f*ck are you doing? I'm trying to watch TV" said James in an angry manner.
"We need to talk James. Is it true that you hit Scrap when he wanted to change the channel this morning?" asked Mayabella with seriousness in his voice.
"I was watching my favourite show & he complained like a little kid about the blood & gore in it. He could've just left the lounge & done something else" said James as he scoffed in disgust.
"That doesn't excuse hitting him. Never do that again. Also what's this?" asked Mayabella as she held up the bag of Cocerojuana. James went wide eyed as his jaw dropped in shock.
"What the hell were you doing in my room?" asked James in an aggressive voice.
"I found them in there. You better start explaining yourself James" said Scrap with a growl.
"It's just candy. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?" asked James.
"It's not candy. The scent & taste is nothing like what candy would smell or taste like. Stop lying to me James. If you don't tell me what this is I'm flushing it down the toilet" said Mayabella in a stern tone.
"If you must know that stuff is Cocerojuana. It's a pill based drug that mixes cocaine, heroin & marijuana together. I got hooked on it thanks to 1 of my friends back home who gets supplied by some local dealer. You better not get rid of it. Give it to me now" said James as he tried to grab the bag. Mayabella snatched it away.
"So that's why you've been acting strangely. Enough is enough James. Starting right now you're getting off this dangerous drug. I'm flushing it down the toilet" said Mayabella as she went to flush the Cocerojuana pills down the down.
"GIVE THEM BACK YOU F*CKING BITCH" yelled James as he tackled Mayabella to the ground. Mayabella screamed as James & she wrestled on the floor trying to gain possession of the Cocerojuana.
"GET OFF ME JAMES. I'M DOING THIS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD" yelled Mayabella as she tried to force James off her.
"IF YOU DON'T GIVE ME MY DRUGS I'LL KILL YOU. YOU'RE NOT GETTING RID OF THEM YOU LITTLE C*NT" yelled James as he punched Mayabella in the face repeatedly & pulled her hair. Scrap came to Mayabella's defense & proceeded to bite & scratch James. James cried out in pain as he was bitten & scratched. Eventually the pain was too much for him to bear causing him to go limp from exhaustion. Mayabella managed to escape his grip & got to her feet with the bag of Cocerojuana still in her hand. She ran straight to the toilet where she flushed all the pills down before returning to James. With help from Scrap Mayabella dragged James to his bedroom. Upon getting him there Mayabella put James on his bed before leaving the room & locking the door to make sure James didn't get out.
"You'll be thanking me for this sooner or later James. Getting you off Cocerojuana will save your life" said Mayabella as she went to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror & saw that she had a few bruises & a nosebleed. Other than that she was fine. Mayabella cleaned the blood away before going into the kitchen & grabbing an ice pack for her face. She then sat on the couch to rest.
"I can't believe James has been hiding this from us all along. His parents are going to be horrified when they learn the truth as will everyone else" said Mayabella.
"I'll say. You're not hurt that badly are you?" asked Scrap with concern in his voice.
"I'm OK. Other than some bruises I feel fine. Thanks for helping to stop James" said Mayabella with a smile.
"You're welcome. Nobody hurts you & gets away with it" said Scrap as he snuggled up next to Mayabella. A short time later Mayabella made dinner for herself. She cooked some lamb & vegetables which were all juicy & succulent with a variety of flavour. After she finished eating she rinsed her dishware & put it in the dishwasher. Even though it was still somewhat early in the evening Mayabella decided to go to bed hoping it'd speed up the healing on her face.
"I'm going to bed early. Goodnight Scrap" said Mayabella as she went to have a bath.
"Goodnight. Sleep well" said Scrap as he went into the lounge to watch TV. After bathing Mayabella got into her pajamas & hopped into bed hoping that everything would get better. In James' room James was laying awake angry & bitter that Mayabella had disposed of his Cocerojuana. He secretly plotted to escape the next day after she left for school to look for anyone in town that sold Cocerojuana.
"That bitch has some nerve flushing my drugs down the toilet. If she thinks I'm going to go cold turkey she's dead wrong. Tomorrow I'll go out & find more. She can't make me quit. I will get more Cocerojuana 1 way or another. Nobody will stop me. I'd rather die than live without Cocerojuana. Nobody else would understand. I don't care if the truth gets out to everyone else. They're not going to ruin my life by taking away the 1 thing I desperately need. I'm going to get another stash whether they like it or not" thought James as he went to sleep.