all the windows in the apartment were closed, the curtains were closed, and the lights were off, except for the flashlight on the phone lying on the table. two silhouettes were displayed on the wallpaper as you and Tang sat at a small table. a white powder was spread on the tabletop. at first glance, it looked like sugar, but its effects were completely different.

“this is better than I thought.”

words he repeated every time you brought him something new, whether it was something he could smoke, suck on, or snort. with each new “dose” the new thing became more and more boring, turning into an addiction.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you. without this.” he said with a grim smile, resting his chin on his hand.

you left it unanswered, looking down at his sweatshirt, noticing the white powder that stood out too prominently against the black of his clothes.

“if you get too carried away, you’ll die.” after a few minutes of silence, you replied, finally lighting the joint.

his eyes immediately lit up, his gaze fixed on your actions, waiting for you to share. it looked too bad, but you didn’t feel guilty. your introduction was spontaneous while both of you were looking for easy money, but now, with his new “secret” job, the two of you had enough to provide yourself with a new batch of cocaine.

“no one cares anyway.”

“you’re right.”

your conversation ended as you handed him the joint, feeling your head start to spin again. something inside you tightened at his words. his difficult history and everything he'd been through because of his impulsiveness, but now, you couldn't deny the fact that you were slowly becoming attached to him.