Page 81 of Demo
I pulled my phone out and called Jenny, who picked up on the first ring. “I found him, we’re at the carousel at the beach. Can you come help me get him to the car?”
“I’m around the corner. Be right there,” she said and hung up.
“Jeddy,” Knox mumbled, froth collecting at the corners of his mouth.
I looked at him and saw his eyes unfocused, bloodshot and rolling around in his head.
“Yeah,” I said. “Yeah, it’s Jenny. I’m going to help get you to the car.”
“Just …” He smacked his dry mouth a little bit. “Just leaf me.”
“I’m not leaving you here, Knox,” I said, as I jolted him a little to keep him alert. Seeing his eyes roll some more, I gave his face a slap. “Knox, come on. Stay awake, OK?”
Then his eyes seemed to settle on my face, and I could see his pupils narrowing as he tried to take in my features, fighting against the effects of the drugs, or alcohol, or whatever the hell he consumed.
“There she is,” he said, before almost collapsing forward again, and I had to use all my strength to keep him from spilling flat onto the floor.
Just then I heard Jenny call for me. “Over here!” I shouted, and eventually she made her way over.
“Shit,” she said as she rushed over to us.
“Shit is right,” I said. “He’s like dead weight.”
“Here,” she said as she pulled one of his arms over her neck, and I did the same with the other, and together we pulled him up and off the bench, around some horses, and stepped off the carousel. Then, with one of us under each arm and each of us wrapping ourselves around Knox’s torso, we nudged him, one painfully slow step at a time, out from inside the structure and toward Jenny’s car.
When we reached it, she pulled the driver’s side back door open, and somehow we folded him inside, shoved his body along the seat and tucked his long legs in front of him. He was slumped over, but at least he was on his side so if he puked, he hopefully wouldn’t choke on it.
After we shut the door, I turned to Jenny. “Any idea what he took? If he overdosed?” We were both breathing heavily. I wrapped my arms around my middle, and she placed hers on her hips.
“He drank a lot. Like,a lot,” she said, not meeting my eyes, then said sheepishly, “he took pills. Might have been an opioid.”
“For fuck’s sake, Jenny!” I barked out, throwing my hands up in the air.
“I know, I know!” she said, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry, he just, he was in a bad way—”
“Oh well he looks fucking fantastic right now.”
“I know, I’m sorry! I just … Lizzie, he was so—”
“Whatever,” I said, utterly spent, mind, body and soul. “Look, as long as you don’t think he needs to go to the ER to have his stomach pumped or treatment for overdose or anything, will you just take him home, please. But don’t leave him alone. Stay with him, OK?”
Looking confused, Jenny glared at me. “You’re not going to stay with him?”
“No,” I said. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell him I was here tonight.”
“Lizzie—”
“No!” I barked. “Look. I know you guys are close, so just … be a good friend to him, OK?”
“Sure, sure.” She nodded as she looked down at her hands. “He’s lucky to have you.”
“Jenny,” I started as I backed away, in the direction of the club where my car was parked, “don’t make the mistake of thinking you and I are friends. Because we’re not. You almost killed Knox tonight. I’m glad you called me, but don’t do it again.”
And then I turned and ran away.
***
Two months later, I found myself standing outside the Harrow East Ballroom, alone, with my arms wrapped around my middle, contemplating whether I should go in.
