He always liked the simplicity of Jules’ house. As he walked to the house he say the faded white pain, but his eyes were drawn to the clean black door. The inside was empty. It was perfectly square house with a brown couch dead center. The walls were chipped white and the floors a tree bark brown. There were no windows. It looked like his cell from prison, and for some reasons that comforted him.

“Yeah?” Jules said from the other side of the door. “You ordered some fried chicken?” “Yes I surely did” Donnie could tell his friend Jules was smiling through the door. The door swung open and they embraced. “What's goin down in Donnie town?” Don quietly blushed. Regretfully this was his favorite part. He loved Jules’ candor, he loved the casual love. He felt like a brother

“I’m fine man. How are things with you?” “s*** man, things never been better!” Donnie loved biting the bait and bein reeled out of the water “oh Yeah?” “Yeah, shipments come through, chickens extra crispy, people been real thirsty lately, and my girl just tested clean.” “Sounds like Christmas” Donnie meant it more than he expected. “Sure as hell aint Hanukah!”

They both chuckled and saw the other laughing and began to escalate the laughter until they were both dry heaving on the floor as if they were putting off what they had planned to do.

Jules secured his belt around don, and then handed him the needle. “You sure you don’t want me to do it for you?” Jules said, remember when his dad had asked him the same question about tying his shoes. “I can do it.” Donnie said, sounding like Jules’ childhood response to his dad.

Although the truth was Don always fumbled the needle when he shot himself up. The only reason he did it himself was because he loved holding the needle a fraction of an inch above his skin. Just waiting sometimes for five solid minutes. Donnie Stared down at the junction between his pole thin forearm and invisible bicep. Jules humored and respected it. Sometimes he even thought it was somewhat cute, but he would never tell Don this.

The pool was deep and murky. It was scarier than he remembered. Donnie thought he saw a shark but he forgot and continued to swim. Most times Donnie did the front crawl or the back stroke through the grainy water. But he couldn’t stand how dark it was. Donnie needed to know what the nightly air was covering, he dove into the cave. Feet kicked up head forcefully aimed down like an arrow head. He felt like a cliff diver who was constantly hitting the water for the first time.

Donnie gained speed, the raincloud water moving past him like street lights. Finally he did not have to force himself deeper into the water anymore, it came naturally like a song from his childhood. He began plummeting through the water, as if he weighed more than stone. He could not take it anymore. He had to see this secret, he had to open the box and pull back the sheet. He broke form for a moment and thoughtless flipped his head around behind him to see how far he’d gone.

Donnie’s heart sank. His chest went cold and he began to fall instead of dive
“you okay man?” Jules said.