Categories > Cartoons > Delilah and Julius > Surreal
Chapter Eight - Snow
Julius paced around Delilah's room, frustrated. It was so obvious, why hadn't he seen it before? Bits of information from the various drug talks over the years came back to him: impaired judgement of distance and dangerous situations were caused by crystal meth; meth also made you agitated, and you had to keep your hands busy. Meth, ecstasy and PCP caused extreme happiness. However, each of them also could lead to heart attacks, comas, and death.
Why is she doing this to herself? He kept wondering. What pushed her over the edge? We made a pact in, like, Grade Seven that we'd never get into this stuff! Nothing's changed since then ... except ...
His stomach tightened. One thing had changed in the past five years. The students in their year had stayed the same - with the exception of one or two dropouts, but no new arrivals - as had the teachers; the head of the Academy was unchanged. Even the countries seemed to get in trouble almost at the same time every year! But there was one thing that was different this year: Roger.
Roger! Of course! Julius slapped his forehead. How could he have been so blind? He hopped in Delilah's computer chair and flipped open her laptop. Anyone could access any account ... if you knew the password. And Julius happened to know Scarlett's.
"iluval" is a really lame password. God, I figured it out in Grade Five!
He punched in the code and was in. Rolling his eyes as he noted the new background - a picture of Scarlett and Al in their bathing suits during their latest holiday to Spain - he scanned the desktop for the folder he was after. It was in the bottom right corner, called Student Profiles. He opened it and scrolled down until he came to the D section.
"There you are, you litter bugger ..." Julius muttered to himself.
He browsed through education, family background, and medical history until he came to criminal record. It wasn't what he expected. Roger had only been in jail once, and only for a few months, for robbery. No possession or trafficking, nothing that involved drugs. But still, not everyone who uses gets caught. Roger could just be extra cautious.
"Damn. Let's try medical history ..."
As he read through Roger's file, one point stood out: apparently, Roger suffered from hyperhidrosis, and was using marijuana to temporarily relieve his excessive sweating. One problem with that - Julius had seen Roger pumping weights. Sure, he perspired, but every guy did. And Roger didn't seem to sweat excessively. For another thing, Julius never even saw him use pot.
Julius leaned back in his chair. "If Roger can swindle Al and Scarlett into believing he has some kind of condition, he's got to be smart enough to smuggle drugs in here."
There was a soft moan behind him. He turned around to see Delilah sit up, shielding her eyes to the bright glow that emitted from the computer screen. "Would you turn that off? I have a big enough headache already."
"I don't think being high on drugs helps." Julius answered.
Delilah looked shocked at first, then angry. "Who are you to make accusations like that?"
"Your friend! And your partner. God, Delilah, why didn't you tell me? Where did you even get this stuff? Oh, wait, I think I can answer that." He added sarcastically.
"If you're thinking of Roger, you're wrong," she lied, glaring at him.
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, /please/. Don't even try, Delilah. If Roger didn't get you this stuff, then who did?"
"Why should I tell you?"
Inside, he was hurt. But he dared not show it. "Gee, I don't know, De. Maybe because I'm your /friend/? Friends tell each other everything, remember? Or did all your whacked-out drugs make you forget that?"
"Don't talk like that! You don't understand. You can't."
Julius softened his tone. "Is this about your parents?"
Yes! Delilah wanted to scream. Oh, how she wanted to just open up and let out her feelings. But if Roger had taught her everything during his stay, it was that opening up was dangerous. It let them see your weakness, and then use it against you.
Instead, she screamed, "No! Goddammit, Julius, why does everything have to be about my parents? Do you think my life revolves around their disappearance? Well, it doesn't. You get over things."
He knew she was holding something back, but decided not to press. "Fine then. Why are you using?"
She groaned angrily. "Again, why do I have to tell you? Why do I have to tell you everything, Julius?"
"Because I care about you! Because I love you!"
As the words left his mouth, Delilah felt her cheeks redden. So he did love her. Somehow, she had always known. But what a time to tell her, know that she cared for another. She couldn't control her temper.
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't love you back?" she spat.
Her statement hit him hard, like a slap in the face. She didn't love him ... but that didn't make any sense! The signs were there, they had almost always been there. It was almost impossible to think ...
Trying not to tear up, Julius attempted to speak. "But ... I thought ... I ..."
"Maybe I did love you, Julius. But that was a long time ago. Or at least it feels like it was."
Delilah turned to leave, but Julius caught her arm. "De, wait ..."
Suddenly, she exploded. Spinning one her heal, she faced Julius and raised her arm. Using all her strength, she slapped him in the face. He cried out in pain and backed away from her. She had hit him to hard that his lip was bleeding. Delilah took a few steps back, staring almost in horror at her palm. Blood was smeared across her hand.
Julius' blood.
She opened her mouth to say something, but shook her head. She turned and raced out the door, leaving Julius behind her, his spirit beaten, heart broken ...
=======================================================
Synonyms for /Snow/: C, flake, crack cocaine
*A note - extensive use of cocaine causes violent and unpredictable behaviour in individuals
Julius paced around Delilah's room, frustrated. It was so obvious, why hadn't he seen it before? Bits of information from the various drug talks over the years came back to him: impaired judgement of distance and dangerous situations were caused by crystal meth; meth also made you agitated, and you had to keep your hands busy. Meth, ecstasy and PCP caused extreme happiness. However, each of them also could lead to heart attacks, comas, and death.
Why is she doing this to herself? He kept wondering. What pushed her over the edge? We made a pact in, like, Grade Seven that we'd never get into this stuff! Nothing's changed since then ... except ...
His stomach tightened. One thing had changed in the past five years. The students in their year had stayed the same - with the exception of one or two dropouts, but no new arrivals - as had the teachers; the head of the Academy was unchanged. Even the countries seemed to get in trouble almost at the same time every year! But there was one thing that was different this year: Roger.
Roger! Of course! Julius slapped his forehead. How could he have been so blind? He hopped in Delilah's computer chair and flipped open her laptop. Anyone could access any account ... if you knew the password. And Julius happened to know Scarlett's.
"iluval" is a really lame password. God, I figured it out in Grade Five!
He punched in the code and was in. Rolling his eyes as he noted the new background - a picture of Scarlett and Al in their bathing suits during their latest holiday to Spain - he scanned the desktop for the folder he was after. It was in the bottom right corner, called Student Profiles. He opened it and scrolled down until he came to the D section.
"There you are, you litter bugger ..." Julius muttered to himself.
He browsed through education, family background, and medical history until he came to criminal record. It wasn't what he expected. Roger had only been in jail once, and only for a few months, for robbery. No possession or trafficking, nothing that involved drugs. But still, not everyone who uses gets caught. Roger could just be extra cautious.
"Damn. Let's try medical history ..."
As he read through Roger's file, one point stood out: apparently, Roger suffered from hyperhidrosis, and was using marijuana to temporarily relieve his excessive sweating. One problem with that - Julius had seen Roger pumping weights. Sure, he perspired, but every guy did. And Roger didn't seem to sweat excessively. For another thing, Julius never even saw him use pot.
Julius leaned back in his chair. "If Roger can swindle Al and Scarlett into believing he has some kind of condition, he's got to be smart enough to smuggle drugs in here."
There was a soft moan behind him. He turned around to see Delilah sit up, shielding her eyes to the bright glow that emitted from the computer screen. "Would you turn that off? I have a big enough headache already."
"I don't think being high on drugs helps." Julius answered.
Delilah looked shocked at first, then angry. "Who are you to make accusations like that?"
"Your friend! And your partner. God, Delilah, why didn't you tell me? Where did you even get this stuff? Oh, wait, I think I can answer that." He added sarcastically.
"If you're thinking of Roger, you're wrong," she lied, glaring at him.
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, /please/. Don't even try, Delilah. If Roger didn't get you this stuff, then who did?"
"Why should I tell you?"
Inside, he was hurt. But he dared not show it. "Gee, I don't know, De. Maybe because I'm your /friend/? Friends tell each other everything, remember? Or did all your whacked-out drugs make you forget that?"
"Don't talk like that! You don't understand. You can't."
Julius softened his tone. "Is this about your parents?"
Yes! Delilah wanted to scream. Oh, how she wanted to just open up and let out her feelings. But if Roger had taught her everything during his stay, it was that opening up was dangerous. It let them see your weakness, and then use it against you.
Instead, she screamed, "No! Goddammit, Julius, why does everything have to be about my parents? Do you think my life revolves around their disappearance? Well, it doesn't. You get over things."
He knew she was holding something back, but decided not to press. "Fine then. Why are you using?"
She groaned angrily. "Again, why do I have to tell you? Why do I have to tell you everything, Julius?"
"Because I care about you! Because I love you!"
As the words left his mouth, Delilah felt her cheeks redden. So he did love her. Somehow, she had always known. But what a time to tell her, know that she cared for another. She couldn't control her temper.
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't love you back?" she spat.
Her statement hit him hard, like a slap in the face. She didn't love him ... but that didn't make any sense! The signs were there, they had almost always been there. It was almost impossible to think ...
Trying not to tear up, Julius attempted to speak. "But ... I thought ... I ..."
"Maybe I did love you, Julius. But that was a long time ago. Or at least it feels like it was."
Delilah turned to leave, but Julius caught her arm. "De, wait ..."
Suddenly, she exploded. Spinning one her heal, she faced Julius and raised her arm. Using all her strength, she slapped him in the face. He cried out in pain and backed away from her. She had hit him to hard that his lip was bleeding. Delilah took a few steps back, staring almost in horror at her palm. Blood was smeared across her hand.
Julius' blood.
She opened her mouth to say something, but shook her head. She turned and raced out the door, leaving Julius behind her, his spirit beaten, heart broken ...
=======================================================
Synonyms for /Snow/: C, flake, crack cocaine
*A note - extensive use of cocaine causes violent and unpredictable behaviour in individuals
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