Chapter 3. Friends and Drugs

By Evelyn

The last few times I saw Omar—even though he was acting much the same as usual—something stirred inside me.

I’d never paid him much attention before, but from the very first day I realized he smoked joints.

It didn’t scare me—many of my friends did it, and I myself had taken a couple of puffs on those cigarettes on a few occasions—but it was always just once in a while.

Omar always had that distinctive smell on him; my sense of smell never fails me.

The last few times I saw him, it seemed to me that he was high, and it wasn’t from smoking a joint—he’d never smoked one when he was with me.

He drank quite a bit; he didn’t end up drunk, but let’s just say he was tipsy.

I didn’t know anyone who snorted cocaine—at least not that I knew of.

I’d read quite a bit about the consequences of drug use, but I hadn’t experienced it firsthand.

I didn’t know how people behaved when they were under the influence.

I don’t know why I had a feeling that Omar wasn’t satisfied with just a few puffs of marijuana.

I’d been observing his behavior.

We didn’t go out in a group anymore, except for someone’s birthday or if they got together for something special.

That usually happened with his friends.

I didn’t see Isa much, and Fernanda and Soledad either, even though Sole lived two blocks from my house and sometimes stopped by my mom’s shop, and we’d stay and chat.

It also had to do with the fact that we’re all working and studying now; we have less time and more responsibilities, and we’re leaving our teenage years behind.

On Saturday night, we went out with Omar—we went out to dinner and then to his apartment. He told me that on Sunday at noon he was meeting some friends for a barbecue and asked if I wanted to go with him.

It took some convincing to get my mom’s okay, but I managed to do it.

I stayed overnight at Omar’s apartment.

On Sunday, we went to Hugo’s house—his friend was turning 24.

I noticed that everyone was smoking joints; it was normal among a lot of young people. When someone passed one to me and I took a puff, Omar was shocked.

I told him that every now and then I’d take a puff on a joint, but that was all.

We’d already finished lunch when Sergio snorted a few lines of cocaine, and they motioned to Omar.

He looked at me as if asking for permission.

I felt uncomfortable.

I’d never seen anyone do drugs right in front of me before.

I was pretty shocked.

It wasn’t like I was going to run away, though.

But I realized that when he seemed strange and I didn’t know how to describe it, it was because he was high.

Not all the guys and girls who were there did drugs.—“Does it bother you

if I snort some?

”—“I’ve never seen anyone snort before. If you know your limits—if it doesn’t change your behavior and you can ride the motorcycle without any problems—I don’t have a problem with it. I’m not going to tell you to do it or not to do it either.”

He kissed me on the mouth—very passionately—in front of everyone.

He walked over to one of the lines and took a sniff.

I didn’t like seeing him like that.

It’s true, I couldn’t tell him what to do, but ever since he came back from vacation, he’d been acting kind of euphoric, and I didn’t know what he’d been up to while he was in Punta del Este.

He’d always change the subject whenever I tried to bring it up.

I figured he’d been with some girl and was regretting it, and didn’t want to come clean about it.

Maybe I sensed that problems would come my way if I fell in love with him, and that’s why I was still a bit reluctant to let my guard down completely and lose myself in his arms without caring about anything else.

Sexually, we had a great time.

He never asked me about my friend Isa again or even mentioned her.

Liam and a girl went into a room and asked him if we wanted to join them.

Omar told them no.

I didn’t quite catch what Liam said to him, but he was asking if we wanted to join them in an orgy.

We were on a couch, kissing, and Omar was touching me under my clothes; while he kissed me, it seemed like he didn’t realize there were other people there.

He took my hand and guided it to his penis.—Omar

, there are people here.—

Baby, I want you, right now.—I’m not

going to do anything in front of anyone.

We ended up going to a bathroom after arguing for a while.

I felt uncomfortable; I could tell Omar was pretty high and a little drunk.

I was wondering how I was going to get home—he wasn’t in any condition to drive.—“Let’s do it

in the bathroom, but stop drinking—you’re the one with the motorcycle.”

I think he understood what I said.

Once again, I have to admit that doing it in the bathroom with all those people outside, knowing they knew we were having sex, was… exciting.

I managed to get him to stop drinking, which put my mind at ease a little.

When we came out of the bathroom, I felt Benicio’s gaze fixed on me.

I was embarrassed that we’d been in the bathroom; I’m sure he heard us.

His eyes roamed over my body, and I felt a strange sensation wash over me every time he looked at me—because that wasn’t the only time he looked at me like that.

Benicio didn’t snort when they laid out the lines on that little table; I’m sure of that because it was the first time I felt his gaze practically undressing me.

Omar was a little calmer. As we were leaving, another guy who was there—but whom I didn’t know—asked them if they wanted to go around again.

He meant snorting again.

I already wanted to leave; I felt uncomfortable. “Shall we go

?

” I asked Omar, so he wouldn’t have time to do drugs again.

He realized I didn’t want him to keep using drugs.

At that moment, I think we both knew our relationship was nearing its end.—“I love you

,

” he whispered against my lips.

I wasn’t expecting such a confession.

I think he must love me; I care about him too, and I really have a great time with him, but

clearly, the wall I often felt had to do with what I experienced this afternoon.

I’m not going to suffer my whole life just to be with someone who has a terrible addiction like drugs.

As we said goodbye to his friends, Benicio came up to me.—You’re

so beautiful,

he told me while Omar walked away to grab the motorcycle helmets.—

Thanks.

I couldn’t say much more than that.

He’s supposed to be Omar’s friend, and yet he wouldn’t stop looking at me; as the afternoon went on, his gaze grew more insistent.

Before saying goodbye with a kiss on the cheek, he stared at my mouth for a few seconds—the whole thing was really weird.

By then, I felt like his gaze was burning into me.

I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to hide what I was feeling.

Luckily, Omar showed up and handed me a helmet.—Are

you in any condition to ride the motorcycle?

—Yeah, you’re such a prude, as always.

Omar replied.—

Dude, you’re taking your girlfriend out—don’t be an idiot.—I’m

fine, don’t worry.

Omar told him, a bit rudely.

During the second round, Benicio hadn’t come over to snort either, and when Omar called him a prude, I think he was referring specifically to the fact that Benicio didn’t do drugs.

Still, they seemed like friends, and he was the only one who asked him if he was in any condition to ride.

He was also the only one who came up to me—directly to flirt—though he only told me I was beautiful; but his eyes, all afternoon long, were screaming so much more than that to me.—“Be

careful,

” he told me as Omar was starting the motorcycle; Omar didn’t hear him.

We arrived at my house.

My parents didn’t know him—only from a distance—because I’d never introduced him to them.

At my front door, as we said goodbye, he kissed me with that passion he usually has when we make love.

—

“Come over to my place; I want more…”—“I can’t

; I have to get up early tomorrow.” It wasn’t that I didn’t want to make love with him; it was just that my parents had already seen us arrive, and it wasn’t the right day to introduce them either. Omar wasn’t in any condition to do so, and thank God I was already safe at home.

Now all that was left was for him to make it back to his apartment, safe and sound.—“If

you want, we can meet up for a bit tomorrow; pick me up at the teacher’s college.”

He smiled at me.

He was sexy—so, so sexy—and his face was a work of art.

We agreed on that.

I told him to be careful.

He said goodbye to me, and luckily he made it back to his apartment safely.

The next day, he picked me up at the teacher’s college; we grabbed a quick bite to eat and made love twice. I really love Omar, but I didn’t like seeing him do drugs.

I want to sort out my thoughts and feelings.

I don’t feel like dealing with someone who does drugs.

I’m going to talk to him about this, and I also want to know what happened in Punta del Este while he was on vacation.