Chapter Text
Cooper reclined on his couch, his body sinking into the cracked leather. As he traced his fingers down the breaks of the sofa, slightly pulling on the exposed fluff, he allowed himself to zone out.
He was higher than a kite.
An unfinished weed brownie sat on a paper plate on top of a glass coffee table, Cooper hadn’t ate all day and didn’t find it necessary.
The table was covered with all manner of things, magazines, mugs caked in old coffee and mold, oranges peels, a slice of pizza that’d been turned brown from time. Travis had been dogging on him to clean it, but Cooper had always been able to dodge it.
“You said you’d clean it yesterday!” Travis had said, pointed angrily at the table. A bowl of jelly beans had tipped over and pooled into a pile of multicolored pellets at the legs of the table.
“And I’m doing it now.” He responded, his voice tinged in egotistical annoyance as he bent down and scooped up the jelly beans. Waving the bowl in Travis’ face in an I-told-you-so manner, Cooper walked over to the kitchen.
That was the only thing he cleaned up that day.
Cooper’s brain rotted out of his head as he watched the minute’s hand on a grey clock. Ever since moving in with Travis in California, it’d been a downwards spiral of drug use.
Travis wasn’t a bad guy, they got along great, but Cooper just couldn’t handle it.
Travis was a great person and he… well, he was getting stoned at 11 am.
Unfocusing his eyes, the world spun into a fuzzy after thought.
That was until a knock rang out.
Cooper jumped to his feet, his bodies natural sense of reaction time and fear was completely fucked, which didn’t help his paranoia.
Getting a hold on himself, he let out a deep sigh. He chuckled slightly at his own surprise, and shuffled over to the door.
Before opening it, he predicted who it would be.
It had to be Jehovah's Witnesses, that or girl scouts.
“Damn, is it cookie season already?”
Cooper would kill for a Girl Scout cookie right now.
He reached into his back pocket, gripping onto a black wallet in preparation. He would either pay money for who ever it was to go away, or he would pay who ever it was to go away and get some thin mints.
He didn’t expect his friend from across the country to be at the door.
“Cooper!” Charlie cried in relief, Cooper stood in shock looking at him. Charlie was from Vermont, and they hadn’t met up for what felt like years.
Charlie wore a strange amalgamation of clothing. Two pairs of jeans, a large puffy jacket that reached to his thighs, a beanie that wrapped around his head, and thick gloves.
Perfect clothing for an especially snowy day in Vermont.
But he was in California, in August.
You don’t wear that in August.
Cooper stared at him, confused and concerned.
“I’m never doing drugs again.” Was all he could think.
“Oh god Cooper I’m so glad I’m here!” Was Charlie… crying? Whatever it was, he was not doing well.
“How-?” Cooper tried to focus on forming a sentence, “How are you here?”
“I drove for 48 hours. I haven’t slept in what feels like days, all I’ve been drinking is Monster Energy.” Charlie sounded desperate, and looking closer his eyes were red from sleeplessness and his pupils jittered from too much caffeine.
“I understand.” Cooper understood jack shit, but it seemed like the right thing to say, “Listen, you can crash on the couch, I’ll make you some food and call Travis.”
Charlie nodded, “Listen- you won’t believe me- I have to show you.”
Cooper looked at him in confusion as he slowly unzipped his jacket. Underneath was a sweatshirt which he grabbed the corners of as if to pull it off.
“Jesus Christ don’t you have a girlfriend?” Was Cooper’s impulse response. Based on Charlie’s reaction, that was not the right thing to say.
“I’ll- I’ll show you later. I need to sleep.” Charlie bee lined it for the couch, immediately falling asleep.
For the first time, Cooper felt very self-conscious about the mess.
Backing up in confusion he scrambled for the house phone. He ran into the kitchen, his sneakers squeaking and sliding on the tile. He yanked the home phone and as he dialed Travis’ number, he looked back and Charlie.
If he wasn’t insane, Charlie looked almost green.
“Hello?” Travis’ voice rang over the line.
“Travis! Oh thank god!” Cooper was aware how desperate and confused he sounded, just like Charlie, “Listen you need to get home right now.”
“Are you stoned?” Travis sounded pissed, the tapping of his fingers coming through the line.
“No! Well, yes, but that isn’t important! You have to come home now!”
“Cooper I don’t have time for this, I’m at work and-“
“Charlie’s here.”
“W-what?”
“Travis, Charlie’s here.”
“What do you mean? Doesn’t he live in-“
“He drove 48 fucking hours to get here. I need you get home right now.”
“I swear Cooper if this is some weed induced lies-“
“If it’s a lie I’ll clean the whole house, you can hold my skateboard hostage until I do it.”
“Oh my god you’re serious. I’ll be there in ten.”