4:15 PM

“I just can’t believe she’s gone. Just this morning she was talking about going for a run along the Charles. She seemed fine. I just…”

“Don’t lie. Alicia didn’t go for a run, dude.”

“No, she did. Put on her sneakers and everything. She said it would help with the hangover. She said it’s what they make her brother do in the army, run the booze out. Maybe the running did this to her, made her weak. When the doctor comes in, we’ve gotta ask.”

“Running didn’t kill her, man. If she even went for a run, which I doubt. Drugs don’t have a retroactive effect on your ability to do things. They just kill you the one time.”

“We were doing the same drugs, Brian. Why would the drugs kill her, but not us? There’s gotta be another explanation.”

“I don’t think anyone’s going to believe you that it was anything other than the heroin, man. No use lying to yourself.”

“I need to get out of here. Fuck, where are the doctors?”

“I’ll go find someone.”

“No. Stay. I just. Don’t leave me in here with her.”

“She can’t hurt you, Chuck. If I were you, I’d be more worried about her parents. They’re going to kill you.”

“I know. I don’t know how I can tell them. They always told her she should be with a doctor, a lawyer, someone with a title and a job and a… fuck, Brian, can you unplug that thing? The noise is making me jump out of my skin.”

“The heart monitor? You want me to unplug her heart monitor?”

“She’s already dead. What is it monitoring? Nothing, a flat line. Just unplug it. Where the fuck is the doctor?”

“What if they think I killed her? I can’t get arrested.”

“Jesus Christ, it’s not attached to her heart, but fine. I’ll do it.”

“Good, yeah, you do it. They’re going to question you, anyway. I don’t want any part of this.”

“Don’t want any part of this? We were in your car. Don’t play innocent now.”

“They were your drugs, man. Don’t act like me driving us is the same thing.”

“I just…I don’t know how this happened. I never meant…”

“Save the sob story for the police, man.”

“You serious? My girlfriend died in the passenger seat of your car, taking the same drugs you were taking, and you say you want no part in this? To save my sob story? Are you for real?”

“I just…”

“Fuck, man, I can’t do this. I need to take my mind off this. Talk about something else.”

“Um…I applied to law school; UCLA. Alicia’s the only one I told.”

“Wow, man. That’s far.”

“I know, but I mean, we’re almost thirty. I just needed to do something with my life.”

“Yeah…”

“When I told Alicia, she joked her parents would let me date her once I graduate. Just in case you two didn’t work out. She said I was a good backup plan. Hey man, don’t look at me like that. It was just a joke. I don’t know what to do here. I’ve never been trapped in a room with a dead body before.”

“It’s not funny.”

“Hey, man, put your fists down. Goddamn. I tell you I applied to law school, and you threaten to slug me. What’s that about?”

“You told me you applied to law school, then tell me that my girlfriend said she might date you when you graduate. Because of course she would. As you said, we’re almost thirty. She can’t date a drug dealer forever.”

“I didn’t say that, I just…Dude, I can’t believe you hit me. Shit. I think you broke my nose.”

“You’re fine. I didn’t break your nose. Here, she won’t be using all these towels.”

“Man, I’m out of here. I’m done.”

“Fuck you, Brian.”

“Aw, Chuck, don’t look at me like that. You hit me, man.”

“She’s dead, Brian. We’ve been a team since middle school, all three of us. You can’t just leave me.”

“Hey, man, Chuck, don’t cry. I just…I can’t do this. Don’t hug me, man. Stop, you’re making this harder than it needs to be. She’s gone, man. Shit.”

“Excuse me, boys. Time of death, July 2, 2021, 4:15 pm. The police will be in, both of you need to stay. I’ll have a nurse come in to reset your nose. Don’t make me call security.”