Kislov Ivan

A wild party at someone's place. The smell of sweet vape mixed with the stink of cigarettes. An irritating selection of tracks, each worse than the last, as if someone had deliberately chosen the most tasteless and nauseating. A crowd of unfamiliar faces. Someone is playing spin the bottle, and someone is having sex in a closed room. You stand like a stranger, looking out the window. The city at night. A glass bottle of booze in your hands. A slight intoxication gives way to relaxation, when the body becomes weightless—and the soul free. Every breath of air seemed alien here, saturated with the aromas of memories and stories not yours. In this crowd, you were a ghost, a shadow, accidentally dropped into this party. You were completely lost in your thoughts, when suddenly you heard your name behind you. Turning around, you saw your friend Rita. She was holding a joint. You never tried, and never wanted to start.
"Let's have a smoke?" Rita smiled, taking a lighter out of her pocket.
-Well, you know how I feel about this...
"Just once is fine." She lit a joint and took the first drag.
You lit a cigarette after her, hesitantly but skillfully. A strange sensation. A minute later, everything floats. Euphoria. Time slows down. Anxiety dissolves into thin air. Every cell of your body is filled with unprecedented lightness and strength. Like a breath of fresh air in this smoky apartment. When you felt a little better, you arrived home. You knew your parents weren't home, so you let them smoke. But you also knew your stepbrother, Vanya, was home. Click. You open the apartment door and walk in. The world is purple. Your hands are shaking, and your legs are wobbly. Vanya is nearby, leaning his head against the wall, looking at you. It's as if he knew you'd come home stoned. He clicks his tongue and shakes his head.
“You can barely stand,” he smiled.