I was sitting on my bed next to my best friend for about two years. Her name is Annie and she is 13. Her cousin Mallory, 12, walked around my room just talking to us. I'd only known her for about two weeks but she seemed like the kind of person I would become good friends with. Hyper, energetic, sarcastic, and funny. We had already become close.

She seemed to be just like me. So when she would say stuff like, 'Oh, I swear I was high then' and 'I want to get high' well, I thought she was just joking around like many of my friends and I do. Alot of people say it, actually.

But as she reached into her bag and pulled something out, she said, "I'm kinda scared to take it." I leaned foward and pushed my head up to where I could see what was in her hand. Then I saw it.

That round little yellow pill I had seen too many times before. I couldn't count how many times I had been offered it. Every time I said no. Exept for the one time they didn't take no for an answer. I flushed it down the girls bathroom stall. It was a very dramatic moment for me.

They all said that it was like weed, but in pill form. It was supposed to make you happy and act stupid. But that made people want it more. More than half of my once good middle school was on that round substance with the 75 ml on it. 75. If you don't know how bad that is, it's bad.

I sat back on my bed, keeping my 'cool and natural' look on. "Who'd you get that one from?" I asked, "Leo? Cory?"

"I can't tell you," was her reply. She put it back in her bag. "I'll take it tonight when I'm about to go to sleep. They it was supposed to make you mellow."

'Yeah,' I thought, 'You'll be plenty mellow when you're dead. Or in the hospital or struggling to get hired at Mc. Donalds because you decided to spend your college fund on drugs.'

"I don't think I'll ever do that," I said. Annie just sat silently next to me.

If this were fiction or some Disney show, Mallory would probably decided not to do it or I would of kicked her out and never talked to her again. But, this isn't a show. It's life.

So I just sat there as she said, "That's what I used to say. I can quit whenever I want."

'Sure you can,' my mind blurted as I stayed silent.

She excused herself and went to the bathroom downstairs. For a while Annie and I just sat in silence. I think we would have sat in silence the whole time, too, if I hadn't said what I said. I have NO regret for what I said and I never will.

"Annie," I said, not softly, but loud and in command, "Are you REALLY going to let her take that!"

She had a really sad look on her face. But then she took a deep breath and looked at me, and I knew the Annie I knew was still there and about to take control along with me. "HELL NO!"

I smiled, uncontrollably, and said, "You wanna flush it?"

She nodded.

I started searching through the bag and found it. I ran into my bathroom upstairs, which, lucky enough, Mallory had decided not to use, and was getting ready to flush it. But then I gave it to Annie. I had already had my moment of choice. She grabbed it and threw it into the toilet and flushed it. I knew it was just as a dramatic moment for her as mine had been.

"Is that the only one?" I asked.

"Yeah. I was with her when Cory gave it to her. He only gave her one." she was standing in my bathroom still, "I guess I have to accept it, because she's my cousin, but..." she drifted off.

A little while later Mallory came back up. "I was taking pictures of myself."

Me and Annie talked, and hung out as I painted my nails. But then Mallory opened her bag.

"Where's that pill?!"

I shrugged.

"It must of fell out! Crap, I was goona take it!" She started destroying my room looking for it. Will you guys please help me look?!"

I got up and started 'looking' for the 'lost' pill.

"It's alomst time for you guys to go home. Listen, I'll look for it tonight. If I find it, I'll give it to you at school tomorrow." I tried to calm her.

"Fine. I'll just get more tomorrow. He'll give some to me."

We heard my parents pull in the driveway, and she started freaking out. "Annie, can we please go?"

Annie looked annoyed. "We still have a few minutes. Why are you so freaked?"

"You would be too if you lost a pill at someone's house!"

My niece's voice echoed from downstairs.

"Annie! Please! Let's go home!" she squealed, terrified. My niece came into my room. Mallory got up and VERY quickly grabbed her stuff. "Please!"

I leaned towards Annie, "Annie. Take her home. I'm worried about her."

"Fine." was all she said.

They left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later, Annie texted me.

Hey

I replied.

Hey wats up

Can u belive wat u heard today

Kinda and kinda not

But do u belive my cousin does that

My next reply was long and I kinda regret saying it for some reason:

I think ANYONE can do it. Destiny and cory are 2 totally different people and they both do it. Heck we could both do it. And if i ever do something like she did today i hope ud do the same thing u did with that pill. So yah i cna believe mallory can do it cuz anyone can its just the people that use their freedom of choice wisely that dont do it.

(Sounds Disney, huh?)

Yah i guess

I know. Ive g2g peace

Peace

I put down my phone and got on my computer. There was no hope for the kids at my school. They are dead to me. People are wrong. Drugs will hurt you. And the people around you. Things aren't going to change. And I don't know for sure, maybe I will take the pill one day. Maybe Annie will too. I can't change others. But right now, I don't feel like screwing up my life. Maybe later in life, but not know. It was sad. Old friends, classmates, students, all losing themselves over that pill. They will never be the same. And you can tell something's changed about them. They're not there. I felt like crying. I was crying. And the most powerful thing I could do was go on Facebook and update my 'What am I doing now' box:


What is wrong with people!? And why are they my friends!? They are my friends because of who they were without this crap! This town is not as good as people think it is! Please God, do something before I'm next!