Long Distance is a Bitch by shiprat

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"And when I got upset about it, he accused me of being selfish. Said I was more interested in rubbing my A in his face than consoling him over his C. Why the fuck should I console him when I know the grade he got was because of a console... a video game console!" I said, upset.

"Good one!"

"I was not trying to make a joke!" I snarled.

"Sorry!" Dustin raised his hand in an apology.

"What's wrong with men? Why are they so difficult to date?"

"I know they are. Which is why I date only women!" Dustin said and smiled.

I glared at Dustin in half anger and half amusement. He maintained a smile on his face. Finally, I burst out laughing at his silly joke. He joined in, and we laughed for almost a minute.

"I am sorry. So sorry." Dustin said. "I didn't mean to make jokes."

"It's okay." I said.

"It's just that.....well..... I'm a little high."

"You're what?????" I said in shock.

"I am high. On weed. I took a couple of tokes from this joint earlier." Dustin said, taking a half burnt joint out of his cigarette box.

"Dustin! Are you insane? You could get fired!"

"Nah, they don't do drug testing at universities. One of the reasons I love this job."

"Still...."

"Do you smoke weed?"

"Umm...no." I said. The tentativeness in my voice was obvious.

"That's not a definite No."

"Okay, what I mean is I don't smoke weed now. Now that I am in America. Parag and I used to do it occasionally back in India during our college days. But here, well..." I shrugged, "I don't know if the risk is worth it in case I get caught and deported. Also, I don't know where to get it."

"I have some right here!" Dustin said, offering me the joint.

"Dustin! Put it away!" I said, looking around in panic. "Someone could see us."

"Come on! Just take a hit. It'll get rid of all this stress you've been under."

I stared at the joint for a moment and almost took it. But then I shook my head.

"No. I have to go back to the department. They may realize I am high. And smell it on me."

"Have some tictacs. That's what I do!" Dustin said, taking out a box of tictacs from his pocket and rattling them.

"No. They could still guess I am high." I said. "Please put the joint away! You'll get us in trouble!"

Dustin put the joint back in the cigarette pack and put it in his pocket.

"Tell you what. When are you going home tonight?"

"Same time as usual. 7 or 8 pm." I said.

"Hang around till 9. That's when my shift ends. I'll drop you home and let you have a couple of hits."

"I don't know Dustin...." I said, fighting the temptation to get high again after almost a year.

"Do they test grad students for drugs?"

"No."

"So? What's the harm? You said you've done it before."

I considered his offer and realized that there indeed was no harm in taking a couple of hits. God knows I could use it, with all the shit that had gone down with Parag.

"Okay fine. 9 pm?"

"Yup. Meet me at the north parking deck."

----------------

A few hours later, it was 9 pm and I was waiting at the exit of the north parking deck. A couple of cars went by before a beaten down Ford Pinto stopped next to me.

"Get in!" Dustin said.

I opened the passenger door and got in the car. Dustin's eyes looked red. He had probably been smoking more of the weed in the meantime.

"Dustin, are you okay to drive?" I asked, worried.

"Oh yeah. I am fine."

"Maybe I should drive." I said.

"Relax! I have driven in much worse shape with no accidents." Dustin said and joined the traffic. "Now, where do you live?"

"East Poplar Ave."

"And we're a go!"

I sat in silence, praying to all the gods I could recall as Dustin drove us through the bumpy and crowded South Jersey roads. After a few minutes, I felt more at ease. He did indeed seem to have a handle on driving while high. Or should I say jughandle, since we were in South Jersey? Sorry, couldn't resist that pun!