Today, my close friend, Nate, is going to court. His jail time will be determined. I don’t know the details, and I don’t need to know. He is my friend and always will be.

We treat incarceration like an inevitability.
Anwar said, “A right of passage.”

We were young and foolish. Everyone got into drugs, hard. It escalated fast. We accepted the risk. Banging Jeezy while we sinned. Delusions of grandeur and gold chains desensitized us. The drugs kept our nerves in check.

In the drug stream, money flows in a torrent. One adventure would land us enough money and drugs to spend our nights in celebration. Pass out. Wake up. Do it again.

I kind of miss those days at Woj’s house with Nate and Cheddar Bob.

Now Nate’s going to jail.
Woj is still the same.
Cheddar Bob lives at home, safe and sound, spending his days playing World of Warcraft.

I am the only one of us to get his G.E.D.

I am glad to be in art school.