a bad group of friends

I ran as fast as I could, dodging moving cars, their horns honking at me as I jumped over their flawless hoods, leaving deep scratches as a reminder of the lunatic auburn haired nineteen year old. I look back at the DEA agents chasing after me, trying to come up with a plan quickly. 'Why did I get into this mess! Why didn't I just stop being friends with the idiots!' A voice screamed in my head as I took a sharp turn, entering an alley way. A year ago I got myself into this terrible mess that I could have prevented.

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"Class dismissed! Don't forget, the project is due friday!" the teacher said as he returned to his desk to straighten out papers. He was an older man, his head covered in a thin scruff of gray hair, who stood about 5'9". His face was dark but tight, with glasses that were always propped on his narrow nose between two hazel eyes. Some people sighed and others groaned as he reminded them of a project they all but started. I, on the other hand finished the day it was assigned. Most of the people at this college were so different then I was. I got up after everyone left and headed to my dorm in which I shared with two decent guys, Mark and Leon. Mark was about 5'11" in height with a chiseled face and laid back brown hair. His deep blue eyes added on to the fact that his appearance was the perfect definition of a businessman. Now Leon was a lot different from Mark. Leon was a plump guy that although stood 5'7" was relatively proportioned, with dirty blonde hair that always fell in his dark green eyes. I was 5'10" and just a little under a normal weight. My face was slightly round but still was defined along side my auburn hair that sat neatly on top of my head. What was different about my appearance were my eyes as they were two different colors, one brown and the other a light blue.
We were all the same age, nineteen and went to this college for one purpose; become lawyers. We were from the same area and we were always really close to eachother. That was up until what happened.
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It was late afternoon, the sun starting to set in the horizon as we walked the old pavement roads from the dorms. "Hey, Leon and Xavier?" Mark stated in more of a questionable form. I looked at Leon, raising an eyebrow before returning my stare at Mark replying,"Yeah Mark?" He looked around slightly, "I have a cool place we can hang out since we are all done with our project." Leon looked at him and nodded, but it took me a tad bit longer to agree. We made our way through the back roads near the college, cutting corners and curves following Mark to the place that was all but familiar.
"Where exactly are we going, Mark?"Leon asked as we continued our way through the broken down part of the city. "It's my friends old house, he wanted to see if me and some friends wanted to hang out," he replied "Besides, what are you guys so worried about, i'm your friend right?" We both nodded and continued in silence until we reached an old house.

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The house was rather small with a rusty tin roof that hung over the end of the structure. It was painted a baby blue color, as if he was trying to stick out against all the rotting structures around. "We're here," mark stops and walks up to the door, knocking a few times."Hey, Houston. It's your old friend Mark!" A scraggly man opened the door, his hair reached past the shoulders of his skinny body, which held clothes too big to fit him right. He stood the same height as Mark with similar facial features but unlike mark his eyes seemed to be bloodshot and glossy, his whole shaking with the pulse of his heart.
"Are these your friends, Mark?" Houston ask as he seemed to look us over. "They seem like your type," he said with a chuckle. "Come on in guys." He walked in and Mark followed. Me and Leon gave eachother a concern look before dragging behind them. Leon looked at me and whispered, "I don't trust this guy, Xavier.." I look back at him and try to give him a confident look, but it didn't stay that way for long. "I'm sure he's a good guy.." I trail off as I look at the room we were in, covering my nose. I guess I wasn't the only one to get hit with the terrible odor. I heard Leon gag and stop in his tracks behind me.
Mark walks over to the table, grabbing four capsules. They looked like an off brand version of a painkiller, but they smelled foul. He handed each of us one as he and Houston took a pill. Mark looked at us as we still haven't taken ours and he laughs slightly before speaking, "Come on guys, don't you wanna try it? It gives you great visions!"
I grunted and shook my head, my body stiffening. "No. Mark, I am your friend, but whatever this stuff is can't be legal." I look at Leon who was shaking in place. "Oh come on," mark stated "It's not illegal, it's just a really good reliever!" He smiled as he took another. Leon caved into the pressure after a while of silence and took his, but I kept myself from doing so, holding the pill in my hand. "My answer is no." I say plainly, crossing my arms. I wasn't gonna go to jail for something so stupid. They can go ahead and lose their chance at this college.
"Hey its not bad, Xavier!" Leon shouts. Leon doesn't like anything, how could he like this stuff. I roll the pill in my palm and look it over. 'Maybe just one won't hurt...' I sigh deeply before putting it in my mouth. I swallow it in one gulp.
"What is this anyway?" Leon asked. "It's peyote and mescaline, or we like to call it buttons." I looked at him as he hid a smirk that I know all too well.
A few days later the effects really started to show. My school work suffered as I really didn't care at this point. I kept losing focus on my life and during this time my girlfriend, Courtney broke up with me, stating that I was a deranged lunatic.My eyes were always dialated, I couldn't drive right anymore, and I was always slow with what I was doing. My whole life was slipping under my fingertips, just like my friends.
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Me and Mark were walking from class one day, laughing and pointing at things while chewing on some tablets that looked like candy. "We have to go help Houston with a drug deal, are you up for it, Xavier?" Mark looked at me and smirked. I nodded and laughed as we started towards Houston's house.
All of a sudden we busted out a building running as fast as we could, the cops close behind. I ran behind Mark and Houston, unsure of why the police were after us. It all hit me at once looking at the bag in my hand. These drugs are illegal! Mark lied to me and I trusted him through all these years! I jumped over a couple of cars, leaving deep marks in the hoods. 'Why did I get into this mess! Why didn't I just stop being friends with the idiots!' A voice screamed in my head as I took a sharp turn, entering an alley way. I run along until I reach another highway running into the street before cars around me slam on brakes. My vision went black as a truck hit me straight on, lights fading from my eyes and the pain slowly slipping away.
"Earlier today a driver hit a man while running from the cops for the possession and dealing of drugs. The man was killed on impact, but his two allies were missing. If you have any information on them, please contact the authorities immediately." Leon cut off his tv and sighed deeply. He looks around the dorm.'I can't believe it.. Xavier..." He clinches his fist." He was such a good person... Mark got him into the wrong crowd, again..." He stormed out the dorm, heading to the house he knew Mark and Houston would be hiding.
A few years later around Xavier's birthday Leon visited his grave along with Courtney, his ex girlfriend. He was a great person, but he got caught in a bad group of friends.

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