“Kali?”
That voice. I’d know it anywhere.
“Screensaver?” I couldn’t believe my eyes. His hair was closely cropped and his body severely emaciated. Back in high school, Screensaver had been a shaggy-haired marshmallow, but now he looked more like a hollowed-out corpse.
“The name’s James, asshole.”
I laughed, giving my old friend a hug. “Damn, dude, long time no see. What have you been up to?”
He held his arms out to the side. No explanation was needed.
“Bad, huh?”
“The worst.” James appeared so defeated.
I remembered that feeling well. “Sorry, man.”
He shrugged. “Anyway, you look good, Kali. How you been?”
“Eh.” I shrugged. “Broke up with my girl. Just making sure I don’t relapse. Have you seen Valentine or Fire Crotch?”
“I haven’t seen either one in years. Someone told me Fire Crotch got his act together after high school, but I have no idea where he is now. Last I heard, Valentine was in prison. He stabbed some guy a couple of years ago in a drug deal gone bad.”
Valentine’s fate wasn’t necessarily a surprise, but it shocked me all the same. That could have been me had my father not stepped in and demanded change. It could have been me had Sam not taken me on and helped change my life.
I gripped James’s shoulder. “I’d like to say you look good, but dude, I can tell you’ve had a rough go of it.”
“Yeah. Real rough. I’ve been dealing with this shit since I smoked my first joint at twelve. Just finished my third rehab. It’s a struggle. Can’t hold down a job. Been living with my parents all these years. They finally had enough and tossed me out. I don’t blame them. I was a mess. I really gotta get it together this time.”
“You’ll do it,” I answered with all the encouragement I could muster. The truth of the matter was, Screensaver was fragile. One misstep and he’d be lost again.
“You’re doing well, though,” he said, seemingly eager to change the subject. “I heard you opened a surf shop. Good for you, man.”
“Well, you know, I had a little help from my rich and famous brother.”
He smiled without an ounce of jealously. James had always been a nice kid, if more than a little dopey. “Congrats on Jake’s success too. You must be so proud of him.”
“I am. Thanks. How come you never came to the shop to say hi?”
He shifted from heel to heel, his head hanging low. “I’ve been on the outs for a while. Homeless. Last thing I wanted was for people I knew to see me that way.”
I nodded, understanding his predicament perfectly. “But you’re clean now.”
He lip edged up as he bowed his head. “I am, but you know how it is. I’ve got to fight to keep it…”
I stopped him. “Do you want it?”
“Want what? To be clean?”
“Yeah. Do you want it?”
“I do, Kali.” His eyes filled with tears. “I want it so bad. I’m just… I’m so damn tired.”
I thought back to Lassen and how much he’d helped me when I was hopeless like James. I’d reeked of a man in need of help and compassion. That same smell was now drifting off James. Building my old friend back up would take a considerable amount of time. Luckily for him, my schedule had recently been cleared.
“You got a mentor?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Nah.”
