Now Chad’s downstairs. Now Penelope’s downstairs. Now Ash is with them and Jules is following me down the rickety ones from the roof and she’s asking me about the ecstasy, which is now in my pocket.
“Do you take that?”
“I have.”
“How often do you take it?”
“Some times.”
Jules stops on the stairs.
“Look I gotta see how many they took and make sure they’re not overdosing at 1692, ok? No offense to this conversation. Come with me. Come help me. Please.”
Jules follows.
The club is off. I mean it’s packed. That lizard musta let a lot more people in since I went up to the roof.
“What time is it?”
“I don’t know.” Jules doesn’t wear a watch either.
“Don’t you have a phone?”
“It’s at Black Box. Don’t you have a phone?”
“It’s in the car. Help me get these Jansports.”
“What’s in them?”
“Look.”
But I’ve got three and Jules has one and let’s hope Ash and Chad have the other two. I’m at the threshold to the downstairs—well, the second floor—and I look up behind me. Jules is sitting on the top step, dark blue Jansport open, rainbow light rising to her face.
I know it’s premature (and I’m not the marrying type) but I know right then and there that I could marry this girl.
“Jules.”
She looks up from the bag. “Did you bring all these?”
“Yeah.”
“How many are there?”
“A lot. Like..I don’t know..like three hundred.”
She stands. She zips the bag. She takes my arm. “Did you buy all these?”
“Yeah,” I say. But I don’t wanna talk about that. We’ve gotta find Ash.