The body across my threshold is still there when I get up in the morning. There are several other bodies littered across the living room, or at least the ‘communal space’. I pray to whatever god, alien, giant tree frog or swirling ball of light that might be out there that the bathroom will be junkie free. Turns out, today I’m in luck.

The plumbing in our building isn’t great, and if you don’t let the shower run for at least a minute before stepping under it, you’re liable to be rewarded with a gloop of brown slime. I have no idea how this keeps happening every time. I mean, surely there would have been one large bolus of slime saved up that gets washed out. How does it re-accumulate every time? What… does the shower save the slime? I let these thoughts occupy me until it’s safe to get in the shower. I make it quick, because I have no idea when one of the ‘friends’ of my room mates will suddenly decide to use the bathroom and the flimsy excuse for a lock wouldn’t hold many people back. Especially anyone who’s had the amount of Ice that must be in those guys out there.

I chuck on my work clothes, the same pair of khaki pants and blue shirt I’ve worn for the last three months. I have one pair of pants and three shirts. I make them last the week since I can’t make it to the Laundromat before Saturday. Don’t even think about mentioning the laundry in the basement of this building. All I can say is: At least the rats are clean.

As I’m standing in the kitchen, sheer curiosity causing me to poke some gelatinous green stuff in the sink, a skank falls into the room. Not a skunk, a skank. I’m betting that she came out of Dale’s room. Dale and Nate, those are my room mates. I wouldn’t call them friends I wouldn’t even call them acquaintances. We pay rent on the same two bedroom plus study apartment and that’s about the extent of our relationship. In case you hadn’t picked up on the oh-so subtle clues, they’re meth junkies, and sometimes heroin. And I’m fairly sure crack cocaine. Possibly also shrooms, pot, plain ol’ speed and, when they can actually get it, acid.