The sun beat down on us as we made the long trek to the porn shop. Derek wore his usual dark blue baseball cap and I walked with a squint, trying to shield my eyes. It was 11am and we were approaching John's. Such an innocuous name for a small storefront full of black sluts this and DP that; mega super sex sluts swallow, posted everywhere. Derek led the way, having been there before. I stood idly by, trying to not look so much like a girl as the man I assumed was the John of "John's" gave Derek the whippets from beneath the glass counter.
The walk back was quicker, our footsteps lighter, as we laughed about what we saw. "Really, you can just go watch porn in the back?" I asked incredulously. Even at 21, I was so naive.
Derek lived in what I usually refer to as the druggie frat. His frat brothers were unique and eclectic. The building itself was from the early 1900s, like a lot of the campus, and was in disrepair, drafty, and poorly lit. We made our way back to his room. My eyes adjusted to the darkness slowly. The house had few windows and Derek's room was no exception.
The campus was filled with "spring flingers" enjoying the yearly party full of music and debauchery. We were holed up away from the crowds, thinking of starting our own party. I'd never done ecstasy or whippets, but I'd signed up to do both this weekend. I'm an anxious person by nature. My mom instilled her nagging voice in me with years of talk about strangers and LSD and rape. For once though, I was calm. I trusted Derek. Derek was my personal devil's advocate. He helped me lose my faith and helped me get high for the first time. He was amazingly smart, one of the smartest guys I've ever known.
We made ourselves comfortable in Derek's room. His roommate Ryan reclined on his bed in one corner of the large room, I sat on Derek's bed in the opposite corner and Derek sat at his desk chair nearby, fiddling with his laptop. After he selected some music, Derek began doling out the tablets. Twenty dollars for pleasure supposedly. Sure, we'll see if it even works on me, I thought.
Each pill was emblazoned with iconic smiley face. We popped them in our mouths like candy and relaxed, the music taking over our bodies as we allowed the drug to set in.
As I lay with my eyes closed, I could hear Derek opening the box of whippets we'd picked up. He grabbed the balloon he'd purchased earlier and the hiss of gas from the tiny canister made my ears vibrate. His breath was audible as he inhaled the gas from the balloon. He held it in his lungs as long as he could before exhaling. His hands fell limp by his side and his eyes closed as a smile swept over his face.
He opened his eyes and looked at me. "I'm going to put the gas into the balloon. Inhale it and hold it as long as you can," he advised.
"Ok," I said, reaching for the full balloon in his hand. It was a punch balloon, the kind you would've played with as a kid, but now full of adult fun. I'd never done ecstasy, I'd never done whippets, and here I was doing both at the same time.
As I breathed in the nitrous oxide, my ears seemed to dim the noise around me. My body turned inward and all sensation was focused on what I was inhaling. The world seemed to vibrate against me as I held my breath. Letting it go was slightly orgasmic. I moaned as I allowed myself to breathe again.
Derek took the balloon from me and passed it to Ryan. I could hear him going through the ritual as I lay back on Derek's pillow, eyes closed. The ecstasy was definitely kicking in. Everything tingled. Every neuron and synapse I had in my body was firing and saying, hey, we're here, pay attention to us. My breasts ached, my pussy ached, my mind ached. I licked my lips as I heard Derek take his turn with the balloon. Everything felt like it was taking hours, but it was mere minutes. My legs clenched together tightly, as I felt Derek touch my leg, indicating it was my turn.
I caught his eye as I sat up. He watched intently as I pulled the balloon to my lips, sucking in the gas. I leaned back again as my thoughts swirled so quickly I was unable to catch them. Everything seemed a dream. I exhaled slowly, thinking I felt a hand on my leg. Lifting my head slightly from the pillow, I could see that Derek had rolled his chair directly next to the bed. His hand was on my calf. Everything appeared to be moving in slow motion. He was still watching me. His hand moved up towards my thigh as he got out of the chair. He joined me on the bed, spreading my legs with his knees. His touch was like a vibration, setting my hair on end. I continued to watch Derek, unsure of what I should do. Not wanting to stop him because it felt so good, not sure what it would mean for our friendship if I didn't.