Free Sophie's Throughway by Jules Smith

tight, mean look on his face.
    â€œI’m going to have to stay here now.” He looked overat me with raised eyebrows to question if that was going to be alright. “I can’t feel it working yet though, maybe I’ll be immune to it.”
    â€œYeah, that’s fine…did you have plans tonight?” I felt terribly guilty and parentally inadequate. “I can’t feel anything either but then I never did when I was younger and tried it.”
    In my past I’d often had a draw on some boyfriends’ roach at a party but had never experienced that cool and easy reggae vibe that everyone else did. I think I was just too hyperactive and the nearest thing to have possibly got me into that state would be getting shot with a wild animal tranquilliser.
    â€œNo plans especially.” We both sat there for several minutes in silence, shell-shocked and awaiting some sort of revelation.
    And then it happened.
    I felt the faint onset of nausea. A wave of something taking hold and denying my body the ability of control.
    â€œOh God, I feel sick…”
    I stood up and my legs began to tremble. I tried to make my way to the kitchen and I felt as though I was walking on sponge. I stamped my feet harder on the carpet to try and make the feeling disappear but it didn’t work. I was getting hot and flustered and the palpitations were doing Zumba in my chest.
    â€œWhoa…I don’t like it, I don’t like it…” I clasped myhands to my ears because I felt I could hear the ocean. What? “I’m going to KILL him!” I made my way delicately through the lounge.
    Once in the kitchen I felt incredibly weird, like I might possibly faint, or even worse, die. Standing was proving difficult and I was unsure if I was about to do an Exorcist special and projectile vomit everywhere. If I was going to, it will be on Brendon I thought spitefully. I decided to lie on the floor in case death was imminent and as I placed my face on the cool tiles I felt a rush of dizziness, so I shut my eyes, ready to meet my maker.
    Several minutes later I was being shaken awake by Brendon. “Mum, MUM! Wake up! You can’t go to sleep. It will make you feel ill.” He pulled at my top to try and raise me to a sitting position.
    I looked up at him from the floor where I lay. “You’re the spawn of the devil,” I tried to focus on his face, “AND I’m not the devil.” I added. I could vaguely make out Karl standing in the background, laughing like a child. “YOU ARE the devil!” I said in his direction. “You’re both devils. Evil. I am but a pure and wonderful angel, sullied and beaten down by your wickedness.” For some reason I had become all biblical and actually believed this to be true.
    â€œYes, Mum. You’re an angel,” Brendon sighed, “but an angel who needs some toast or something.”
    â€œDon’t you feed me another goddam thing you poisonous…poisoner! You just went and bit the hand that feeds you. I fed you love and you fed me pain. I stoppedfor a minute thinking how poignant that was. “Where’s my iPad? Have you taken it? Where is it? I need to make notes…”
    Karl was just laughing his head off like a little kid. “Oh that’s fucking hilarious.”
    â€œWhy are you laughing?” I started to snicker too. At absolutely nothing and yet I was as tickled as a fat, drunk monk.
    Karl was crying with happiness. Tears were running out of his eyes. His nose was running and his mouth was dribbling.
    â€œWhy is your face just continually leaking?” I asked with concern.
    This just made him chuckle all the more. He was doubled over on the kitchen counter, head in hands, shaking with rapturous joy. I had never witnessed such a sight.
    â€œWhere’s my iPad?” I asked out loud to no one in particular, as I wandered through to my study in search of it.
    â€œMum, I’m making you