You've Changed

a revised version of a short story i wrote in ninth grade

October 25th, 2023 

You’ve changed 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a Friday, Friday night to be exact; Reese walked down the dimly lit city street. The night seemed calm but there was a sort of dark electricity in the air and Reese could not help but feel deeply in his guts that something bad was going to happen. In preparation for the upcoming party later that night he made a stop at the liquor store. As he walked into the soulless store with crappy lights and cheap grey tiles that look like they used to be white, but after years of people walking all over it and an apparent lack of proper maintenance had turned a hideous grey-brown color; he went to the coolers and grabbed a six-pack. 

As Reese got into line to pay, he noticed a woman outside, it looked like his dear friend, Tay. he couldn't help but wonder what on earth she was doing here when she was supposed to be at the party right now. then again, Tay always was spontaneous and impulsive. Lost in his train of thought he did not notice that the cashier was waiting impatiently, clearing their throat. Reese hurried and placed his merchandise on the counter, tapping his debit card and walking away apologizing for not paying attention “sorry” before he left, he noticed the ill looking Tay lean against the brick building exposing only their arm. He watched in horror through the musty glass of the liquor store as Tay injected a needle into their veins. He quickly ran out of the store.  

“Tay! Stop!” Reese yelled as he pushed the doors open. The concerned cashier followed him. Soon realizing that this was a stranger, not Tay. his face flushed with embarrassment. The cashier yelled at her  

“For the last time, get out of here!” Reese stood awkwardly as he listened to the woman get yelled at. The cashier focused their attention to Reese “do you know this junkie?” 

 “No, I-” Reese stammers, the angry cashier paid no attention 

 “Take your street trash and get the f**k out of here!” 

He felt an odd obligation to help this woman, so he reached his hand out to help her up. She takes his hand, remaining silent, making intense, cool eye contact. The angry cashier turns around and returns to the store muttering  

“I've had it with these goddamn junkies...” the girl turns around and yells  

“A*****e!” and returns to Reese.  

“what's your problem?” she huffs.  

“I'm so sorry miss, you just looked like someone I know.”  

“Uh huh, so your friends a junkie?” she responds.  

“Not exactly, you just look so much like her and-” Reese stammers. 

“Listen bud, I do not want your life story, okay? Did you wanna try and play savior or did you just wanna screw off?” Reese wanted to help her; he really did. His only problem was that he had no clue how to help at all. Reese stopped and thought for a moment, thinking of what to do with this girl. 

“Well, I was just on my way to a party if you wanted to join me?” the woman stopped for a moment, looking Reese up and down, smiling. 

“Sure, why not?” she smiled. 

Reese walked with this woman to the upcoming party that he was most definitely late to by now. Though at first glance anybody looking at this woman would just assume that she was just a junkie, but upon further observation Reese noticed that she was quite beautiful.  the way Her brown, messy hair complimented her thin face with high cheekbones, big pouty lips, and sharp blue eyes. despite being thin and ill-looking, there was a subtle grace in the way she walked.

“Well, I'm inviting you to this party. What's your name?” Reese asked.  

“what's yours?” 

“I asked first” Reese replied cunningly. The woman rolled her eyes. 

“Lisa” she answered. 

“Reese” he stuck out his hand. Hesitantly, Lisa shook it. They continued walking 

“So, tell me Reese, why are you being so nice to me? I mean, most people hardly even bat an eye at me, let alone invite me to random parties within the first minute of meeting me” Reese looked at Lisa, truly empathizing with her. 

“I don't know, I guess I just have trouble-” 

“Minding your own business?” Lisa asked 

“No, it's not like that-” 

“No, no I see what it's like, ok? If you do not want to be around me, just go. Okay? Just leave!” 

“Lisa, no! Listen to me. We just met, but please come with me and meet some of my friends. I want to help you.” Suddenly Lisa broke her mean, stiff demeanor and burst into tears hugging Reese.  

“I’m sorry, I really am. It’s just nobody ever talks to me that is not a f*****g junkie or a pig and everything has just been so hard. I hate my life! I hate it. I wish I never even looked at drugs! I do not know why I'm like this, it's just. Everybody hates me! My family won't even talk to me anymore, my sister just graduated, and they told me not to come. That is the only time they ever talk to me, to tell me not to show up.” Lisa continued to sob on Reese’s shoulder. Reese sat them down on a nearby bench. Strangely, this wasn't the first time Reese had been in a situation like this. He was always the person people went to with their problems, he had a naturally trustwothy demeanor and people would constantly unload their life story onto his shoulders. He knew how to handle hysterical strangers unlike any other person.

Reese let Lisa cry on his shoulder for a while, wrapping his arms around her, giving judgmental pedestrians death glares that said, ‘walk away bucko’. He waited patiently for Lisa to recollect herself.  

“Hey, Lisa if you didn’t want to go to this party you don’t have to” Lisa sniffled and replied 

“No, I want to go. I just want to forget about everything, have a fun time.”  

“Okay, it's just a few houses up” Lisa laughed. 

“Ha! I know, I thought I heard it.” 

The two walked in silence until they made it to the party. As soon as they opened the door the faded music became clearer and louder. They made their way to the kitchen through the crowds of drunken people dancing and mingling. As Reese poured them each a drink. somebody recognized him and shouted through the loud music 

 “HEY REESE, YOU MADE IT! HEY EVERYBODY REESE IS HERE1” people clapped and wooed. Somebody in the crowd of drunken idiots yelled, “we love you Reese!”  

“Well, look whose mister popular” Lisa teased.  

“they're just joking" reese rolls his eyes

Reese walked through the crowd, losing Lisa, but finding his friend sitting on the couch in the crowded living room, a cloud of smoke escaping her lips.

“Hey Tay!” Reese yelled catching Tay’s attention. “How have you been?” 

Tay shrugged; she had been down recently. Reese wasn’t sure if she was just high or something.  

“you're late” Tay said.  

“Well, I have a good excuse this time. I met this girl, and she looked just like you, but a junkie. I saw her outside the liquor store, about to shoot up but I went all nuts because I thought she was you. Anyways, I invited her, I thought she deserved to have a break you know?” Tay looked at Reese thoughtfully.  

“Of course, you did. it is so Reese to bring a stray to my party” Tay laughed. “Where is she? I wanna meet her”  

Reese looked through the crowd of people in search of Lisa. He spotted her in the living room, talking to his friend that announced his being there earlier.  

“Tay, I see her over there, c’mon.” Reese dragged Tay over to Lisa. 

“Christ man, that is so weird” the guy talking to Lisa said as he saw Lisa and Tay next to each other. 

 Reese stuck his finger up to say ‘just a minute’ to Lisa and the other guy. In the name of privacy, he walked to a quieter part of the house to talk to Tay. Only realizing how drunk he was, he walked up the stairs. Stumbling a little on the last step and giggling as he caught himself.  

“Listen Tay we need to talk.” Tay looked at Reese. 

“I'm listening” 

“Come on man, what's wrong? What's been bothering you lately?” Tay laughs thoughtlessly.  

“You know I would tell you Reese, I really would. The thing is, I had this party, so I didn’t have to think about it. I don’t know what this has to do with that chick that you brought to this party. Anyways, I'm gonna talk to her." Tay went down the stairs carefully.  

Reese was disappointed that he didn’t get to the point, but he didn’t really care, he just wanted to have fun then.  He did worry though about Tay. She had a brief history of substance abuse, and he just had a feeling that Lisa and Tay would not be good for each other.  

‘no’ Reese thought to himself, ‘I'm not gonna get in my own head, I'm just gonna have fun.’ so he did.  

The next morning, Reese woke up on the front lawn, along with three other people. Memories of the previous night were coming back to him. He tried to remember everything that happened with Lisa and Tay. He could recall that they did get along, they talked, they danced and... What else did they do? Reese walked around the house littered with toilet paper, solo cups, random graffiti, and people from last night. But nowhere in the mess did he find Tay or Lisa.  

Accepting his defeat, Reese walks home. The day made the streets feel a little more welcoming and wholesome than at night. It was a really lovely day out, though Reese had trouble admiring the day as his head was pounding and the sun was too bright, and for some reason there was a foreign sticky substance that was covering his whole bottom half that was really starting to bother him. 

When he made it to his apartment, Reese layed down on the couch and checked his phone. Tay had sent him a long string of texts, voice memos, photos, and videos. In all of them Tay was accompanied by Lisa. The two seemed to get along quite well. Reese was not sure if it was the alcohol, or Tays charismatic charm that got them so close. This didn’t sit well with Reese, but he was too hungover to deal with anything right now. So, Reese flicked on the television and drifted off into sleep. 

Reese was walking down the street, admiring the colorful sunset and the way it painted everything in the sunlight orange and red. The sliding doors of the local grocery store welcomed Reese inside as he grabbed a small grocery cart. Grabbing a 20kg bag of potatoes, milk, and grapefruit. He made his purchase and thanked Zachary, the young, zit faced kid that was working the cash register. As he walked out, taking the shopping cart along the street with him, Reese realized that he was not wearing shoes. It seemed strange outside it had gotten dark amazingly fast. 

Taking a shortcut to his dwelling, Reese decided to walk through the nearby alley. Though there were people already hanging around Reese didn’t care ‘if anything happens, I can fend for myself’ he thought. He slowly, respectfully made his way through the poorly lit alley and saw two people spark a lighter.  

“You don’t have to live like this you know” Reese said, without fully engaging. As he looked over, he saw two familiar faces, to his horror, he saw Tay and Lisa sitting shoulder to shoulder sharing cigarettes. Tay just looked awful with big dark bags under her wild eyes, and horribly skinny. In seeing this Reese fell over sobbing, screaming  

“No! No! Tay!” as Tay stared at him blankly. And everything started to fade away along with Tay’s voice 

“Do I know you?” 

Reese opened his eyes in a cold sweat, calming himself with the realization that it was all a dream. A week later Tay didn’t call or send him a text or anything. So, he decided to call her. After four rings she picked up the phone 

“Yeah?” she said coolly. 

“I just wanted to make sure you were all right. I didn’t see you this morning” 

“Yeah, I'm fine. But, if you could do me a Favour that would be great" Tay says. 

“speak” Reese offers. 

“I just need like 50 bucks for rent” Tay says in a pleading voice.  

“Yeah, of course. Just come over whenever and it will be here.” 

Reese waited all day for Tay to come, but she never did. And he did not realize that it would be the last time he spoke to Tay for a long time. 

After months of zero communication, Reese had called Tay hundreds of times. He had no idea what her problem was, but there was nothing he could do about it. He was too busy to check up on her. Getting ghosted by a close friend of his did sting for a while, but he had to get over it sometime. And eventually, he did.  

After eleven months of no communication, Tay came to Reese’s door. Her face was subtly smeared with mascara, she had lost at least twenty pounds. Frankly, she looked horrible.  

“Tay?” Reese was baffled.  

“um, yeah.” Tay had changed, she seemed so scattered and flighty. “I could really use your help man, could I just stay here for like, a week?”  

“Yeah, I guess” Reese was baffled. “Come in, it's been forever I'd love to catch up.” Tay walked inside. 

 “Wow, you’ve got a half decent place” she looked back at Reese “not bad.” 

“Listen, Tay... what happened? You’ve changed.” Reese was becoming increasingly concerned with Tay. It was like she was a completely different person. 

“Actually, before we catch up and all that, is it okay with you if I take a shower?” Tay asks. 

“I guess.” Reese mutters. “You can just leave your coat wherever.”  

Tay drops her jacket and heads towards the bathroom. Reese picks up the ratty jacket by the sleeve, and all Tay’s worldly possessions fall out of the pockets. A twenty-dollar bill, a picture of somebody unknown to Reese, tons of pills, and a thick envelope with his name on the front. Enticed by this envelope Reese decided to open it up.  

Sitting himself down Reese reads: 

Dear Reese, 

It has been months since we have been in contact. For that, I am sorry. If you are as nosy as I remember, then you have taken this out of my coat pocket. 

Honestly, the past eleven months have been an antagonizing twist of heaven and hell. After I met Lisa, we had a crazy connection. She told me all about her addiction and how she had no place to live, then I blacked out. The next morning, I remember Lisa sleeping in my spare bedroom with a house key next to it. MY house key. We made a bunch of rules. if she was gonna live with me and the most important rule was. She had to get clean.  

So, I helped her get clean. I would constantly confiscate all her stuff. At first, I just flushed everything. But one day I got curious and tried opiates.  

I didn’t answer your calls because I felt so bad, and I didn’t want you to see me this way. I'm so, so sorry Reese, but before I came here asking to stay, I overdosed, on purpose. Don’t try and resuscitate me, just let me go. 

Your friend, 

Tay. 

Author's Note

in my defense, this whole short story was written in 5 hours and i was 14. i actually really hate it and every time i read it it makes me wanna kms but it has haunted me ever since it's birth. my English teacher said it had potential to be a good story, so do with it what you will. i know there's grammatical errors and whatnot but i think if i have to look at it ever again i will simply die from cringe