Sara Burge

Joe says back when he sold cocaine, he cut it with Fruit Fresh. There were bins of it at the buffet
he worked at. Joe scooped it up by handfuls. Joe says Fruit Fresh has antioxidants and vitamin C
and shit, so fuck the money, he was looking out for them. We light up another cigarette. He’s in
marketing but wants a change, so he’s cutting back on weed. I once did coke with my poetry
professor. I wanted to be cool. I wanted to be a poet. I didn’t feel antioxidized. Bathroom sink.
Mirror. I wanted to fit in. I tell Joe my cocaine story. I don’t tell him my professor cheated on his
wife so she left him so he started doing lots of coke. Cable-knit sweater. Knock on the door. He
died of a heart attack. Middle-aged dread. I’m as old now as my professor was then. I drink too
much but don’t do coke. Joe says that’s good, but I should do a chili water cleanse. I google does
alcohol have antioxidants. Not really. The vitamin C in Fruit Fresh keeps fruit from browning.
Fresh. No antioxidants. Silicon Dioxide. Joe says forget coke, smokes will kill us faster. Joe says
never do anything that didn’t come out of the ground.