[ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ]	The only other sounds were the soft ripples of the water hitting the dock and the crickets serenading the forest. It felt like we were the only people in the world and our stories were just between us and the lake. There were no distractions out here; no technology, no gossiping, no stress. I was going to be starting high school in the fall. That would be the true test of my commitment to sobriety. Out her it was easy to stay grounded. Everything was so beautiful on its own. But back at school, everyone would be partying and getting high. I’m not one to get peer pressured. It’s just hard to turn down a dance with Mary Jane. . . . . Nobody’s perfect. That goes without saying. But with pothead syndrome, I am far from perfect. There have been a couple of times where Mary offered me her hand and we danced for a few hours, slowly and fondly, like lovers from long ago. But it wasn’t lustful. It wasn’t a need. And when we parted, it wasn’t a sad or depressing departure. She follows me, but I don’t drag her along. She is not the priority, but she’ll never leave completely. Once a pothead, always a pothead. "Detrimental Love Affair" won in the Civic and Arts Foundation fiction contest (2003)