I’m sounding like such a putz. Like Jim Nabors or something. Jesus! Just keep forging ahead.

“. . . I mean, you being the senior here at drug college and me for all intents and purposes a freshman . . .”

That sounded good. Okay, get on that roll.

“. . . Um, you know, I feel like you’re graduating, and I’m sort of new blood, you know, I don’t know all the rules. Is there anything you’d suggest? I mean, obviously, other than not doing drugs? Uh-huh, yeah. Let me ask you, what do you think of Stan? Really? I don’t know, I find him . . . Can I be frank about this? I think he’s very unpleasant. There was that one day we almost did have a conversation . . . Yeah, and I felt he was out of line. I mean, not that there are any lines in the clinic. I don’t mean that like a coke pun . . .”

Aauugh, she’s gonna think I’m a real moron.

“. . . You know, it doesn’t seem like there are any rules here other than not taking drugs, but I do think courtesy and decency could . . . I mean, as bad as I ever got on dope, I think I was always very cordial to everybody. Certainly, my dealers liked me. I mean, that sounds like a joke, but it’s true. My dealers did like me. So, um . . .”

Say something. Don’t let the air go dead. If you don’t keep talking she’ll walk away. She’s an actress, they like to talk and . . .

“What are you going to do about your career? You know, I wanted to talk to you about that. I mean, I know this sounds like I’m a moron in a drug clinic, right? But I don’t know if you know that I’m a writer and, um, I’ve just been chasing around this idea about maybe writing something about this and maybe you could take a look at it. Yeah, a script, and maybe you’d want to be in it. I mean, I don’t want to bother you . . .”

Don’t say stuff like that. Learn how to sell yourself.

“You would? You’d read it? That would be great. Well, I haven’t written it yet. I mean, you know, I like to get a lot of it in my mind first, and then when I think I’ve got the whole thing I put it down on paper. It just comes out. At least, I hope so. I haven’t tried to write without drugs yet. A journal? Really? You keep a journal? Was it your idea or . . . ? Uh-huh. And we don’t have to turn it in or anything at the end? That’s a good idea. So, do you write about . . . ? You write about people? You mean like Sid and Carl and everyone? Yeah, that sounds good.”