"Where are your crackers?" Nicky asked when Andrew was left gasping for breath.

"He took them earlier," Kevin said.

"All of them?" Nicky asked, horrified. "Jesus, Andrew."

"Shut up," Andrew said, and spat a couple times. He reached blindly for Kevin's headrest, found it on the third try, and pulled himself back inside the car. "Just get us there."

Nicky floored it, but once they entered the outskirts of Columbia night traffic slowed them down. Their first destination was a restaurant called Sweetie's. It was too late for dinner, but the parking lot was packed. Nicky dropped them off at the door so he could circle and look for a spot. There were four groups ahead of them waiting for seats. Andrew detoured to the salad bar and grabbed two handfuls of cracker packets from a bucket on the end. Kevin watched as Andrew methodically ate his way through them. Andrew answered with a baleful look.

He finished his snack before Nicky joined them. A few minutes later they were finally seated at a booth in the back. Before the host could leave Andrew stuffed his empty cracker packets into the man's apron. The host didn't even bat an eye at such rudeness but left them with their menus. Their waitress wasn't far behind him, and Nicky handed the menus back unread.

"We're just here for the ice cream special," Nicky said.

"No problem," she said. "I'll get that right to you."

Nicky's smile disappeared the second she left and he turned a concerned look on Andrew. Andrew sat cradling his face in one hand. The other hand was flat on the table in front of him, and his shaking was more pronounced now. A shudder passed through Andrew's frame. Andrew sucked in a long breath through clenched teeth.

Kevin pulled a bottle of pills out of his pocket and set them on the table, halfway between himself and Andrew. "Just take it."

Andrew went perfectly still as he stared at the bottle. "Fuck you."

Neil finally understood. "You're going through withdrawal."

Andrew ignored him. "Put that away before I shove it down your throat."

Kevin frowned but did as he was told.

It didn't take long for their ice cream to arrive. Their waitress passed out bowls and set a pile of napkins in the middle of the table. As soon as she left, Andrew scattered the napkins with an impatient hand. Underneath them all was a pile of packets full of pale yellow powder.

"We're in public," Aaron said.

Andrew ignored him in favor of ripping open two bags and upending them into his mouth.

Nicky nudged Neil. "Try the ice cream. You'll love it."