The relationship between Vasyl and Shane was complex, mostly because of how close they were growing up. Although cousins, the two were more like brothers, attached at the hip no matter what the activity. When they began high school, both fell into the same wrong group of friends, Shane and Vasyl becoming regular users of a number of different drugs. Even though Shane still used today, it was no where near the extent of what he did during high school.
“No way will Everett be your friend when he finds out you killed a girl.” Realizing that he had very little to play off of, Vasyl decided to exploit his cousin’s irrational sense of fear, hoping he would be able to get something out of him. This, after all, was what Vasyl did. After having been cut off by his parents, he did all that he could to get by without doing much of anything
Shane was exasperated, now screaming. “I didn’t kill her, okay! It was an accident, and you—” he stopped. “You took advantage of the situation. You got rid of her body and then exploited me for money!”
“I helped you!” Vasyl yelled back, getting in his cousin’s face. “I saved your fucking life! You didn’t watch her, so she OD’d. That’s your fault, not mine.”
Shane was speechless. There was nothing he could say, mostly because Vasyl was right.
She’d died because of him. The girl that he’d loved was buried in some ditch somewhere because he was an idiot.
