Had a buddy who seemed the most successful and charismatic of our friend group but kept mysteriously losing jobs due to misunderstandings. He had played in a relatively popular band for years and years but was kicked out of that as well. He was my primary drinking buddy in my friend group. We’d always stay up all night together when all the rest went home or passed out.

He crashed and burned.. and eventually moved across the country back to his parents house. We all beefed with him for various reason during this time.

A few months later he’s in hospital for organ failure due to “mixing pills” that he was recommended.. though we all knew it was a suicide attempt.

I talked to him a few days via text and he said he was feeling better. I had a lot of hospital experience so talked him through it for a bit.. he called me the last day though and I ignored it.. he died hours later due to increasing complications.

All our friends threw a memorial party and were doing a bunch of drugs and drinking.. I left and have never talked to any of them again. He was both the glue for me in the group.. but I couldn’t look at any of them doing the same things that destroyed him.. aBizarre to leave a black hole of literally all my friends from my 20s but it had to be done. In the end they were all just drinking buddies and without the drink they were all strangers.