perfect storm

Chapter Five | Desire

content warning: drugs

February 4th, 2022, 12:00 PM

after getting through my classes that felt like three whole eternities, i made my way to the east wing with my backpack slung over my shoulder. it was so quiet down here, my boots echoing down the halls and the chain on my jacket lightly hitting the leather were the only sounds i could hear. i peeked around corners before turning them to make sure no teachers were lurking. in our school, you get in trouble for not being in the lunchroom during lunch. i finally made it to the east wing, tip-toeing in case any teachers could hear my shoes on the floor. turning the corner, i saw him. 

Eddie was leaning against the locker wall, his leg bent at the knee and his foot pressed against it. he looked so effortlessly cool. even though it sounds like the universe's biggest cliche, he did. i need to shut up. i need to shut the fuck up. feelings for someone are the LAST thing i need right now. i keep trying to remember to stop thinking about it, but every time i see him i forget everything. i took a deep breath, and yell-whispered his name. "Eddie!!" i waved my arm in the air. he looked up and he lit up across his face. he motioned for me to come over with his hand and i half ran, half walked over to him. 

he was taller than me, unintentionally looming over me every time we stood in front of each other. his hair was falling over his face. i so badly wanted to push it out of his face with my hand, feeling his skin under my fingertips. he blew on the strand of hair  in attempt to get it away from his face, but it ended up falling back in the same exact spot. i snapped out of my daydream when he started talking. "i know a place on campus that's a little ways away from the building, i think you'll like it. i go there to be alone and its super peaceful." 

i was elated. we've never been alone before. okay Rue, nothing is going to happen. you need to stop putting yourself through this, i told myself. "follow me." he said. we walked through the wing exit doors and headed toward the woods. our boots crunched overtop the fresh snow, sticks, and leaves. after a couple minutes of walking, we came across a clearing with a picnic table. "riveting." i said, teasing. he rolled his eyes and laughed. "i never said it was a fucking amusement park. but, look, the woods around here are so pretty, don't you think?" i looked up. some of the trees were bare because of the weather, but the evergreens were beautiful as ever. the air in the woods is always so crisp. it feels like you can't breathe it in enough. "yeah. i really love the woods." i replied. 

we made our way to the table and sat down across from each other. he pulled his bag off of his shoulder and placed it on the table. he unzipped it and took out a vintage-looking metal lunchbox. i had a look of perplexity on my face, and he noticed when he looked up at me. "oh, this is my drug box." i laughed, but his face remained still. "oh shit, you're serious." he opened the lid and turned it to show me the inside. the metal bottom scraped against the splintery wood as he slid it across the table. i peered inside. in the box were joint papers, Backwoods, filter tips, a ziplock bag of about an eighth of weed, a grinder, a couple baggies with slightly different colored white powders, and a bundle of bills. my eyes widened to the size of saucers. "is.. that.." he cut me off. "coke and ket."

 "holy shit Eddie. you don't do those, do you?" i started getting really worried. "hell no." my chest lowered as i sighed out of relief. "i just sell it. you'd be surprised who buys it. christian goody-two-shoes kids who play sports come to me a lot." he said. "let's hope the school doesn't start random drug testing these teams, 'cause they're fuuucked!" i said while laughing. i always wondered if some of these jocks got help for their performance. i was never sure until now. "anyway," he started, taking out only the blunt wraps, weed, and filters.