Unfinished Infinities

Smoking on campus

Apparently, according to Chan, Leaven West housed the most badass high-schoolers in the entire country. Ah, well, I'd probably have pulled down the ranking, simply because I am not badass at all.

Well, Chan and Theo certainly were. Chan drove me out of campus to the nearby store to get cigarettes. Driving out of campus! Cigarettes!

And then Theo bought some from him and they smoked together.

"You want?" Chan offered me a cigarette in between puffs.

We were sitting beside the pond, behind some bushes. Smoking was an expellable offence in Leaven West. "It's sissy to hide," said Chan, but he did it anyway, because "I don't want to be expelled when I've just met my new friend, Willy." I laughed.

I declined Chan's offer of cigarettes, not actually having smoked before but still trying to look cool.

Theo smirked and blew smoke rings. "Haven't smoked before, have you?"

Colour rushed to my cheeks. "What-Okay, fine, yeah, I haven't." I said, abandoning all pretence.

Chan gave a mischievous smile. "Aha," he said, chuckling. "Try it, then."

I didn't want to look like a sissy, so I just grabbed one, lighted it, and stuck it in my mouth.

I breathed in.

"SHIT!" The horrible taste of smoke and ash entered my mouth. Bile surged up my throat. I had to fight the violent urge to vomit all over Theo's lap. I spit the cigarette out and stomped it on the ground.

"That shit is nasty, man. Never trying that again."

Chan and Theo chortled. I couldn't help but join in, a sheepish smile creeping up my face.

Rustle.

"Chan, Theo, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Rustle.

"That."

Chan and Theo listened. There came the rustling again. And a crack of twigs. "Shit." Chan stubbed out his cigarette, Theo did the same. "I think there's someone there. Shut up and get out of here." He crouched down and started crawling-

"OI! What do you think you're doing?"

A loud and furious voice issued from the bushes some distance behind us. We all froze. I could hear my heart pounding violently in my chest over the sound of Theo's whispered shits. There were footsteps, and the crackling of leaves beneath shoes. Chan hissed, "That's the frickin' principal! We gotta run. There's no way the old bastard's gonna catch up." Theo and I nodded. Chan held up three fingers.

"Three-"

The footsteps were getting louder and louder, the crackling noises aligned to the rhythm of my pounding heart.

"-two-"

I did not want to be expelled on my first day at my new school. I really did not.

"-one! Goooo! Now!" hissed Chan.

There are times when it is appropriate to panic. This was not one of these times.

But I panicked anyway.

I sat there, frozen to the spot. I could hear the principal's voice booming. "STOP RIGHT THERE!"

I couldn't move.

Chan was running off. He didn't look back to check if we followed. I felt my throat tighten. Shit, I thought desperately. Shit.

The heavily built, rotund man was painstakingly making his way through the bushes. He was getting closer-

Suddenly, a hand grabbed me by my arm and pulled me out of the bushes. I stumbled to my feet. Oh shit, is it the principal? I thought in dismay. Suddenly I caught a glimpse of bright green eyes.

Theo.

"Run, you stupid idiot, run!" Theo shook me violently and started to sprint towards the school building, pulling me along. Once I started running, I didn't stop until we got to Room 325.

Back in 325, Theo told Chan that she had to drag me along till I ran, rolling her eyes. "What the hell, dude? You need a frickin' girl to save you from a fat prick who can't run? Disgrace, man." Chan laughed, feigning anger. Theo snickered, her hair wet with sweat. She still smelled of smoke.

"Du...Dude...That was...a damn narrow escape," I panted, my hands on my knees.

"Don't worry, Willy. The Beachball won't get to us. He probably lost us when we entered the building. I don't think he recognized us either."

"The Beachball?" I doubled over in silent laughter. "The Beachball?"

Chan jabbed his finger into his chest and puffed it out rather proudly, with the air of Thomas Edison announcing that he had invented the lightbulb. "I made that up, y'know, cause he's a 'beach' and he also looks like one," he said, roaring with laughter. This made me laugh even harder. He joined in heartily.

Then he stopped, his chortles coming to a standstill. He looked behind me. "Whassamatter Theo?" I turned to look.

Theo was staring at us stonily. "What's up, Theo?" asked Chan again, the smile wiped off his dimpled cheeks.

"What's up is, the frickin' Beachball probably saw Willy. And me as well." Theo said, not looking at us.

Oh.