POISONED BLOOD

Chapter 5

"How?" I look at him in bewilderment and a cold chill seeps into my skin. He shakes his head and stares down at his big, worn-out, black and blue striped shoes. I wish I knew what he was thinking, but I can't do that kind of stuff. Dreams are my thing, not reality.

"I don't care much for this bulls*** world." Grey's words are so soft, but there is almost a baneful air to his voice and it crawls across my flesh. That's his answer? He sits up straight as a whistle is blown across the room. I glare at the man, who I assume is the coach because I haven't had P.E. this year. I need to finish this conversation, whether it's comfortable or not.

"Why do you say that?" He glances from the coach to me and back at the coach, shrugging his wide shoulders. I roll my eyes. Trying to get a straight answer from any guy is near impossible, but I'm not giving into defeat.

"You can tell me or I can find out myself." It's not really a threat and if it is there's no power behind it. I have no idea how I'd do that. He looks at me like he's about to bite my head off, but just stares.

"Why do you care, what's it to you?" This question hits home and I try to answer it for myself, too. Why do I care? I don't even know the guy for crying out loud!

"Am I not allowed to care about a stranger?" I ask sarcastically. I don't have anything better to answer with.

"What's in it for you?" He throws back and my temper pokes her head up.

"Peace of mind!" He jumps at my near shout and acts as if he's sizing me up. Sighing, he turns away.

"I'll tell you later. There's too many people around." When are we going to be in a place without a lot of people? Well, I guess I get his point; there's no doubt over two-hundred teenagers in here, not to mention the teachers. I touch his shoulder lightly and he faces me, his eyes snaking mine. I shiver on accident.

"Promise, you'll tell me?" He smiles playfully and holds out his hand, poking the pinky finger out. Laughing, I connect our fingers and it seals the promise.

"Promise." We become quiet as we observe the show the authorities are putting on for us. They have five blue desk chairs they more than likely took from the Health room; in each chair a different styled bookbag sits upright, and they look full. I watch the pretty, long shaggy haired cop-dog go by them slowly, circling each chair and sniffing for all he's worth. He moves on from the second one to a camouflage shoulder bag. He plops down after one sniff and faces his leader. The female cop pushes her light red hair behind her ear and pulls a chew toy out of her pocket; tossing it to him, she turns to us.

"Would someone like to volunteer to open this bag?" I wonder if these are props or if they really belong to kids in the school, if they're not a prop someone about to be in trouble. Hunner's short body pops up and he waves his arms around to get her attention.

"I'll do it!" Who would have thought a high-schooler would be so happy to help with a drug bust, or act? I can't help but laugh when she waves him down and he speeds to the floor in no time, brown ear-length hair sticking up as if he just went through a tornado. A door slams to the right and I jump, my arm bumping Grey's. He lays his hand on my thigh; it may be meant to calm me down, but it sort of does the direct opposite. I glance at the door that slammed and see a sight that I truly didn't want to through the window that runs down the side with the handle. My mouth drops open as I watch a small blonde-headed boy being drug along by a cop. I can't really see the uniform to know for sure, but the handcuffs are proof enough. They're not props. Oh, my...

"Do you know him?" Grey demands from me and I shake my head no. I don't know him but I know he's a child in my eyes. He couldn't have been older than fifteen and that's a year younger than me. I focus on the show in front of me. My shock isn't visible as I see Hunner pull a ziplock bag of rainbow-colored pills out of the bag. I hear Bri suck in her breath and Daisy stiffens; I'm just numb. A fifteen year old druggie. What has this world come to? What has it done to him, to push him to that extreme?