Black Smoke

Meeting The Other Side

Two weeks had passed, and I never had apologized to Vanessa. At school, she'd take a simple glance at me in the halls as Dante and I would make our way to our classes. There had only been several times when I'd seen her car drive off campus while I walked home, passing by me slowly, and then accelerating off. Almost as if she hinted at the fact that she was waiting for me to apologize.

But as much as I intended to, I never did. She could keep her pale nude lips closed, and her gazing caramel-filled eyes wandering. I didn't care.

I mean I did. I know I did, but not enough to fix the horrible mistake I made of letting her leave my house.

Even if my dad did show up, at least I would've had a better reason to run her out of our lunch date.

Or whatever the hell it was we were planning to have.

-4:27 p.m.- Friday afternoon

"Yo!" Dante's voice hollered, his fingers snapping in front of my face. I snapped out of my harsh thoughts, realizing we were on our way to my house. I looked up, looking down the road we were on. Cars were parked along either curb, the sun setting just an inch enough to have the surrounding trees and buildings' shadows stretching out, shading us equally.

"You there? I've been calling you for I don't know how long!"

I gave a slight chuckle. "Sorry, man. Just wondering if my dad's awake. You know?"

I bit my bottom lip, stuffing my hands into my hoodie pocket.

He gave me a certain look, his eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah, man. Sure. What you need to start thinking is how you're gonna get this whole tense situation you got going with Vanessa to lighten up."

I scoffed. "What are you talking about?"

"You think I'm blind? Come on, I see how y'all are when y'all pass each other in the hallways."

"That's nothing. It's nothing, so you can forget about it. Case closed, Detective Snoopy." I sighed and tightened my jaw. "Just forget it all. Talking to her in the first place was a big mistake. I should've just stayed under the radar."

Although doing so would've helped for a while, she did mention to me that she had been watching me in a very creepy way for a good while, but other than that, I should've decided not to get in her car in the first place. I should've kept walking home. I should've-

The sound of ambulance sirens interrupted my train of thought. I stopped quickly as the speeding vehicle rushed past us, heading down the road which was exactly three blocks away from the apartment complexes. Dante knew how frightened I always got every time an ambulance or police cruiser was near my place. He looked at me and then back at the ambulance which continued racing down the road.

"Maybe it'll pass."

But it didn't.

It turned directly into the parking lot of the apartments- the side closest to my building.

"Dad!" I hollered.

I sprang forward, not caring if Dante followed. Things like this usually happen. I'd get terrified if my dad were involved with the police, or worse, considering the ambulance, sick.

He'd gotten worse, but because of how he was to me, I wasn't supposed to care about his health. His diet was strict beer and restaurant chips. We didn't have restaurant chips, so you can kind of see what he mainly lived off of.

Not that I was surprised.

I rushed down the road, sweating, not from running, but from thinking about the endless outcomes. If my dad did something stupid, he probably got the cops called on him for disturbing the peace, something we were usually known for. Other than that, the possibilities because of his sickness? Unlimited and endless.