Ecstasy

Chapter 22

Tyson:

I sat in the main office nursing bruised knuckles. That dickhead Hickling and his stupid girlfriend. Why the hell did Calla have to walk right in on that? I sat looking around the room waiting for her to come out of the office. On the opposite wall a motivational poster displayed smiling people working with dolphins. It read: You can do anything if you just dream it first!

I looked over at Cade. He held an ice pack to his eye. Bloody weakling. It was his fault anyway. I couldn't help that Holly was obsessed with me. He just had to walk round the corner when she kissed me.

Suddenly the door to the principal's office opened and Calla stepped out. She glanced over her shoulder back at Mr Pollock and nodded to an unheard question. She couldn't be in here for something disciplinary. It had to be about being a new student.

I noticed her hair was out today – different from her uniform pony tail. It swung around her face as she walked up to the receptionist's desk. The way she lent over the high bench would have made any guy's eyes trace her lean figure. Her hair trailed down her back, long enough to touch the top of her high waisted shorts. The length of her smooth legs made it almost impossible for me to drag my eyes off her.

"Looking at your next meal?" Hickling sneered.

I knew he was only trying to piss me off, but his comment made me feel uneasy. I couldn't contain myself. "Shut up, asshole."

Cade looked at me with amusement in his eyes, "Hit a nerve, did I?"

I opened my mouth to launch something foul at him, but before I could say anything Pollock shouted our names from his office.

I pushed myself off the chair and gave Hickling a dirty look as he stood up too. I shoved him sideways as I walked into the principal's office.

***

"And he gave me a fucking suspension!" I cried. I flopped down onto Thomas' couch and propped my feet up on the coffee table.

Nate laughed and shucked his shoes before putting his feet up opposite me.

"Maybe you should stop being such a badass," Thomas chuckled as he came into the lounge room. He balanced four bottles of cold beer in his two hands. He handed one to Jarrah and leant to slide one across the table to Nate. He sank down onto the couch beside me and passed me the last one.

I took it, grunting a thanks. Twisting off the cap, I flicked it across the room at Nate who was still laughing.

"Yeah, well that bloody Hickling was asking for it. He hit me first!" I defended myself.

Nate just laughed harder. Doubling over in the chair. I frowned, "But I'll hit you without any provoking." I warned.

Thomas lazily slapped me on my chest, and Nate tried to compose himself. Jarrah stood silently near the front window, studying something outside.

"What's up mate?" Thomas asked him.

"Did you know there's police visiting next door?" He said turning back to us with his hand pointing out the window.

I thought I saw Thomas's heart stop for a moment. He jumped up quickly. "Shit, shit, shit!" He skipped over to the window and looked outside.

He pulled back the curtain and craned his neck to get a better look. His hand twitched at his side.

Nate exchanged a nervous glance at me, before we both got up and went to the window.

Two police officers were walking from their car to the front door of the unit next door. They stood there talking for a moment before being welcomed inside.

"Relax Tommie, they have no dogs." I patted Thomas's stiff back, but he didn't release his tensed shoulders.

"Crap, that neighbour hates me. I hope to god it isn't a complaint," he groaned, turning away from the window quickly and walking out of the room. Three minutes later I heard the familiar sound of the old safe creaking open. I quickly left the window and went to join him.

"Do you reckon they'll come here?" I asked, as I watched him pack his contraband into a tin box. I noticed he stuffed my stuff in there too.

"I don't know, but I'm not losing all of this." He grunted, slightly out of breath. Once he was finished, he slammed the lid, closed the safe and jumped up. He walked to the back door.

"What are you going to do with it?" I asked following him across the back yard to the fence. He pushed past the leafy trees bordering the boundary and revealed a deep square foot hole and a small shovel. He was prepared.

He quickly dropped the tin and shovelled turf over it furiously. Patting it down flat he spoke, "I can't leave them in there for any longer than a day. The moisture will ruin it."

He jogged back over to the house and scrubbed his dirty hands under the tap. Then I followed him back into the house.

Walking back into the living room I went straight to the window. Thomas grabbed a long sleeve shirt from the laundry basket and pulled it on, to cover his marked arms.

"Are they gone yet?" He asked nervously. Walking over to join us at the window.

"Nope," Jarrah mumbled, "they're still inside."

We were all dead silent, waiting. The only sounds were our breathing, and Thomas nervously scratching his forearm through his shirt.

"Stop it! You wonder why you have bugs." I grabbed his hand to stop him scratching.

He looked at me, worry creased his face.

"They're coming out!" Nate said, pointing. Thomas and I both craned our necks to see.

"They're getting in their car." Jarrah said quietly.

We watched silently, as they started the engine and backed out. The police car slowly crawled down the street and then started to speed up once it had passed the house. Thomas collapsed back into an armchair.

"God, I need a joint." He sighed.

Nate chuckled slapping his shoulder. "On me."

I sank down into the couch beside Tommie and exhaled. I would have been just as guilty as he if the police came knocking on the door. "Me too."

Five minutes later we were passing around two joints, smoke hung above our heads, trapped by the ceiling.

"Hey!" I said suddenly realising, "you didn't pack away this," I exhaled smoke. "They could have got you on that."

Thomas turned his head and looked at me, and slurred, "I knew they wouldn't get me."

Jarrah laughed and so did I. "Yeah right! You were shitting yourself!"

We all laughed then, and it felt good.

A/N Big plans for this book guys, so be excited. It will be a little slow, because I write all my books backwards :/ probably not the best idea, but I like working backwards from all the little climaxes then I write normally to the big one. I know, weird I'll try to update asap! :D