High on you

"I regret this entirely." Stuart spoke as his forearms pressed into the railing that circled the ledge of his roof. The early morning air was sucked in with his nervous intake of breath, it rushed down and dried his throat in the uncomfortable itchy way. He shook his head and pushed his cigarette to his lips like it might make the situation better. He could hear the tapping of John's fingertips, that habit he had when he was annoyed. 

"Yeah, I expected that." John spoke with a husky voice. he took another drag of his cigarette which Stuart was sure wouldn't help his slight cough. He glanced down at the grass below them. His porch lights reflecting on it though he swore he had turned the dim thing off last night. Stuart flipped himself around and leaned his back on the railing, eyes darting to John's face. He scoffed, flipping him the bird. John only smirked and smacked his hand back down. 

"Why are we on my roof anyway, John." Stuart rolled his eyes as John stretched his arms out. 

"The view of the shitty neighborhood, of course!" John laughed and put his cigarette back between his lips and rocked a little from heel to toe. Stuart shrugged and looked out at the other homes. 

"You aren't here to jump are you?" Stuart asked, half joking. John rolled his eyes and gripped hard onto the railing. 

"No, you asshole." John chuckled to himself and rolled his cigarette to the other side of his mouth. "Things are shitty but not that shitty....yet" He smiled and Stuart was a little unsettled. John then moved forward, as if checking out how high they were. "But, this would be a good spot. I'll keep it in mind, just in case." John rocked the railing and Stuart steadied it with an annoyed frown. 

"That's not funny, John." 

John widened his eyes and leaned back. "You made the first crack, Stu." He pointed at him with his cigarette and Stuart shrugged. Sure, he had made the first crack but John's tone was what was flashing the red light in his mind. He stopped looking at John as if it was disturbing to keep at it. John had slept over the past night and insisted they come up here for a morning smoke. 

"We better start getting to school, John." Stuart pat the railing and turned to leave. John sighed, cracking his neck and going after him. 

They strolled through Stuart's home and went off for his car. John hopped in and didn't say another word, just flicked on the radio and sat back. Stuart figured he'd better not push him any more, so he just allowed the quiet and drove them school. 

They pulled into his parking space and Stuart turned the car off. John groaned. "That was a good song." 

Stuart shrugged. "You're irritable this morning." He commented, forgetting his previous decision and John narrowed his small eyes. 

"It's hard to be cheery when I have to face Paul." John shook his head. Stuart sighed, running his hand over his forehead. 

"You decide what you're going to say to him, yet?" Stuart asked, genuinely curious as to what he might've come up with. John had it rough with things like that. 

"Of course I didn't. When would I have had the time to think of something? While we were high? Yeah I'm sure I could've wrote some class A poetry right then." John spat bitterly and Stuart gave up. 

"I'm going to class-"

"Can you leave the keys? I wanna gear myself up a bit and listen to the radio before I go in." John held out his hand and gave Stuart puppy dog eyes. Stu scowled but got his keys back out and laid them in John's open palm. 

"Give em' back in class later, ok?"

John nodded, satisfied as he started Stuarts car again. Stuart rolled his eyes and hopped out and darted into the school, intending to find Cynthia before class started. John sifted through station after station to find something he liked. It was like even the radio was trying to get on his nerves today. Every station was playing trash. He turned the dial once more and waited as some song faded off. And thankfully, something kicked in that he was interested in.