Explosive

34 || Lennox and Addington

~This week's shoutout goes to TheGazillionthWriter. Explosive is hella long and anyone who takes the time to read it is the real MVP. Please be sure to check out TheGazillionthWriter's story, Omelets at Midnight. This book will make you grin like an idiot and cry, also like an idiot. It's quite good, folks. So, be sure to read that ish.

My smile falters at the sight of the empty seats outside the guidance counselor's office. Hanging out with Blake and listening to music is something I look forward to every week. The fact that he hasn't texted about not showing up feels like a punch to the stomach. Taking a seat, I shake my head. I don't want to over analyze Blake's absence. He probably got held up in traffic or something.

Today is the day when I'm finally going to talk to Mrs. Gupta about Tamara and possibly everything that is happening at home. My entire life, I have put others before myself. If there's one thing I've learned in the past few months, is that it's alright for me to think about myself.

When Mrs. Gupta finally invites me into her office, I start off by telling her about the whole Tamara situation. To my surprise, my guidance counselor informs me that both Tamara and Gabriel have been expelled from Lakewood. She doesn't reveal the details but it's likely that drugs were involved.

The rest of the day is a haze and uneventful. Blake didn't show up to first period or lunch. At the end of the day, I give up and text him. Slipping my phone into my pocket, I wave at my aunt and slide into the backseat. "How was your day?" she asks, her weary eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror.

"Alright," I answer with a smile. The twins aren't in the car, meaning that they're at home with their dad. My aunt doesn't reach for the clutch and stares expectantly at the school doors. "Oh yeah. Josh wanted me to tell you that he has practice." She purses her lips, nods and then we're off. Something soft and quiet plays on the radio.

The phone buzzes in my hands. The text makes my palms sweaty.

Today is not a good day, Moore.

I text him back immediately. He doesn't respond for a long time. Bobbing my knee up and down, I stare out the window, trying to figure out an action plan. We're almost home when an idea occurs to me.

Josh has to know where Blake is. They've been friends for so long. At first, Josh doesn't tell me about Blake's whereabouts. He finally gives in when I threaten to pour water on his Xbox. I would never do something like that but it seems to work.

Apparently, there's an abandoned warehouse near Blake's apartment complex. He sometimes hangs out there when things get too much for him.

"Aunt Jane, can you drop me off at Smith's?" I ask. She gives me a curt nod and complies with my request, not bothering to push for any information. I want to pick up something from the coffee shop. Not to mention the fact that the warehouse is a 15-minute walk from the café.

When I finally make it to the warehouse, I marvel at the sight before me, rubbing my biceps to bring back some warmth to my body. The windows of the building are cracked and the wood is rotting away. There are weeds erupting from the cracks, reaching towards the sky and burying the building. It looks like no one has dropped by here in years.

The sound of glass shattering shakes me from my daze. Rather than turning away, I find myself drifting towards the noise.

Blake is slumped against the wall with his hood up and eyes bloodshot. There are two packs of beer to his left. He slips out a bottle and violently flings it at a dumpster that sits a few feet away from him. Shards of glass explode in all directions. For a few seconds, I watch the amber liquid drip down the rust-covered dumpster, too shocked at the scene.