Smoke Fight Ride

Chapter 7

Swallowing slow Jesse's eyebrown ridge wrinkles, cautious to pick his words expertly. "No, it's just that... how much thought did you give to that? I mean, you've either got a wild imagination or you're paranoid beyond belief." Jesse scrunches the oil soaked wrapping of his cheeseburger, missing the trash can nearby despite careful aim and precision.

"So what is it? Find another crazy story about the devil incarnate?" Kit says referencing Billie distatefully as they rise from graffitied chairs, tucking them under the century old table.

"Still not a fan of hers, huh?" Taking his deadly glare for a don't even joke about it warning, Jesse continues mildly chastened, "Well, what I was going to say is that she's a marijuana smoker, even passed her sharing a joint with Ms Mathers."

"Yeah right, Jesse." Kit waves him off.

The day Ms Mathers smokes a joint at school will be when Ms Huang decides education isn't the be all and end all for her son's education. What a load of shit.

"Come on Jesse, are you sure you weren't hallucinating from the fumes of some freshman trying to act cool?" Kit circles an index finger round his ear suggesting Jesse is crazy as they climb the stairs with heavy, lazy steps.

Pivoting right they follow up the next flight avoiding the gum infested guard rails at all costs, "I swear on my life Kit, they even saw me 'cos I wasn't making any effort to hide. I was rooted to the spot I had no idea what to do but get this, they didn't yell or threaten me with detention or make me swear not to say a word, you know what they did? I bet you'll never guess."

He meant to build anticipation judging by the excitement in his voice but to his annoyance Kit responds shrugging limp shoulders and rolling his bloodshot eyeballs.

"You're no fun after breaking that nose of yours you know that? But anyway, where was I? Oh right, after I saw them smokin' away they offered one to me. Can you believe that? They offered, me, a blunt." This caught him off guard, they halt on the next level bustling with busy bodies.

Readjusting their position atop the stairs so people could pass in dribs and drabs. "For real?"

"Yeah man, they asked three times until I told them I was allergic to plants then they left me alone." Jesse smiles reminiscent. God, everyone is under Billie Wight's spell.

"They bought that? Allergic to plants? Really?" Kit's head is smacked mid laugh by the impatient gay blonde.

"Come on Jess heat it from my perspective. I mean, that's really hard to believe unless you have photographic proof or at least a video, which you do not." Kit point's out dismissively.

"Give me a break, I didn't expect to be interrogated by you of all people straight away." Jesse adds defensively his voice rising a higher octave.

"That's your problem man, you can't straight anything." He jokes earning a shoulder punch for his remark.

The playful scene is disturbed by two thug looking bouncer types short of of one member, their Asian leader. "Adam," one nods to Jesse, "Steve." the second gestures to Kit.

"I don't get it." They reply deadpan pretending not to understand their homosexual joke. This is not 1945, honestly.

"'Cos the bible says Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve dipshit." The larger brunette snaps shoving Kit's best friend into the locker hard enough a dent forms along the vents, "Hey! Knock it off, this isn't Middle School Bert and Ernie."

An unexpected fist collects the maroon material of his shirt exposing a happy trail hidden by his jean waist, "We ain't gay bitch, you got no right to call us shit like that." The blonde's face blotches red with rage, a bulging vein pulsates on his neck side.

"Eat me Schwarzenegger wannabe." The bully retracts a fist preparing to punch him square in the jaw but a barrier prevents him landing it.

Kit —who was preparing for impact— opens his scrunched eyes stunned by a delicate feminine hand securely wrapping the cronies wrist.

"Decklan Burbidge, I see juvie never did you any long term favours." It's the girl who picked up Billie after Pop Culture Club on Monday afternoon. She has a lean athletic build defined by developed muscles such as that of her forearm, now taunt under Decklan's hand.

Immediately Jesse and Kit are released suddenly captivated by the semi attractive girl, "I made you a promise after our last meeting," she emphasizes these words in a low voice, "as long as you don't piss me off I won't tell anyone about the deal we made, but you're cutting it real close."

She stands tall, straight backed her nose close to scraping Decklan's chin as they cower repressively. "That wasn't what we agreed to Gen--"

"I know what we agreed to, I was there remember? But it's not my reputation at stake is it?" They are taken aback, their faces contort with scandalised expressions as they back away slightly.

If only Jesse and Kit knew what the hell was going on they might pick a side. Either way it seemed Gen was the way to go.

"Loose your tongue Abe?" She turns on Decklan's partner in crime who edges away further than he, ears darkening unnatural shades of pink.

Abe? As in Abraham? They struggle to contain their face cracking smiles.

"I had nothing to do with that, you got nothing on me." A sliver of confidence seeps into Abe's deflated posture but quicker than lightning Gen delivers bluntly, "December fifteenth, two years ago... ring a bell?" His lips quiver, knuckles cracking at his sides until the skin is bone white.