Smoke And Steel

• Sixteen - Can You Overdose On Candy? •

Ebony

So much was happening this week. Mine and Avery's flour baby was due in on Friday, which meant we still had three more days to not end up 'killing' it. I had an essay for History about the Abyssinian Crisis due in on Thursday. My dance recital was on Saturday morning, plus that day was also Halloween so everyone was already in candy-corn eating mode. Yeah, I loved Halloween, but I really just saw it as an excuse to buy ten bags of candy for half the price and no one thinks twice about it. If I want to make it til next week they'll probably have to put me on a drip or something to stop my blood from turning into liquid sugar. That's how much I loved candy.

I was currently sitting in Health next to a brooding Avery, while trying to silently sneak peanut butter M&M's from the bag in my lap to my mouth without Mr Clarke seeing me. It was kind of working.

"Hey," I whispered, nudging the rain cloud next to me, "want some?"

"Stop being so childish, Ebony," he growled under his breath at me. The way he used my name had an air of finality about it, as if to say "now leave me alone."

I drew back, just a little bit sore from his attitude. What happened to the joking boy that could never be serious apart from when he was drunk or fighting? Obviously he'd been doing the later, because he had a day-old bruise on chin, and a split lip. I wondered who'd been on the receiving end of his rage this time.

No, I silently scolded myself, don't be so quick to judge that it was his fault. But then again, who was I kidding? That boy was a six foot three fire cracker. Was this why he'd stood me up yesterday? I'd chosen to believe Tash on this one, that he'd had a good reason, but why was he being so distant now?

"- Sexually Transmitted Infections, also known as STIs can be very harmful if not treated -" Mr Clarke's southern drawl pulled me out of my thoughts, but just about made me want to puke up all of the M&Ms I'd just eaten when I saw the slide show he was flicking through. Who knew genital warts could look like a dried up riverbed? Not me.

"You never showed yesterday," I said quietly, but I wasn't even sure that he heard me because he was quiet for a full minute before I heard him speak.

"What would you like me to say, Ebony? That I'm sorry, that I should've called?" he asked, his voice rising for no apparent reason.

"I was just wondering where you were," I said, my voice still as level and quiet as before.

"I don't have to tell you anything, Ebony. Not where I was, not what I was doing. You're nothing but some girl who thinks she knows me." He was getting so worked up when he really had no right. I didn't like the way he was saying my name, it was as of he was using it in place of a swear word.

"Never mind," I mumbled, hoping he would shut up before the teacher noticed.

"No, you brought it up so obviously you want to talk about it. News flash, Ebony: I don't exist to make you happy. Boo fucking hoo, I stood you up, your poor little heart must be so fucking broken."

Tears pricked at my eyes, why was he being so cruel when I truly did nothing? I don't even know where this is coming from! "Just stop."

"Stop what, Ebony? Stop talking to you, stop this, stop breathing, stop being so weak, so useless? WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO STOP?" He shouted at me so loud that my ears rang. I was a statue and he was a raging storm.

"Mr Steel!" Mr Clarke's fist smacked his desk, causing a loud thump. "Get away from her now, and get out of my class now, or so help me God."

Avery picked up his bag and stormed out, slamming the class room door on his way out. The whole class was silent, listening to the sound of his retreating footfalls as he thumped through the school halls.