Hunting the Fairy Tale

Chapter 98 - Babes in the Woods

"Are they poisonous? Is she sick? Why the hell would she eat flowers?" This does not make sense to me at all!

I look around me at the shrubs and trees framing the beach. All I can see is the orange and red flames of the big fire, and the glow of many smaller ones students have built along the beach, washing the area in flickering warm light. The sun has gone, and the atmosphere is relaxed and happy, filled with laughter, shouts and chatter. 

I can make out the silhouettes and shadows of the salt bushes, aloe and other dune plants covering most of the area between the beach and Swift Building. To the right of the stairs, where the paved walkway starts, these growths are particularly thick and have some trees among them, the same tall trees populating the forest climbing up the slope towards Haunted Hill to the left of the beach. There are Pines, Wax Myrtle, Junipers and many others, but this specific beach doesn't have any Hibiscus.

Where did she even get the flowers?

Dex frowns at me for a few seconds and then his face clears up. "I meant cannabis cookies... she calls them hi-biscuits..." His words hit me like a tub of ice water. Suddenly, the scene on the beach loses its warmth and goodwill, and I am pretty sure that I can see some dark clouds edged with moonlight creeping in, ready to shower down on us.

"Crap!" It's her first ever social at Briar High, and I let her down, just like I let her down on her first day at our school. "Where is she? Is she okay? How bad is she? She's not used to things like that, it could make her really sick! We need to get her to the hospital! Why isn't she with you? Is she passed out? Where is she, Dex?!"

"Whoa! Dude!" Dex says, patting my back to calm me down. "Yer mot is fine with Tanner in the forest."

"What? Tanner's in the forest with moths? What's he doing with them...? Doesn't matter! Where's Willow?!"

"Will ye stop being a melter and just listen to me for a second?" Dex sighs, shaking his head at me. He is looking even more dishevelled than usual. "Willow... is... with Tanner."

"And the moths?" I don't want her to be infested with moths.

Dex is blinking at me, and I'm suddenly wondering if something I 'tested' did have extra ingredients after all.

"Mot... girlfriend... I've told ye this once before when I was talking about me girlfriend and you thought I meant me mother..."

"Oh! Right!" I remember. It was a conversation that became really weird until he clarified it for me. "But Willow is not my girlfriend... well... she's a girl who is a friend... but..."

"To be sure, to be sure! Please remember that later when ye want to kill me."

"What?" he is still not making sense at all, but rather than asking more questions, I follow him when he takes off towards the trees.

"Declan, could you help me for a second?" Blanche intercepts us just as we're nearing the trees. She's grabbing Dex's arm, not giving him much of a choice in her request. She seems to be feeling harassed and tired, not reflecting the fun look she has going on in three-quarter pants and a bohemian top, her hair in many braids, tied into a ponytail near the top of her head. I know she didn't want to be here tonight (she griped about it a lot during the meetings). She wants to spend Saturday nights with her boyfriend, and he is not in school anymore and definitely not the kind of guy who'd want to spend time hanging out on the beach with rowdy teenagers.

Blanche is one of those people who were born at the age of 30. I don't think she'll ever be a teenager. She found herself a boyfriend who fits her perfectly. It's kinda boring, though.

"Sure," Dex says and he is looking really relieved now. What is up with the guy?! "Just head straight through there for a bit. They're not far. They're in that area," he directs me, gesturing with his hand and then he is off with Blanche. I hear her say something about someone being passed out and am happy to leave it to them.