Strawberry Blonde

四十九

As I walked back down stairs a familiar smell started to grow stronger.

" Hey Tanner that was Laurence, he said they-
What the fuck is that !?"

He jumped up trying to scoop remnants of what looked like weed into a small jar.

He looked at me with sunken red eyes, back to the jar, then back to me again.
"This is exactly what it looks like."

I stood there contemplating who would kill me first, my mother or my father if they found a drop of that stuff anywhere.

" Why do you have it here ? What were you doing with it as to why it spilled ?" I said folding my arms.

" I was just checking to see how much I had, honest to god !" He said putting the last bits back into the jar.

" That didn't answer my question."

" Okay okay, I brought it cause it helps with my anxiety and maybe if you guys wanted to try it ? I was checking to see if I had enough for everyone when I dropped it by accident."

There was an innocent gleam in his eyes. I knew he was telling the truth and I wasn't mad. My friends back in New York use to smoke sometimes but I never did. If I tried now without them that would be pretty messed up.

I checked my phone.

Although...none of them have even texted or called to see how I was doing. Maybe tonight will be the night.

" I believe you but please don't bring it out again, don't need my parents freaking out." I said giving him a reassuring smile but he looked even more sad.

" Hey you okay ?" I said kneeling down to him.

" Can I apologize to your parents ? I owe it to them...they might not want to see me right now but in time I'd like to make it up to them. I don't have any money to pay for the medical bill or lawyers but-

" Tanner, Tanner, Tanner ! It's okay you don't have to do that ! Clean slate remember ? I won't let you be anchored down by your guilt. You have no debt to me okay ? I just genuinely want better for you ! My dad already has all that covered you're fine !" I said putting my hand on his shoulder.

He looked directly into my eyes before looking away quickly while picking himself off the floor. He extended his hand and helped me get to my feet faster.

We had a lot of time left before the others would be out of school and setting up the house wasn't going to be hard.

I looked over at the array of chips and dip placed on the table. We could always just order pizza if we get more hungry.

Just then I got an idea and checked all the kitchen cabinets and to my delight we didn't have it.

" You up for a drive Tanner ?"

" I'm high." He said looking at his hands.

" Right...you up for a bike ride ?" I asked unsure if he could even manage that.

" I'm high." He said blankly again.

I'm guessing he was at the peak where his high was the strongest and all I could do was just laugh. Reminded me of the simpler times in New York.

" Are you mad at me ?"

" No ! I'm just trying to think how are we gunna get to the store, I wanted to get some cookie dough so we could bake cookies." I said pinching my chin inquisitively.

"Maybe thirty more minutes and I should be okay to at least ride a bike, I can usually drive high but this is some next level shit right here Hassan, it was from Cali." He said smiling, eyes bloodshot red.

Just then the pain in my stomach came back causing me to grit my teeth. It was starting to get annoying how off and own this was.

" You won't be able to ride a bike like that, you got a wagon ?" Tanner said stretching like he was about to run a marathon.

" Umm I think I do ? Don't tell me your idea is to put me in there and drag me to the store like that..."

He was just staring at me smiling and I face palmed.

Drive the car he came in and run into on coming traffic cause he's high, ride a bike and face plant when my stomach starts to do backflips, or be carried in a wagon.

I'm starting to think the cookies weren't that important but at least it'll give us something to do.

I sighed in defeat hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

" Follow me." I said leading him to the inside garage door.

He put his hand on my shoulder to keep his balance which made me even more apprehensive of this so called genius plan.

I moved my hand along the inside of the garage wall until I hit the switch that lead to the garage door slowly opening.

The once dark garage became engulfed by the suns raise as the door made its way all the way open.

There wasn't too much in here, before we moved, we never had a garage so now it's just a lot of extra space for things we'll eventually have. Hopefully where my first car will go.

There were four bikes: two mountain climbing bikes that were my parents, a small glittery mint green one which belonged to Bee, and a chrome red one which was mine.

Tanner ran to it quickly inspecting it in awe.

" This is so cool ! I've never seen a bike like this before, where'd you get it from ?"

" Brought it down from New York, what's so special about it ?" I asked while trying to find our wagon.

" What's special about it !? This is like a limited edition Tony Hawk BMX bike !" He said hopping on and bouncing up and down with excitement.

It made me smile to see him happy. Genuinely happy, he probably hasn't had a lot of moments to just experience that emotion.

" If you have a bike we should go bike riding together sometime, well once I get better of course." I said finally finding the wagon.

" Would you really want to ? Cause-

" Tanner stop doing that ! Whatever I say I mean, stop questioning it, we're friends now and I'm not just gunna randomly abandon you okay ?"

I rolled the wagon behind the bike connecting the wagons long handle to the bikes back seat with a little Velcro belt that was inside the wagon.

" Thank you Hassan...you're a really good guy."

" Yup I'm pretty awesome, great at basketball too." I said hopping in the wagon.

He looked back at me with his eyebrow raised and a confused smirk.

" Too soon ?" I asked.

" Just a little bit." He laughed.

His laugh made me laugh to at the situation. The thing he hated me over we're able to somewhat joke about now. It was nice having the common grown of enemy turn friend, although I never really considered him an enemy.

Honestly, maybe my family was right, having friends isn't such a bad idea after all. I get to have moments like these with people I never even saw coming into my life.

" ONWARD !" I shouted pointing my finger forward from inside the wagon I was cramped into.

" Roger that Cap !" He said pushing the peddles until the bike was able to roll down the drive way freely.

We didn't start off perfect but we were working our way to getting there. It made me feel warm inside. Feeling the breeze caress my cheek and flow past my ears I felt peaceful in the bumpy wagon ride.

Today was going to be a good day, I needed more of those.

Life here...just maybe I could actually get use to it.