Page 69 of Fatality

I shove my arm back in and feel around blindly.

“Yes!” I shout.

Victory, I found it.

I open the sealed bag and sniff, it smells like grass and spice or maybe my nose is completely fucked after that dive.

I scoff, almost blowing straight into the bag. My breath hitches.

“No, no, no.”

For one horrifying second, I genuinely think I just blew away the last of my Ghostleaf like some idiot pirate finding buried treasure only to watch it get carried off by the wind.

I carefully inspect the bag. It's still there, I let out a relieved breath.

“Thank fuck.”

I walk to my desk by the windows, open a drawer, grab the papers, and head back to the couch, sitting on top of the pile of whatever I dumped there during my search.

I start rolling, lick the paper with practiced ease and seal the joint.

I hold it up toward the ceiling like the Holy Grail. Next, I head into the kitchen and look for a lighter.

I find one almost immediately. I flick it open, light the joint, and take a long drag.

It's a little dry, but it'll do.

It hits almost instantly, and my shoulders slump slightly.

My mind drifts back to yesterday.

I might've poked the bear a little too hard. But there was no fucking way I was going to follow—or do whatever that freak wanted from me.

I walk back to the couch and drop onto it, taking another drag before letting my head fall against the backrest.

I think about the year Kyle died.

I was so angry, at myself, at everyone.

At the Upper Academy, I'd snap at anyone who talked shit—or just looked at me the wrong way.

I couldn't help myself. I shouldn't have done it, I should've grieved differently.

Instead, all I felt was resentment.

Especially after my parents blamed me for it.

That was the year I met the girls. Jules and Charlie used to hate each other.

Charlie had always been a ball of energy with legs. Jules, a year older, was the calm one, quiet and reserved. But she'd snap if anyone touched her stuff.

I didn't like either of them at first. At the beginning, we avoided each other.

Then, one day, Jules threw her drink at me because she thought I'd stolen her vintage keychain.

Which I hadn't.

I started to punch her and tug at her hair, she was biting me and insulting me when Charlie burst out laughing behind us.