High School Has Its Perks

Stephen pulled out his cell phone. It was now 7 p.m. "Hey I'd like to report a drug crime" he started. "At the high school, locker 450, I saw someone with a weird bag of something...I think it might be drugs" he said. He smirked. He hung up his phone. Bryan was going down.

He heard knocks at the door. He was home alone. He ran downstairs and looked through the peep hole. Karo was standing by herself, looking around anxiously. He opened the door.

"What?" he asked.

"I can't sleep without knowing why I put drugs in Bryan's locker?" she asked.

"So you do know him" he smirked. "I knew you would"

"What the fuck is going on?" she asked. "Bryan's a good kid and meth is a hard drug, not even I would try it"

"It's payback" Stephen said. "Bryan told the football coach I was doing drugs and I got kicked off the team." Karo ran away from Stephen and down the street in a rush.

...

"Where's Joe?" Ross asked.

"Doctor's appointment" Sean said. "Just another check up"

"I hope he's ok...like really" Bryan said. "I worry for him, he's keeping secrets"

"We all keep secrets" Leena said. "His secrets are just life threatening"

"OK so where are we going to dinner?" Ross asked. "I'm starved and my mom's out so I have a good three hours of no supervision"

"I say we go to the diner on Crawford Ave" Bryan said. "We always go there"

"I agree"

"Let's go!" The gang piled into Bryan's car. They drove for a bit down the roads of their small suburban town until they reached the small corner street diner on Crawford Ave, the same road as their high school.

They got a table by the window looking out at the quiet streets. "I can't wait until it starts snowing" Leena said as she looked out the window. "The campus always looks so beautiful when it's snowing"

"It's early October, I think it's going to be a while before it starts snowing" Ross chuckled.

"It's also New England" Sean said. "Remember last year, it was snowing in September"

"That wasn't snow it was like solid ice"

"That's hail and it definitely wasn't hail"

"Solid soft ice" he corrected himself. "Like slush falling from the sky"

"Whatever you say" Leena said. They saw two cop cars pass with their lights on.

"Where's the police scanner when we need it" Ross said.

"I bet I could ask my brother" Leena said.

"the cars were going in the direction of the high school" Bryan said. "Probably another drug bust"

"Westbury High School" Ross said. "The only school where drug busts are normal and frequent" they laughed.

...

After bro's night, Bryan dropped Leena off at her house. She went up to her room and skipped dinner with her mom, dad and two older brothers. She noticed her cop brother, Callum, was missing.

She flung herself down on her bed. She checked her missed messages. They always turn their phones off during bro's night, it's in the constitution. She had five missed calls from Joe, that's interesting. She called him back.

"Leena" he asked. His voice sounded different, he sounded defeated.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"We have a problem" It was like Leena's heart stopped. What was going on?

"What is it..."

"I have a tumor" Leena dropped her phone on the floor. "Leena?" She needed a moment to collect herself before listening. She picked her phone up.

"Yeah?"

"I'm so scared" she could tell he's been crying.

"Where are you now?"

"At home..."

"Well why aren't you at the hospital"

"There's nothing they can do right now" he said. "They're going to operate soon..."

"Is it removable?" she asked.

"They're very certain they can remove it all" he said softly. "But they can't be sure since it's hidden"

"You said you were at home?" Leena asked.

"Yeah"

"I'm coming over"

...

Bryan dropped Ross off at his home after bro's night. "Jeez" Ross sighed. "The lights are on, I'm so dead"

"Did your mom really think you wouldn't leave when she left?"

"She likes to think I'm obedient" Ross got out of the car. "See you Monday" he closed Bryan's car door. He walked up to the front door, unlocked it and stepped in. "Mom" he called out. "I was with Bryan, just ask his mom" he had to say immediately. "We went to the diner again, you can ask the cooks if you want..."

"Are you really that strict with him?" a low voice said. His dad followed by his mom came out from the kitchen. Ross was in shock, was his dad really standing there? He was supposed to be in Iraq right now.

"Oh my god" he said.

...

Gary called Dillon late that night. Dillon and Sean were in the middle of a poker game with their uncle and father.

"Yeah Gary, you're on speaker" Dillon said.

"I have a problem" Gary started.

"What, your at a competition...did you lose?"

"We can't lose, we just get stars. I've explained the marching band rules like a thousand times" Sean chuckled. "Shay said no" Dillon put his cards down.

"I fold" he said. He took his phone and left the room. "What do you mean she said no?"

"she flat out said no"

"Did she say why?"

"No...she said no and walked away"

"I'm sorry. I was almost sure she'd say yes...she seems so happy around you"

"That's what I thought. We were having such a good time until I opened my big mouth" he said. "What should I say so things won't be super awkward?"

"I don't know, I've never had the balls to ask a girl out before"

"I'll wing it...what are you up to?"

"Not doing much. Call me if things get better...or worst...or just call me" he said. "I'm not very good at poker" they both laughed. Dillon hung up. He went back to where the action was.

"Ok, where were we" Dillon started.

"I have to go" his uncle said. "They need me down at the high school...they found a ton of hard drugs in someone's locker"

"Just a typical day in Westbury" Sean said as he looked through his cards. He put his cards down. "Gin!" he exclaims.

"Sean, we're playing poker"

...

"So what's been going on with you?" Ross' dad asked him. "Explain your entire summer to me, I need details"

"Where do I start?" Ross asked.

"June" he said. "After I left..."

Ross' dad left shortly after Dakota's death. "Uh" he started. "Just spent the summer hanging with my friends, doing normal things. Had a lot of football camps and such. I toured Umass with Bryan, I even did a football camp there. but that's it" Ross' mom didn't want to bring up the drinking, not on such a beautiful night. "Why are you hear again?"

"I decided I wanted to be here" he said. "It's your senior year. How many times do you graduate high school?"

"Let's hope once..."