Page 57 of Lessons In Grey

I slid my hands into my pockets to hide the tension in them. She loved my hands. I had caught her staring too often for it to be anything other than obsession, but I couldn’t have her looking tonight.

I watched her carefully as Ash and Syn picked up the bags they had brought and joined Emily’s side, nothing left of the night we had just shared.

“Come on,” Ash said, pushing her to go.

The three of them finally headed for the door, Emily taking her time as she took a few steps backwards after them, her gaze still locked onto mine.

Finally, she stopped, something else flickering in the depths of her eyes before the girl from before, the woman before tonight, settled back into her. “Goodbye, Grey.”

Shit.

With that, she turned on her heel and ran after them.

My phone rang as soon as they opened the door at the far end of the hall.

Already angry about the situation, I answered. “What?” I bit coldly.

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

The voice was unfamiliar, the threat fell on deaf ears, but I knew who it was, and I had been expecting it. Back to business as usual, I suppose.

I straightened, sending one last glance over the hall, the alcove, before heading for the door myself. It wasn’t as detrimental, me being here. Especially if I was alone. They had to leave, I could use the excuse of work to get me out of any trouble.

“I don’t like elusive, Eris,” I stated coldly. “Perhaps you shouldn’t have run.”

“I don’t run,” the man spat. “You wanted my attention, now you have it.”

“You’ve been selling drugs to kids,” I stated cooly, breezing through the door. “So I cut off one of your avenues. It was far too easy, by the way. Sad.”

“You’ve got it all wrong, bucko. I sell to Jyce, Jyce sells to our dealers. If our dealers sell to kids, that’s not on me.”

I almost smiled. “Oh, but don’t you know, precious little drug lord, a captain always goes down with his ship. See you around.” I hung up, a shiver running down my spine at the other high I was addicted too.

Although nothing would ever compare to my new vice.

15

Emily

October 12th, 2021

It was Friday morning that I had almost killed myself.

Saturday morning that I had had the best night of my life.

Now it was Monday morning. Frost and orange leaves covered the world.

I hadn’t slept since the hallway, and I hadn’t bothered with putting on makeup today. I was too exhausted.

I slid a gummy worm over my tongue as I leaned back against the hood of my car, goosebumps spreading up my legs, a small chunk of them bare between my black lace stockings and my plaid skirt.

I knew what I looked like to the world. To those who watched porn on the daily, but I felt comfortable. In my oversized black hoodie covered in neon designs, my white combatboots covered in black designs, my slightly shredded laced stockings, and my red and black plaid skirt that fell mid-thigh. I wasn’t sure what was going through my head. It was Fall, I usually saved this shit for summer, away from people I knew, but fuck it. I was trying to get back what I had had that night outside the gas station. Mysterious, aloof. Uncaring.

Maybe that’s why I had a few shots of whiskey before getting out of my car. I had brushed my teeth, chewed on some gum, and now I was sliding down gummy worms, waiting against my car for the buzz to wear off enough to walk into the school.

My phone buzzed and I pulled it out, seeing that I had received an image from Rags.

We texted a few times over the weekend, him checking in on me, but other than that, nothing. Which was fine. It had been one night of reckless abandon, nothing important.