Greed Fischer (BXB)

Chapter 2

Skating to school was once my escape, for the ten minutes that 1975 would be blasting in my earphones I could pretend that everything was all right.

Today, I couldn't pretend.

My hair was pulled back abruptly by the wind as I gazed out over the ledge. The sky was a dark grey and the water underneath me reflected its colour as the thunderous waves crashed over each other.

I had twenty minutes to be at school.

Thinking about it, I was stupid to believe Greed – walking away wasn't easy like he said. But, why was I so shaken? What made Greed Fischer jump from this ledge? And why did I want to know so badly?

Amari was waiting over at the edge of the bridge with Jazzy when I looked up, his arm was slung around her shoulders and his other hand was gripping the strap of his backpack tightly. I barely heard Amari over Anti-Christ playing through my earbuds.

"Iniko, get away from there."

Amari was tall and he frowned down at me after I picked up my skateboard with one last glance at the chaos beneath us and walked over to them.
"What were you doing over there, Ko?" Jazzy chewed her gum as she tapped her foot agitatedly.

"Nothing, Jaz," I shrugged, feeling like a scolded puppy, "just takin' a look."

"Alright then...let's go."

I didn't feel like skating today so I tucked my skateboard underneath my arm and walked alongside Jaz.

Amari and Jaz were both black, and they had been dating for as long as we had all been friends. I liked to think they would marry one day. Amari would play basketball and Jaz and I would have free bench pass to watch him play in the big leagues. But it was wishful thinking to escape Corrigan.

"How's your mum doing, Amari?" I asked unsurely as I peered over at him.

Amari sighed, "she's alright. She says she misses you and wants you to come around soon."

I nodded and smiled weakly at him, "tell her I will."

Mrs Jamison had stage three breast cancer but every day, she would be outside toiling with her garden whilst Mr Jamison taught Literature at our high school. Amari had never been the same since his mum had been diagnosed and I couldn't blame him, cancer was a ticking time bomb, you'd never know if it was goodbye.

You'd never know if it was goodbye.

"Dad said he saw you skating last night," Jaz turned a disapproving eye on me before she softened, "your mama going crazy again?"

I nodded and kicked some rocks, "it's nothing though."

"Sure, sure, hun," Jaz smiled almost wistfully.

School loomed before me, I didn't have many classes with Amari and Jaz, so I split up with them to get my stuff out of my locker and headed to class.

I sat at the back of the classroom with my head on the desk, looking out the window, it was raining outside and the small droplets stained the glass. In my head, Amari, Jaz and I were far away from Corrigan and I had just started this daydream before my world came shattering down.

"Greed Fischer? Has anyone seen Greed today?" Mr Ambrose asked and the few kids that were in Greed's inner circle replied with shrugs.

Fuck me.

I knew where Greed was. Greed was lying at the bottom of the South Hornston River and I had let him die. My fault. My stupid fucking fault for walking away.