Explosive

13 || Choose Your Friends Wisely

~ This chapter is dedicated to ElleLeeLove for being such an awesome reader. Check her out. Her writing is on point. :)

A yawn escapes my lips as I scramble up the stairs to the school building. My textbook slips from my hand and crashes to the ground. Groaning, I think, what a great start to a Friday morning. I purse my lips and bend down to pick up my book. I didn't sleep well last night.

My dreams were full of rose tattoos and handguns being pointed to my head. On top of that, Cynthia had canceled our meeting to work on the project. This worries me because the project is due soon. I want to talk to the guidance counselor before school starts because it might help.

I push open the door to the small waiting room to which the guidance counselor office is attached. Slumped in a chair, with headphones in his ears is none other than Blake Rider. His eyes are closed and his hands are in the pockets of his grey sweater. A navy-blue beanie is pulled over his head.

There is a small bruise blooming on his right cheek. I let the door close lightly behind me, not wanting to startle Blake. When I take a seat beside Blake, he sits up immediately and pulls out his headphones, giving me a dazed look.

"Hey," I say with a wave. "What are you doing here?" He raises an eyebrow at me, smiling his crooked grin. "I mean...never mind. I guess I know what you're doing here." Pointing to his face I whisper, "What happened?" My cheek itches and I raise my hand to it. It's almost as if the bruise is on my face. "Are you okay?" I add quietly, furrowing my eyebrows.

Blake squints his eyes and looks at the wall behind me. "I fell," he says finally.

I cock my head, trying to read him. "Was its Todd?" He shakes his head at me. "Then who?"

"Don't worry about it, okay?" he spits, falling back against the chair. It's the same response, full of anger and annoyance, he had given me the last time we were here. Taking the hint, I pull out my phone and scroll through the books I had downloaded last week. After a few minutes of silence, Blake holds out one of his earphones without saying a word. A peace offering?

"It's Aerosmith, one of my favorites," he mutters, staring at the ground. I give him a wide smile before tucking my phone in my bag and grabbing the earphone. The song I Don't Want to Miss A Thing floods through my ear and I close my eyes when Steven Tyler sings the first verse. When the song reaches its end, I look at Blake expectantly who hesitantly shows me his phone.

"You have music by Maroon 5?" I ask surprised.

He shrugs his shoulders and says, "My taste in music...varies, I guess." I nod and watch him scroll through his playlist. He picks a song by Oasis and leans his head against the wall, closing his eyes again. There is a small scar that is hidden under his stubble. Looking away, I focus on one of the many inspirational posters that are plastered on the walls. Calm down. Let the terrors of last night fade away into nothingness, absolute nothingness. "You're humming," Blake mumbles after a few minutes.

"What?" Blake turns his head in my direction, keeping his head pressed against the wall. "I didn't realize but I'll stop."

"It's okay. Hum away, Moore." He waves his hand in front of him, his movement slow and tired. The phone in his hand buzzes and he glances down at it, tilting it away from me. Not wanting to be rude, I hand him back the earphone. Taking it, he bends over his phone, placing his elbows on his knees. In moments, he becomes engrossed with his phone, his thumbs flying over the screen. It seems as if the world around him has faded away.

A girl comes out from the guidance counselor's office, her shoulders slumped and mouth in an angry scowl. When her eyes fall on Blake, she bites her lip and scans him quickly. Blake remains oblivious to the girl checking him out. I open my mouth but then snap it shut when Mrs. Gupta comes out behind the girl, a smile stretching across her face. "Audrey Moore? It's great to see you here. Though, I thought our next meeting was on Tuesday."