Underneath

2

delilah

Delilah rummaged through her belongings in her backpack looking for her stash of weed -- or at least what was left after the police had searched through her things the previous week. She pulled out her history binder and began tracing her finger on the edges of the papers inside, looking for a small bump that would indicate her hidden stash. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Parker impatiently tapping his fingers on her dashboard.

They were sitting in the front seats of her white Honda CR-V. She had parked her car at a neighborhood nearby her high school so that if she did get caught again, it wouldn't be on school grounds.

Her finger was nearing towards the end of the papers when she felt a slight ridge. Quickly flipping open the binder to that page, she saw a nickel-sized bag full of weed.

She waved the bag in Parker's face. "Is a nickel bag okay with you?" Delilah asked. "It's enough for one joint."

Parker held his freckled face up to the small bag. His eyebrows furrowed. "Are you sure this is enough for one joint? There's hardly anything in this bag."

"Well, it's all I have. The police confiscated the rest of my stash."

Parker's face softened as if he had just remembered that she had gotten arrested last week. "Okay, I'll take it. How much?"

"Five bucks."

Parker reached into his pocket, pulled out a crumpled wad of bills and handed them over to Delilah.

She smoothed out the bills and counted them. "This is fifteen bucks."

"Yeah, just take it."

Delilah looked up at Parker and frowned. "I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity, Delilah. I'm just trying to help. Every dollar counts, remember?"

Delilah let out a sigh; Parker was right. It was money that had prevented her from going to jail last week and money that had dragged her into this business in the first place.

"Thanks, Parker."

"No problem, Delilah. Stay out of trouble," Parker said, opening the car door to leave.

"I'll try," Delilah said quietly before letting out a long sigh. The images from last week were still fresh in her mind. The police bursting the bathroom door open. Her hands being handcuffed and three men dragging her to the police car. The crowd of students that had formed outside the school to watch the commotion. Her mom's horrified face when she had arrived at the police station. Her mom's even more horrified face after the principal gave her a week long suspension.

Tap tap.

Delilah snapped out of her thoughts and turned to the direction where the tapping was coming from. Someone was tapping on her car window.

She leaned down to get a better look. It was the boy from the lunch table that Parker had told to leave.

He had curly chestnut hair that was glinting in the sunlight. Eyes of hazel and honey peeked through the curls that framed his forehead. He had on a black tee with a photo of palm trees printed on it.

Delilah rolled down her windows. "Can I help you?"

"I need a ride home. Please." His eyes looked at her pleadingly.

"Why don't you call an Uber? I'm not a taxi driver," Delilah said, beginning to roll her up windows.

"No! I don't have any money. Please, I need to get home. I know this is so random, but you were just the first car I saw that had someone inside."

Delilah inspected his face to see if he was telling the truth. He looked frantic with worry.

"Fine, come in." Delilah unlocked the doors and started her engine.

The boy climbed into the car and quickly fastened his seat belt.

"By the way, I'm Hunter."

***

Please comment your thoughts down below, vote, and give me a follow! Any feedback is welcomed!