Untitled by Erin Blatt

It was a regular Friday afternoon for Noah and Jason, and the two sat next to each other in their last class of the day. As the boys were chatting away, their science teacher, Miss Donovan, was informing the class about an upcoming quiz that they were going to take.

“Do you want to go to the skatepark today?” Jason asked Noah.

“The skatepark? Who’s going?” Noah replied.

“Just a few friends from school.”

“Like who? Shane O'Connor?”

“Yes, Shane will be there, and some other people, too.”

“Then I’m not going. Shane is bad news, and you know that. I don’t want to get involved in things like that! Plus, I need to study for this quiz, I don’t want to fail.”

“But the quiz isn’t until next week! It’s not going to be any fun without you.”

“No! He is not someone I want to surround myself with, you know what people say about him. He manipulates younger kids into trying drugs so that he can be their dealer. I want nothing to do with that or him, and you shouldn't either!” Noah exclaimed.

“Please come. I’ll buy you McDonalds!” Jason begged.

“Ugh, fine, I’ll go.”

A few hours later, Noah and Jason walked towards the park, spotting Shane as he was talking to his friends and smoking a joint.

“This is not a good idea,” Noah muttered to Jason.

“We will be fine,” Jason assured him.

Shane walked up to the pair with a wide grin plastered on his face. “Noah, Jason, what's up, guys?”

“What's good, Shane?” Jason grinned back.

“Do you want to take a hit?”

Noah looked over to Jason worryingly as Jason took the joint.

“Ok, I’m going to go now. My Mom’s been bugging me about cleaning my room and stuff,” Noah blubbered, backing up.

“Ok bro, catch you at school.”

The following Monday, Noah was at science class, but Jason wasn’t. Noah didn’t think much of it. But as two more weeks passed and Jason’s desk remained empty, not to mention the thousands of unanswered texts and calls, Noah finally mustered the courage to knock on the crimson red door with “15” etched at the top. But to his dismay, a spindly lady with a wispy blond ponytail pulled it open.

“Noah, what are you doing here?” she grinned, a smile dragging itself across her face.

“Hi Mary, I was just wondering if Jason was ok?” I tried to peak past her to get a glimpse, but only saw the wooden banister.

“Yes he’s fine dear, why?”

“Wait, is he not home sick?”

“No, he’s with his friends at the skatepark. What’s his name, Shawn, Shen?”

“Shane?” he forced out through clenched jaws.

“Yes, that's it, Shane,” she snapped her fingers. Noah’s heart thumped in his chest as he stormed off, stalking back to the bus stop as he made his way to the skate park.

Noah stomped through the park when he stopped in his tracks. Jason held a cigarette in his hand, tendrils of smoke curling upwards. Next to him stood the very person Noah had warned him about. Noah was filled with red hot fury as he stared into the purely dilated and bloodshot blue eyes of his best friend.

“What are you doing?” he breathed out, stalking towards him.

“Hey bro, how’ve you been?” Jason grinned obliviously.

“You're joking! You haven't been to school in two weeks and this is what you're doing? Are you mad? You're going to fail out of school! Why are you destroying your body and mind for a group of people you don’t even know?”

“Stop Noah, you’re embarrassing me and yourself!” Jason whispered, bristling away from him.

“No, you’re embarrassing yourself! You're becoming an addict, I’m not going to let my friend destroy himself for no reason.”

Jason turned bright red, furious with Noah for shouting at him in front of his new friends. But the flush faded as he let out a sigh, realizing his friend was right. “Fine, let's go.”

As the two boys walked home, the silence screamed in their ears.

“What were you thinking, Jason?” Noah muttered finally, piercing the air.

“I… don’t know.”

“This could have become a serious problem, you missed a ton of school and you will become an addict if you keep doing this!”

“I know, ok! I messed up. I just wanted to breathe, you don’t understand how hard it is to keep above water. My mom is constantly harassing me about how terrible of a son and student I am, school is genuinely impossible, and I’m failing at everything! I was about to start looking for my thirteenth reason.”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t realize you were struggling that much.”

“Yeah.” Jason sighed.

“Well, from now on I’ll tutor you in any subject you need help in. As long as you don’t resort to drugs again.”

“Thanks, I’ll… I’ll try my best.”

“That's all I ask.”