Let's fast-forward four years later. Scud and I had just graduated and now entering Grade 9 at Rennaissance High, home of the Rennaissance High Phoenixes.
A lot has changed since the day I met him. We had become boyfriend and girlfriend the month before, and we were nearing our one month anniversary. I was also turning fourteen a week from that coming Friday. I was still a Straight-A student, but my attitude began to change over the summer. I took up smoking, I started drinking, and I was also smoking weed whenever I was over at Scud's or hanging out with any of his friends.
We were at his house on a Sunday night. His parents were asleep and his two sisters were over at a friend's house, so he and I decided to chill in his room, watch movies, and smoke a few bowls. His dad had picked up a bottle of Jack Daniels for us to drink to soothe our throats while we smoked, and he bought me a new pack of smokes. I love John.
Scud coughed slightly as he exhaled. We were using the bong that John had bought him for his birthday. I was too lazy to put on actual pajamas so I stole his black AC/DC shirt and wore it as a nightgown. I reached for the bong after he took his second toke, taking out the custom Rob Zombie lighter that his friend Blake made for me. Scud coughed again.
'Fuck…' he groaned as he reached for the whiskey, 'you got the good shit…'
'I always get the good shit,' I said as I put more weed in the pipe, 'I have the money for it.'
'How much do I owe you?' asked Scud.
I rolled my eyes.
'You don't owe me anything, babe,' I said, 'I told you I'm fine with paying for the weed since you're the one who pays for my booze and smokes.'
'I feel bad, though,' said Scud as I took my first toke, 'I'm the one who smokes half this shit, so I should pay you back whatever you paid.'
I growled. I pulled the pipe out, letting the smoke settle in my lungs. I exhaled slowly, my eyes cold as I looked up at him.
'Joshua David Frohmeyer…' I said sternly, 'for the last time…you do not have to pay me back anything. You buy the booze and the smokes, so I contribute by paying for the green. Am I making myself clear?'
Scud sighed.
'Fine…' he said, 'but I still don't like it.'
I growled softly. I put the bong to my lips, lighting the pipe again. Scud smirked as he watched me.
'You know…' he said, 'when I first met you, you were the most shy and innocent little girl I have ever encountered. Now look at you…you're taking bong rips like a champ and smoking like a fucking chimney.'
I rolled my eyes. I couldn't laugh or else I'd choke on the smoke. I pulled the pipe out again, taking an extremely deep breath. I closed my eyes as I exhaled, but after I did, I began to cough violently. Scud quickly handed me my Jack and Coke, rubbing my back as I sipped.
'You okay, babe?' he asked.
I nodded.
'Yeah…' I wheezed, 'I'm fine…'
Scud sighed as I coughed again. I downed the rest of my drink, making another as Scud got ready to take his third toke. My head was swimming and my throat burned, but it would take a bit more to get me high due to my high tolerance.
Scud sighed as he exhaled. I handed him the whiskey bottle in case he needed it. He grinned as I stood in front of him.
'You have the nicest pair of legs I have ever seen on a woman…' he purred.
I laughed.
'I still got some growing to do,' I teased, 'with any luck, I'll get up to Mom's height if not a bit taller.'
Scud chuckled.
'You've always been a tall girl,' he said, 'you were tall when we first met.'
I giggled.
'Mom's genetics,' I said, 'she was unusually tall for her age growing up. Plus Daddy's six-foot-four.'
Scud laughed. He emptied the pipe, adding more weed into it before lighting it again. I sat down next to him, remembering the first time he and I met. He and I became super close over the years, and we ended up sharing our first kiss the night he and I became a couple. He was my first friend in Detroit, and I owe him for making me not feel like a complete and total freak.
Scud coughed violently when he exhaled. I handed him my glass, gently soothing him in French as he drank. He downed the entire glass, a slight wheeze escaping from his lips.
'You know…' he choked between wheezes, 'I may not know what the fuck you're saying, but you sound super hot when you speak French…'
I smirked.
'You know I have plans on taking you to Paris next summer,' I said as he handed me the bong, 'so that means I'll have to teach you how to speak French.'
'Oh, really?' said Scud, arching a brow as I lit up, 'you want me to go to Paris with you?'
I nodded.
'Yup…' I said as I exhaled, 'my Aunt Belle really wants to meet you.'
Scud frowned.
'Your Aunt Belle?' he said, 'really?'
I nodded again.
'Mhm…' I said, 'she always asks about you. She already thinks you're an angel.'
Scud's eyes went wide.
'Really?' he said softly, 'she thinks that?'
'Yes, Josh,' I said, 'she's really happy that you talked to me on the very first day of school. She was scared that no one would like us.'
'Well, her fears are obviously settled,' said Scud, 'everybody loves you and Becks.'
I smiled.
'It's really nice that I made a friend so fast…' I said thoughtfully, 'especially one who immediately made me feel comfortable. It's rare that someone can do that considering…you know.'
Scud chuckled.
'Considering that you were as green as the Grinch and you literally looked like you were gonna up-chuck,' he teased, gently bumping his shoulder into mine, 'and you got a boyfriend out of it.'
I smiled. I placed the bong on the ground, resting my head on Scud's shoulder. Scud gently wrapped his arms around me, stroking my hair. He smirked.
'You never used to have rosy cheeks,' he said, gently tracing imaginary tattoos on my cheek, 'when you first came here you looked like fucking Casper.'
I gently punched Scud in the gut. He grunted.
'Hey…' he said, 'I'm not the only one who noticed.'
I groaned.
'I was only pale because I was nervous,' I said, 'once I began to warm up to America, my cheeks became rosy.'
Scud snorted.
'More like when you began to warm up to me,' he said, 'I made you blush, remember?'
I laughed softly.
'Yeah, I remember…' I mumbled, 'you touched me, too…'
Scud laughed.
'Oh, God…' he said, 'you just about jumped out of your fucking skin when I did…'
'Of course I did…' I said defensively, 'you were new…'
Scud chuckled.
'New…' he repeated, 'and male…'
I sighed. I gently crawled into his lap, curling in a ball and nestling my head into his chest. His clothes smelled of weed and metal, no doubt from work earlier in the day. Scud gently ran his fingers through my hair, gently kissing the top of my head every now and then. I closed my eyes. My head was swimming from the marijuana, but I felt content. Scud laughed.
'You feeling sleepy, babe?' he asked.
I shook my head.
'No…' I said softly, 'I'm content…'
Scud laughed. He wrapped his arms around me tighter, pulling me in closer to him. I smiled softly.
'Baby?' I whispered.
'Yes, Doll Face?' said Scud.
'Can you hand me a smoke?' I asked, 'all this weed is making me want a smoke…'
Scud chuckled. He reached into the bag, handing me my cigarettes. I took the plastic off, tossing it in the garbage before opening the pack. I popped one of the cigarettes into my mouth, letting Scud light it with his Black Sabbath lighter. I inhaled deeply, blowing out a smoke ring before blowing out a big puff. Scud smirked.
'Did my dad teach you that?' he asked.
I nodded.
'Yup,' I said, taking a long drag, 'your dad has taught me a lot of things, babe.'
Scud chuckled. Over the years, I have grown extremely close with his family, especially his dad. John considered me a third daughter, and he was best friends with my dad. His mother, Joan works in my mom's hair studio, and the two of them also became close. His younger sister, Jenna, and his older sister, Jessica and I have spent a lot of girl time together, and I was scheduled to take Jenna grad dress shopping on Saturday. I took another long drag, ashing the cigarette before taking a small sip of the whiskey.
'Did Jenna tell you I'm taking her shopping for a grad dress?' I asked.
Scud nodded.
'She told me yesterday,' he said, 'she really likes you.'
I grinned.
'I really like her, too,' I said, 'she's like the baby sister I never had.'
Scud laughed. I finished my cigarette a short time later, putting it out in the ashtray. I turned so I was straddling Scud's lap, my hair hanging in curtains in front of my face.
'So…' I said, 'how was work?'
Scud scoffed.
'Whistler was making fun of me…' he said.
I frowned.
'What did you do?' I asked.
Scud sighed. He rolled the sleeve of his sweater up, revealing a nasty third degree burn on his hand. I gasped.
'Josh!' I squeaked, 'what did you do?!'
'I burned my hand on the arc welder,' said Scud, 'W was laughing at me when I was bandaging it.'
I sighed. I gently took Scud's had in mine, softly brushing my lips over the burn. Scud hissed a breath through his teeth, wincing at the pain. I reached over, grabbing some gauze and ointment from the First Aid kit, setting to work on covering the burn.'
'My poor baby…' I cooed as I put the ointment on, 'burning his hand…'
Scud whimpered at the coldness of the ointment. I gently wrapped his hand in the gauze, placing medical tape on it so it would stick. I gently brushed his hair out of his face, my eyes full of concern.
'So…' I said, 'what's Blade like?'
Scud shrugged.
'He's pretty reserved…' he said, 'but he can be pretty caring at times, too. He doesn't really take crap from anyone, either.'
I swallowed.
'What about Whistler?' I asked.
Scud laughed.
'Oh, you are going to love him,' he said, 'he thinks of me as a grandson. He hated me at first, but he's warmed up to me.'
I breathed a sigh of relief. I looked over at the clock.
'Oh…' I sighed, 'it's nine o'clock…we should go to bed…'
Scud groaned. I slid off his lap, crawling under the covers on my side of the bed. Scud placed the Jack Daniels bottle in his liquor cabinet before crawling under the covers next to me. He reached over, turning out the lamp before taking me in his arms. I sighed contently, resting my head on his chest. Before I could even say good night, I was fast asleep. Scud smiled.
'Sweet dreams, Em-Bear…' he said softly.
