CHAPTER 7

DEEP SECRETS

It was another day of school and Spike, Tempest, and Lynn were in gym about to play volleyball.

Lynn was standing next to them listening to them talking about what they were going to do after school over Tempest's house. She wasn't really interested. She was too busy worrying about her problems at the moment. Ever since Spike kissed her when he was high, she felt like she couldn't be around Tempest anymore. What if he ever found out? If he did he would've probably pulled his gun out on him no matter where they would be at the time and the worst part was, she was possibly falling for him. Her best friend, but even she knew it would never worked. He may not even like her back. After all he was fucking stoned. She broke out of her deep thoughts when Tempest called her.

"Lynn?"

She quickly looked up at him, "Huh?"

He laughed a bit, "In your own little world huh, Lynn?"

"Sorry, I had a lot of things on my mind."

"Well you got any plans today?"

She didn't want to go near them. Not today. She was way too confused to be around them at the moment. Fortunate for her, she didn't have to make up a lie this time. There was a real excuse this time. "Oh sorry Tempest, but it's meditation night. My dad wants my mom and I to try out some ninja stuff. He said it'll relieve a lot of stress, not that I have any." There she went lying again.

"It's okay. I'll hang out with Spike."

She smiled a bit glad that they were getting along...for now. Her eyes widened when she saw a blue lion and purple raccoon walking towards their direction. She held Tempest's arm and shook it, "Tempest", she said in a scared voice.

Tempest and Spike turned and saw Leon and Veronica walking up to them.

The hawk made a cold stare, 'What do they want?'

Leon raised his hand in a friendly greeting, "Hey, Tempest."

"What do you want? A fight? Cause I'll take you right here and now."

"Hey hold up. I don't want a fight. I came to thank you."

Spike raised an eyebrow, "What?"

He nodded, "That's right. You were right about everything, Tempest. What happened on Saturday...I was completely out of line. I'm glad you set me straight and showed me that you meant business. Heh, it must've been the booze. I am a violent drunk after all."

"Me too", he growled.

As Leon crossed his arms, Lynn's eyes were focused on the gauze wrapped around his arm knowing that the wound came from the gunshot.

"I'm sorry, Tempest", Leon said.

"Why the hell are you apologizing to me for? Spike's the victim."

The lion looked away from him and looked over to Spike, "Sorry Spike, I hope we can start over and be friends."

Spike didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell if he could trust him or not. He already knew Tempest didn't. He shrugged, "I guess we could."

Leon warmly smiled and turned to Tempest again, "Well, later." He turned his back and started to walk towards the other side of the court with Veronica.

Lynn placed her hands on her hips, "What was that about?"

As they were walking towards the other side of the court, Leon made a deep laugh. "Ha, what fools."

"We got em right where we want them", Veronica said.

"Now they'll pay. We'll show them huh baby?"

She smirked as a reply, "This is gonna be fun."

A grey rhinoceros blew the whistle that was around his neck starting the game.

When they all got in position, Lynn looked over to Spike standing in a steady stance noticing how attractive he was just standing there.

Spike looked over to her spotting her looking at him, "What are you staring at?"

She deeply blushed and quickly turned away.

He raised an eyebrow in utter confusion, "Huh?"

"Spike, look out!" Tempest yelled.

Then Spike was hardly hit in the face with the volleyball. He was knocked to the floor bleeding from his nose. He held his nose with his blood slipping through his fingers, "My nose! My fucking nose!" He yelled.

The rhinoceros ran over to him and helped him off the floor while looking at his hurt nose. "Dear god", he muttered. "You'd better go to the nurse."

"I'll go with him", Tempest said.

He nodded, "Good idea."

Leon and Veronica watched as Tempest walked Spike out of the gym.

He looked over to her with a smile, "Veronica baby, you shouldn't have spiked the ball like that."

A sinister smile appeared on her face, "I guess I don't know my own strength."

Later when school was over, Spike walked over to Tempest's house while he held a bag of ice to his nose. When they walked into the living room, they saw Jet reading a newspaper.

When he heard them come in, he looked away from the newspaper and saw Spike holding a bag full of ice to his nose. "What happened to you?"

"He got hit in the face with a volleyball", Tempest answered.

Jet laughed a bit, "Should've kept your eye on the ball."

"...I got distracted." He was still puzzled about Lynn. Why did she look at him like that? Maybe she was falling for him after all.

Tempest looked over to him and changed the subject, "Hey Spike, come up to my room. I want to show you something."

"Okay."

When he led him into his room, he walked towards his bed and lifted his mattress searching for something while Spike stared at his black ceiling.

"Hey you painted your ceiling black.."

He looked over to him with a smile, "You like it?"

"Yeah, mine is painted black too."

Before Tempest could show Spike anything, he noticed that his door was wide open. "Hey Spike, could you do me a favor and close the door? Lock it too while you're at it."

He nodded and walked over to the door closing it and locking it. Afterwards he turned to him, "Okay, what do you want to show me."

"Before I do I want you to swear to never tell Lynn about this. She can never know or anyone else. Can I trust you with that?"

He nodded slowly, "I won't tell. I promise." He thought about what he said to Lynn about honesty. Now he just felt like bursting out laughing from the inside.

"Okay", he then pulled out a clear small plastic bag full of some kind of grass.

The hedgehog gasped with surprise and set down his bag full of ice on a nearby table. "Holy shit! Weed!" He shouted almost loud enough to travel downstairs.

Tempest ran over him and placed his hand on his mouth, "Shut it up, Spike. You want my parents to hear?"

"Sorry, I got a little excited."

He took his hand away from his mouth and started to talk in a low voice. "I practically paid over a hundred dollars for this shit."

"Tempest, I don't know about this. This is way worse than the booze and cigarettes."

"Come on Spike, don't be like that", he said as he opened and reached in the bag grabbing for some of the weed. He took it out and placed it in a piece of white paper. He started to roll the paper into a cylinder shape and placed it in his mouth. He took his lighter from his pants pocket and lit the end of it. He laid on his bed, inhaled it, and blew out smoke. "This is the shit. You want one, Spike?"

"I...I don't know."

He sighed, "Oh come on. It won't kill you. I'll let you try it how about it?"

The hedgehog nodded slowly still a little unsure. He watched as Tempest got off the bed and started to make him one. He knew that stuff would harm him, but just seeing how happy Tempest looked he just couldn't refuse.

Tempest walked over to him and handed him the marijuana wrapped in the white paper. He sat on the bed and anxiously watched for Spike to take his first hit.

He stared at it for a while having second thoughts but he quickly broke himself out of it and slowly placed it in his mouth and ingested the drug.