Tuesday

Around 6am, birds began waking up. The house was in shambles, as Miller spent all night attempting to clean and organize the entire inventory of every room. The bags under his eyes were telling, and he scowled as he bumped into all the furniture. Running his fingers through his chaotic hair, he made a mental list of all the chores he had to do before picking Victor up as he promised he would yesterday.

It's a fair distance between Miller's house and Victors, and today Miller couldn't be more glad. He thought the long walk would allow him time to recollect himself. The streets are gray, with random gunk further than human eyes could see. Miller walked almost in a lumbering manner, but he did frequently touch his face lazily feeling for new pimples.

He sighed as he knocked on the door, memories of the last time he was there resurfacing. 

"Are you okay? You look miserable."

Victor walked slowly alongside Miller. The weather evidently matched Miller's mood, "I'm fine, I didn't sleep much."

Today he wore a knitted pastel blue sweater, gifted to him when he was 14 by his distant aunt and the same wrinkly jeans he's been wearing for 2 weeks now which he got on sale. The sky was as cloudy today with a misty earthy scent in the air, this was actually Miller's favorite part of the year but he enjoyed the weather more when it was windy. Victor walked closely beside him, feeling flustered as he stared at Miller's loose hand.

"Soo, did you sleep well?"

"Eh so-so. Made some coffee though so I'll be good."

Victor bit his inner lip and fidgeted with the strings on his hoodie, "Hey Miller?"

"Yeah?" He replied softly.

"Can we-"

"Hey Miller!" A loud inelegant voice called from across the streets, an infamous voice known all around this part of town belonging to none other than Kendrick Curtis. He had dark thick messy hair with pink highlights and a medium complexion. He strided to where they stood, extending his hand out lazily. "It's been a minute, man." Grinning at the two, "And who are you?"

He stutters, "Oh hey I'm-"

Kendrick is in his second year of college, but frequently is seen around his old high school. He is extremely eccentric, and dresses accordingly. He and Miller met when he was still a senior, they have a history of drinking or smoking weed at parties together. In other words, Victor was not fond of him and considered Kendrick a bad influence. 

"I'm Victor." He stood reserved but he felt winded up. Of course Kendrick didn't remember his name despite them sharing several classes together-

"Victor? Like a guy's name..?"

Victor braced himself for more microaggressions, "Yeah, it's what I prefer to be called."

"Yeah anyways what are you doing up early? Don't you work at night at that club?" A sudden pang in Miller's heart- Victor is definitely going to think less of him now for being close with a bigot. He internally facepalmed and stuck in a breath.

Kendrick blinked, "What? Uh no-" Looking back at Victor "So you're trans or something? Because no offense you kinda look like a little chick."

Victor's eyes widened at the honesty, not noticing how Miller stopped breathing.

"Actually you know what? I told Ms. Jackson I would be there early to help with papers for community service hours. We should probably get going, bye Kendrick."

Miller frowns after turning away and begins pulling Victor away from the waiting confrontation. Victor sighed in relief, but Kendrick frowned. He grabbed Miller's free arm tightly, stopping them with no effort.

"Hey hey my bad guys. Life is short, you know? So stay, let's catch up while we can, yeah?"

A silence followed, Kendrick narrowed his eyes in anticipation. Miller gripped onto Victor tighter, feeling his chest run out of air. He wondered for a few seconds, what if he stood his ground? Kendrick was an up and coming pusher in the area, and he has developed an infamous reputation. He stared up at him for a while, considering physical confrontation but his world was hazy and he had been practically dragging his feet across the dirty pavement this entire morning- he was in no condition to escalate anything.

"Yeah okay, my fault. How have you been?" He resigned.

Kendrick grinned in a charming manner, letting go of Miller feeling pleased with his submission. He leaned closer, patting Miller's shoulder, "Thanks. My apologies, Victor sir. It's a good thing you know what you are, but at the same time you were put on this earth to reproduce, you know?"

"Oh? Excuse me..?" Victor muttered with unwarranted politeness. Kendrick took out a weed pen from his pocket, then preached once more "Yeah so your female body was made to give birth."

Victor was hoping he heard Kendrick wrong, so in response he cowered behind Miller with a muffled dismissive response. 

"Hey Miller, you want?"

"Uh" His gut instinct was to glance at Victor, very quickly in order to assess the situation. He's never turned down an offer before, he won't admit it yet but he did like getting high or intoxicated. His cold hands fidget for a moment, he wonders if Victor would think less of him if he said yes. But remembering how much stress and tense his mind has been, he nods slowly while taking it from Kendricks hand. Inhaling the THC, his roaring thoughts came to a shifty end and Kendrick grinned almost like a proud mother, "You need to go out more, Miller. Ashleigh started hosting parties again– Come to the next one" He smiled softly.

"Yeah? I dunno, I don't really talk to people."

"Don't be a square, Miller." Kendrick stomped, then his eyes comedically widened with his toothy grin "Remember the last time you went? The stuff with your ex?"

"I actually don't want to remember." 

Clap "Oh you know what? You should ask your home girl, Lucy, to come tomorrow!"

"Lucille?" Victor's eyebrows perked.

"I can ask but I can't make any promises."

Miller began walking again, with the other two following. Surprisingly it was not Kendricks presence that made him nervous but Victors. With the latest developments, he was almost certain Victor had feelings for him but recently he's been beginning to question if he was deserving of Victor's feelings. Gripping onto his sleeves, the world seemed to blur once more. The rest of the walk was most silent, three different young adults with drastic ambitions in life with no one to see them. 

While Miller and Kendrick slowly caught up between hits, Victor felt conflicted. He rubbed his fingers together. He couldn't figure out why he didn't like the idea of Miller hanging out with Kendrick, but he'd find out soon enough.

A block away from school and Kendrick decided to depart, having decided he accompanied them long enough. Once inside, Miller attempted to find Lucille as quickly as he could. He found her standing next to the vending machines on the second floor, upon seeing his arrival she motioned him to walk together to their homeroom. He tried to speak a word in but Lucille was insistent on lecturing him for something he couldn't care less about.

"Okay yeah yeah" Miller patted the area in front of her. "Are you free tomorrow after school?"

She stared at him puzzled. "Yeah, why?"

"Wanna go to a party?"

Lucille let out an excited gasp, "Whaat? Who's party?" She shuffled impatiently.

He tapped his fingers against the wooden desk. "Yeah, remember Ashe?"

She fell back in her chair to think about this.

"The girl who dated Kendrick?"

She sat back up, "Ohh! Oh! Oh my god? Yes." She smiled with her shiny lips, "You know I always wanted to talk to her but she was always with those shady ass people. She was so pretty too."

"Yeah yea-"

She slapped her hands together "Oh oh! Do they like music?"

"Do they like music?" Miller repeated flatly.

"Don't be a jerk."

He sighed softly, rolling his eyes. "Yes, Lucy, they like music."

She smiled in return and thought to herself for a moment. "Awesome, you pick me up."

Miller groaned at the implication of him picking up Nick's girlfriend to go to a party, "Can't your man drop you off?"

Lucille rolled her eyes and began walking to the direction of her first class which was US.HIstory. Miller shuffled behind her feeling disconnected from his body. "Hello?"

"Nick has to take care of his mom during his free time, remember?"

Immediately he felt a guilty pang. How did he forget? "Uh, oh. My bad."

Suddenly Clay appeared behind them both, "Yeah it is your bad." He said before walking into class, Miller left surprised followed after him. "And good morning to you too" He said. Clay sat down on an empty desk, where Lucille quickly followed and sat down in the desk to the left of him. Lucille spoke, "You're not in this class, mr. lastname." She smiled past Miller, looking at Victor. "You are, come on in!"

It is now lunch, and the crew decided to sit together today.

Nick's holding a cartoon of chocolate milk, "Yo did anyone notice how Nancy keeps giving Kenneth the side eye..?"

"Yeah dude, shits crazy." Miller responded. In front of Miller was two plastic cups of water. He opted out of eating lunch today, in fact Victor noticed he almost always chose water. But he couldn't blame him, the school lunch WAS pretty trash. 

Lucille was scribbling away in her notebook finishing up an assignment. "Guys what was the answer to Mr Martinez assignment, uh question 5?"

Nick replied, "I'm not in that class you kiddies."

"Do not say kiddies, it makes you sound weird."

"No because I heard Nancy has a thing for Kenneth's guy, Matthew." Miller uselessly added.

Jim gasped, "No way! Isn't she with Angel?"

"Who cares? We all know Angels using her." Lucille dropped while working. VIctor who had a mouthful of lettuce finally said, "Oh the answer is B, Lucy." And so the rest of the period went along similarly to that, Lucy working on homework while the others gossip and eat together.

After lunch is 8th period, aka the last period of the day if you're not staying for extended periods or clubs. Luckily for Nick, he and a few other seniors were permitted to leave earlier than other grades. So once his walked everyone to their classrooms, he shows himself the exit. Outside is a brighter day than usual, recently it's been disorganized. He takes a few steps when he pulls out his phone and calls his dad, "Hey dad, I'm out of school."

"Oh hello, can you hear me?" A deep gruff voice said on the other line.

"Yeah, just fine. How's mom?"

The other side went silent aside from the occasional beeps of notifications coming from his phone.

"Dad?"

He isn't liking this, he quickly decides.

"Nick, your mother…" He sighs, "Your mother is in the hospital. The doctors said her condition has gotten worse, and she's gonna be stayin-WE'RE staying a few days. I was just about to call you, I knew you were still in school." 

He was just about to react, respond, anything when-

"Nick?" Miller said behind him.

Nick quickly turned around with the most worrisome face ever. It was painfully evident that the phone he was having wasn't a cheery one. They stare at each other for a few seconds when, Nick finally clears his throat and smiles, "I'll be right with you, Dad. Gotta go bye."

On the other line, only audible to Nick, his dad said "Wait Nic-" before Nick hung up on him. With tears in his eyes, he said "Hey Miller!!"

Miller immediately felt uncomfortable as he could tell by the tension in Nicks voice and structure that he was clearly forcing this positive attitude. He clears his throat, "Uh you good?"

Nick smile falters, "Yeah yeah, I'm good. Hey… what are you doing out of school?"

"I jumped the fence when nobody was looking."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Miller hears Nicks phone ringing at least dozens times before he says, "Well I'll leave you to your many important phone calls." Nick frowned for a second looking at his phone but managed a small smile before he waved goodbye to Miller and turned around walking in that direction. Miller felt a small ache in his heart, he wondered if this what others call sympathy. He didn't know or care anymore. He was off to hang out with Kendrick, who was waiting down a block from the school. Miller watches Nick for a few seconds before turning around and starting his own adventure. Once he's with Kendrick they dab each other up.

Kendrick leaned in for a hug, he was so close Miller could smell his cologne, "What's up, dude?"

"Not much, you?" Miller replied, patting Kendrick on the back. 

"Nah I just been out and about since seeing you this morning. Where's your deviant?"

Miller eyes widen, "Don't call him that!"

Kendrick laughed loudly, "My bad dude." Miller huffed and didn't bother to seem amused. Kendrick eventually hushed down and pulled out his weed pen, "Care?"

"Very much so."