A sense of relief fell over me as I tilted my head at Tate. "Where?"

He motioned for me to unlock the door. As I did, he opened my door for me and said, "I'll tell you where to go."

In the few seconds it took him to get into the car beside me, I tried to imagine where he had in mind. Every scenario I came up with seemed unlikely, so I bit my lip and put my seat belt on as he adjusted himself next to me.

"I missed you." 

I turned to him, surprised he had admitted it. I felt the same but I was to insecure to have said it first. I couldn't help the corner of my lips turning up ever so slightly. "I missed you too, Tate. Where are we going?"

I began to back out, trying very hard to avoid hitting a group of guys that weren't paying any attention to their surroundings. Tate seemed to be mapping it out in his head because he was quiet until I successfully maneuvered my way to the exit and onto the main road.

"I still have an hour before I gotta get back," he murmured to himself as he gazed out the window. "Do you wanna smoke?"

I perked a brow at him as he turned to meet my eyes. I knew he didn't mean a cigarette. "Do you have bud?"

"Of course." He smirked at this, blue eyes glowing with mischief in a way I hadn't seen before. 

"Do you have a pipe or a wrap?" I didn't smoke often, but I was tired of cigarettes. 

He frowned. "Neither. I dropped my pipe a few days ago."

I tapped my console as I made a right, heading in the direction of the closest neighborhood. "Oli keeps one in here, we can use it."

He reached in it and his hoodie pocket at the same time. He pulled out a zip lock with a few grams in it, setting the pipe on his lap. As he began, much to my dismay, to grind the weed with his fingers, he asked me curiously, "Where's your parents?"

I flickered with the radio as I replied. "My mom is on a business trip to North Carolina right now. She'll be gone for another few weeks. I never met my dad."

It was quiet for a prolonged minute after that. I was scared to ask about his parents. I didn't want to pry.

"Why didn't you come to class today?" I asked, trying not to sound as disappointed as his absence had truly made me. I was always alone, and he was the only one besides my teachers to acknowledge me at all.

Maybe he'd been avoiding Helena seeing what I'd done to his neck, the thought made the corners of my lips turn down. 

"I blew a head gasket because I drove too far and overheated the engine."  He said as he passed me the freshly loaded bowl.

I grabbed the lighter in my cup holder as I replied casually, "Where were you going?"

"Let's head to the park near that bowling alley." I knew where he was talking about because this town wasn't very big. "And I was visiting my brother." 

I licked my lips as I pulled into the turn lane. I wasn't sure how to ask about his brother after everything I'd heard and the way he'd reacted to me accidentally hiding him in the closet. 

I wanted to be upfront and learn about him though. I doubted anyone had ever really asked him directly before. I sighed softly as I turned into the park's lot and drove to the back- as out of view from everyone as possible.

"How old is he?" I thought that was a decent enough first question. He knew my brother I assumed. He'd seen him at school and knew his age, so it seemed fair. I parked and rolled down the windows as I awaited his reply.

"He will be 16 the end of this month." His voice sounded dull as he spoke this time, watching me take a hit.

I inhaled deeply as I thought about what that meant. To my surprise, Tate's weed was actually pretty smooth and I could tell it was better than a lot of the bud I'd had in the past. 

I didn't want to pry, especially while we were smoking. Plus, on one of the serial killer documentaries I'd watched on Netflix, an investigator had said the less you say the more people feel obliged to talk. I was hoping that'd be the case here.

However, he said nothing as I passed him the bowl. I heard the lighter flicker as I exhaled out the window.

I focused on peering outside to make sure no one was around. It was still gloomy enough for a smoky car to look like merely the side effects of a humid rainy day. I didn't need a possession charge, would genuinely feel like an idiot for listening to some kid I barely know.

I felt the piece against my hand as Tate passed it back.

"Have you tried dab?" I asked, slipping the lighter from him as well.

He offered a little snort, making my brow perk as I waited for his answer and finished the bowl. I was finally high, high. I coughed hard, making him even chuckle. I could barely hear it over my irritated ass lungs but I found my cheeks hot at the sound.

"There's not much I haven't tried but I try to stick to bud." He watched me blow out the burnt remains in the pipe out the window, his tone almost curt. It created a light tension that somehow made me feel unsure of what to say.

I passed him back the empty pipe, meeting his eyes for a second but not saying anything. He looked down, pursing his lips as he loaded another bowl.

"Have you tried acid?" He finally said, raising the piece to his mouth. 

"No," I said honestly. "I've been scared to. My mind is a crazy place."

He nodded, exhaling slowly before he spoke. "Would you?"

"Maybe." I answered, my voice low. He handed me back the bowl, only the corner of it burned beautifully. I helped myself to the green, thinking hard as to if I'd really ever have the guts. "I don't think I could do it alone, but I really don't trust anyone." 

He seemed to nod at that, sinking deeper into the passenger seat as if thinking it over. I handed him the piece and peered around the parking lot again. My paranoia was heightened of course and it was hard to relax.

"Most people don't have good intentions." He spoke without much emotion, then sparked up as he stared out his window.

I couldn't help the small, half hearted smile that tugged at my mouth. "I knew you were like me."

He turned to face me, his eyes dipping down to my lips and then meeting mine again. They were softer in a way, brows furrowing slightly. I knew he wanted me to elaborate so I continued without much thought. "You've been through some shit too."

My cheeks felt hot again as I watched him think about that and take another hit. I ran my thumb sheepishly over my other hand, wondering if maybe I shouldn't have said that.

"You're not the type to dick ride for attention or flex for fake ass high school popularity either, just like me." He turned to me with a smirk that made my heart beat harder. I couldn't help but laugh at that. 

He seemed as surprised as me at that. It had been a while since I was able to actually genuinely laugh.

"A lot of people don't understand that there's a lot more to life than being liked." I found myself adding. "You're different.....but I'm not sure if it's in a good way yet."

"What do you mean?" He peered at me in confusion.

"You and Helena are dating or whatever, right?" I perked a brow in a suspicious way as opposed to curious. 

He understood me now, by the change of his expression. He turned away slightly, but passed me the bowl. I lifted it to my lips to kill it, the smoke tickling my lungs and throat.

He shook his head, "We together in an open kind of way. We aren't a thing. I told her I don't want to be in a real relationship."

I blew out the remains again as I mulled that over. It didn't sound quite the way Dorian would have described his relationship. "So what?"

I handed him back the bowl, watching him load yet another as he thought about how to answer.

"So....we just fuck." He looked me dead in my eyes.

My head fell to one side slightly in surprise. 

Well, damn.

Honesty is  what I wanted.

I turned to look outside again, clearing my throat.

"Shit, ok." 

"My life is intense sometimes, and I need a variety of ways to escape." He sighed.

I was actually just impressed that he was being so talkative and opening up to me. "You don't have to explain." I thought of Dorian again.... and his wife. "I know the feeling."

He turned to meet my eyes again, passing me the bowl and letting his hands linger on mine for a second. "I thought you might."