After class, Wesley waited for me to pack up my things. He glared at Mr. Hannity and frowned. He was ticked off because Mr. Hannity always seemed to single him out. There was no doubt that Wesley was upset, but I thought Mr. Hannity did it because he knew Wesley could do better if he applied himself.
“We should go to the library today, to get stuff for our project,” I said, stuffing papers into my folder.
Wesley groaned. “No way. It’s Monday. Besides, the project isn’t due for, like, ever.”
I shook my head and tried to convince him otherwise, but Wesley was adamant.
“Hey, Wes. What’s up?” Jen asked, surprising him from behind. “I was wondering; you wanna grab a bite to eat? I’m starving.”
Wesley turned around and smiled nicely. “Oh, sorry. I can’t. Toren here is dragging me to the library. Maybe another time,” he said cordially.
Jen’s face fell but she smiled quickly. “Oh, that’s okay. Yeah, maybe another time.” She smiled again and then looked down at me, narrowing her eyes. It was like a black cloud circled her head, and I actually felt a chill.
I got my things together and Wesley followed me out of the classroom. He waited while I got my book bag and closed my locker.
“Where are you going? My car’s this way,” he said, pointing down the hall.
“You said I was dragging you to the library.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t mean it. It was just so Jen would leave me alone.”
“Well, that’s not fair,” I said with a smile. “You can’t use me as an alibi.”
Wesley stared at me a moment and then dragged his feet like they were made of lead. “All right, all right. But only for a little while,” he conceded.
We found two books on the Chinese Exclusion Acts and I checked them out on my library card. We weren’t there long, but Wesley complained the whole time. When we left, he drove me to his house, and I gave him one of the books. He complained more but agreed to read it if I let him kiss me. I agreed with blushing cheeks and leaned into him.
We worked on our homework, doing Spanish together and then working separately for other classes. After an hour, Wesley pulled out his small pipe and bag of marijuana. He packed the bowl and reached into his pocket for his lighter.
“Wanna smoke this with me?” he asked, tilting the lighter and inhaling.
I shook my head and gripped the textbook in my lap. “No… that’s okay.”
“C’mon, what’s the big deal? You might not even get high since it’s your first time,” he coaxed, raising his eyebrows and grinning.
“No, I don’t think so,” I said, looking down.
“All right. Fine.” He sighed, sounding defeated, then took another hit and scooted closer to me. “The least you can do is give me a kiss then.”
He kissed me and my lungs filled with smoke. I started coughing and had to hold on to my book to keep it from sliding off my lap. Wesley snickered and I furrowed my brows at him.
“That—that wasn’t fair!” I shouted between coughs.
“I know, I know. I couldn’t help it.” He held out the pipe again. “C’mon, just a puff.”
I looked at him a moment and then down to the pipe again. “I don’t know how.”
“It’s easy,” he said, and I took the pipe from him. “Just suck it in and breathe. Like normal.”
I looked down at the glowing bowl and lifted it to my lips. The tip was wet with Wesley’s saliva, and I breathed in. I tried to breathe again but I started coughing instantly. Wesley patted my back and took the pipe.
“It’s okay, it just takes a little practice,” he said and sucked on the small pipe.
I wiped away the tears in my eyes from my coughing fit and Wesley handed me the pipe. I tried again, bringing the pipe to my lips and exhaling a plume of smoke without coughing. My eyes brightened and I was strangely proud of myself.
“Yeah, just like that,” Wesley said with a smile. “Go ahead, take another.”
I tried to do the same as before, but I inhaled too much and my throat became raw from coughing. Wesley laughed and took the pipe, patting my back again. He smoked what was left in the bowl and then put everything back in the cabinet in the coffee table. He closed the book in my lap and put his arm around me.
“So, you feeling anything? Are you high?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“Then probably not. You would know if you were. Oh well, maybe next time.”
He turned my face toward him and lowered my chin with his thumb. It always surprised me how good his kiss felt. He ran his hand across my stomach and kissed my neck and collarbones. I was entranced and thought this was much better than getting high.
A low rumbling noise stopped Wesley’s lips and tongue, and he frowned at me. He leaned back into the sofa and pouted. “Damn. My mom’s home.” He looked at me with a smile at the corner of his mouth. “And things were just gettin’ good.”
I looked around the room and straightened my shirt. Wesley stood up and stretched his arms over his head. I could see a swatch of his white stomach and a few sparse hairs leading downward. I swallowed hard.
“Hi, Mom,” Wesley greeted, meeting his mom in the kitchen.
I sat on the edge of the couch and stuffed my textbook into my book bag. I stood up as his mom stepped into the living room.
“Hello,” she said with a smile. She closed her eyes when she smiled.
“Mom, this is Toren. Toren, this is my mom,” Wesley said.
I was suddenly very glad that I didn’t get high. I gripped the strap of my book bag and felt really nervous.
“Um, hello. It’s nice to meet you,” I said, bowing slightly.
“Oh, yes, Toren. Wes’s told me about you. You’re partners for a class project, right? I’m
