The Banished

Eddie

"You gotta help me out bud, come on, I'm your Dad."

Running my hand through my hair, I look around the empty parking lot, my classmates all undoubtedly in class where I should be.

"If I don't unload this I'm fucked Edward."

Chewing my lower lip, I crammed my hands in my pockets.

"I'm not selling Ketamine to kids."

"Only sell to seniors then." My Dad bargained, "Only the ones that are 18."

"Dad I'm 19, if I get busted that's a felony, and I'm fucked."

"If I don't get rid of this shit I'm fucked!" He snapped, then looked around hurriedly, hoping that we weren't overheard.

"Weed is one thing, I just... I don't know about this." I muttered.

"What, I send you to live with my brother and you become a pussy on me." My Dad taunted.

"You didn't send me anywhere." I scoffed, "The courts did when you lost custody ten years ago."

"I only lost custody because your Mom died."

"In front of me, because of drugs you gave her."

"Are you going to help me or not? If I don't unload this stuff, this month, I'm a dead man Edward, I'm a dead man walking."

I knew he was right, after the fire at the mall, my dad was barely moving enough product to keep his "bosses" from tossing him in Hawkins' Lake tied to a cinder block. The high school was the perfect place for me to help him sell weed, but the town was fairly cookie cutter, and ketamine didn't seem like the kind of thing Jason on the basketball team was looking to buy to unwind.

"They're gonna off me kid." He pleaded, "Just help me out."

I looked over my Dad's gaunt frame, and bruised face. I could never forgive myself if something happened to him, not after watching my Mom die and doing nothing.

"Fine." I snapped, opening my backpack.

His face lighting up like a kid on Christmas, my Dad shoved his arm into my bag, depositing a baggy.

"Now don't tell your uncle." He warned, as if I needed reminding. If my uncle had an inkling that I'd do much as seen my Dad, I'd never hear the end of it.

Zipping my backpack, I threw it over my shoulder and turned to leaving, Hopi g I could somehow get into the building undetected.

"I love you kid." My Dad called after me.

I flinched.

He doesn't mean it, he's using you, I reminded myself, forcing myself to keep walking.

My eyes trained on the ground and my fists, gripping the straps of my backpack so tight my knuckles turned white, I made my way inside the school and through the empty hallways.

There was no way I was going to graduate this year if my Dad kept this shit up, all the teachers already hated me, simply because I was who I was, an outsider.

I was supposed to graduate last year but I'd failed to classes and so I was determined that this year was going to be my year, I wasn't going to let anyone get in the way of that. Especially my dead beat druggie dad.

Hoping Mrs. Callahan wasn't going to murder me for being late to science I rounded the corner, expecting yet another empty hallway when I slammed into someone.

Staggering back, I heard a startled gasp and watched as Katie Harrington, a dirty blonde girl who'd been a year behind me since first grade, up until this year, fell on her back side.

My eyes widening I lunged forward, and reached out a hand.

"I am so sorry."

"Who the hell runs around a corner!" She snapped, ignoring my hand and rising to her feet, clutching her elbow.

"Are you hurt?" I questioned, ignoring her.

"I'm gonna have a massive bruise." She retorted, trying to examine the joint.

"I'm really sorry." I apologized.

"It's fine." She muttered, stopping to pick up her books which were scattered on the ground.

Beating her to it, I picked them up, unable to help but notice the titles.

"The Hobbit." I said thickly, handing them to her.

"Yeah." She muttered, "I don't want to hear it you can't call someone a nerd when you can't pass English."

I grinned, trying hard not to laugh, "I did pass English, it's history and math I failed actually."

She made a face, "Math I get but history, really?"

"I'm not good with dates.... Like, time and dates, I'm great at the other kind of dates, I go on them all the time.... not that I'm like a serial dater, like your brother.... Not that your brother is a whore.... I...."

Katie smirked.

"My brother is a whore. Everyone says that, I don't care."

Feeling stupid, I crammed my hands in my pockets, "I'm sorry, I'm, uh, Eddie."

"I know," she replied, "I'm Katie."

"I know."

I opened my mouth to speak when suddenly the bell rang, causing us both to jump. The halls began filling with students.

"I tutor history." She informed me, walking away backwards into the crowd, "If you need some help let me know."

"I will." I called after her, "I'm sorry again."

But she was already gone.