Casting Bones

Chapter 7 - Part 1

Desi's weekend was spent eating, sleeping and smoking, which wasn't necessarily far from the usual; the only difference was that normally he had company. This time around he instead turned his phone off completely, not wanting to hear from anyone that might think of contacting him, and made sure to avoid their usual hangout location on the off chance someone would physically come looking for him.

When Monday morning rolled around he managed to sober up just enough to get himself to campus on time, although the actual drive to campus and walk to class felt more like a fever dream in the dazed, groggy aftermath of his THC bender. He got to class a few minutes early and took his back row seat, hoping the professor wouldn’t notice, or at least wouldn’t care, if he ended up snoozing for the lesson. He was already curled up in his folded arms when a body filled the seat next to him.

“You look like hell.”

Desi lifted a single eyelid, humming agreement into his arm to acknowledge Casper’s astute observation. Maybe he should have just skipped, gave himself another day of putting off reality. Desi couldn’t stand the idea of Ashley and her fucking drama interfering with his education though. What happened was already infuriating enough, he wasn’t about to let a shitty break up ruin the rest of his life and keep his stuck in this stupid town forever, like his mother.

Break up. They hadn’t really settled their argument that Friday night but Desi’s subconscious still  used the phrase with a particular finalty he couldn’t deny. They had to break up, didn’t they? Maybe they already had. If he just avoided her for the rest of time, did that count as breaking up?

Desi sighed. He’d have to talk to her eventually, wouldn’t he? As much as he hated admitting it, it was probably the right thing to do. Fucking conscience. Sometimes he wished it would just shut up and let him be an asshole for once.

“Listen, Desi…”

“Please don’t.” Desi responded immediately, hoping it'd be quick enough to snuff out the comment Casper had wanted to vocalize.

He really didn't want to talk about it.

Desi watched from the corner of his eye as Casper let his eyebrows drop a fraction with frustration, biting at his fingernail until he couldn't help himself any longer. “I just feel bad that you had to hear about it like that.”

“Don't feel bad.” Desi responded flatly. Casper rolled his eyes with the non-response and Desi managed to find the ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. To settle the boys frustration, he added, “I'm glad you told me. I mean… not glad but… you get what I'm saying.”

Casper fiddled with his pencil briefly before nodding reluctantly. “Still… It wasn’t my business.”

“No, it was my business, that I didn’t know about.” Desi tried to add a laugh to his response but the noise he made was barely a scoff and the smile he attempted to pair with it showed obvious strained.

Casper responded by lowering his dark eyes to his sketchbook so Desi could think that he hadn't noticed.

Wait, sketchbook?

Desi tried to keep himself from perking up too quickly with the sudden realization. “Didn’t you... leave your bag in my car?” He wasn’t going to lie, after finally passing out, he’d totally forgotten the park and Casper’s bag and the terrible trip he’d had. To be fair, he didn't have much reason for wanting to remember the entire content of that particular night…

Casper offered a confused expression, shifting it every so slightly to teasing as he asked, “Exact how high were you this weekend?”

“You have no fucking idea.” This time Desi couldn't help a more genuine laugh. “I was seriously tripping the fuck out.”

Then it really wasn't Casper he'd seen. Had he just imagined the whole thing? Had his blackout faded into fiction at some point? Maybe he'd passed out sooner than he thought and the whole night had been an extremely vivid dream weaved together by his brain and too much THC.

Not exactly the craziest thing he'd heard in terms of trips, to be completely honest.

The professor had just opened the door, so Desi opted to drop the conversation for now. “I can tell you about it after.” Half way through the offer Desi realized that he might not get a chance though, as the professor was followed into the room by two police officers, who looked in Desi's direction when he was pointed out.

Shit.

“Desidario Sarno?”

Shit.

“Yeah. That's me.”

Swear to God, if they searched his car again without a warrant someone downtown was going to get an earful. Today was not the day for this bullshit.

“Mind if we ask you some questions downtown, Son?”

Fuck.

“Are you boys arresting me for something?” Desi attempted to keep his response casual, taunting even, but it was difficult when his skin burned from all the eyes watching the exchange. To his left he saw a girl let her jaw drop unabashed, and on the right, one boy leaning forward to his friend to exchange a whisper behind his hand. Desi had a feeling that most of his classmates were too old now for petty rumors like in highschool, but there was nothing petty about the drama of watching someone get a police escort out of economics.

One of the cops gave a smirk at Desi's snark. “Nah, kid. But if you don't want to cooperate with us that's enough reasonable suspicion to take you in, if you like the cuffs.”

Of course they were going to play it that way. Desi blinked to conceal his eye roll as he hauled himself out of his seat. “Not really my kink, but thanks for the offer.”

In the process of collecting his book he shared a glance with Casper, who's expression was stuck somewhere between speechless and horror. When they made eye contact the look shifted to a baffled question, and Desi could only response with a shrug and a shake of his head before he was heading down to the front of the class, following out the door and into the hall with the cop directing him.

Desi wasn't going to hear the end of this from his classmates for weeks, he was sure. That being said, maybe it was better than them bugging him about a stupid break up...

It was only a few steps out of the classroom that the door opened again behind them, and Desi turned to see Casper, hurriedly multitasking as he tried to stow away his sketchbook into his bag while catching up to them.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Desi had lagged a little in his pace, and in response he received a rough nudge to his shoulder from one of the cops to keep him walking. He gave the one that shoved him a pointed look, then turned to walk backwards a few steps as Casper managed to match their pace.

“I dunno, I just…” He didn't seem to have an answer, but something that resembled a seed of concern sat on the frown line between his brows. He untied his tongue after a second. “Should I like, call someone? Should I call your mom?”

The idea that Casper was worried about him was enough to pull a teasing grin onto Desi’s lips, but with that question his amusement dissolved quickly into a physical cringe. “Hell fucking no. Jesu— don't... call anyone. Just, go back to class, ok?”

Casper’s expression wavered a little further towards distress. “But—.”

“It's fine. They said they weren't arresting me, right?” With the reminder he eyed one of the cops, who gave him only a smirk in return, which likely wasn't very reassuring to Casper. Desi brushed it off with another eye roll though, tilting his head back to where they came from. “Go back to class, Cas.”

Casper responded with a disgruntled sigh, but surrendered by finally dropping his shoulders and slowing his pace to a stop. After a few more seconds he offered another noise of discontent, like he couldn't believe what he was about to say, then added on a frustrated tone, “At least like... text me, or… something?”

Desi bit back a grin. That must have been painful for him. “Of course. I’ll need the notes for today.”