Brad from 8th Period
by mike poole
Lake had run out of weed again. That’s the worst part about weed. You run out. So Lake knew she had to do something, because she definitely wanted to get high after school and it was already 8th period.
8th period was fucking rough. Mrs. McGinty was the type of teacher who would never shut up. So even though Lake had finally gotten a class with her homies Sam and Claire in it, 8th period was still a particular type of hell. A hell that was better when she was high.
“What about Jabari?” asked Claire sitting to the right of Lake in the right row “Could you get any from him?”
“No Jabari isn’t here today, he’s on the trip with Mr. Oliver’s Psych class” Replied Sam sitting too Lake’s left in the left row.
“DeShawn?”
“No”
“Jamal”
“No”
“what about Jaquann?”
“Jaquann doesn’t smoke he’s just black”
“I’m not racist”
“You just were”
“What about Brad?” Asked Lake
“Brad?” Claire replied
“Yeah, Brad from 8th period” Lake replied in a dead monotone.
“It’s 8th period now” barked Sam.
“That brad?” Questioned Claire. They looked over to see Brad who was wearing a green, black, and moss colored flannel as if Nirvana was still a thing. His hair is dirty blonde but also actually dirty. Brad is a gangly boy.
“Yeah.” Lake said still emotionless. “Brad from 8th period”
The bell rung loud and hard, signaling the end of the school day. 8th period was over. Lake got up to go address brad but a flurry of busy teens grabbing book bags and racing out of Mrs. McGinty’s 8th period class blocked her view. When the bodies cleared brad was nowhere to be found. But Lake was determined to get high.
Lake grabbed her bag, and raced out of the classroom. As she turned to her left she saw Brad turning a corner down the hallway. She raced after him. Maybe Brad didn’t have weed, maybe he didn’t smoke at all, maybe if he did have weed and smoked maybe he didn’t sell, maybe he sold but wouldn’t sell to her, maybe he would only sell to her if he could smoke it with her (ew no), maybe he had bad weed, maybe brad only existed in 8th period, maybe he was like no cool and reported her to the principle, maybe he was like crazy and only sold crack. So many “maybes” raced through Lake’s head, but all she knew was one thing; She needed to get high.
Brad had exited the building through the south entrance by the senior parking lot. Which was weird because Lake had never seen Brad drive. She followed him out the door and through the parking lot.
“Brad wait it’s me, Lake! From 8th Period” She called out, but he didn’t hear her.
Brad wasn’t walking fast, it seemed as if his steps were slow even. But every time he dipped out of view for even a moment it seemed as if he had gotten further and further away. As Lake weaved through the cars of the senior parking lot she got more and more worried. How long had she been following him, how long has it been since 8th period. It seemed as if only seconds had gone by but it had in fact been minutes since 8th period ended.
“He better have weed,” she pouted. She was privileged and this was a hassle. As she treaded after him she realized he wasn’t walking to any vehicle. in particular, he was heading straight for the woods behind the parking lot.
“Litty,” She thought to herself but also said out loud, “He must be going to blaze up right now”
She followed him past the senior parking lot and slowly made her way through the small patch of tall uncut grass leading up to the wooded area behind the parking lot where Brad from 8th period disappeared into. Lake heard the clicking of a lighter trying to ignite. Lake would know that sound anywhere. She loved getting high.
“Brad! It’s me, Lake, from 8th period” She said, monotoned as hell. “Any chance you got any spare weed man?” silence. “Hello… Brad…”. As Lake continued through the densely wooded area she could see less and less. Very little sunlight got through those thick ass trees. This was the perfect spot to smoke. As the sound of Brad’s lighter got louder and louder Lake started getting nervous. The vibes here were so not chill.
“Do you not know how to use a friggin lighter my guy?” She called out somehow more monotone than before. At this point she was just walking and feeling around in darkness. Like what the fuck it's 2pm.
Lake stumbled into a small clearing, she had no idea it was even here. As she gained her barring and tried to find Brad from 8th period she froze. She had no idea what she was looking at. It was a body of some sort, but not quite. It was almost formless as its meat and bones shifted around its mass. It was forming into something, but what exactly that was was unknown. She hadn’t been hearing a lighter, she had been hearing bones crack and move.
Lake’s heart rate slightly rose as she looked around the clearing for Brad from 8th period. Did that thing do something to Brad from 8th period? Would she be next? But then she noticed it. Whatever this creature was or would soon be had wrapped around it a green, black, and moss colored flannel as if Nirvana was still a thing. This thing WAS Brad. Brad from 8th period.
Lake felt an urge to run but couldn’t her body was frozen in fear. What was happening? She had just seen Brad like an hour ago in eight period. Had this always been Brad, or had he changed since eight period?
“Brad you’re scaring me! Brad it’s me, Lake from eight period!” She pleaded “BRAD PLEASE” still very very monotone. Lake shut her eyes she couldn’t bare to see what was happening. Then everything went silent. Lake opened her eyes slowly. She couldn’t believe what she saw. Brad from 8th period had turned into a bong.
“Oh shit” Lake sighed. “I’ve been high this whole time." She was high. In fact it was still 8th period.