The next day after school Ananda was sitting on the front porch alone, waiting for Nick to pick her up after school. She hadn't seen Stacy, or any of the others, for that matter, since the bell rang. It seemed like the majority of the school's population had already left. She didn't like waiting alone on a half-deserted campus. It seemed like the perfect setting for a kidnapping, with nobody around to help. She would have to have a talk with Nick about his tardiness - it was starting to get unnerving. Lost in her thoughts, Ananda was completely startled when she felt a hand grab her wrist. She looked up, alarmed. It was Dalila. "Jeez, girl, where've you been, you scared me."
"Come on, everybody's over here." Dalila led her around the corner of the building.
Ananda didn't see Nick's Durango pulling up as they dissappeared from sight.
But Nick had seen her.
As they walked up to the other four, Ananda saw just what was going on.
Domingo was sitting with his back against the building, snorting coke and pausing once in a while to rub his nose.
Joe had lit five joints. He kept one for himself, then gave one each to Stacy, Craig, Dalila, and Ananda.
Ananda took hers with trembling hands. She didn't want to do this, it would screw up her life in the biggest way... it would mean suspension, getting kicked off the golf team, the cheerleading squad, the play, class government... Brian and Kevin would send her back to Kentucky... Nick would break up with her... Ananda shook her head. "I can't..." she handed the joint back to Joe.
Joe frowned. "Whaddaya mean, you can't?"
"I just... I just can't."
"Awww, poor little baby's scared," Craig giggled.
"No I'm not," Ananda snapped.
"Whoa, she bites!" Joe cried, pretending to back away.
Ananda looked to Stacy for help, but she was just laughing along with all the others.
Joe held the joint back out to her. "Take it."
"Yeah, it's not as if it'll kill you," Dalila said, pulling at her blue hair and grinning.
Ananda wanted to sink into the ground.
"Would you hurry up?" Domingo yelled at her from his seat on the ground. "You're wasting everybody's time."
"Ananda Littrell!"
Everybody turned to the sharp voice that came from the opposite corner.
Ananda felt an overwhelming sense of relief when she saw Nick coming towards her.
