His name was Wallard, but he went by Blue. If you had called him Wallard, you would have ended up stuffed in a locker. Still, in what universe is someone named Wallard considered cool?

This one, apparently.

Blue was dating Olivia - the most incredibly interesting girl at our high school who also happened to be the most beautiful. And by association, Olivia was my friend. Had Blue not been my closest friend, Olivia would never have acknowledged me - I'm convinced of it.

We slid into a vacant chair around an old, wooden cafeteria table. I had pizza and salad. Blue had a Red Bull. Olivia's mom had packed her a sandwich with a side of crisps. Olivia leaned forward - she had dancing eyes, where specks of gold were almost swallowed by an emerald green. I've never seen eyes like hers, not then, or since, and I doubt I ever will. Olivia looked at me, her face lit up, and she smiled - the type of smile that reached her eyes.

"We're meeting at mine, right?" Olivia asked, reaching across the table and waving a hand in front of Blue, who was lost in one of his daydreams. "Earth to Blue."

There was a moment before Blue snapped back to earth. He nodded once. "Yeah. Whatever. Sounds good."

This is the moment time freezes and everything grinds to a halt. The school cafeteria transforms into a silent tableau, as if a spell has been cast. The clatter of trays abruptly ceases, and the harsh fluorescent lights overhead flicker, then dim. I rise from my seat, swift as a shadow, and gather Olivia into my arms. Her warmth against my chest, her heartbeat, is a lifeline. With determined steps, I race towards the exit, leaving the frozen scene behind. In this fleeting moment, a ray of hope pierces the darkness, and Olivia does not die.

******

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"You're going the wrong way," I point toward a street parallel to the train tracks. "She lives down that street."

He shifts gears in his dad's silver Astra. He drives a manual. I told you he was cool.

"Shut up, you rapidly growin' foot fungus. I know where I'm goin'," he says.

Blue revved the engine. The window is open just enough for the passing air to send his curly fringe cascading across his eyes, creating a mosaic of disarray. We swerved and almost hit the curb.

"Oi, dude," he says.

"Yes?" I clutch the 'oh shit' handle above my head. Blue drives like a maniac every time.

"I'm gettin' us some E," he says, shooting a quick grin my way.

"E?" I echo back. "And what hath the fifth letter of the alphabet to do with it, my friend?"

"What?"

I give him a one-sided shrug. "What is E?" I clarify.

"E. Molly. X. Adam. XTC. Could you be more of a fuckn' nerd? We're goin' to be chasin' colors tonight."

Blue's dad's car smelled like an odd mix of stale cigarettes and Italian salad dressing. "Ecstasy?" I waved his words off like they were a mosquito. "Where are you getting Ecstasy from?"

The car jolted, veering abruptly over the tracks. Blue turned left, accelerating toward Olivia's Street. "My brother," he states matter-of-factly, "knows a guy who knows a guy."

I raise an eyebrow.

Blue's hand grips the steering wheel tighter as he speaks. "And usually, I'd snag it from Sean," he says, glancing at me. "You know Sean from school? That haffalunp in ninth grade with the mullet? But he's a bit of a pussy, and I ain't too keen on chattin' with him right now."

Our conversation hangs in the air, broken only by the rumble of the car's engine.

We pull up at Olivia's house, and Blue, wearing a smug grin, leans on the horn, the sound resonating through the otherwise serene neighborhood of Chicago.

"An' listen," Blue starts, his hands dropping to his sides, determination etches across his face. "When we pitch the damn tent, which, by the way, you're doin' 'cause I'd probably kick a fuckin' asshole through it like last time," he grumbles, "you're takin' a walk. Let me and Olivia have some sexy time."

My throat tightens, the mere thought of Blue and Olivia together sends a pang of envy through my chest, as it always does. Flashbacks of a stolen moment with her naked body in my arms one night last summer plays in my mind like a movie I can't turn off. I shift uncomfortably in my car seat. "Sure thing."