AN: You guys hit the bonuty so here’s your bonus chapter.
Thanks for all the recent support and love on the novel!
In the time it took for me to walk home, I managed to mostly cool off from my interaction with Kat, but I was much closer to the edge than I had been before, and I would need to find some real way to blow off some steam, sooner rather than later.
Walking through the front door, I started to take off my shoes when someone called out to me from the kitchen, “Adrian, is that you?”
“Yeah, you need something, Mom?” I called back as I walked into the kitchen, only to pause when I saw that she was clearly dressed for a night out, “What’s the dress for?”
She smiled but I could see the stress behind her eyes, “I’m going out…on a date tonight.”
I paused for a second before nodding, “Alright, have fun.
Be safe.”
My acceptance seemed to do a great deal to soothe my mother’s anxiety as she walked over and pulled me into a hug, “I will… also, you have the house to yourself tonight.
Rue is staying over at Jules and Gia is sleeping over at a friend’s.”
“Sounds good, I’ll see you tomorrow then,” I muttered as my mom stepped back and gave me one last smile before heading towards the door.
I waited for a heartbeat before reaching into my pocket and pulling out my phone, sending a quick message before I heard the front door close and lock behind my mom.
‘Looks like it’s time to get to work.’
Closing my bedroom door, I made sure to lock it even though no one else was home before making my way over to my closet.
It usually was filled with years of accumulated junk and old clothes I was too lazy to clear.
But just yesterday I had gone through and cleared everything out, giving me a decent amount of space to work with.
Grabbing the boxes I had stuffed between the wall and my bed, I went through and opened them all.
In total, the boxes contained four five-gallon buckets, a roll of reflective insulation, an overhead grow light, four large net pots, a digital thermometer and humidity reader, liquid plant fertilizer, a pH test set and amendments, an EC probe, an air pump with tubing, a block of coconut coir, and a set of four air stones.
It was the bare essentials I needed to turn my closet into a grow space, in hopes of turning my nearly $800 investment into something profitable.
The final step in preparation was going into the garage to get my dad’s tools.
It took me longer than I liked to admit, as for a long moment I just stared at the toolbox before silently picking it up and leaving the garage to collect more dust.
Back in my room, I went to work, first measuring the walls and cutting the insulation to match.
Once I had all the cuttings made, I went about installing them as simply as possible, using nails to pin them against the studs and then duct tape to seal the seams.
Halfway through, I had to turn off the overhead light as it was reflecting off the paneling and fucking with my ability to see.
‘I’ll need to make sure I seal the gaps around the door after I put in the grow light so it doesn’t look like an alien abduction is going on at night.’
My next step took me into the kitchen with my four buckets, the coconut coir and net pots, as I grabbed a knife and a Sharpie.
The first thing I did was fill the sink with water and set the coir in to soak up and expand from its dehydrated state, since it was shipped pressed into bricks.
Afterward, I turned the stove to low and set the blade in the flames to heat it while I traced the outline of the net pot on all four lids.
Using the heated tip, I cut/melted through the plastic lids, carving out a hole large enough for the net pots to rest in.
Though I did have to reheat the knife several times to get through all four lids and open up all the windows in the kitchen to avoid gassing myself with the most likely toxic fumes.
Once all the buckets were prepared, I went about the messy job of breaking apart the now thoroughly soaked coir blocks and filling the netting pots with them.
‘And that was the hard part down.’
I started ferrying the buckets back to my room, but on the way back from my first trip, my phone buzzed, and I checked to see that my earlier message had finally been replied to.
[Adrian: I’ve got the house to myself tonight…you free?]
[BB: Sorry for taking so long; I was out with friends]
[BB: Yeah I’m free]
[BB: What time should I come over?
[Adrian: Any time after eight]
[BB: Sounds good.
I’ll be there soon]
“Yo, can one of you guys drive me home soon?”
BB’s announcement drew the room’s attention as Kat, Cassie and Maddy turned to look at her with questioning looks,”You need to go home already?
Did something happen?”
BB grinned at Cassie, “Yeah, Adrian fucking Bennet just hit me up asking me to come over.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Maddy muttered as she put a hand on her hip, “Please don’t tell me you’re actually thinking of going over to his house.”
“Ummm, why the fuck not?” BB scoffed.
Maddy rolled her eyes, “Because he’s a fucking asshole.”
“So what?
Half the guys in our school are assholes, this one just happens to have a massive dick and knows how to use it,” BB shrugged off Maddy’s concern, “Besides, it’s not like I’m trying to date the guy.
We’re just fucking.”
“Are you sure that’s all he wants?” Kat muttered, “What if he has bad intentions?”
“Like what Kat?
I’m already letting him fuck, what else could he possibly want from me?” BB asked, giving Kat a deadpan stare.
“I get it, but I just don’t see why you would be upset,” BB said defensively, “Like, I get why Maddy doesn’t like the guy.
I would be pissed too if someone left me in a pool and then beat up my abusive ex in front of everyone.”
“Watch it, bitch,” Maddy said warningly, though her voice didn’t have any true hostility.
BB paused a second before continuing to address Kat, “But what did Adrian ever do to you that you’re so fucking anxious about me going over to his house?”
“I-I don’t know if I should say,” Kat said quietly and drew a round of concerned looks.
“Did something happen Kat?” Cassie asked softly as she reached out and put a supportive arm on Kat’s shoulder.
Looking around at her friends Kat cracked under the pressure, “I-it’s nothing that serious; it’s just that earlier today I-I ran into him at Milk and…he made a pass at me.”
Maddy’s concern was replaced by an apathetic look, “Oh my god, Kat, that’s it; you had me thinking he tried to rape you or something.”
“W-well it was terrifying for me; he got all close, and he had this really intense energy about him-” Kat started to explain only for BB to interrupt her with a bark of laughter.
“Kat, you realize that he was trying to fuck, right?”
The top of Kat’s ears turned red, “I-I mean he made it pretty clear, but people don’t just go up and ask people on the street if they want to fuck.”
“They do if they’re confident enough,” BB corrected, “I’m just surprised that Adrian was interested in you…didn’t strike me as the type of person who was into bigger girls.”
Kat’s brow twitched as BB’s words stung a little, “W-well, he actually told me to call him if I needed proof that not all guys like girls who are all stick and bones.”
“Wait, he said that to you?” Cassie asked, as her mouth dropped in shock.
“Yeah,” Kat said with a hint of confidence, “Right after he asked for my number.”
BB scoffed, “Damn Kat, all that and you still didn’t let him hit?
My panties would have been on the floor in a heartbeat if he did all of that to me.”
“You’re not mad he tried to hook up with me?” Kat asked, confused.
“Fuck no, like I said, we’re just fucking, I don’t give a shit who he fucks as long as it isn’t so nasty, rank bitch,” BB answered with a shrug of her shoulders, “Now will you please drive me home so I can get ready to have my back blown out.”
“Really, BB?” Maddy asked with a judgemental look, “You know you don’t have to be so crass all the fucking time.”
Maddy’s words were like a whip as she glared at BB, who shrank back, “Alright…sorry.
Didn’t know that it was such an issue.”
The room was silent for a second before Kat shifted slowly, standing up,” I can take you, BB.”
“Thanks,” BB said softly and the two of them quickly left Cassie’s room, leaving her and Maddy alone.
“Maddy…is everything alright?” Cassie asked gingerly like she was approaching a wild animal ready to snap and bite at anything that came within reach.
“I’m fine,” Maddy snapped as she stood up, “I’ll see you later, Cassie, I’ve got to get going.”
“A-alright,” Cassie replied, her tone still worried as she watched Maddy storm out of her room, “Be safe.’