graciously so

30 minutes earlier....

Shan had a plan. He didn't know it would involve Fish, but there Fish was on a walk toward the school. Even so, they were only a block away.

"Hey, you got some time to kill?" Shan readied his all time secret stash for a little smoke. He wanted to go it alone. No way could he smoke it with Henry. Lord knows, what mayhem it might involve. Henry did have the total weirdness going on, if ganja was involved. But Fish, where could he go with that limp and that angst he carried with him day in and day out? Not that they'd ever had a conversation about his little secret endeavor, but there was a first time for everything.

Before he knew it, they were somewhere in the woods close to Smoker's hill which wasn't that far from the school, and they were sharing something very homemade, that was definitely rewarding in Shan's book.

Except, there was possibly mud on his Army coat now. They'd laid in the fresh sprouts of green grass on the cold ground and looked up at the dead limbs as if they might be examining art.

"Fish, I'm beginning to think you're natural, at this." Shan spoke chocking slightly on the smoke as he savored every ounce of it.

Fish slightly chuckled, but he was being awful quiet.

It was true, Shan didn't really know anything about an accident.

 Shan was beginning to worry about Henry's foolishness. He could have pulled a stunt like that. But Henry didn't. Shan knew where Henry was. Still Shan noticed a change in Henry these last few weeks.

How in the hell, had it happened? Was it Shan's fault? Was Shan a bad influence? Even so, did Shan have the balls to handle it? Or did he just ignore it?

He'd cast off his stupor now as a very good casual sleep to get him through the day. He'd shake it off. He could be his other self around Fish. There was no judgement. Yet, it felt like a fine line. Friendship and lovers. Where did one end and the other begin?

"We're cool, right?" Shan lifted up on his elbows, looking to Fish for some solidarity.

Fish only nodded. He looked a little dreamy, staring up to the thick grayness of the day.

Shan wished they could do this every morning, but he would not let his weakness have its way. Besides. Cedric did have about all his weed now.