Chapter 8: Jason

Jason was Doogie’s best friend. He was only fourteen like Doogie but already stood 6’4. He did not look like a Freshman. Jason was smart enough not to stick around. As we stood outside the house where we had jumped the fence, the owner came out with her ear hugging her cell phone. She was describing us to someone on the phone either the cops or the school.

“One of them has a black shirt that says, “Shut up stupid!” on it. The other one is wearing a black hoody and a hat.”

We took off around the corner. I removed my jacket and hat and placed them in my back pack. Jason turned his shirt inside out so you could no longer see the writing.

I knew a spot in an alley behind a local hospital where we could hang out and smoke that was not far away so the two of us fled there. I had a little bit of weed left over but neither of us had gotten our share yet.

We had both thrown in the largest amounts of money on the sack and decided we would try and go back to Dougie's house to get the weed when the coast was clear.

We came the long way around to avoid the house where we jumped the fence.

When we got there, Dougie was still there but the rest of them had left. The security had agreed not to call the cops if the kids just returned to campus.

Dougie was allowed to stay home since technically it was his house, and he had an off grounds pass. The rest of our group went back to class with no questions asked.

The security was long gone by the time Jason, and I came back.

“What’s up with the weed?” Jason asked Dougie.

Dougie went over to the drawer we had stashed it in. He pulled it open slowly. He gave us a surprised look.

“The weed is gone!” Dougie shouted.

It only took a few seconds before we all came to the same conclusion on who the primary suspect was. It had to be Donkey.

“I was talking to the security out in front of the house as everyone was leaving, Donkey said he forgot his backpack and asked to go back in the garage. He must have taken the weed then.” Dougie theorized.

“He went back to school?” I asked Dougie.

“Ya I am pretty sure the security made sure they all went back to school. Hard to imagine he somehow escaped.” Dougie replied.

“We have to sneak back onto campus and somehow find Donkey and beat his ass and take back our weed.” I spoke.

Jason quickly agreed but Dougie declined.

“I am staying out of this one guys. You basically would need to sneak onto campus right as the bell rings for passing period. Then somehow find Donkey before he makes it into his next class and force him to give you the weed.” Dougie informed us.

“The next passing period is in 15 minutes. If only we knew what class, he was in.” Jason added.

“I have an idea,” I told them.

I got out my phone and text Taylor asking him if he knew what class Donkey had right then. Turns out they had home economics together.

“Booya motherfuckers!” I told Jason and Dougie as I revealed Taylor’s text message.

Jason and I left, Dougie wished us luck. As we walked towards the school Dougie called out,

“You guys will hook me up with my $50 sack still, right?”

Down the block Jason and I both quietly said, “Fuck no!”

We entered the school at an entrance further away to avoid running into the security guards who busted Dougie and the group. Luckily it was close to the Home Economics building.

Jason and I stood outside the classroom with two minutes to go. I spotted Donkey through the window and made eye contact. He saw me outside the class and became visually nervous.

“There goes the element of surprise!” I told Jason.

The school bell rang, and the classroom door opened. Students spilled out. Donkey attempted to hide himself in the middle of a big group. We quickly spotted him.

“There he is!” Jason shouted to me.

Taylor walked over to me and stood between myself and Donkey.

“What happened man? Did you guys get in trouble?” Taylor asked me.

“Move the fuck out of the way!” I shouted pushing Taylor over.

Donkey took the opportunity to make a mad dash down the hallway to get away from us. With all the students between us he got a good head start. He got close to the hallway corner. I knew if he turned the corner he would be out of sight, and we might lose him.

Suddenly out of nowhere the classroom door ahead of Donkey springs open. The door catches Donkey right in the face, and he falls over backwards onto his ass on the ground.

Students flood outside the door and no one notices Donkey in a daze.

Jason and I catch up to Donkey. We grab the backpack off him in one aggressive yank. I unzip the bag and spot the weed inside. I take off my backpack and open it. I quickly shuffle the weed from Donkey’s bag to mine attempting to avoid any unwanted eyes.

I hand Donkey’s bag to Jason. Jason throws it at Donkey on the floor. The teacher from Donkey’s previous class notices Donkey on the floor and walks over asking if he is OK. Jason and I casually walk away.

The closest gates to leave campus were covered by security. The only way out was to pretend we had P.E., walk towards the gym and then climb a fence near the football stadium.

We had to walk up the bleachers to reach the fence. Sometimes the gate at the bleachers was open. Today it was not. There was no security or supervision on this side of the campus so no one would see you if you climbed the fence.

Jason made it up and over the fence in two seconds. He is pretty tall and could reach the top of the fence with his arms from the ground. I climbed to the top but on the way down my backpack got caught on the fence.

As I fumbled with the straps on my backpack I grabbed onto the fence with one hand and my feet barely fitting in the holes in the fence. I was in no rush, and I did not want to rip my bag.

“Dude there’s Donkey!” Jason informed me.

Donkey and two security guards were crossing the football field in our direction towards the bleachers.

“Fuck!” I said seeing Donkey for myself.

I tried to loosen my bag from the fence with no success.

Donkey and the security reached the bottom of the bleachers. I could make out a shit eating grin on his face. They started to climb the bleachers.

I pulled on my bag hard. The strap ripped and I got loose from the fence. I made it to the ground. Jason and I ran like hell.

We managed to make it back to the alley behind the hospital. We both agreed we could not stay long in case Donkey had somehow told the security where we were.

“We can go to my house, but it is all the way in North Redondo. My mom will be at work until 7pm. My older sister might be there, but she doesn’t care if I ditch school. I have a scale at home, and we can split up the weed.” Jason told me.

I could not go back to school with all the weed, and I could not go home during school hours, or my parents might catch me ditching school. I agreed to follow him to his house. On the way there we took the long way to avoid major streets and police.

When we got to Jason’s house his mom was not home. Jason said he usually smoked outside in his backyard. Unfortunately, his neighbor who was also his landlord, was doing yard work in view of Jason’s smoking spot.

Jason had a garage, and we settled on smoking in there. There was an old couch surrounded by boxes and family junk inside.

“We could clean this up a bit, maybe find another couch or some chairs. Put a TV in the corner. This spot has a lot of potential.” I told Jason.

In the end we split the weed 50-50. There were a few nugs missing. I assume Donkey must have given them out or kept them in his pocket.

We started hanging out regularly at Jason’s house. We converted his garage full of old furniture into our smoking lounge.

We had a circle of chairs and couches. A round table in the middle. A large cabinet full of bongs against one wall. We also had a TV and PlayStation.

More often than not someone would be playing Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.

With the weed we took from the garage raid, Jason and I were able to start selling weed. Originally, we just split it and went our separate ways. Once we each sold our share, we reunited to see how the other had done.

We put our money together again to buy more. We did this a few more times before officially becoming business partners.

Jason and I ended up becoming good friends. At first, I wanted to think of myself as his mentor but really this was the most advanced fourteen-year-old you ever met. There are a few things I learned from him.

We actually made a pretty good team. Jason was good at bargaining for a good price. He just had a natural talent. Jason would straight up tell his weed dealer the price he wanted to pay and if he did not go along with it, he would get up and act like he was leaving. Somehow the dealer always gave in to his demands and gave him a price he wanted.

That is where I came in. I was good at smoothing things over after Jason had insulted them. I was good at making people feel like they got a good deal. I had the natural charismatic salesmen skills while Jason was the money man.

I would hang out with Jason in his garage as we both met with our customers from the different schools. Despite his age Jason knew a ton of people at our rival school Mira Costa who smoked weed.

One of his older sisters and his cousin Lil Ron attended school there and often invited Jason to parties.

Jason had two older sisters and a younger brother. They all had dark hair, pale skin and blue eyes. All Jason’s siblings were straight A students. Jason ended up in Independent Study not long after we met.

To say he was a model student would be a lie. Jason got expelled from our high school but not for selling drugs or even having drugs on him.

Jason was attempting to ditch class with a friend. His sister said they could try hiding in her car parked in the parking lot.

The security spotted them right away. The security made them empty their pockets and Jason’s friend had a knife on him. Just your typical Swiss army pocket knife. There was no malicious plans or intent. Some people just carry knives.

The school expelled them both for having a weapon on campus. Apparently, the parking lot counted as on campus.

Chapter 9: Lil Ron