Chapter 24: Chapter 24

: Blunt

→Narrator: Kam

"She'll be okay." Jemi assured me as I watched Asa walk away with Kosi and Amir.

I turned to him, he had this startling topaz eyes that makes you think of solid gold.

"What did that asshat say to get you so riled up?"

"Don't want to repeat it." I answered gruffly. "Don't even wanna think about it."

He nodded, seemingly understanding.

"Like, bro, we leave you for five minutes!" Jordan shouted at me. "Five fucking minutes and you're already going Jackie Chan on somebody's ass. What happened to good old I-believe-In-God Kam? Huh?!"

I rolled my eyes, wincing a bit at the pain in my gut where that lowlife bastard had landed a punch.

"Like I said before, I'm really sorry 'bout my cousin. Dude wasn't even supposed to turn up." Devontae said apologetically.

"It's okay, Devon." Jordan cooed at him, talking slowly like he was talking to a demented monkey. "It's not your fault you're related to a douchebag and no one's blaming you for your fucked up family."

Devontae's forehead wrinkled. "Wait, what?"

"We get you." Jordan continued. "It's not something you're proud of, right?"

"But I never said-"

"Oh, you didn't have to, I- ouch! What the fuck Dave!" He glared at Dave who just smacked him upside the head.

"Sorry." Dave shrugged, not looking apologetic. "Had to stop you from embarrassing yourself... And the rest of us. Now, c'mon, let's go find some booze."

"Booze!" Jordan cheered as they left.

I thought Dave was supposed to stop Jordan from getting wasted?

Devon smiled good naturedly at them, before turning to me. "Well, there's barbecue going on outside and some of my boys are smoking out."

"Oh, you smoke?" Jemi asked, perking up.

"Only the best weed in the country. Not to brag, but my dealer's the shit."

"Dude, link me up! I never say no to good weed."

"Well, prepare to have your mind blown away."

Jemi turned to me excitedly. "You comin'?" he asked, raising a concerned eyebrow.

"Yeah. Sure."

Outside was calmer, the cold and harsh harmattan air, stinging me.

"Yo, Zico!" Devon hailed, walking towards a group of boys, gathered in a circle, smoking joints.

One of the boys with long, cool dreads, tied back in a ponytail, looked up. "Devon! What's good?" He greeted Devon back in a series of handshakes and backpats.

"I'm about to hook these guys up with the dopest shit in the country. Roll me a couple for my niggas here."

I accepted the blunt Zico offered, deciding what the heck? Smoking wasn't really my thing, but I needed it tonight, to clear my head a bit.

I got it lighted, took a long drag and exhaled, tasting a hint of sweetness laced with the weed.

"I call this one Kandy Krush." Zico informed me. "Good stuff, right?"

I had to agree with him. Just a few drags and I felt virtually on cloud nine. I hadn't planned to get high or drunk at this party. Looks like we'd have to call an uber in the end if we all ended up wasted.

"God, this shit's fucking lit!" Jemi hooted, taking another drag and exhaling, white smoke, curling out of his mouth and nostrils. "Hook me up with your dealer!" He said to Devon.

Devon laughed, gesturing at Zico. "You lookin' at 'im."

We all laughed as Zico took a mock bow.

"You're the man, Zee!" Jemi hailed. He was on his third blunt already. I didn't even know how much of a smoker he was... Didn't even care. I felt so relieved now. The cold harmattan wind didn't bother me as much. Neither did the pain in my gut.

I needed a second hit.

"Hey, I been wantin' to talk to you." Devon told me as we both walked away from the small group of stoners.

"What?" I asked, wrinkling my forehead.

"One of your girls that caught my eye. Givin' you a heads up."

"Uh..." I blinked slowly, trying to grab what he was saying, my articulation and co-ordination, slow. "Which one?"

"That one. Queen."

"Queen?"

"Yea. The Instagram one, with the pretty face and bangin' body."

"Oh!" I said, realizing. "Kosi. Yeah. What do you want her for?"

He gave me an 'are you serious?' expression. But I just grinned lazily at him.

Shit, I'm fucked on this shit right now.

"She cool." He shrugged. "I'm just askin' if she taken by one of yous. I ain't tryna step on nobody's toes, you feel me?"

"Yeah. I feel you." I grew pensive, recalling Jemi and Kosi, kissing last night and probably going further behind closed doors. "I don't know, man." I told him truthfully. "I mean, she's supposed to be single but you should ask Jemi about her. They've got this big brother/ little sister shit going on and the 'go-ahead' is going to be more legit, coming from him."

"Oh." His eyes looked downcast. "Okay."

I watched as he jogged over to Jemi, who was laughing and talking loudly with the other guys, holding a blunt and a bottle of beer in his hand. Devon put an arm around his shoulders as they conversed in hushed tones.

After they had finished, Devon seemed pleased, jogging back into the house, Jemi, glancing worriedly at him.

"I'll be right back." Jemi hollered at me, before following behind Devon, moments later.

Shrugging, I settled into one of the lounge chairs, after grabbing a bottle of beer. I stared intensely at the cool water droplets on the bottle, thinking hard about Asa.

Thinking of Asa was my favourite thing to do. Because she was so complex and diverse, from her beautiful face to those wonderful lips of hers that was quickly becoming my favourite drug.

She was supposed to be with me tonight, in my arms. Talking, laughing. Kissing... But I just had to fuck up and pick a fight.

Not that I regretted hitting Teriq, though. That fucker deserved it. But it's how scared of me Asa got that made me upset. As if she thought I'd hit her. As if she was afraid of what I could do to her.

Didn't she know that I'll rather drown in an ocean than see her suffer? Didn't she know that I'd rather get lost in the universe than hurt her?

And that nightmare she had this morning only made matters worse. I should gave known picking a fight in front of her would trigger something in her, and I hated myself for being so fucking clueless. For not thinking things through. I wanted to go back in time and change everything... But I couldn't.

I sighed, guzzling down more beer, trying to imagine her beautiful face. Her beautiful body in that beautiful dress...

And then, without it.

No, Kam! Bad Kam! Think of dying puppies and motor accidents! Think of blood and war and gore but don't think of that!

But, of course, I failed miserably, paying my subconscious no heed.

Without that dress, Asa was a magnificent piece of art... Her body... God, her body.

Last night, when she had given herself to me and me to her, was the most perfect night in my entire life.

I couldn't forget her even if I tried. I couldn't forget what it felt like, holding her. Kissing her. The gliding of her smooth skin against mine as we gave each other what we both wanted. How she moaned softly when I hit that. The lights in her eyes, ocean in her hips as I delved deeper and deeper into her, getting lost in her vast depths.

Kam, she had cried out when she finally reached the point I was trying to get her to, her body, quaking, clinging desperately to me while I held her in my arms as we reached our climax together.

I felt myself tremble, the initial highness I got from the weed was fading now. I could say, right now, that I was high on Asa.

She wasn't my first, but I'd be damned as hell if I don't make her my last. My one.

Where have you been all my life?

"Hey! Kam, right?" A girl sidled up to me.

I looked up at her. She was pretty. Kind of familiar. "Hey."

"It's me. Amander."

Oh! The possessed creature.

"Uh... Hey, Amander."

What does she want?

"You wanna dance?" She tilted her head to the side, causing one of her long faux locs to bounce against her face, the left sleeve of her tiny spaghetti top, simultaneously falling off her shoulder.

"Uh... No." I told her truthfully.

"Oh! You just wanna sit and talk?" She cried, delighted, flopping down on the lounge chair beside me. "That's great!

"What? No, I-"

"Oh, that's okay, Kam. I know how shy your type usually are."

"My type?" I blinked, uncertainly.

Geez, I need to get my fucking shit together.

"I know, I know." She waved me off, nonchalantly. "But I'll let you in on a secret." She leaned in and I noticed how red her lips were... It seemed wrong. Asa's lips were a darker shade. So soft and plump and kissable.

Asa.

I should find her.

I stood up, "uh... Nice talking with you... Uh..." Shit! What's her name?

She narrowed her eyes at me, annoyed. "You don't even remember my name. I just told you two seconds ago."

"Got a lot on my mind."

I must have said something right, because her smile came up again. She rose from her seat, taking her bottom lip between her teeth, as her eyes roamed my chest. She stood close to me, almost purring. "I can ease it up for you, you know? Just tell me you want this hot chocolate."

Jesus Christ, what is wrong with this girl?

"Um..." I struggled out of her grasp.

"Kam!"

Oh, thank you, sweet baby Jesus. I turned around to the voice of my rescuer and frowned when I saw Amir, approaching me, mad worry in those grey eyes if his.

He wasn't with Asa.

"Dude," I pushed what's-her-face away and focused on Amir. "Where's Asa?"

"What? You mean she's not with you?" Amir froze, his eyes, going oh shit! at this blatant revelation.

"Of course she's not with me, I left her with you. Where is she?!"

"Dude, I dunno, we had an argument and she stormed off."

"Christ, are you fucking kidding me?! Couldn't you set aside your beef with her for just one fucking moment? All you had to do was take her home!"

Amir looked like he was about to die from worry, running his hand through his hair and exhaling a frustrated breath. "I fucked up. I know I fucked up!"

"I swear to God, if anything happens to my girl-"

Suddenly the back door bursted open and a girl with close cropped hair and frantic eyes ran up to me, tugging on my hand.

"Sahar, what's wrong?" My possessed companion asked. Her eyes were looking at the new girl with worry.

The new girl, Sahar, looked up at me. "Kam! You're Kam, right?" She rasped, panting. Out of breath.

"Yes?"

"Asa! In trouble! Bathroom. Upstairs."

All the blood in my body turned to ice.

Jesus fucking Christ.

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