Its not that simple, p.5
It's Not That Simple, page 5
“How could you possibly know all that?” I ask, a little bewildered.
“I’ve been talking to you for weeks, and I have excellent deduction skills,” Bellamy shrugs and I can’t help but laugh quietly at his nonchalance.
“Okay. Well, to answer your question? I don’t know. I’ve considered so many avenues, but right now? I have no idea which path I’ll take. My future is only mapped out as far as graduation,” I admit and his surprise is palpable.
“You haven’t applied to colleges?” He asks, turning and continuing to wander down the street.
“No. I could. I’ve even filled out applications and written essays. But I’m not sending any. I’m taking a gap year. My mom did it before she got her degree, and it worked for her. I’ve thought about a general studies year, but that just seems like a waste of money.” I shrug. I’ve been urged to go straight into college after graduation by every educator I’ve had for the last four years. But I have no idea what I want out of life yet.
Lennox already has early acceptance to three schools and has applied to dozens more. She wants to teach, and I don’t doubt she’ll excel at it. Jo’s applied too, with the end goal of being a therapist of some sort. But I’m not sure where either of them hopes to go. I do know that it will be the first time in our lives that we won’t live together.
“Where’d you go?” Bellamy’s voice interrupts the thought pulling my attention back to him.
“Just thinking about next year,” I tell him. “It will be the first time the three of us girls will be separated.” The words come out in a sort of laugh.
I watch the side of his face as he processes that information until he nods. My phone vibrates in my back pocket and I stop to check it.
Cody: I need to take the girls home before Jo gets in a fight.
I shake my head as another comes in. My hotheaded sister needs to take a breath.
Cody: I can come back and get you if you need me to. After I drop them off.
“Did you drive?” I ask Bellamy and his brow furrows a little before he nods. “Can you take me home at some point? That way Cody doesn’t have to come back to get me.”
“Come back?” his frown deepens.
“Yeah, he had to remove Jo and Nox from some situation at the party. And we all came in one vehicle.”
“Is everyone okay?”
I nod, assuming. “I think so. They would have mentioned something if there was an urgent problem.”
“Okay,” he says, still sounding unsure. “I can take you home whenever you need, Ace.”
Sometime after Cody’s message, we return to Bellamy’s car. When he pulls up outside my house, I hesitate to get out. My hand in his feels safe and I can practically taste the tension threatening to burst the walls of the old farmhouse. I don’t know what happened tonight, but I can see that Jo’s light is on, and I can feel her frustration. Call it a twin thing, or whatever. But she’s definitely not happy right now. “You okay?” He asks my profile, as I stare out the windshield.
“I’m good,” I turn to him and smile. “Thanks for the walk, and the ride home,” I say
“Of course,” he checks his phone when the screen lights up. I watch his jaw tick before he returns his attention to me. “I’ll be up for a while still if you end up not sleeping and want to talk. Or whatever.”
Does he want me to call him? Does he want an invite inside? Is he concerned that I’m going to need support for whatever is going on in there? Or is he kicking me out of the car? “Okay,” I settle for, dismissing the questions flooding my thoughts. I move to get out of the vehicle but his fingers tightening around mine, instead of letting go, halts me.
Bringing my hand to his face, I watch him press his lips to the palm of my hand. My breath catches at the sensation before he releases me. “Goodnight Ace. Don’t change,” he says with a sincere smile and when I narrow my eyes he nods toward the house. “They’re in the window, waiting for you to get out of the car.” My head turns away from him, and sure enough, Jo is standing at her window, arms crossed over her chest and Cody stands behind her.
A sigh escapes me as my eyes roll. “Goodnight Bellamy. See you.”
I don’t even make it to my bedroom before a hand wraps around my arm and hauls me down the hall toward the other two girls’ rooms. “What?” I whisper yell, glaring at my sister.
“What’s going on with you and Jack, sister?” Jo asks, with an accusing eyebrow raised.
“Nothing. We’re good friends, I guess. We talked a bunch and then he drove me home,” I shrug and her other eyebrow joins its mate. “And he has a name, that’s not Jack.”
“You left in the middle of the party to talk to him? For three hours?” Her tone is incredulous. When I nod, she scoffs. “Come on, there must be something happening there.”
“Nope,” I skirt the truth. Nothing has happened between us. I know that I like the way his touch and attention feel. I can still feel his lips pressed to my hand and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to feel them in other places too. But as much as he’s something I desperately wish to explore, I have no idea what that looks like. “But you can tell me about what the hell got you dragged out of the party?” I turn the tables and Cody chuckles from where he sits on her bed. “You’re no better. No information? Just we’re leaving to prevent a physical altercation? What is that?”
“Okay,” he raises his hands in surrender. “I didn’t want to bother you or interrupt whatever you were doing. I sent the details you needed at that moment. But now that you’re home? She can tell you. Because if I have to recount it, I’ll end up waking Gram.” His voice grates more with each word he speaks.
“There isn’t a lot to tell. Malcolm and Melissa were being assholes to Nox. And then to Cody, when he went to remove her from their line of fire. And I wanted nothing more than to break a bitch’s face,” she shrugs at my wide eyes.
“Oh, that’s all?” I reach up to tighten my bun, not sure what else to do with my hands.
“Yeah. But nothing happened and eventually, we left. So there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Okay,” I say, even though I know there is more to it than that because I can feel fury rolling off of her. Backing out of her room slowly, I hope she’ll let me make it to my room this time. “Well, if that’s it? I’m going to go try to get some sleep.”
Neither of them says anything as I back out of the room and when I check Lennox’s door, it’s ajar but the lights are off. Closing myself in my room, I press my back to the door. Something in me wants to call him, but the rest just wants to curl up and sleep.
“This feels like a terrible idea,” I mutter, trailing behind Daniel and his crew. Jerome keeps pace beside me and shakes his head.
“It’s always a bad idea,” he returns, shifting the messenger bag slung across his chest.
“Then why?” I find myself asking and he just shrugs in response. Rounding a corner, dozens of cars come into view. He stops next to the lowered tailgate of the truck closest to the mouth of the clearing, placing his bag on it before hopping up and settling with his legs hanging over the edge. I watch, curiously, as he pulls a laptop out. He watches the lit screen, features blank, for a moment before his fingers fly across the trackpad and keyboard.
“New kid,” someone calls from nearby and my brow furrows, seeking the voice. A girl, with long, multicoloured hair and tanned skin sidles up, nudging me with her shoulder. “Playing the game tonight, or sidelining to see how it’s played?” she asks her southern drawl blending with a Spanish lilt.
“Honestly? I’m not even fully sure what the game is?” I tell her honestly and her laugh echoes in response. It’s true, despite appearances. I’ve spent a lot of time with them all, since September, but I’ve never been privy to their inner workings. I’m not stupid, I know that they’re dealing drugs. What other reason would they have for the number of stops they make, on any given afternoon, before they make it to their destination? But they’re all just barely eighteen, how deep could they possibly be? “What?” I have to ask, in response to her laughter.
“Boy, you’re in for a ride,” she shakes her head, brows raised, as she looks me over. “Didn’t think you looked the part anyway, but I’ve been wrong before.” I open my mouth to ask questions, but she bounces off, arms thrown in the air and hollers, “Party’s here!” as she blends into the crowd gathered around a large fire.
White blonde hair, peeking out of a black beanie catches my attention. “Pete!” I call and he stops. His hesitancy to turn around is evident in the way he rocks on his heels before shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and facing me.
“What?” he barks.
“Why am I here?” I inquire. I mean, sure, we’re at a party. But I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a group of people stalk into a party, quite like this. They look all business. While I’m not blind and know how this particular batch of friends passes their time, tonight feels different and I’m not sure what to make of it.
“Find Daniel,” he replies before wandering into the crowd.
Throwing my hands out, I turn back to Jerome and wait for him to look up at me. When his copper eyes meet mine, he sighs and tips his head toward the spot beside him on the tailgate. “Since no one else is gonna tell you, they’re here to run.” I feel my eyes widen, though I’m not completely surprised. But there’s no way I’m doing that with them. He notes the look on my face before chuckling and shaking his head. “You and I aren’t here for that part, technically. I’m just the numbers man. Inventory and profit. I track regulars and stats. You though? I’m not sure what your purpose here is yet. I’m sure we’ll find out sooner than later. But in the meantime, you can chill here, or you can go try to make some more friends. That’s your call.”
“What do they sell?” I ask, not even sure I want to know. In the couple of months that I’ve known this crew, I’ve only spent time at the lunch table, riding around in Daniel’s car, or at the clubhouse. Sure, I’ve noticed that Daniel and Pete, in particular, have been sporting bruises and cuts on their faces more and more frequently. But fighting just seems to be their game. I mean, they go toe to toe on weekends with each other at the house. So black eyes never seemed that far-fetched. But maybe there is a lot more behind them than I had anticipated.
“Little of this, little of that?” He points to his screen, trailing a finger down a column titled inventory. “It depends on the crowd. Field parties are usually MJ and pills. House parties keep the pills but lean more toward blow. And you’ve been along for the ride during deliveries.” I nod, glancing around to see if anyone may be listening. “Well, we have some people that prefer to consume their stash solo. All kinds of kinds, desperately searching for something to help them in one way or another. We’re all over the Gulf Coast, but parties are kinda the bread and butter. Parties and housewives, according to the numbers.”
I wander off at some point, only to return to Jerome at the truck, water bottles in hand for each of us. “Thanks, man,” he nods, accepting the one I offer him.
“Need ten sloths and as many jawbreakers as you can give me, Jer,” Meg purrs, walking up.
“Girl, you ain't even got pockets,” he shakes his head.
“Damn right I do, baby,” she frowns, pulling her leg up on the tailgate between us. “See, pockets!” she points to the cargo pocket on her thigh, victoriously.
Jerome sighs deeply and reaches into his bag. “Your ten,” he says, dropping a handful of joints into her palm. He fishes again while she pockets them and hikes the other leg up. “And I can only give you two decks, but you know you make more when you go piecemeal.” His eyebrows rise, waiting for a response until she rolls her eyes and nods. Only then does he hand over two baggies of pills. “And I want names this time, Meggie.” He grins at her and she practically snarls.
“Don’t call me that, or I might have to tell Auntie where you spend your nights,” she threatens and he chuckles.
“Nah, you won’t. Cause then you’d have to tell her you’ve been with me. And baby, you know Auntie would tell Tita.” Her eyes widen before she scoffs.
“Whatever,” she bites before sauntering off again. Jerome laughs again before resuming his typing.
A chorus of shouting grabs our attention about an hour later and Jerome hums beside me, tucking his computer into his bag, hastily. “I've got a feeling that’s all you, friend,” he says, pointing in the direction the sound came from.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I ask, hopping down after him and following him around the clearing. Several voices get louder as we approach. I recognize Pete and Greg, as they try to haul two guys apart. Looking at Jerome, he shrugs and nods toward them, urging me forward. I’m not sure what the hell I’m supposed to do. I've never been one to fight off the ice.
“Hey!” I call over the tussle and a dozen eyes dart to mine. “What the fuck is going on?” The silence that meets me draws a sigh from my chest as I step forward. “I don’t know, nor do I care what happened, but it’s done.” While most of them stare at me, one of the unfamiliar faces takes advantage, landing a sucker punch to Daniel’s jaw and I leap toward them. My friend lands on the ground, knocked back by the force of the unforeseen blow and the stranger raises a foot.
Dropping my hand to his shoulder, I clear my throat. “You and I both know you shouldn't do that. These guys are the supply and all those people are the demand. Supply and demand joining forces against interference, definitely out-numbers you ten to one,” I practically growl, feeling him tense under my hand with each word. “Now take a walk,” I suggest, leaving little room for argument. His jaw works as he rolls his shoulder out of my grip.
“This isn’t over Monroe,” he points a meaty finger to where Daniel sits on the ground.
“Yeah, man. It is. It’s done,” I correct and he scoffs, walking away.
As soon as he’s out of earshot, Jerome leans toward me. “Told ya this was all you,” he tips his head, the gesture emphasizing his words. “I had no clue what the hell he was rambling on about, bringing you in for crowd control. I mean, you’re a nice enough guy, but you don’t exactly scream threat in any sorta way, you know? I get it now though, welcome to the crew, Wordsmith.”
I wake to my phone ringing, the bright sun streaming through my windows. It’s too early. “Hey, Dad,” I mumble, accepting the call.
“Hey, kid. Did I wake you?” he asks, incredulous.
“You did. But it’s all good. I should be up anyway.”
“What happened to the dawn riser? It’s after ten, Bell,” he points out and I drag a palm down my face.
“Late night. No early practice means more social life,” I try and I can practically hear him shake his head.
“Please tell me these late nights are only weekends and approved by your mother?”
“Yeah, she knows where I am. I answer my phone and I’ve yet to shirk any responsibilities. Feel better?”
“Not really, but that’s not why I called. We miss you up here, kid. When are you coming home to visit?” His voice lilts with hope and I’m grateful he can’t see my grimace.
“Maybe over Christmas?” I offer, unsure. “But you could always come here.” I probably should have cleared it with Mom, before extending an invite. But spending the holidays with Dad, Kevin, and Mom would be nice.
“I’ll talk to Kevin and call your mom next week about it. But your grandmother has never really been a fan of my lifestyle,” I know his eyes widen and his head wags with the way he says that word. I can't help but laugh at the image of him that my mind conjures as he speaks.
“Alright. We can make a plan, whether I travel or you do. But mom needs me to run errands, so I’m gonna have to let you go.” I hate that our conversation is so short. “Next weekend, I’ll set aside time for a full update, okay?”
“Sure, Bell. Keep your nose clean though. We both know how your mom worries, even though she’d never actually tell you that she’s in a frenzy.”
“Okay. Tell Kevin I said hi. And I’ll text you this week.”
“Alright. Love you,” he says, as always. The man doesn’t believe in ending a conversation without making sure I know.
“Love you too. Talk soon.” Ending the call, I sit up and thumb through the rest of my notifications before dropping the device on my bed and heading for the shower.
