Have you supported my book? You can do it again. Things are about to get spicy
JEROMEStacy’s message buzzed my phone. The sound was short but loud enough that it got my attention, vibrating the desk on which I had dropped it. It was back in the room while I was on the balcony, staring at the darkening blue-black clouds.I don’t know who I was expecting it to be. Maybe Nattie, maybe Kingston. They were after all the last people I had spoken to before I got home and met Stacy and Lisa lounged on my couch, snacking on popcorn and watching a reality show. I also thought it could be someone from school, someone from the movie makers and because of all these maybes, I had forced myself to get up and check who was texting me at ten pm in the night.It wasn’t anyone of them, to my disappointment and also to my relief. It was Stacy. The last time Stacy and I texted…I couldn’t even remember the last time that happened.I found myself standing in the middle of my room, a soft breeze pushing in from the balcony doors, a light switch illuminating me and the rest of the room,
STACY“I hate it,” I was telling Lisa.“I think it’s cute. It’s this little pixie bob look and I think she’s pulling it off well,” Lisa was not on board with me.“She was better with long hair.” I draped my hands over my chest and read the writings on the material.One word. One word I wished that I could be for real and for one person. It seemed that no matter what I did, we always ended up back where we started, fighting in that kitchen.TEMPTRESS was written with little glittering stones, bright pink, a shade more bubbly than the rest of the crop top.It was a cute small top and because of how small it was, it made my boobs look at least two times bigger. I loved it already and I was glad that I had gotten it from the walk in store when Karen dragged our asses to shop with her.She was going to get new clothes for the party and for a small class presentation that she had. we all ended up getting at least one thing, me, Lisa, and Karen. This little crop top had been my pick.Tonight,
STACYWe got a cab to campus, then we walked to the dorm, hoping we could kill as much time as possible. Parties like this didn’t start until it was late late and here we were, ready by Seven Pm.Lisa was scrolling through her phone while her speaker blasted the type of songs party animals our age listened to. Songs that spoke about drugs, sex, love, life. A little bit of everything, good and bad with the rock band going crazy and the instrumentals weaving sounds that moved our heads.We stopped outside campus and nestled on the bench we had been on yesterday evening when I waited for her and Bridget.Lisa crossed her legs while I clamped mine shut. Since night was approaching, it was getting breezy and chilly outside. I however wasn’t going to regret my choice of clothes because I knew that in a few hours time, when we will be in the cramped up space, drinking booze and dancing, I would probably be dripping with sweat. This outfit was perfect.“Bridget has a boyfriend.” Lisa said.It
JEROMEThings weren’t always this complex. I tried to think beautiful thoughts. I stood in the driver way, staring at the one thing I shouldn’t be looking at in the state I was in, my bike.I tried to remember something, anything that didn’t make my heart feel like it was closing in on me.I wished that was an exaggeration. I really wished.I wanted to smash my head against the wall, or against the engine. I wanted to kick things until my legs crammed up and felt sore, until my toes broke and smashed behind my shoe. In simpler teens, I wanted to hurt myself.I tried to think of happy thoughts again? Things that didn’t make me crave silence the way I did; it wasn’t death I was craving exactly, it was peace, silence, an emptiness that felt right, that should feel right.Every attempt was sending me back to when Marilyn was still alive. Then, I was still innocent, abstained with guilt, abstained with fear and all the ugly emotions that clawed me when I woke up to her death. I was a dreame
STACY “Me being in UCLA is what I’ll call a miracle. It was never meant to be.” “For real?” “Yeah.” I draped my hand on the seat and sipped from my cup. I said I was going to get drunk today and I was still on my second cup of alcohol. Typical Stacy character. Say One thing and chicken out of it a few moments later. “So what changed?” Max asked. “I didn’t even want to send an application to UCLA, it was Lisa who had pushed for it. She has a brother here so it has always been her dream to be at UCLA. It wasn’t my dream.” “So you’re leaving her dream?” I didn’t like how that sounded but I was glad that the red and blue dim lights hid my frown. Max didn’t have to say I was living her dream. Maybe, I wouldn’t have minded if he did but I had just spoken to my Mum yesterday and this was the kind of things she said. It made me uncomfortable, made me feel like Mum was right. “Yeah, I guess.” I sighed and sipped my drink. Max got up. He was a shinning beacon in the night, wearing a w
JEROME Things weren’t always this complex. I tried to think beautiful thoughts. I stood in the driveway, staring at the one thing I shouldn’t be looking at in the state I was in, my bike, as I tried to remember something, anything that didn’t make my heart feel like it was closing in on me. I wished that was an exaggeration. I really wished. I wanted to smash my head against the wall, or against the engine. I wanted to kick things until my legs crammed up and felt sore, until my toes broke apart and smashed behind my shoe. In simpler terms, I wanted to hurt myself. I tried to think of happy thoughts again, things that didn’t make me crave silence the way I did. It wasn’t death I was craving exactly, it was peace, stillness, an emptiness that felt right, that should feel right. Every attempt was sending me back to when Marilyn was still alive. Then, I was still innocent, unstained with guilt, unstained with fear and all the ugly emotions that clawed me when I woke up to her death.
STACYMonday felt weird just like Sunday felt weird. I’m glad Sunday existed because Monday would have felt even weirder. I think it was time for to come to the conclusion that getting revenge on someone by gulping alcoholic drinks was not among my favorite things to do, not even my least favorites.When I woke up on Sunday, Lisa wasn’t in the room. It was just me and my churning stomach, my limbs that felt like lead and a deafening headache that wanted to have my head on a platter.Thankfully, Lisa got back to the room a few minutes later with two bags of lunch and asked me if I was hungry. I had never wanted to kiss somebody so bad, not even Jerome.Of course, I was hungry. Lisa had asked me how I was feeling, the answer was sore and she smiled in understanding before she passed me my plate of stir fry noodles with veggies and eggs.The first spoon had tasted like filth even though it looked amazing and I just knew it was the after-effect of the alcohol still kicking my ass. I had to
JEROMEI picked up the pack of Top Ramen and checked it out. I was unsure if it was something Nattie would like. She had called me and asked me to grab some cooking items for her at the mall.When I got the call, I was unsure if it was something I was willing to do. Minus the fact that it was weird for her to call me at early hours of the day to ask me to shop for her and bring to her house, I was also not looking forward to leaving my bed for the whole day.For the whole weekend, I had stayed indoors, rotting and feeling even more sorry for my present life. The only productive thing I had done was get my laptop and make corrections to my script, have a video call with Mum and Dad so they believed I was okay and called Dylan too to talk about random stuff like what car his professor brought to school last week.But now that I’m thinking about it, the talk with Dylan wasn’t something I should call ‘productive.’ it had been more of a therapeutic moment for me, really.Back to Nattie and
STACY The contractions started to roll in by noon. One after another, getting stronger with time. The day had finally arrived, a day I had both anticipated and dreaded. Labor. As I sat on the edge of the bed, a wave of excitement surged through me, mingled with a healthy dose of apprehension. It was surreal to think that soon I would hold my baby girl in my arms. She would be ours, a tangible result of the love Jerome and I had nurtured over the years. I had taken classes about this and I didn’t want to worry my husband for nothing, but when it got stronger and harder to ignore, I called for him. “Jerome!” He came rushing into the room, his hair tousled and his face slightly flushed. He must have been napping, and the worried look on his face made my heart race. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” “I think it’s time,” I said, a nervous smile breaking through. His eyes widened as he processed my words. “Really? Like, right now?” He sounded both ecstatic and terrified. “Yeah,
JEROMETwo years later. Dark lashes fanned against her skin, the sun was soft against her flesh, her body slowly moving upward and downward, her breathing muffled on her pillow. That was the sight I had woken up to. I was the luckiest person on earth right now. I stayed perched on the edge of the bed, watching as the soft morning light took away sleep from my eyes. The sight before me was captivating: Stacy, my beautiful Stacy, lost in a peaceful slumber, her dark hair fanned out across the pillow like a halo. I couldn’t help but smile as I took in the serenity of the moment. We had come a long way since that first date, a day marked by confusion, heartache, and a beautiful, unguarded honesty that had laid the foundation for everything that followed. The journey hadn’t always been easy; there were still challenges to face and moments of vulnerability that left us both shaken. But together, we had built something extraordinary—a life filled with love, laughter, and mutual support.
STACY I still couldn’t believe I had agreed to this. A joint date with Lisa? Lisa and Kiera. The thought swirled in my mind as I stood in front of my mirror, staring at my reflection. My fingers traced the hem of the dress I had picked out—simple, yet flattering enough for what felt like one of the strangest nights of my life. Lisa had convinced me, somehow, to go along with this. I wasn’t even sure how it all happened. One minute, we were awkwardly avoiding each other, and the next, we were laughing about how ridiculous it was that we were going on this double date. I heard a knock on the door and glanced at my phone—Lisa, of course, right on time. “Come in!” I called, still fussing with my hair. The door swung open, and Lisa waltzed in, her usual confidence trailing behind her. “Are you *still* getting ready?” she teased, flopping onto my bed. “You’re not gonna outshine me, no matter how hard you try.” I rolled my eyes, turning to face her. “It’s called looking presenta
STACY I woke up slowly, the warmth of the blankets making it hard to tell where the bed ended and my body began. The sunlight trickled in through the thin curtains, casting soft streaks of light across the room. For a moment, everything felt serene, like I could stay in this cocoon of warmth and silence forever. Then I realized Jerome wasn’t next to me. I rolled over, blinking sleep from my eyes, and saw the space where he should have been. The sheets were crumpled on his side, still warm. I heard the faint sound of water running and figured he must be in the shower. I lay there for a minute, listening to the sound of the water and feeling a strange sense of distance. It was odd, waking up without him beside me. We’d spent the night together, but it hadn’t felt as close as it usually did. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and padded across the cool floor, feeling the chill against my bare feet. The bathroom door was slightly ajar, letting out a cloud of steam. I peeked ins
JEROME Shooting that day had been intense. We were working on one of the final scenes, the kind that was supposed to be raw and emotional, but instead of saving it for later in the production schedule, the producers wanted to get it done early for promotional material. It was all part of the business. We had to sell the movie, and nothing sold better than a sneak peek of a climactic moment. The set was buzzing with activity. Lights were being adjusted, makeup artists hovered nearby, and the crew moved around, setting up equipment and whispering about the next shot. I felt the pressure building, but I was used to it by now. This wasn’t my first film, and it definitely wouldn’t be my last. Chase called for a break, and I seized the opportunity to step away for a bit. I’d been on set all day, and I needed a breather before getting back into the set. Besides, I had something else on my mind. I was supposed to meet up with Stacy after we wrapped up for the day. We had plans to see my
STACY Lisa had been gushing for weeks about how she was excited to introduce Jerome to Kiera. The way she talked about Kiera, with that glimmer in her eyes, made it impossible not to be happy for her. Everything was going to go fine today, I could already sense it. I was on shift that afternoon, taking orders and serving trays like usual. The restaurant wasn’t too packed, which gave me time to glance around and keep an eye on the door. Part of me was hoping they’d pick another spot, or maybe decide at the last minute that a fancy café was better suited for a first meeting like this. But, of course, that wasn’t Lisa’s style. She loved the casual vibe of Burger Trio, and it was one of the few places where she and Jerome could relax. The good thing was I missed my friends and wanted to see them, the bad thing was I missed my friends and wanted to see them. They made working hard and pleasurable. I was behind the counter when I saw them enter. Lisa was all energy, waving at m
JEROME Stacy had been extra busy this period because she signed up for a few part-time jobs. I hated how busy she got most of the time but I was also glad for her that she was taking a responsible step towards her finances. That evening, after a game of snooker, I slipped into Burger’s Trio in hopes that I was early enough for her shift. Stacy had been extra busy this period because she signed up for a few part-time jobs. I hated how busy she was most of the time, but I was also glad for her. It was a responsible step toward her finances, even if it meant we had less time together. That evening, after a long day at work and a quick game of snooker with some friends, I decided to drop by Burger’s Trio, where Stacy worked one of her shifts. I’d been by a couple of times before, usually sneaking in to see her just as her shift ended. Tonight, I hoped I was early enough to catch her in action. As I walked through the door, the warm smell of grilled burgers and fries hit me. The
JEROME I knew I had to talk to Stacy when I was ten minutes into the lecture. The urge was so primal, so hungry that there was no escaping it. The class had ended in a rush of students gathering their belongings and shuffling out of their seats. I stood at the front, gathering my notes and trying to maintain my composure. I was watching her pack her stuff, watching her move quickly with her hands. “Mr. Jerome!” one of the guys called out. “Do you have the syllabus handy? I think I missed a few details.” He was one of my students, blonde curly hair, a portion of it swooped across his forehead. “Of course,” I replied, pushing my thoughts of Stacy aside. I had to focus. “Here’s a copy for you.” I handed it to him. “Also, can you clarify what we’ll be covering in the first unit?” another student asked, a girl with bright green nails and a head full of curls. I wished they picked another time to talk to me because I needed to catch up with Stacy. I nodded, rushing through my words
STACY The morning sun filtered through the curtain and pulled me out of my sleep. I stretched my arms above my head, blinking the sleep from my eyes as the day was about to start. Lisa was already up, rummaging through her drawers, her usual energy evident in the way she moved about. I could hear the faint sound of her humming to herself, a tune that was familiar but not quite memorable. “Morning,” I mumbled, pushing myself up and running a hand through my hair. Lisa turned around, her face lighting up with a smile. “Morning, sleepyhead! We’ve got to get a move on. First day back, remember?” I groaned softly, not quite ready to face the world just yet. The holiday had been a mix of relaxation and catching up on things we’d neglected during the semester, but the thought of diving back into classes already felt a bit overwhelming. Lisa, on the other hand, who was not an early riser, was rather up early. She tossed a hoodie onto the bed for me, and I caught it mid-air. “