3. It's not harassment if I loved it.

Ivandor had lived in a ghetto neighborhood all his life. Characterized by lots of trash, loud people, fights, gunshots, police, stray animals, base boosted cars at three in the morning with bases so loud it knocks pictures off walls, thieves that steal practically anything, puppies eating trash, young children walking without shoes, crackheads, so much homeless people, shopping carts everywhere, liquor stores and cheap motels on every corner, screaming, graffiti, people digging in trash, random knocks on door, beware of dog signs, alley ways full of trash, hit and runs, tire slashers, loose pitbulls, creepy guys catcalling and creepy women following both men and women with little change for some sex in exchange, lots of sex shops and strip clubs, his neighborhood was definitely not really one he was proud off but it was where his family and friends were, he was happy with them and it was his own home.

He was on cloud nine as he walked along the dirty sidewalks responding to greetings here and there. He branched into an alley as women of different races, ages and sizes started to move in on him. He was very used to this as this wasn't his first nor even the twelfth time of him coming over to his best friend's motel.

The Javed motel was an old building that had somehow managed to elbow its way between a converted warehouse and a block of apartments. The motel had just five bedrooms, stacked on top of one another like a house of cards, each one with a view of the canal. His best friend, Leo inherited the business after his grandfather died and it had been his source of income ever since.

This was no "chocolate on the pillow" motel. The receptionist smelled of stale perfume and the tables had ashtrays instead of flowers. It was always dingy, dark and cheap.

The motel was one of those seedy places men with beer guts went to bang other men's wives with promises they couldn't afford to keep. Or where the hookers brought their johns and paid for rooms by the hour. Weeds grew through the cracks in the concrete path and the litter from cheap take-out meals were strewn across it. There were external wooden stairs that lead to a second floor, a second row of doors, that looked like the building inspector was either bribed to pass it or drunk on the job. There were at least two screaming matches going on in separate rooms, and the cars in the lot wouldn't have been out of place in a wrecker's yard.

Seated in very dusty tiny room that had an old creaking fan swinging slowly above them, Ivandor and his best friend, Leo chatted away.

"So you're telling me right now that you kissed a girl in the rain in your penguin costume?" Leo questioned as if trying to assimilate the jargons his friend had just told him.

Ivandor nodded, smiling widely as a little blush crept onto his cheeks.

"And you're saying she actually kissed you first?" Ivandor nodded again.

"And you expect me to believe this, uh? You had one of your wild dreams or imaginations and then rush here to cook up some movie script for me. Ivan, do I look like an idiot to you?" Leo questioned refusing to believe any of the stories his friend just told him.

"You do look like an idiot, Leo." Ivandor said shrugging.

His friend slapped his head playfully.

"No, seriously though, have I ever told you something like this? Leo, I'm not even joking neither am I making any of this up! This girl kissed me and it was the best kiss I've ever had in my entire life." Ivandor repeated as he had told him before.

"You haven't really kissed that much girls though. Just Lila, Farren, Grace and Ulani. And I'm very sure you said it was the best kiss of your life when you kissed them too."

"Did I? Well, you know what? This particular one supersedes all like a ratio of 2 to 100. She is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in all my years of living. She has long blonde straight hair, her skin is as smooth as silk, like that of a new born baby's, her cheeks are rosy pink and she has light freckles on her pointed nose. Her voice is soft as summer rain, her eyes are the bluest I've ever seen, she like a freaking doll. Her touch gave me chills , it made the hair on my arm stand upright. Her lips, they felt like the inside of a rose and her smell made me feel like I was at finally home after been away for a very long time. Leo, she's such a beauty." Ivandor zoned out as he described the memory he had of her.

Leo stared at his friend in disbelief as if wondering if it was even him.

"I do not understand. Have you ever kissed a rose? And when did you become so poetic? You don't even know her name and she didn't bother to get your number."

"Well, guess what, she drew a heart on the window when I got out of the bus. I'm sure she feels the same way I do. And she doesn't even look like she's from this part of the town. She looks quite rich if not very rich."

"Well, that's good news and bad news. Bad news because that means she's way out of your league, good news because you can just sue her for sexual harassment cos she clearly violated your body and just used you as a pawn. This is against the law, she didn't ask for consent, sue her and get some money, period."

Ivandor glared at his best friend like he grew two horns on his head. "It's not sexual harassment if I loved it. And I didn't even stop her or anything, why am I even still talking about this to you? You clearly don't get it." He said in frustration and then stood up to leave.

" Yes, I don't! Cos it's bullshit!" Leo replied as Ivandor stepped out of his so called office.

"Of course, that's why you've been single your whole life." Ivandor retorted.

"Screw you!"

"No! Go and get a girlfriend to screw! I'm straight, man!" Ivandor teased him even further.

Leo threw one of his slippers at him while Ivandor ran further away laughing at him.

Ivandor's home had the same odour as an old folks home. The floor carpet was a decade too old and with an old fashioned pattern of large flowers interrupted by worn and thread-bare patches. The large windows should allow a lot of light through, yet the heavy drapes and city dirt on the panes leaves it dull to the point of depression. There were barely enough spaces for two people to roam about in the living room but this was where Ivandor calls home.

Where he lived with his family all his life.

A large black rat peeked out from under his sister's legs, inquisitive ruby eyes checking its surroundings for immediately visible dangers. Ivandor let out a snort as he imagined how loud she would get as soon as she notices the little rodent.

"Emma, do not move." He whispered to his sister who was on her phone bit only succeeded in making her screech and jump up in fright on spotting the large rat.

"Ugh! Mummy! I'm tired of sharing the same space with rats! As soon as I'm eighteen, I'm moving out, I can't do this anymore!" Emma let out as she stomped off to her little room.

"Well then, you should have been born into a castle of some sort, don't you think so?" Her mom said sarcastically.

"I didn't chose my family. If that was possible, nobody would be poor." Emma retorted.

"Well then, be a contented little girl, will ya?"

Ivandor shook his head as he listened to the back and forth between his mom and sister, a daily dose that they never skip.