Episode 3 Alex

    "I knew the principal summoning our terrorizer to his office was a good sign. " Joe said stealing a glance at the piece of paper. 

    Unconsciously, my face beamed with a magnificent smile. Maybe school wasn't that horrible after all. I'd never gone out with any girl and the first time I do, it's with Salene? I crinkled the piece of paper neatly and tucked it into my back pocket. Strolling down the hallway today felt so good, so liberating. Was this all I've been missing out of? Was I becoming important now? A smirk showed on my face as I thought about Salene and me, being tagged the cutest couple of the year. Fuck yeah! That'd probably ejaculate me from the last rung of the social ladder.

    "Hey, " Joe called my attention shrinking his pulped eyes. "Hearing from Darius? "

    Why did he have to bring up such a topic at such a moment? My heartbeat drummed rapidly, not of excitement this time. It was something else.

    "Why bring him up now? " Victor asked in my stead.

    "Just, you know–curious. "

    "You know, Joe. He doesn't like talking about him, " Victor said lowering his voice like someone was listening in.

    I plodded in. "No, it's fine. I haven't heard from him in a while now. "

    "Dude must be a sucker. Can't even call home, " Joe walked ahead and stopped beside a chicken restaurant.

    I shrugged. "Vic? "

    Victor smiled placing his arms around my shoulders. "Well, we should celebrate. "

    "Your mom's chicken hits differently. "

    "Perhaps, I should let you in on your debts, " he said as we both laughed. "I mean, the bowls of chicken and cups of grape juice aren't for free, you know. "

    "I'll pay up as soon as I graduate and find a job. Now, get me into that restaurant, " I teased. 

    We all walked into 'Savor' chicken restaurant, which took its foundation in the middle of two competing ironsmiths in Salmore Jnr. Street, one of the busiest centers in Hancock.

    I examined the interiors of Victor's mom's restaurant, it was pretty scanty today. Only three people were seated, they looked like they'd eaten to their fullest satisfaction. I motioned to a corral of seats beside the windowpane and Joe and I took our seats while Victor scampered to the kitchen and came back with a giant bowl of chicken. 

    "Mom says 'Hi'. "

    "Gracious God. Are we eating all that? "Joe asked arching his brows.

    "Don't forget that this is a special day, " Victor reminded.

    "Joe, get it together and dig this, " I added as Joe kept looking like we had poop stain on us.

    "You been to a bar before? " Joe asked with a mouthful.

    "I've been to 'Sweet Closure' " I answered.

    "That's not a bar, that's more of a children's eatery. Wait. You haven't been to a bar before? "

    I paused attempting to shove in a wing, we all stared at ourselves and I said, almost screaming, "It's not my fault I wasn't allowed, you know. "

    The laughter started like a motorized engine and then splurged nastily from their insides.

    "Done laughing? "

    "It's pretty funny. You're having a date tomorrow with Salene at the 'Three Horns' and spoiler; you've never been to any bar before, " Victor said between cackles.

    "Now you make it sound weird. "

    "No, Alex, you are. "

    "Let's just fucking eat. "

    ***

    ALEX'S HOUSE

    I was worn out. I hauled myself to my scanty porch, then tossed my bag into my wide-opened window. My room faced the entrance of our humble home. Our house seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. Cracked in many angles at the far-up wall. It's sky blue color, turning into something that gradually looked like...poop. A beautiful pear plant stood beside the dreary structure, but that was it. Not another beautification. Nope! I'm not waiting for this pile of rubbles to crush me down before I find a job.

    I walked in, turned on the lights, and found Felix, my foster dad, wasted on his ' favorite couch'. Two empty bottles swiveled to and fro on the animal skinned rug.

    His full-blown grey beards were smeared with beer. His bagged eyes were flashed on but I could tell he was somewhere else, and his thick fat lips, swung open like he was expecting another drop of liquor from above.

    I shook my head, 'Typical Felix'. I tried dodging Trista, his wife but she found me immediately.

    "Alex? You're home? "

    "Yes, Trista, " I replied and an unbearable silence followed, "I'll be in my–room. "

    I hurried to my room as Trista began cleaning up Felix's mess. I didn't wait to see more but I began hearing some retching and a wry moan. I opened the door to my room and walked in, confirming the landing of my school bag by my study table.

    A picture frame on the table suddenly capsized, I returned it to its rightful position, and still not satisfied, picked it up and caressed it with a grey tee-shirt of mine, staring at it longingly. It was a picture of Darius, my stepbrother in his military school uniform, though he hadn't graduated yet from Landmark military college, one could see the thrill he felt through the picture frame. I didn't remember why I kept it but I knew it had something to do with me envious of him, that he got to live his dream, while I was stuck with his grumpy parents who'd kill to see him home soon.

    I jerked off my tie and lazily relapsed on my bed. Normally, I'd be too tired to think and just doze off but today was totally different, I constantly kept thinking about her, Salene. Why she'd chosen me over all the other guys in class and I really wanted to know what she saw in a lowlife like me. I brought out the folded piece of paper from my back pocket and kept looking at the handwriting on it, it was just as beautiful as she was.

    'I should rest', I thought. My first date ever was tomorrow after all.