Sweet Fall

The kid’s eyes widened with excitement, and just as he went to walk away, I grabbed his arm. “Don’t be telling no one who sold you that shit.” I tapped the stidda on my cheek, and the kid just gulped.

“H-Heighters?” he whispered and pretty much shit himself on the spot. I nodded slowly, and, ducking his head, he muttered, “I won’t, Carillo. I won’t say a thing.”

I watched him disappear from view and knew Axel would be loving this volume of trade. The coin we were making tonight would be enough for my mamma to see out the rest of her days the right way, but I f**kin’ hated doing this shit on my turf, with my teammates all around.

“Carillo! Get the f**k here!”

Hearing my name, I turned to see Rome sitting on a sofa, Molly on his lap, with all the rest of the gang around them. Well, all except Lexi. I had no idea where she was.

As I approached, Rome, all full of smiles, motioned for me to sit down.

“Where you keep disappearing to, Carillo? You ain’t ever around no more,” he asked, and I shrugged.

“Ain’t been going nowhere. You’re just too wrapped up in your girl to notice me anymore,” I joked.

Rome’s eyes narrowed slightly, and I knew he was detecting something was up. Molly, however, just pulled Rome in for a kiss. Cass and Jimmy-Don were unusually quiet. In fact, the whole group was.

I caught Molly nudging Rome in the side and he nodded his head at her. “We’re moving in together,” he said proudly, and we all gaped at them in response.

“Ah, take those looks of your damn faces. You telling me after everything we’ve been through, moving in together is a shock?”

As we all looked to one another, I shrugged. The guy was right. Their relationship moved at lightning speed. It made sense they’d be living together soon. Fuck, I was surprised he hadn’t proposed.

Taking a sip of whatever was in her hipflask, Cass leaned forward, putting all her attention on me. “So, Carillo…” Jimmy-Don tried to hold her back with his hand on her arm. But she shrugged him off, totally serious for once. “What’s going on with you and my girl Lex?”

My heart slammed in my chest, and suddenly, all eyes were on me. “Ain’t nothing going on,” I replied evasively.

“Whatever, Carillo! Something’s going on with her, and I’m thinking you know more than you’re letting on.”

“Where is she now?” I asked, and Ally shuffled uncomfortably on her seat. My eyes fell on her.

I waited for her to speak, and sighing, she said, “She’s never around. Always out jogging or out with Lyle, or so she says…” She trailed off. It was clear she was worried, which got my mind racing.

Sitting forward, I glared at Ally and willed her to keep going. I knew she was building up to something. Something she thought was wrong. I could see Cass was verging on saying something too. The tension in the group was almost choking me.

“Carillo! There he is!” I heard from behind me and saw Rome, Reece, and Jimmy-Don scowl. Ally dismissed what she was gonna say and began chewing on her nails. Molly’s attention was on her as she too looked concerned over what Ally was gonna say.

“Porter, what the f**k’s up with you?” Rome snapped.

Porter was practically bouncing on his feet. Fuck, I thought. He was high on coke.

Jumping from my seat, I tried to usher him away. “Let’s go,” I said and pushed on his chest.

Porter spread his arms wide. “Carillo! Turns out I never needed you anyway. Your twin brother just sold me some snow.”

All around me went quiet, and Rome jumped to his feet.

“Coke? Are you f**kin’ kidding me?” Rome snapped and, gripping my arm, spun me to face his hard glare.

Porter’s eyes glazed and his lips rolled over his gums. He was on coke all right, and I was gonna kill Axel when I saw him. I told him over and over, no f**kin’ Tide players.

“Porter!” Jimmy-Don shouted and lurched off his seat, taking him by his arms.

“Shit!” Rome spat, and when I looked to Porter, blood was pouring from his nose.

Shit, shit, shit…

“Porter, you okay? Talk to me,” Jimmy-Don said as Porter’s eyes rolled back, his body convulsing and foam frothing from his mouth.

“Call 9-1-1!” Reece shouted, and students began whipping out their cells.

“Move! Campus PD!” a low male voice shouted, and pushing through the crowd came the uniformed campus PD and the dean following behind.

The dean’s eyes were fixed on mine, and I swear the f**ker was smirking in triumph. “What’s he taken?” the dean asked, and Porter’s friend Cooper answered, “Coke. He snorted coke.”