𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰𝒔 𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅| 3

20b: Afterlife

Y'all, check out Obliterated Beginnings, by _utopian, if you ever have the chance. It's a great read and her reads and votes need to reflect that, so add it to your reading list and library whenever you have the chance.

Chapter dedicated to blakgold. Happy belated birthday, hon❤️❤️.
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"Maybe one of these days
The universe will be kinder
To our kind."

-Anonymous.

*

Makeup with Haliya was tedious and tumultuous, but at last, it was over.

"So... Uh... Jahseh, huh?" I asked her as we trekked towards the original restaurant we had planned to hang with the rest of the gang.

"Don't speak to me, Asa. I'm trying to think."

I ignored her.

"You know who he is."

She scoffed but said nothing.

"Is he... Dangerous?"

"You ask too many questions for your own good, Asa." She sighed, looked at me squarely. "Jahseh is just part of a corrupt management he can't get out of. From what I know, he was bought by this man everyone calls godfather."

"Bought?" Five thousand liters of indignation slashed through my heart at the poor, poor boy.

"Yes, bought. Try to keep up, Asa. I don't have the strength or time to repeat my sentences."

I rolled my eyes at her and counted my teeth to hold back my words. "Bought, from whom?"

"Well, his parents of course. They needed the money. It was an easy transaction."

"And Toni? And Detra?"

"That's a long story, Asa, but long story short, 'godfather' took a special liking to all three of them. According to him, Jahseh has the qualifications to be his heir. Jahseh doesn't want that, but it's not like he has a choice."

I gulped, cold claws, squeezing my heart. "Oh." Suddenly feeling sad for Jahseh. "I didn't know."

"No one does. Not even the school authorities."

"So, how do you know?"

Haliya shrugged. "I make it my business to know who I make dealings with."

I clamped my mouth shut, realizing that this was bigger than I could handle.

"Yo!"

I heard a distinctly familiar voice.

Dave was walking over to us, a juicebox in his hand.

"Here." He handed me the juicebox, begrudgingly.

"Uh..." I took it. "Is this your attempt at an apology?"

"Take it the way you want." He shrugged.

A smile tore out of me. "Say the words, Dave. Or I'm not accepting."

"Suit yourself." Before my eyes, Dave snatched the juicebox from me, pierced in the straw and began sucking from it.

My jaw dropped to the ground.

"Sorry for how I spoke to you the other night. You didn't deserve it and I was being an asshole. To you and to Kosi."

I blinked.