Devil

-11-

-Esla-

"Wake up. It's morning."

I groggily sat up, rubbing at my eyes. Right, I was at Malybu's apartment. Coco was leaning over me, the scent of weed rolling heavy off of her and perhaps liquor. I guess she was one of those types that never stayed sober.

I looked around and my eyes happened to land on the time. "It's 12 am, Coco!"

"I know, you told me to wake yo ass up in the morning," she said.

"Coenna Spencer! I told you to let that girl rest," Maly hissed. "She's been through a lot."

I sat up and grumbled until I realized what today was. "Today's my b- our birthday," I turned to Maly. She grinned, still in her clothes from last night like a sane person should be, meanwhile Coco was fully dressed. I had forgotten about the day amidst all of drama in my life. This whole year I had been excited about turning 18, but now today just felt...bleak.

"We're ordering some Papadeaux's for breakfast. Your mom called while you were asleep but I didn't wanna wake you," Malybu told me.

I stretched and got off of the couch, my bones creaking as I wished I had taken up the offer to sleep in bed with Maly instead of in the living room. "What do they sell for breakfast there?" I asked her, going to stand besides Maly as I peered down at her phone. My eyes adjusted to the light, and I regained my sense of self after waking up.

"Oh, I don't really know if they sale breakfast, I just really wanted something from them and Coco is paying," Malybu told me. I shot Coco an innocent smile, "Thanks for the food, Coco. You can wake me up anytime."

"Yeah, mhm," she laughed.

She sat on the edge of the couch where my head has been, scrolling through her phone with her own head crooked down. "It looks like just brunch. It don't matter though. Ain't no adults to tell us what we should eat at certain times because we is da adults,"  Maly smirked.

"Yall doing too much," Coco said with a full grin on her face. She seemed to be waiting for Malybu's reaction. "You been 18 for almost da whole school year, of course you think that," Malybu complained, going back to look at the food.

We ordered and I glanced over at Coco inquisitively. "So you go to Stafford Blue too?" I asked. I didn't really remember if she had said she did or not. I would rather push some of last night's memories away into the far corners of my head.

"Yeah, I live in da lil neighborhood off to the side. Stafford Blue Homes. Right by da apartments," she explained.

I nodded, staring at the carpet.

"Well, I'm finna shower. Lemme know when the food arrives," Maly said after a moment.

She left to go to the bathroom, leaving Coco and I alone. Coco glanced up like she hasn't noticed it was just me and her. I wanted to go get my phone, but it felt awkward to go into the bedroom after Maly just went in there for some reason.

"So uh, you go to PISSH right?" she asked me.

I nodded, awkwardly sitting on the other edge of the couch from her. She nodded to herself. "So, uh, sometimes I make edits. Do you think this is cool?" She leaned over and handed me her phone. On the screen it showed a Rico Nasty and BkTheRula edit. It was pretty cool and the effects were perfectly on beat. "Swipe to the right," she told me.

I swiped, and an edit of Kodie Shane and Trippie crossed the screen. I nodded my head along to the mixed songs, smiling. "You're pretty good at this. You should like, become a DJ or sumin?" I suggested. Coco blushed, rubbing the back of her neck. "It's a lot of money and time. And I'm only 18. My peeps and I kind of want me to finish school first."

"Do you wanna go to college?" I asked curiously.

She took her phone back from me and thought for a moment. "I don't really know what I wanna do with my life so I was gonna go to community college and at least get my associate's," she shrugged. "Then from there, I guess I'll see."

"I don't know what ima do. Probably just take a year off and chill. A lot of people do that," I shrugged.

"You got a girlfriend?" Coco inquired curiously.

"Nahh, and I wanna keep it that way. I'm just tryna graduate. Relationships can come after that," I admitted. "But why not enjoy your teen years?" Coco smirked, raising a brow. "Because I have enough on my plate right now," I said quietly.

Coco looked down at her lap, and tried to find the right words to say. "I'm sorry. I hope whatever you're going through gets better, Esla. You seem like a chill person. And I know you were a good friend to Malybu."

"And you better be too," I grinned. "Don't hurt my old bestie's heart."

"She won't cause she know I'll kill her ass," Maly said from the doorway. My back was to her so I didn't know why Coco was shielding her eyes. "Damn, put some clothes on. I can see your pores from here."

"Keep playin wimme, Coco and ima bop you upside the head like you on DaBaby's song."

"That was a lame ass joke and you know it," Coco rolled her eyes. I turned around, and laughed at Maly, keeping my eyes focused on her face.

"Whatever, you know what I mean and don't nobody like you, Coco."

Once Malybu left the room, Coco shook her head. "She's just salty my head game is better," she said with a fake look of resignation. "Poor woman."

"That's cap and you know it, Coco!"

"Maly, when you come out can you bring my phone with you?" I asked her.

A few hours later, Maly was busy taking a nap and I was scrolling on my phone wondering why my mother hadn't answered back my call. Coco had went back to her phone and had random video noises playing on a low volume. I was full from my food so I didn't feel like complaining.

"Coco, this might seem like a weird question, but... do you know somebody named Nicotine?" I asked, remembering the name Rick gave me at the hospital.

Coco froze, slowly looking up at me. "I- Why?" she asked, coming over to me and placing her hands on my shoulders with a serious expression. "How do you know Nico?"

"She sent one of her guys to the hospital to question me. I just wanna talk to her." So Coco knew her. I wonder how that came to be.

The door bell hadn't rung for a second with our lunch before Coco bust her ass to go and get the food. I slowly walked behind her, and she put the food on a coffee table, then pulled me outside of the door. We stood outside on the shabby attempt of an apartment porch as I waited to see what Coco would do.

"Why do you want to talk to her? You do know what she does, right?" she asked me seriously.

"She wants the dude who shot my father in the leg dead. He was...a traitor to her, I'm assuming."

"So what do you wanna talk to her about?" Coco asked me, eyes concerned. Then they widened. "You're apart of the Lavigne case?"

"You work for her?" I asked, trying to get a straight answer out of Coco.

"No," Coco sighed, "but I buy a lot of her products and shit. She was the one who made the shit with the blue flakes in it," she explained. "She smuggles people and drugs. I don't think it'd be safe for you to just go and talk to her."

"Well then come with me then, since you know her so well," I shrugged. I wasn't about to be intimidated by someone when my father's life and my family's money was on the line.

"Does your family know you're doing this?" Coco asked me, avoiding what I said. "Do you think?" I snapped. "Look, the number her worker gave me isn't working and I need to contact her. Go with me to talk to Nicotine or I'll do it alone, and possibly be kidnapped...forever scarring Malybu and making you watch makeup competitions."

Coco sighed and rubbed her head. "Alright, but under one condition."

"What?" I asked, looking her up and down. If anything should be debated about, it should be done by me since this was my family we were talking about.

"You gotta kiss me. Fifteen seconds."