this side of paradise , kiara carrera

four, introducing levi

tw: underage smoking-drinking,
signs of eating disorder-depression

i was laying on the beach, staring at the sky. i open my tobacco and take out a small bag. i take half of the weed out and grind it, then start rolling it, using almost no tobacco. i take my lighter and once i lit up my joint i smile. along with it, im taking a sip of vodka. 

-

i can feel the sun over my head so i open my eyes planning to find a place with shadow to lay down again. i shove my stuff into my pants' pockets and slowly stand up. i realize i had more weed so i sit back down and roll another joint. once i lite it i start walking towards john b's house hoping to find kie and jj.

i knock the door and the one to open the door is pope. 

"hi, is kiara and jj here?" 

"i think jj's at the beach surfing, kie went home" he replies and it takes me some time to find the right words to make my next sentence.

"can you tell her to find me when she comes by?" he nods and then i wave heading to the beach. after a while, im able to spot jj surfing. i lite up the joint once again and lay on the beach deciding that i have nothing better to do than wait.

i had almost fallen asleep again when jj's voice distracted my from my thoughts. "hello" he says and i open my eyes.

"mornin'" i murmur and show him the ground next to me so that he would sit down. he looks at me and then the weed so i pass him the joint.

-

kiara had not showed up yet and jj would go by his house to get something to eat. i hug him goodbye and head to my spot.

-

at the end of the beach there was a huge tree. its branches were in the perfect place to put blankets and make a tend. and that's what i did three years ago. every time i went there i was hoping to meet levi.

levi is my best friend and ex drug dealer, as he decided he would only get my weed from now on. he is really tall and skinny, he always wears a bucket hat and oversized clothes and sometimes his myopic glasses too. they are almost round and the skeleton so thin that it's barely visible. his buzz cut is messily bleached as he dyed it himself. and of course, he never takes of his jewelry, many rings and necklaces.

i don't have any way to communicate with him, so we hang out rarely. that's still okay though. he knows everything about me and i know everything about him. we don't need to see each other often to keep in touch. we always know where we can meet if we need something.

now, back to the tree. it looks like a living room at the moment. to be honest, levi helped me modify it. he has also brought some stuff from his house, like a small table and some pillows.

i lay down on the thin blanket wishing that he'll come in a few minutes or hours.