RED PARALLEL

Chapter 15: This Is Prime

At eleven, Jessi came to pick him up.

"Had a lot of fun?"

"Yep. Met a friend. A stupid one."

"Hahah. Honey, you're so cute."

Owen had shaken his head when Traviz said someone was to pick him up and take him back to The Crib.

"So you still have your nannies!"

"Nannies? She ain't my nanny. And what do you mean by 'still'?"

"You told me all about your Manolo once, remember?"

"Ahhh..."

"You think he's missing you?"

"Dunno, don't care. I'm not missing him."

"I see. I'll get going, then."

"Fine."

"So this is our meeting spot, right?"

"If it ain't school, it's fine."

"Hahah. Good one, Troy. Seeya tomorrow."

"Seeya."

"You look different, that's all."

Well, he wasn't the only one who was different, then. Owen had definitely been through some weird things.

"Why you got your eyes red, Phants?"

"Conjunctivitis."

"YO." Traviz had backed off immediately.

"Kidding. I guess it's some allergy."

"I don't buy it."

"You better do, because I'm saying no more. Leave my beautiful eyes alone, please."

"Gaaay."

"You're the one talking about my eyes, dumbass."

"Gaaay."

After a few days, Owen was wholesomely white, no red spots or dark conjunctivitis.

"Ready for the bang?"

"What?"

"Here."

Owen threw him a box.

"What's this?"

"It's called smoky sticks."

"Smoky sticks?"

The box was rectangular and thin, with red and white stripes.

"Wait, my dad- that's cigarette."

"Good boy. Here. Have one."

"Huh? Not a chance."

"Why?"

"This shit is stinky, freal."

"Not at all." Owen took from his pocket his nostalgic and washed lighter. He opened the cigar box and picked one. White and brown.

"Light it."

"Nah."

"I know you like fire."

"Since when?"

"Since the three thousand times you begged to light the subway firecracker. I had to let you do it, otherwise your loud whining would've drawn attention. So light it."

"I'm not smoking this shit."

"You are."

"Why don't you do it first, huh?"

"'Course." Owen smirked, pleased, and quickly lighted the cigarette. He put it in his mouth and dragged it like a straw, then he released all the crazy smoke. Traviz coughed right away, waving both hands.