Choir of Moths

Chapter 6

"...three patrons, four patrons, five patrons, six pat..." In an instant, Malik felt his lungs get overtaken by an intense burning as he got sent into a coughing fit. The young woman next to him started laughing hysterically, her laughs deep and slurred together. "Aw poor baby, I told you that stuff was too much for you."

"Oh shut..." Malik couldn't finish his sentence before he went into another coughing fit, his throat burning more with each cough.

"That's what I thought. Now hand that pipe over before you hack up a lung. I guess I should have given your ass the pink one so you aren't coughing all over my good one." Malik handed her the pipe and watched as she took a long hit from it, before blowing out several puffs of smoke in the form of a heart. He opened his mouth to speak but a head rush from his last hit of the pipe blew away whatever words he had intended on putting together. He sat on the bed, swaying slightly, struggling to keep himself from collapsing to either side. As the feeling finally faded, he looked over to see Aliyah, eyeing him with a raised eyebrow. "You okay big guy ?" Malik didn't speak and instead raised his middle finger as a response. Aliyah smiled before she raised the pipe to her mouth and took another deep hit.

" Fuck, what even is that ? Pretty sure I'm seeing sounds." Aliyah laughed but he could have swore he saw squiggly lines come from her mouth. He himself wasn't even sure it was a joke.

" Can't remember exactly what the guy at the dispensary said it was. I do remember the name though, Purple Mind Eater. I thought the name was cute."

"You're going to fry your brain smoking all this extreme shit." Malik shook his head one last time and finally felt the last few traces of the drug let go of his brain.

"Aww, too late for that Red. My brain's long gone." Aliyah looked at him as she crossed her eyes and made a looping motion with her finger as she pointed to her head. They both erupted into laughter but her laughing quickly turned into a violent fit of coughing. She patted her chest until the coughing had subsided, placing the pipe on the side table next to her. "Okay, maybe that's enough for a bit."

"You think ?" Malik said eyeing her, realizing her eyes were now a faint red.

"I said a WHILE, not permanently." Swiftly eliminating the chances of her words being misinterpreted. She lay back on the bed next to him, adjusting his pacho on herself and ensuring nothing was too visible through the mostly see-through dress she was wearing. "Oh, you also never told me what you came here to talk about ?"

Malik realized he had almost forgotten himself. They always had fun when they were together, combined with Aliyah always pulling out whatever junk she had to smoke made time seemingly fly by. Although Malik was almost sure that the weed was mostly to blame. He had to think for a moment before he fully remembered why he had came there.

"Oh, I wanted to ask what kind of rumors you've been hearing lately." Aliyah scoffed as she sat up, adjusting the poncho on her again.

"First you wanted weed and now you want to gossip? This isn't a handout center you know."

"I didn't want the weed, but I want the information. And I'm asking for it as a friend." Aliyah looked to be in thought before she rolled onto her side to look him in the eyes.

"A good friend will usually come with a gift at least." She ran a black painted nail over the crocheted fabric of his poncho while locking eyes with him.

" I could swipe bring some of those platinum stamps from my job and drop them by your dad's place tomorrow. Overnight shipping, no fees, and they'll even package whatever he's trying to send."

"Sounds like something for him, but what do I get ?"

"Lunch on me at that noodle bar around the corner that you love so much." Malik cringed as he remembered the outrageous prices of the shop. They had gone there together almost a year ago when the place had just opened. Malik had paid then too, and the bill was so high he had to ask his aunt to cover his share of grocery money for the month. But, the offer must have been enough for Aliyah because a large grin spread across her face as she sat up crossing her legs under her.