ALLEYWAY ALLIANCE (boy x boy) [ONGOING]

CHAPTER TWO : Darcy.

Maybe Kenji's more than a stranger. He's a friend. An acquaintance, I guess. But we're raising a kid together. We're bound to be more than acquaintances. I mean, he's sleeping on my couch right now.

"Carson?" He walks into my room. His morning voice isn't that different from his everyday voice.

"Yeah?" I like to think my morning voice is an octave or two deeper.

"Could I... live with you? Be your roommate? I'll pay rent, I don't expect you to provide anything for me—I just— need to raise this kid. Away from my siblings."

I yawn. Is he serious? I just met him. "Where would you sleep?"

"I'm fine with the couch—I just need a good area to raise this kid. You don't need to cooperate. I can take care of her all on my own—"

"I'll help you." What?! What words did I just hear come out of my mouth—I never wanted to raise a child! Let alone a girl; I don't know shit about girls, I don't remember talking to one this past week. Is this empathy? I've always had a set plan: if I fuck a girl and get her pregnant, we either illegally abort the baby or she's raising it alone. What is happening to me?!

"You would?!" He seems more excited than shocked.

"Yes. I will." I grunt and start to get out of bed.

After brushing my teeth, changing out of my sleep clothes, and walking outside to have a joint. I can't believe my life is like this. I'm a 20-year-old druggie who's now raising a child with some dealer he had an odd connection with. I'm quite surprised Darcy didn't wake us all up at the asscrack of dawn to ask for food or something. I guess she was really comfortable. Jeez. What kind of monster would leave a baby out there in such a dangerous area. I wonder what would've happened if we didn't find her. Alright, I think I'm getting too high. I'm starting to feel bad for it.

"Carson." Kenji suddenly appears behind me, holding an awakened Darcy.

"Kenji." I respond, taking another hit.

He has a serious expression on his face. "We don't have insurance, legal guardianship, or anything like that over this kid. I didn't learn any of this shit in school, and since we didn't give birth to her, there's like—no way we can find out. Unless we take this to court. I'm barely drinking age, I don't wanna go to court."

"Yeah, nor do either of us know shit about the health of babies. We're fucked. She's gonna die anyway, there was never a point."

I see his eyes start to shine. He looks down at her. She's smiling and reaching for his hair. My heart starts to ache too. Darcy, Kenji, oh, how drastically my life has changed in the span of just two days. Next thing I know, a tear is falling down his cheek.
"No, dude don't cry." I say in the most empathetic voice I've ever heard myself use. "It'll be okay. We'll do what we can to give her the best few years of her life."

He moves closer to me and starts to cry softly. "It's not enough, man! It's not enough. I want her to have a normal life, and I can't do that if I'm addicted to cannabis and have no idea how to raise a literal child! In the legal aspect, at least. She's going to die, and it's gonna be all my fault!"

"Kenji, look at me," I take his free hand and wait for him to reposition the baby. "You won't be at fault if we lose this kid. If anything, you saved her."

He nods, but takes his hand back and holds Darcy closer. This kid is gonna have some childhood trauma.

I run my fingers through my dark brown hair nervously. "You saved her, man. You're a saint to care so much about some baby on the side of the street." I repeat.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this." He doesn't make eye contact with me, just looks down at Darcy.

"You're fine. I don't mind. I feel like a better person already. You're making me feel useful for once." I laugh. I'm not sure if I meant anything I said.