The Weight of Our Expectation

Campfire: Elijah's Tale

(edited 2024-10-15)

Author's Note

Elijah Jermaine Banton is just 15 years old and part of a group known as the Weekend Workout Warriors. He's one to exaggerate and brag a lot. His family heritage comes from the Caribbean. Marco is attending his first weekend, together with his coach and family friend, Dominic. The scene is a big cabin in the West Virginia woods. The athletes are sitting a bit away from the house, swapping tales around a campfire.

* * *

"Y'all think that's a good story? I had a girl down three whole bottles of tequila in one go. For real!"

Heads turned his way, and Elijah knew he'd caught everyone's attention with that opener.

"Y'all just ain't gonna believe this shit," Elijah continued, his grin spreading so wide it was almost splitting his face. He leaned back, eyes bright, even the firelight couldn't compete. "Couple months back, man, me and my boys ended up at this crazy party." His hands started to describe the scene before his words caught up.

"North Baltimore, way up Charles Street. Big-ass mansion, more windows than I ever seen on one house. Bunch of Western seniors throwin' it, all preppy and shit. Total stuck-up vibes." He paused a beat, letting the image sink in. "But this one chick, damn..." Elijah shook his head, words failing him.

"She had on this tight red dress, showin' everything. Boobs and ass popping out. Long black hair, these big brown eyes..." He got so wrapped up in the image that Jackson tossed a pebble to get his attention back on track. "I'm talkin' senior year, ready-to-graduate kinda girl."

"Did she see you drooling behind the bushes?" asked Aiden, breaking his normal code of silence.

"Yeah, she was lookin' at me like..." Elijah fumbled for a good metaphor, unable to come up with the right words. "Lookin' at me like she was offering herself up to be my breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"Dish me up some of that," said King with a leer. "Double portions, if you please, ma'am."

"So, I'm out back, bonfire's goin', music's pumpin', tryna play it cool. She's lookin' at me, I'm lookin' at her—you know how it is. Next thing I know, she's right there, rubbin' up on me, all close. Ginuwine comes on, slow jam 'Pony', all about gettin' it on. And we're grindin' to that beat. I got my hands on her hips and her ass. She's got hers on my shoulders and pecs. We're feelin' that heat, you know? Like, this is pure fire."

Elijah swayed to some unheard beat, his hands miming the memory. "This girl, she had energy for days, you know? Pure aura." He laughs, a short, sharp burst. "We're movin', she's all over me, says, 'You a good dancer.' Her eyes are wild, man, like she wants me to eat her out right there."

He paused there, building the suspense. "Then she gets real close, whispers in my ear, 'I got a bet for ya. I can't do this, I'll do anything you want for ten minutes. But I win...you mine for the whole night.' She'd was grinning, all sly and sexy-like."

Elijah's voice dropped to a stage whisper, "So check this. She's talkin' 'bout downin' three bottles of tequila in under a minute. Three! I'm thinkin', this girl's crazy, ER trip for sure. But, hey, bet's on, bro."

He burst out laughing. "Turns out, she's pullin' out these tiny airplane bottles, the kinda shit you get on a plane. I'm like, oh, shit. Yeah, I got played. Screwed either way, you feel me? But I was hopin' for the good kinda screwed."

The others were laughing along now, caught up in his tale.

"So, she dumps all three bottles in my half-empty Coke, chugs the whole thing down, easy as nothin'. Then she's grinnin' at me, says, 'Looks like you lost.'"

He threw his head back and let out a holler, then leaned in toward the fire. His voice changed, now rough and low. "And let me tell ya, I did exactly what she wanted. All. Night. Long."

"That's where it ended?" asked Aiden.

"Hell no. But after graduation, her yuppie-ass Harvard boyfriend took her off to Paris or some shit."

"Sucks to be you, my man," King said.

"Nah. I'm good." He gestured to his midsection. "I've got plenty of bitches want this. Nobody needs to worry about me." He blew out a breath. "Nobody."