His Number One : The Sequel to Chemistry

Chapter 27

"Stop being a p*ssy, Ant!" Austin Jacobs yelled from the other side of the fence. You might have interpreted that as one boy trying to taunt his friend into doing something mildly skeptical. But in actuality, the scowl of Austin's face and the annoyance in his voice proved that this was much more than a playful taunt. They were there to do business and playing games was the last thing on his mind.

"Man, I ain't no pussy!" young Anthony shot back.

"Then why are you still on the other side of the gate?"

"Momma said if she catch me over here one more time she'll never get through beating me!" Anthony defended. He looked down at his shoes as he said this. He could feel the water from thegrass he was standing on seeping through the soles of his hand-me-down shoes, and the wet grass hugged around the bottom of his jeans. "What we gotta do this for?" he said in hopes that Austin would see no real purpose in it and change his mind.

"Don't you want the money?" Austin shot back. "Come on, I don't wanna be late for my first job." And with that he turned and began walking farther away from the fence. As if he just knew that Anthony would eventually follow.

Anthony sucked his teeth in defeat, watching indecisively as Austin turned the corner into an abandoned house. The house's wooden door sat against the wall of the house, right beside the rectangular hole it should be in. He stood there contemplating for a whole ten seconds. And with each second that passed, he felt like he was running more and more out of time. He took one last look over his shoulder, just in case anyone happened to be walking by, then ran quickly towards the fence and climbed it.

Austin was just taking his seat on a big, plastic crate when Anthony showed up in the doorway. He had only been here one other time before. Austin had heard from some guy at school that a man named Trevor was looking for someone to help him run his "business". And being as money hungry as Austin was, he didn't hesitate to take Anthony with him to meet 'Trevor' at this abandoned house he never even knew existed. Getting Anthony over the fence was easier the first than it was this time. And that was only because he didn't know what he was getting himself to. But now, with the help of his best friend's persuading skills, he was back here again. Unfortunately.

The house was dark, and the only useable light came from a few square, window-less holes where pieces of wood used to be. There were usually many people running in it out of this house. Sitting in corners, pacing crazily around the floors. It was the perfect place to hide and exchange drugs. This was a trap house.

"There 'e is," a man seated in front of an old, brown coffee table gladly announced after seeing Anthony standing in the door way. He had a Jamaican accent. "Come in. Sit." He grinned, exposing only two white teeth that could be spotted easily in the poorly lit room.

Anthony slowly walked in. Austin pulled up another crate beside him and Anthony took a seat there.

It wasn't long before the man pulled from behind him a large, gray gym big. The heaviness of the bag was evident by the way he struggled to lift it off the floor, as well as the way it hit the coffee table with a soft "thud". The bag was already open, and as soon as it hit table, different sized bags began to roll out of it. Austin didn't hesitant to lean up from his crate to examine the contents. He grabbed a bag that had fell over on the table. He lifted it up in front of his face and used the light from the windowless hole to better inspect it, and smiled greedily once he saw what the bag contained. Anthony watched nervously as Austin laughed in relief. "It's weed!"

"It's Loud," the man corrected with that toothless grin.

Anthony exhaled. "I thought it was gonna be like, coke or somethin'." Austin handed him the bag he was holding, and picked up a smaller one from the table, that smile still plastered on his face.