Loveless♣

Chapter 10

"I'm telling you,girls are crazy,man!"he said,dipping his cracker into whipped cream and swallowing it all in one bite.
Joshua stopped stirring his smoothie and paused to stare at him.
They were at Chillies,the restaurant in which they'd first met the girls.
It was their favorite spot.The customers weren't plenty,but the food was.It was quite cold,hence its name,but it was also a good place for couples to cuddle up.
"Did you just swallow a whole cracker,Emiko?"he asked.
"Mmm?"Emiko mumbled, his mouth still full.He noticed the strange look his friend was giving him and swallowed the cracker he was chewing.Then he took a long gulp of Joshua's smoothie."Don't judge,man.I'm in pain."
"Over what,though?"Joshua sipped what was left of his drink.
"Get this."Emiko leaned forward and narrowed his eyes to slits."Nina..my Nina,"he added for emphasis,"said I can't touch her.Ever."
Joshua looked at his friend for a few seconds,and then burst out laughing.Emiko was taken aback.He blinked in surprise.
"You think this is funny,Josh?No touching!Do you know what kind of physical and eternal pain that'll cause?"
Joshua was still laughing.
"No touching!Not even a simple peck on the cheek!That's torture,I tell you,torture.And stop laughing."He threw a piece of cracker at Joshua.
"Ow!"he yelled amidst laughs."I'm sorry, man,it's just that with the way you were acting,I thought you were gonna say something like you found out she was a Hermaphrodite."
Emiko flared at him."Well,now I'll never find out!Can you believe it?All that body and I can't even touch ass?"He looked like he was truly in pain.
"Oh please.Dude,when girls say no,they often mean yes.They're the complete opposite of us.Take Penny for instance,when she broke up with me,everyone thought I'd broken up with her instead.She'd bawl her eyes out like a baby and would yell at me each time she saw me."
Emiko chuckled."That bitch was crazy for you."
"She was crazy,period.She told me never to call her again, and I obliged.Only for her to call me the next day and call me a douche for not calling her!"Joshua shook his head."Point is,girls want you to do the opposite of what they tell you,bro."
"I know,I know,but I feel like I'd be disrespecting her wishes,y'know?"Emiko told him.
Joshua scoffed.
"How'd it go with the tigress?"Emiko asked,smiling.
Joshua looked out the window,and watched the passersby cross the road.He touched his stomach absently where she'd punched. It still hurt.
Emiko was about to put another cracker in his mouth but stopped abruptly when he saw his friend's facial expression.
"Shut up!"he said,laughing loudly,startling Joshua."Did y'all...?" his voice trailed.
"No,"Joshua replied quickly."No way would I get with that she-devil."
Emiko watched him."Come on,man.You were attracted to that body the moment she walked in here,so don't lie to me.What went down?"
Joshua looked away."Nothing....I kissed her,"he said casually, and took a cracker.
"You what?!"
"And she punched the shit out of me."
Emiko slapped the table and laughed his head off.Joshua scowled at him as he laughed and laughed.
When he was done,he wiped a tear out of the corner of his eye.Then he saw Joshua's face and began another round of laughter.
"Shut up,man!"Joshua yelled and threw his crackers at him.
"Okay..okay,"Emiko said and coughed once to clear his throat."Why did she hit you?Didn't she like it?"
"She did.She all but melted in my arms."
Emiko frowned."She kissed you back?Then why'd she hit you?"
"I have no idea!She crazy!No girl has ever hit me."
Emiko chuckled."At least you getting something."
"She followed me,y'know,"Joshua said,leaning forward and placing his elbows on the table.
"She did?Where?"
"To Patty's place."
Emiko shone his eyes."What?!Why?"
"I have no idea,bro.You know I went to pick little Joshua after I left,"he said.Emiko nodded."Well,I saw her right opposite the school,"he continued."And at Patty's house."
"Damn,"Emiko leaned backwards and rubbed his chin."Maybe she was curious about you."
Joshua shook his head."When you're curious about someone, you ask questions.This is something else."
"Maybe she's one of those crazy stalking bitches.Check your house for bugs,"Emiko said and smiled.
Joshua rolled his eyes.
"How's Pattycakes holding up?"Emiko asked.
"She's doing a'ight.Raising a kid at twenty is hell,but Josh is a good kid."
"Unlike his uncle,"Emiko teased and they smiled.
"I'm working two jobs now,"he informed him."It's really hard,man."
Emiko pursed his lips and nodded."I understand, man.What you're doing is admirable, but you should know it ain't your responsibility to cater for all the needs of your sister and her kid."
Joshua sighed heavily.
"What do you want me to do,man?You know our parents washed their hands off her.And,I moved out cos I couldn't leave her out on the streets.So I gotta take care of us both."
"I know,I know but it's too much.You're paying her tuition fee,and the child's.You're also paying for your apartment and hers.And you buy practically everything they need."
"Well,she does have a job.A part-time one but-"
"Which you also got her,"Emiko said,interrupting him."You're stretching yourself too thin.What about the baby daddy,Terrence?"
Joshua bunched his fists tightly."Don't mention that idiot to me.The last time he came to see the kid was over a year ago,and he ran off with their last cash."
"Shit!"
"Yeah,when I find him,he's gonna die."
Emiko was about to speak when something behind him made him pause.He shook his head slowly.
"What?"Joshua asked,confused.
"Speak of the devil and he will come,"Emiko told him.
Joshua's eyes widened in realization.He turned backwards so quickly that Emiko thought he'd break the chair he was sitting on.Sitting on a stool near the bar was the man they'd just been talking about.
Joshua curled and uncurled his fists.
He looked at Emiko, who nodded.
"I got you,"he said,and they rose at the same time.
  His head was on the counter but the moment a hand clamped heavily on his shoulder,Terrence jerked up.He saw Joshua holding his shoulder and trembled.He looked to his other side and saw Emiko with his arms folded.
"Well,...it's so great to see you,Terrence,"Emiko said sarcastically.
Terrence turned to Joshua."Look,man,I ain't mean to rob Patty,I swear,man.I was fucking going through a lot,man,I'm sorry!My mom was in the hospital, I was owing this gang a lot of money....I was just in a really bad place,Joshua,please..,"he rattled off.
Joshua tightened his grip,making Terrence wince.He leaned closer and noticed that Terrence had a black eye,and judging by the way he moved,he'd been beaten up.
Joshua looked at Emiko who shrugged.Then he looked back at Terrence.
"Why'd you come back here?You knew I'd be here,"Joshua said.
"A friend asked to meet here...promised to help me out.I promise I'll pay y'all back.Every dime,I swear!"he pleaded.
"And who is this friend,huh?"Emiko asked.
"Me,"a voice said behind them.
The three of them turned and came face to face with Bella.
"Unhand him,Joshua,"she ordered."Now."

************************

The table was silent.All four of them were seated opposite each other.Bella and Terrence on one side,Joshua and Emiko on the other.Joshua looked angry,Emiko amused,Terrence frightened and Bella unbothered by the whole situation.
Joshua was glaring at Terrence, who was nervously intertwining his fingers.Emiko put his hands at the back of his head and leaned backwards.
Joshua turned to Bella." Well?"
She waited for a minute,then opened her bag.She took out a compact mirror and a lipstick.Joshua watched with annoyance as she took her time to reapply her lipstick.He looked at Emiko who smiled widely.
"Bella!"Joshua yelled.She lowered her mirror and stared at him.
"Don't you raise your voice at me,Joshua,I don't answer to you."
Emiko chuckled and leaned forward."Bella,why don't you tell us how you know this guy over here."He gestured at Terrence.
"Well,Isabella is-"Terrence began.
"Quiet!"all three of them said to him.
He was startled into silence.
"Bella,"Emiko said.
"Yes,Emiko?"she replied sweetly.
"Care to explain how you know this dude?"
She shrugged."No.Why should I?"
"Damn it,Bella,don't-"Joshua began angrily.
"Your tone,Joshua,"Bella said and smiled sultrily.She enjoyed watching his temper rise."I came here to see a friend of mine.How I know him is none of your business."
Joshua turned to Terrence." Is this the friend you were talking about?"
Terrence nodded hastily.
Joshua sighed.
"Small world,"Emiko muttered.
Bella looked at Terrence.
"What happened to you?Did you mess with CJ's boys again?"she asked.
He nodded and bent his head in shame."I'm sorry,Isabella,I know I swore not to bother them no more but they was messing with me,girl!They robbed my momma, and she was in so much shock that she fell into a coma.You know she was just recovering and I-"His voice broke and he began to sob loudly and unashamedly.
"Ugh,"Bella groaned and fished a handkerchief from her bag."Here."She handed it to him.He took it and wiped his face.Then she brought out a fat envelope, obviously filled with money.
"Spend it wisely,Terry,and stop crying,por favor,you look like a cow when you cry.Geez."
Emiko leaned sideways towards Joshua.
"It would seem that crying makes her nice.You should try it."
Joshua only scowled at him.He looked at Bella.She had more up her sleeves than he'd imagined,and he was gonna find out all of them.
Bella gave him a big smile,like she'd read his mind,and she was daring him to.

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