Dabbling in Danger

Puff, Pass, Dash

Malina

"You look different."

This is coming from the guy sitting on the couch across this semi-clean living room. Improvement from my last visit.

I raise an eyebrow at him, "I'm sorry? Do I know you?"

He laughs once as if embarrassed and stands up.

"Nah not really, don't worry about it."

He excuses himself from the living room and I go back to being pissed about waiting on Sasha to finish up with her boyfriend.

It's pretty stupid that I even had to be here. We came to re-up, I told her I didn't mind waiting, but no. She begged and lied, talking about, we'd be in and out. Why'd I fall for it? Isn't it apparent that I'm a fucking moron?

I groan and snatch my phone out of my pocket.

A few minutes into scrolling on Instagram and a door creaks open. I perk up and turn around to see Terrance only in his boxers trying to sneak into the kitchen.

"Where the fuck's Sasha?" I snap.

He jumps like a frightened cat and spins to look at me. He's shimmering in a light sweat and turning a reddish hue.

"Uh, sh- one sec..." he mumbles.

I hear something tear then he hurries down the hall with paper towels and the door slams.

I groan with frustration, "you nasty bitch! Oooh I can't stand you!"

Sasha yells back but I don't understand a word. I'm pissed.

I stomp to the glass back door, make my way out and fume on the back patio.

I don't notice ol' boy from the couch sitting here until he appears in my peripheral. I look over at him, he nods in my direction, I just look away.

"You good?" He asks.

"Besides my friend making me wait around while she gets covered in jizz, I'm fucking great man."

First he's surprised, then he's shook with hysterics and doubles over with laughter.

"I'm glad you think it's funny," I grumble.

He keeps laughing and it's aggravating me. I'm about to yell about kicking his ass until he stands up and towers over me with a bright white smile on his dark face.

"I'm not laughing at you I swear... But it's pretty hilarious."

I roll my eyes and look off at the mountains in the distance being caressed by pillowy clouds.

"I'm sorry," he's now standing next to me, staring off at the mountains as well.

I shrug, "ain't nothing to apologize for."

He hums once then we're silent. It's not an awkward silence though, at least not for me.

A nice breeze billows and I close my eyes trying to calm myself down. I know I'm not mad at Sasha, Terrance or even this guy, but I'm mad at myself.

"Had anymore wild nights?" The boy next to me asks.

"Huh?" I ask, snatched from my thoughts.

He glances at me shortly, "you got shitfaced last time you were here, fell asleep on my couch."

I stand there racking my brain for these memories when a figurative light bulb pops out of my head.

"Oh shit! All I remember is blunts and liquor. Everything else is gone with that night."

He chuckles and shakes his head, "damn, you must've been really fucked up. You held it together a little bit there though."

"I take it your night wasn't as lit as mine then, doing something wrong."

He chuckles again, "nah, I was just helping you out."

I whip my head to look at him, "what you mean?"

"You were sweaty, vomiting, wanted to go home, pretty fucking helpless... I helped you outside, tried to get you an uber but you couldn't tell me your address. After a while I helped you on the couch and you crashed into sleep."

I can't help but ask, like it'd make a difference that I did.

"You didn't try anything did you?"

A look crosses his face, he shakes his head. "Nah... Just tried preventing you from fucking yourself up more."

I look away embarrassed, "uh... well, thank you."

"Of course."

After a little while, I don't mind that Sasha is still locked in the room. The guy, his name is Dwayne, and he's actually kind of funny and sweet. We talk about random stupid stuff, mainly about obscure memes on the internet.

"You know those mukbong videos?" he asks.

I'm already giggling, "yeah."

"The fuck's up with that?"

"I mean, there's the ASMR-"

He cuts in, "Yeah, yeah I get the ASMR thing, neuroorgasm and whatever. But what the hell, let's have one person or a handful of people do that shit. We don't need everyone hopping on it. I swear, I hate social media, everything's a god damn trend."

I nod in agreeance, "follow the leader, follow the dollar." I shrug, "it's what we've been trained to do."

"Sheep in every aspect of life..."

I look at him, he appears annoyed and it's kind of funny that it's upsetting him this much. I smile and look away.

"Hey, so" he looks at his phone. "It's been a minute... Down to smoke a blunt?"

"Never gotta ask, remember that, I'm always down, to get hiiiiiigh."

We laugh more, then he gets to rolling, soon after we get to puffing and passing.

Then things get awkward.

"I bet you're only into light skin dudes aren't you?" He asks.

I bring the blunt to my lips, "what makes you assume that?"

He shrugs, "just seem like that type of girl."

"What, like I'm shallow?" I snipe.

He tries backtracking, "nah, nah, nothing like that... You're just really pretty."

I don't reply at first, he shrugs, I pass him the blunt.

"I'm not exactly lite brite myself, if you havent noticed." I say, "only thing I judge is your attitude."

He hums once, "I like that... I like you."

"Everybody likes me," I joke.

He laughs lightly, pulls on the blunt for a few moments.

"Well if you're so liked, you must have a boyfriend."

I'm caught off guard, "uh not really, no."

"Down to go on a date sometime?" He asks.

Abort. Abort. Abort!

Why is my first thought about Adeen? I should be saying, fuck Adeen, yeah let's go out. But instead I'm wondering, what would Adeen think? He wouldn't like that Dwayne is asking me out. Even with all the anger and frustration I have, it'd feel like betrayal against Adeen.

I sigh and look down at the concrete below my feet.

"That's probably not a good idea right now."

Dwayne shrugs and nods, never pressing the matter more.