BAD IDEA ► SWEET PEA [discontinued]

― t w e n t y - o n e. You're Gonna Go Far, Kid

|| CHAPTER TWENTY - ONE ||

I had completely forgotten about the Jensen's going away party until Lzzy called me about it in the morning. They were moving back to Chicago now that their mother had recovered, and decided to do so before the New Years.

     Lzzy had called me up to help set up the party and also to help the Jensens with the move. I got dressed at met her at the park near the south side. When I arrived, Lzzy was smoking a cigarette under the 'no smoking' sign.

     "Jesus Christ, Andrews. What the fuck happened to you?" she said after blowing out a puff of smoke.

The left side of my face had swelled up a bit and was black and blue, and the cut on my face had started to scab. At least it was not as bad as yesterday. Sweet Pea wanted to meet but I was self-conscious. My face had swelled to the point where it was hard to see out of my left eye. I spent the entire day home alone with a bag of frozen peas to my face.

"A pretty successful first date, I'd say," I replied, approaching her. "To clarify he did not hit me," I corrected myself before there was misunderstanding, "We ran into some rival gang in Greendale."

     "Good lord," she replied. She reached into the pocket of her Southside Serpent jacket and fished out a pack of cigarettes then offered me a stick which I took. I held it between my teeth as she flicked open those old-fashioned flip lighters and lit my cigarette.

     I inhaled the smoke and let it fill my lungs, warming me up from the inside. "Well that's new," I said as I exhaled the smoke.

     "Cool right? Totally retro," she said, flicking it open and clicking on it to emit the small flame. "Ghost got it for me for Christmas." She closed it and placed the lighter into my hand.

     I scanned it and flipped it around in my hand. I tried to use it, clicking on the flint-wheel but the wick would not light. It sparked a few times but to no avail.

"You guys got each other right?" I gave the lighter back to Lzzy.

She nodded while inhaling the smoke and putting the lighter back into her pocket with the other hand.

She exhaled the smoke, "Got him a Christmas card with five-hundred dollars in it."

I remembered that. Ghost opened it during the secret Santa gift exchange and immediately knew that it was from Lzzy. Perks of having a rich friend.

"Did Sweet Pea get you anything for Christmas?" she continued to ask.

"Mhm, this," I held up the dog tag around my neck to Lzzy. She bent her head forward to look at the engravings.

She nodded and took a hit of cigarette. "Cute," she said. That was her last puff. She finished her smoke faster than me then threw the bud on the ground and crushed it with her shoe. "C'mon."

We walked over to Sunnyside Trailer Park while I finished up with my cigarette. We headed towards the trailers near the entrance where the Jensens were. Ghost and his dad were outside throwing away some furniture. The front door was open and Bolt and Flash's laughter could be heard from inside.

We went ahead and greeted Ghost and his dad, "Hey Ghost. Nicky."

"Hey Lzzy," Nicky greeted back, he had a box under his arm. He glanced over and pointed at me with his free hand, "Sorry, we've met before, can't remember your name."