Solace

4.

☾

The party was dark and hot. Loud music blared from the speakers as the dj played some twerk music. Guys were rushing to the stage where the dj booth was in front of the party because a group of girls were shaking ass and giving leans.

A sweaty boy brushed past Nyla and she cringed as his damp T-shirt rubbed against her arm. Nyla had lost Monique the minute they stepped into the building and she was trying to find a spot on the wall in the back to chill on until her friend texted her phone.

Nyla didn't really do parties and she only came because Monique begged her. But then again she didn't want to be sitting at home on a Friday night all by herself so Monique didn't have to do much to convince her.

Nyla leaned against the wall as she pulled her phone from her pocket. The bright screen illuminated her face in the darkness of the party. She had three text messages from King and one from her mom. She slid open her mom's message. It read,

Mi Madre: Be safe and have fun. I put a plate in the microwave in case you come home hungry.

Nyla responsed with a thumbs up emoji then slid open King's messages.

King: going to the party?
King: guess you didn't see my message huh?
King: at the party wya?

She looked up from her phone and scanned the room looking for his familiar face but it was no use. It was too dark and crowded at that damn party for her to see anything. She decided to text back.

Nyla: bathroom wbu

King: Omw stay wya

King responded back lightning fast and Nyla shook her head smiling at the phone. She locked it and turned to make her way to the restroom but she was stopped by a tall figure.

"Who got you smiling at yo phone like that?" The figure said snatching it from her hands. Nyla looked up to see Kareem Mills. He was a huge solid built man who towered over her standing at 6 feet 4 inches. He was 3 years older than her and had graduated 2 years ago.

Kareem stayed two houses down from Nyla with his grandma and two brothers. Nyla's mom used to babysit him and his brothers when his grandma would work late so the two basically grew up together. Nyla didn't really like him because he did too much. He always wanted to be the center of attention, showing off his new diamond teeth and his gold chains. He was they type that flashed his money and his guns all on social media. Everybody know Kareem ran drugs for Dallas, the neighborhood's biggest drug dealer. His grandma didn't say much cause he brought money to the house and took care of her and his brothers. Nyla didn't really think it was appropriate for his own grandma to encourage him to be selling drugs but then again she minded her business.

"Kareem gimmie my phone." She demanded grabbing for it but he held it up higher out of her reach.

"Nahh what nigga you texting? Who got you cheesing so hard?"

"Kareem!" She grumbled folding her arms across her chest. There was no use in fighting him. He was way bigger and stronger so trying to pry the phone from his hands was going to be hard. Plus she didn't have the energy anyways. Her and Monique had smoked a few more blunts before heading to the party and some guy had let her waterfall his Hennessy if she let him pour it into her mouth.

The phone vibrated and Kareem's eyes lit up as King's name flashed across the screen.

"King? Kingston Moncrief? The nigga that work at Benny's?" He said laughing holding out the phone. She reached for it but he snatched it back making her frown.