Not Weak, Just Stronger

Chapter 24: Work Hard, Play Less

1:50am - Manhattan, New York

The gang ended up leaving early due to Lauren needing to go home and Camila's need to take care of her; the point was to stick together and no one was going home alone. They figured it'd be fun to make the night last a little longer by walking to take the subway—and it was a long walk to the station. Gerald called off his limo and sent home his bodyguard so they could have a good time in the night, wandering through the deserted sidewalks as it drizzled a bit, leaving the streets to reflect shiny lights from the houses and buildings and traffic lights. Neels gave María a piggyback ride half the way and Gerald walked with his arm around Kehlani, Jesse was the third wheel that goofed around the most. Camila lingered a little behind them and had Lauren with her arm draped around her shoulder. Camila didn't know Lauren drank a little more when she was freshening up in the bathroom, but the green eyed girl could barely walk straight.

"Sir, have you been drinking tonight?" Jesse asked with his phone flashlight directed at Neels's face.

"Yes," he replied enthusiastically.

"What have you been drinking?"

"Yes."

"Do any of you remember what breast milk tastes like, and would you drink it?" asked María randomly. They all turned to her, disgusted but intrigued.

"Shit, I don't know. But if a milf offered me a glass of her milk, broo, I'd pour a bowl of cereal," Gerald slurred and giggled, not walking straight either.

Kehlani snorted. "María, how did you even come up with that question and why?"

"I dunno. It just popped into my head," she giggled too and dropped her face into Neels's shoulder, wrapping her legs tighter around his waist as he lifted her higher on his back.

"María, you're from Spain, right? Like you're Spanish?" asked Gerald.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Do y'all know what Santería is down there, by any chance?"

"What—"

"Oh my god, you guys! I just remembered this trip I had that I wrote about in my journal and—" Kehlani cut María off just to get cut off herself.

"Santería sounds like the forbidden Las Vegas, only it's in Mexico," said Neels.

"Where did you go?" asked Jesse with a playful smile.

"A trip on drugs. I didn't go anywhere, stupid."

"Is there a place called Santería? I feel like there should be, that's actually not a bad idea to have it be the forbidden Las Vegas. What happens in Santería, stays in Santería, amirite?" María spoke as though she'd taken one of those "chill pills" and faced three blunts right after, finishing with a giggle.

"Yo yo yo, there's a bodega right here and I'm starving, bro. Y'all want anything?" Gerald stopped them all, pulling out his wallet.

Lauren tipped over and fell sideways into a storefront shutter covered in grafifiti and Camila pulled her back into her side, locking their arms. Their friends looked back at them, concerned, but she waved them off. Lauren rested her back and her head on the aluminium shutter and kept her eyes closed, her head rolling side to side. Camila placed both hands on her cheeks then moved them down to the sides of her neck.

"Amor, are you hungry? Do you feel sick?" Camila asked a little above a whisper.

"Emm ffine," she slurred tiredly.

"Do you want a snack or something?" Lauren nodded and Camila brushed her hair back to try and reveal her eyes. They opened and revealed more red than green then closed again. Camila sighed softly and brought Lauren's arms to wrap around her. "Qué quieres? Hm?"