Before My Eyes

The Kitchen

I pull my trackies back on and creep down the silent staircase to the kitchen, still only in my bra. It's completely pitch black, so after fumbling my hand on a wall for a bit, I finally find the light.

As I open the cupboard to get out two mugs, I hear someone giggling, their sound coming closer and closer. I turn back around to see Raff and Mazie backing into the kitchen, his face nuzzling into her neck and her laughing.

"Hi guys."

They both jump away from each other, but I see Raff's hands finding their way back to her waist. His eyes linger on me for a second.

"What are you doing here?" He'sfrowning and obviously motioning at me to leave.
"Just getting tea and stuff."

I pour boiling water over the tea bags and stand by the counter, stirring them.
"I'm going to the toilet." Raff turns, kisses Mazie on the cheek and walks out.
Mazie edges towards me.

"Mal, do you have a spare condom?"
"Not on me, but there's some in Rizo's parents' room in the bedside draw."
"Cool thanks babe."

Just at that point Raff walks back into the room.

"Alright let's go back then, Maze."
He's standing in the doorway, leaning to one side and beckoning Mazie over. She tells him that there's condoms in Rizo's parents' room.

"How'd you know?"
"Mali." Mazie skips back up to him, only turning back around to smile at me.
"Ah cool, see you Mal." His eyes wander for a moment and with that they run back upstairs.

Once they leave, I open the drawer underneath one of the kitchen counters. The draw I had slipped in there earlier thankfully hasn't been taken, so I take the baggy and put it in between my teeth.

Holding the two mugs of tea, I climb back up stairs.

Ollie's lying on the bed in his trackies when I walk in. He sits up and after I put the teas down, grabs me by my waist and pulls me down to him, so we're lying side by side.

He starts rolling a zoot.
"You're alright at that."
"Yup.. I am. You're pretty good at things too." He's smirking down at his hands.
"Yup, I am."

He lights the zoot, inhales and then holds it to my own lips. I hear the vibration of his phone in his trackie pocket. He takes it out and scrolls through his messages and then gets up off the bed, pulling on a shirt.

"What, where you going?" I frown at him.
"Just out. Got some mates around here."
"Cool.. see you then."

I take another toke from the joint. As he's walking out the door, he turns back and says, "Can I finish that?"

What the fuck?

I cock my head to the side slightly. "No..?"
He shrugs. "Worth a try" and walks out.
After I finish, I throw the stub into the bathroom bin and walk down the corridor to the stairway.

"Riz? Rizo?" My shouts echo down the stairs and soon enough I hear her running feet.

"Maliiii, where have you been?" She's clambering up the stairs on her hands and knees. When she finally arrives at the top, I slip my arm around her and guide her back to the spare room I was just in.

"C'mon lie down now, Riz." She flops onto the bed, a lopsided smile still sloping across her face. I manoeuvre her under the duvet and then tuck myself in there too.

"Where's Ollie gone?" Her voice wavers off towards the end.
"Dunno really."

Her breathing slows and she slumps down further in the bed. I do the same and feel my body sink into the mattress, my eyes drooping shut.