Paradise Blvd. Year One

Chapter Ten

Friday

"We all just live from one moment, to the next. For some of us, it's bad moment to bad moment, 'cause we're just dreading the next one when the last one ends. For some, it's good moment to good moment, like chasing a fix or a high." Marion whimpered as Tulip pulled his left arm. It was finally out of the sling and she was helping him do some stretch exercises.

"That's all very enlightening," she said, "but what's the point?"

He sighed. "We've gotten over this, already. I don't know how to bring things up, but I wanna bring them up, so I just do. And, besides, I thought my pointless profound ranting turned you on."

She scoffed. Marion was the only other person she'd told about Lucien. That's why he hadn't kissed her. He knew there was something off, but he didn't want to push. He gave her room and she just told him at one point. Marion wanted to throw hands with Lucien, even though he knew he'd lose. He also knew that it wasn't his place to do that; that Tulip didn't need a knight in shining armour, just a friend.

Either way, he did confront Lucien before rewinding time and erasing his actions. He'd also come to find out about Tulip's abilities. They'd experimented at the park and she was loud!

"The point is a question. Is that all there really is to life?" Marion asked. "Moments? Just packages of time, strung together by our fear of death and unwillingness to live? I wonder what would happen if one of us, any one of us, chose to live. I don't think I've met anyone who's done that."

"What are we doing now?" Tulip asked, letting go of his arm.

"Existing."

•

Marceline was reading, sitting on the floor against her bed when the door opened. Her short, little brother stood at the door with Veronica behind him. Marceline stood up as Veronica brushed her hand through Tyler's afro. "Thanks, Ty."

He rushed out of the room before Veronica walked in and closed the door. Marceline didn't say anything as her friend made herself comfortable

Veronica sat on her study desk and turned to her. "See? I'm fine. Esau Collins didn't do anything to me."

"Oh." Marceline almost scoffed. "I guess I was wrong."

"I understand why you were concerned, though," said Veronica. "And I'm sorry I was so bitchy. I thank you, Marceline. You're a real good friend."

She nodded before rushing into her bathroom and puking into the toilet. Veronica followed her but stopped at the door. "Are you ok?"

"Um..." Marceline started after she caught her breath. "Girl stuff."

Veronica sighed.

•

"You still do your runs?" Troye asked.

Forest nodded. "Yeah, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night," he said. "I've got a meeting with Graves before tonight's crawl, I think I'll tell him then."

"About the prize money?" Troye asked. Forest and his sister and Sailor had won the talent show and a cash prize of one hundred thousand. His reasons for drug dealing was to make money for his mother's cancer treatment and to look cool doing it. With the talent show money and what he'd made from dealing cocaine, they would be good for a while. Then, he'd reach eighteen and he'd be able to cash in his share of the money and the business that Ms. Cheyenne King had left them. His mom would be set for all the treatments and the remaining money would allow him to live comfortably for years. After the mourning and the acceptance that they'd lost their mentor, Forest joked about dropping out of school and disappearing. Maybe it was only a joke because he was still too young.