Polyamorous

 

            Damian leaned against the wall, irritated as hell, tired as hell, and bound to bring hell. A lit cigarette hung limply from the corner of his mouth and his hands were stuffed into his pockets. He was upset for the right reasons--he would let them know it too. He took a drag of the cancer stick when he saw Kaiya pass by.

            “Hey,” he said grabbing her shoulder, “I’d like you to explain something to me.”

            She raised an eyebrow. “Explain? Explain what?”

            “Explain how the f**k those damn firecrackers of yours came into existence.”

           She stepped back from his hand. “I don’t have to explain anything. What’s happened has happened. We won, you lost.”

            As she turned to walk away, he grabbed her again and said, “Okay, whatever. But I want to know how you knew about the firecrackers.”

            “How did we know?”

            “Yes, how the f**k did you know?”

            A smirk crossed her lips. Inside, he was infuriated ever more. She answered, “What if it’s not the fact that we knew?”

            He let her walk away. When she was out of sight, he threw his cigarette down in frustration and rubbed it into the concrete with his shoe. He would find out.

 

            Pride defined her today. She wore it like it was a piece of clothing.

            Ronnie strode into Biology, and she couldn’t help but grin. She’d been grinning all morning at the faces of last night’s opponents. She didn’t usually like being this way, but her gang had been without a win for a while. Of course she’d be proud.

            Billy’s eyes were boring dead straight at her, not in a glare, but in that expressionless way he used to make humans uncomfortable. And she was quite uncomfortable. She went to her seat in front of his, but did not sit down.

            “Well? What do you want?”

            He didn’t answer her. She set her stuff down so she could cross her arms.

            “Come on. I know you got something to say.”

            He blinked.

            She bit her lip and said, “Okay, fine. Just keep being a… weird… staring… freak.” She sat down and got herself situated--yet she could still feel his eyes in her back. She turned to see exactly that.

            “Look here. I’m not gonna spend this class period sitting in front of you like that. If you got something on your mind, tell me already. Come on now.”

            He stared a second more. His words came out in a quiet string.

            “You had a spy.”

            She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion--then understood what he meant. Her eyes darted to the bruise on his cheek.

            “No,” she said, “we did not. I would like to point out that it was most likely your teammate’s fault.”

            He gave her a quizzical look. “Our fault?”

            “Yes.”

            “Why would it be our fault?”

            Ronnie rubbed her temples; she could feel a migraine coming on. “Just letting you know, you might want to be more careful when it comes to hiding crap.” She turned back around, not wanting to continue the conversation. But of course, he didn’t let it go so easy.

            “What do you mean by hiding crap?”

            Not turning back around, she replied in her smart-aleck manner, “Exactly what I said.”

            It was alright for him. This was a subject that wouldn’t be dropped so fast.

 

           

            Cleaning the blade seemed the only thing he could do. He would shine the rust over and over until he did not know what he was doing anymore.

 

            Darian sat quietly as always, and this was his method to avoid any contemptuous faces--not that he would care. Class would be over soon. He could get the hell out of the stupid place and finally go see his people.

            The bell rang, and he was out of there before anyone else. Outside he stood by the brick wall and waited. One of the first people he saw come out was Damian, who practically ran out. The senior stopped and stood by the flagpole, crossing his arms, waiting as well with his headphones around his neck. Darian scrutinized his eyes; Damian watched the school doors like a hawk. Darian had a feeling he knew what was about to go down, especially with who. He observed it intently.

            Ronnie came out with her head down as usual, reading whatever was on her clipboard. She walked past the flagpole without looking up.

            “Hey,” Dame called.

            She glanced at him warily. He jumped down from the brick platform to get closer.

            “I want to know who did it.”

            She rolled her eyes and began to turn on her way, but he wasn’t going to let her go like he did Kaiya. He got in front of her.

            “You’re going to tell me, d****t.”

            She backed up. “I can’t be late to my ride again. Just message me, okay?”

            He gave a sigh of frustration, but nevertheless moved out of her way. She gave him the smile he used to love before leaving. Behind him Gabe and Billy approached him.

            “No one did it,” said Gabe. Dame raised an eyebrow.

            “What?”

            “They didn’t have anyone do it. It was a mistake that they knew.”

            “A mistake?”

            Billy fiddled with his watch. “The firecrackers fell out of someone’s bag and they decided to use that knowledge to their advantage.”

            Damian facepalmed. “Don’t even tell me who it was…. No, tell me. Richie? Nate?”

            Gabe shrugged. “We don’t know. But we didn’t have anyone spy on us.”

            Dame rubbed his eyes and sighed. It had been a stressful day. “I need a drink.”

            “Let’s go grab a drink then.”

            Richie came up to them, and the four of them walked to pile in the Beamer.

 

            Just when you think that you’re alright

            I’m callin’ out from the inside

            I never hurt anyone

            I never listen at all

 

            In the bar (they passed with fake ID’s) they sat at the very back where they could observe everything else. Gabe was on his fourth beer, Richie on his second, Billy… well, he had no limit. Damian lounged like a cat as he ran a finger around the top of his drink, scanning the rest of the area with flat disinterest. He wanted to at least get tipsy, but even that desire had lost its fire. (Lookie here, I’m a damn poet).

            “Dame, look at that,” said Richie as he elbowed him. He was irritated.

            “Look at what?”
            “Her. She looks good.”

            Damian peered over and to cut it short, the hunter in him was roused. He whistled softly to signify his opinion.

            “Oh yeah. Yeah, she does look good.”

            Richie smirked. “I bet you can’t get her number.”

            Dame’s mouth contorted into that concentrated, slight pucker. Finally he stood up and said, “I bet I can. I bet I will.”

            He strode over to the young woman, putting on his sleek charm and charisma, and gave her his signature sideways smirk.

            “Hey,” he said.

            She looked him up and down--he hoped it was just to take in the full package and not in disgust. One corner of her lips turned up.

            “I know what you want.”

            He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Oh, you do?”

            “Yeah. Unfortunately my number is private.” She surveyed his figure again. “But we can go upstairs.”

            His expression changed to something sly, but a little lost. “Upstairs?”

            “Yes, upstairs. Because that should be fun…” She winked. “Follow me if you want it.”

            She went past him, her perfect hips swaying mesmerizingly. He glanced to his friends; they were drunk and smiling like idiots. He followed the female up the stairs, a revived excitement in his system.

            She led him into a room inhabited by only a bed. There were no windows, the walls were falling apart, but he figured it would definitely do. She sat on the edge of the bed, her facial expression coy. He reciprocated and let the hunter out, getting on top of her and attacking her lips. The messages on the phone in his pocket were utterly ignored.

 

           Kaiya brushed Ronnie’s hair whilst sitting on her bed. It was 10:30, and still no reply from any of her friends.

            “How’s Brandon?”

            Kaiya shrugged. “Like everyone else he was questioning me, but he’s not upset. Did you check your phone?”

            Ronnie went for her pocket, but then withdrew her hand. “Nah, it’s not going to matter. You know how he is, if he doesn’t answer in like five minutes, he’s not going to answer for the rest of the night.”

            “True, true.”

            A few minutes went by in comfortable silence. The iPod speakers on the dresser softly played Serj Tankian, the tacked pictures on the wall swayed a little bit. This was one of those nights where everyone else was out doing whatever and they were at home in a relaxed sort of solitude.

            Then, the doorbell rang.

            Kaiya and Ronnie looked at each other in confusion. They slowly stood up and went downstairs to peek out of the window. Their eyes widened, and they hurried to open the door.

            James was standing there with Darian, his car parked next to the grass of the front yard. Darian had his hood on, looking rather unhappy.

            “Dude, what are you doing here?” Kaiya asked. James pursed his lips.

            “We were in the neighborhood and decided to stop by,” he said, “and to let you know that Dame’s buddies left him at a bar.”

            Ronnie inclined her head with a slight jolt. “Left him? Left him at a bar? What do you mean by that?”

            Darian spoke up. “Exactly what we mean. They were so drunk that they forgot about him and drove home in his Beamer.”

            Both girls were speechless for a moment--but then they remembered their friends were idiots.

            “Okay,” Ronnie said, “so does that mean we have to go get him?”

            James shrugged. “I guess. But it’s closed right now. Apparently he’s in a rented room upstairs and well, it’d be no use to go get him until morning.”

            She rubbed her temples again, thinking of the crap she’d chew Dame out with. Her jaw tightened. “Alright. Yeah. Thanks a lot guys. We’ll be on it tomorrow.”

           

            The day has come to an end

            The sun is over my head

            My polyamorous friend

            You’ve got me in a mess of trouble again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZtACZR-hNk