You're the Cherry I'm a Cigarette

Jack

I walked into my brother and I's house with Rian and Zack right behind me. They usually came home with me after school because we could smoke here without a problem. My brother, Joe, was one of the top drug dealers in Baltimore. He had a group of people that sold almost every drug possible for him. Even I worked for him, but he only let me sell weed because I was less likely to get in huge trouble for it. I also had to sell to make up my half of the rent. That was the only way he agreed to let me to stay with him.

When I turned sixteen I came out as gay to my parents and they kicked me out of the house. I thought they would be more accepting seeing as I'm their son and all, but they weren't. I came to my brother's house and he agreed to let me live with him as long as I paid him rent. It's been two years now and things honestly weren't that bad. I made around six to eight-hundred dollars a month and I gave him three hundred of it towards rent every month. He bought our groceries and other necessities and he let me spend the rest of my money on whatever I wanted. It was like having a part time job.

"Guys make sure you don't mention anything that happened today to Joe. He'll kill me if he finds out I almost lost my whole supply for the month." I told Rian and Zack and they nodded.

We walked into the living room where Joe and his friends were sitting. Joe stopped laughing as soon as he saw me walk in.

"Hey Jack, how was your first day back?" He asked suspiciously.

"Boring as shit, why?" I was trying not to sound guilty and give myself away, but it sounded like he already knew.

"Well not only did I get a call that you skipped three of your four classes, but I also caught wind that you were frisked by a cop." He said. He was best friends with a guy named Caleb Quinn who happened to have a little brother who went to school with me, that's probably how he found out about me getting frisked.

"Oh like you give a fuck if I go to class or not. And yeah I got frisked but he didn't find anything."

"Yeah but it was still a close call, Asshole. Be more careful. And start going to class. What sense does it make to get kicked out during your senior year." He said, and I rolled my eyes but nodded.

I took Rian and Zack to my room and sat on my bed. They sat on the beanbag chairs on my floor. I took out my own stash of weed and rolled it into three joints for us. Then I handed them their own one.

"Thanks." Zack said. "We're you really going to let that kid come over to smoke with us?" He asked.

"Yeah he saved my ass, plus he was kinda cute." I said and they both rolled their eyes at me.

"I need to be high to have this conversation with you." Rian chuckled as he lit his joint.

I laid out on my bed and smoked as I thought about that new kid. It seemed like he'd never done a bad thing in his life. I wonder how he was able to go the whole day with that big bag of weed on him. Then I started thinking of his cute brown eyes and how great it would be to have them staring up at me as he blew me. I began to chuckle to myself at how long it's been since I'd had sex. I was definitely high now.

"What's so funny?" Zack asked.

"I was just thinking about how long it's been since I've had sex." I said and they both burst into giggles.

"You sound so pathetic." Rian laughed.

"Fuck you. I should have gotten that kids number. He would have been a great fuck." I sighed.

"He looked so innocent I doubt he would have wanted to hook up with a stranger. And how do you even know if he's gay or not?" He said.

"I can tell by the way he looked at me. I could see the lust in his eyes." I laughed.

"Bro I saw fear, your first words to him were telling him to go away." Zack chuckled.

"Whatever I was just pissed off. Next time I see him I'm going to ask for his number."

"What's up with you guys finding love during our senior year? First Rian gets a crush on that Cassadee chick and now you like this guy." Zack complained.

"Eh we're just trying to enjoy our last few months of high school." Rian shrugged, and I agreed.

I was about to speak but I got a text on my phone from my friend Brendon. He was a popular football player at our school and I sold to him at least twice a week.

Brendon U.

Hey Barakat I'm having that back to school party this weekend. You're definitely coming and I'm going to buy out the rest of your stash for it.

Read 3:44pm

I jumped up at reading the message. That meant that I would sell this whole bag and get another one to sell for the rest of the month. I would double my earnings for this month!

Jack B.

You got it!

Delivered 3:45pm

"Yo you guys will never guess what Brendon just texted me!" I exclaimed to Rian and Zack.

"I'm too high to guess." Rian said.

"He wants to buy my whole stash for his back party he's throwing this weekend."

"Forreal? Dude that's a lot, each stash is worth like six-hundred dollars isn't it?" Zack asked.

"Yeah but there's only like three-hundred dollars’ worth left so he'll probably buy the rest of that and then I can just get a new bag from my brother. It's like getting paid overtime for doing nothing."

"If I wasn't scared of going to jail, I would sell this shit with you." Rian said, and I laughed.

"I've never been caught." I shrugged and knocked on wood so I would jinx myself. Joe said if I ever did get caught he wouldn't bail me out just to teach me a lesson. The most time I would probably have to spend in jail for a small amount and without bail would be two or three days. "Are you two going to go?" I asked.

"Hell yeah! Maybe I'll invite Cassadee to come with me." Rian said, and I rolled my eyes. "You should ask Alex, maybe you'll be able to get into his pants after a couple of drinks." He suggested.

"I don't need to get him drunk to have sex with me. But I can invite him to get to know him a little better." I said.

"Yeah yeah just invite the kid and hand me another joint. I'm done with mine." Zack complained.

"Fine, but only 'cause I'm making double this month."

***

Alex

I took a nap right after school today. I needed a break after the stressful day I had. I fell asleep imagining different scenarios between Jack and me. I had just met the guy today and I was already imaging us being together. He was really good looking, but he was the school drug dealer. I really shouldn't be around him, plus he probably already had a girlfriend. I fell asleep after giving myself a reality check.

My grandma came to wake me up three hours later at almost seven pm.

"Alex?" She said worriedly as she lightly shook me.

"Hmm?" I hummed.

"Oh you scared me! You were sleep for so long I thought something had happened to you." She said, and I chuckled.

"Nana, I just took a nap. I'm fine."

"A nap? You've been asleep for three and a half hours. A nap is usually like half an hour to a full hour not three."

"That's not enough time. I could have slept for two more hours if you didn't wake me." I joked, and she laughed.

"I'll never understand you teenagers. Now come eat, dinners ready." She told me.

I guess eating at seven was a better dinner time. I got out of bed and followed her downstairs. She turned the stove off and grabbed three plates to make Grandpa and my plate. It felt weird having someone else serve me my food at home, but she was used to doing it so I didn't say anything. We were having homemade lasagna for dinner.

"You must have worn yourself out at school today. I've never met anyone who slept as hard as you." Grandpa told me.

"School wasn't that bad, it's just waking up at six am and having to be at school at seven. All summer I didn't wake up until one or two. It felt like I was dying when I woke up today." I complained.

"What time did you go to bed?" Nana asked as she sat our plates down in front of us.

"Um at three am." I mumbled.

"What on Earth were you doing up at three am?" She asked.

"He was probably on Facebook all night." Grandpa joked.

"Nobody my age really uses Facebook. It's more for older people now."

"Hey we use Facebook and we're not old." Nana jokingly complained.

"Yep I guess that proves me wrong." I said sarcastically.

"You definitely have your mother’s sarcasm." Grandpa told me and I smiled.

We ate our food and I listened to my grandparents talk about their day at work. I didn't understand most of their business talk, but I understood the gossip about people at their office. I got seconds while they were still on their first plate. Grandpa waited for me to sit before talking to me again.

"So Alex, your grandma and were thinking about getting you a car." He started off and I cut in.

"Grandpa, you guys really don't have to. I'm happy that I have a new comfortable place to live. You don't have to buy me a car too."

"Nonsense, it's no trouble. We might have to work late somedays and I don't want to make you wait for us." He said.

"I can take the bus." I said, and he shook his head.

"We have the money and you're our only grandson. We don't have anyone else to spend our money on. So it won't hurt us to buy you a car." He told me. I sort of felt like he and Nana spoiled me so much because they missed out on doing it for my mom when she was my age. She was very rebellious and ran away so many times so they spent more time searching for her than actually with her.

"Also you can think of it as a late Christmas present from us." Nana added. Christmas was last month, and they sent me a card full of money.

"Oh well I mean I definitely wouldn't mind getting a car." I said and they both chuckled.

"Great then it's settled. We'll go car shopping this weekend." Nana said, and I nodded.

"Start thinking about what kind of car you want." Grandpa said. I could only name the brand of cars I knew nothing about the models.

"I'll start looking around online." I said.

We finished eating and got ready for bed. I wasn't sleepy after the long nap I took today so I stayed up watching TV and wondering if Jack was up this late too.

Notes