Heat.

| Chapter 8. |

"Yo, nigga. You passing it or baby sitting?" Maurice chuckled, reaching over and trying to grab the weed from Aaron.

"No, roll up another one. This one is mine," Aaron responded, putting the perfectly rolled joint in between his lips and taking a hit. "Really did need this. Thanks Maurice."

"Yeah, you good son." Maurice laughed, taking the blunt from someone else at the table.

Aaron smiled, taking another hit and resting his head on his palm as he propped up on his elbow. "Where does this come from?"

"Well, this shit, you were there when we took it," Maurice said bluntly, finally able to grab the joint from Aaron and inhale it. "But there's some Cobras out west that usually grow it for us."

"Ooh, that's what Cobra's do, yes?" Aaron's eyes went to Darien as it was Darien's turn. His eyes never leaving the blunt.

"Nah, just some," Darien responded, relighting it. "Some handle that, some do the money, some sell and some handle weaponry."

"And you two?" Aaron furrowed his eyebrows, grabbing the red solo cup and taking it down in one sip.

"Personal shit, AJ," Maurice laughed, looking at Darien as they watched Aaron. Maurice, Darien and a bunch of other Cobra's had been smoking and drinking too- but it didn't affect them as much as Aaron. They were used to getting drunk and high, unlike him. And now he was crossed. "To do what we do or know what we do, you gotta be a Cobra."

"I want to be Cobra!" Aaron shouted, banging his fists against the table as he spoke.

"Nah," Darien started speaking, as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "You don't."

"I can help with anything electronic. You name it and I can do it. I know so much more than messing with cameras," Aaron pleaded, as Maurice and Darien eyed him up and down. He was high as fuck. But the intoxication was only bringing out things he wouldn't admit while sober.

And that was simply the fact that he had been thinking about becoming a Cobra since the other night. He didn't want to admit it, but it weighed heavy on his mind. Especially, after seeing two people get shot in front of him in plain sight, while being shoved out of his home. And no, he wasn't sure if he wanted to become apart of a group possibly worse than what his parents were involved in, but he couldn't run this time. And sometimes, you have to ask yourself, if the kitchen is too hot, are you going to burn with it?

He swallowed. "I'm serious."

"Do you know what you gotta do to become a Cobra?" The one who answered the door, Michael, questioned Aaron with a raised eyebrow as Aaron shook his head. "We gotta jump you in." The boy answered his own question, rolling up another joint. They never seemed to end.

"Not that." Aaron's bottom lip quivered as he shook his head, his eyes darting back and forth from Darien and Maurice. It was one thing to be punched in the face- but to be jumped? No. "Anything else?" 

"You could take a life." Maurice shrugged. 

"Now come on, Mo," Darien coughed, blowing out the gray smoke. "You know damn well AJ can't take nobody life. Or a beating." 

"Well, he gotta do something," Maurice nodded, stroking his chin. "Can't be no pussy boy shit either." They all fell silent then, listening to the sound of the party happening around them as they debated on what Aaron could do. Aaron blinked a few times, trying to focus but boy, was he fucked up. 

"You ain't gotta take no life," Maurice finally stood up, waving his hands around. "But you do gotta prove something to me. Yo, clear the room!" 

At the sound of his words, everyone, including Aaron, stood to their feet, scrambling like chickens with their heads caught off as the DJ cut off the music. He felt a pair of fingers come between his, and he turned to his right, looking at Shianne. "What's going on?" 

"AJ," Maurice gestured for Aaron to sit at the table in front of him. And he obliged, still unaware of what was happening. "You sure you want this?" 

A lump formed in Aaron's throat as he nodded. "Yeah. I do." 

"No, seriously, because this what you gotta do," Maurice responded, pulling a heavy and very much real gun from his waistband. All the partygoers gasped, ones that weren't Cobras, of course, as he began emptying the chamber. "Here." 

Aaron took the gun with both his hands. Surprised on how heavy it could be. "What do I do with this?" 

"Simple," Maurice picked the gun up one more time, placing it to his temple and pulling the trigger. Everyone gasped, relief washing over them as the gun didn't go off. Cristal came to Shainne, her hands squeezing hers as they watched. Knowing better than to step into Cobra matters. "Russian Roulette." 

And Aaron didn't need to hear anything else. He knew exactly what the lethal game entailed, and although, Maurice said he didn't have to take a life... that was only if he was lucky. Because if he was unlucky, well... it would be his own life taken. 

Darien looked at Aaron, the clear look of fright on his face. "AJ. We don't play around about this shit, nah. It's a lifestyle. So, you gotta really want it."

Aaron sighed, hanging his head low. He just wanted some stability. Some protection. Change. "I don't know if I can do it."

Darien took the gun from Maurice, putting it to his temple as well and pulling. Everyone winced but him. "Ain't no shit to fear when you a Cobra." 

Aaron bit his lip and nodded, taking the gun from Darien and taking a breath. He followed suit, just like they did, putting it to his temple and getting ready to pull. 

"Oh my God, Aaron!" He heard Shianne's voice, filled with nothing but pure panic, just as he let the trigger go.