The Sky Has Fallen

| Chapter 12: David

Despite the sunlight glittering across the bright, clear skies with the help of the Pylon ship, David managed to hide from the light. He stood in an alley, under a balcony too big to be within city code. With his back pressed against the building's brick exterior, he looked up at a passing cloud. Irritation was etched on every bit of his face.

Gus' voice rang in his head as he pressed his phone against his ear.

"I need a ride home, man..." Gus said. He sounded defeated.

David couldn't help but shake his head. Gus had given himself one job, just one. And in David's eyes, it wasn't a difficult one. All he had to do was go downtown and confess his crime. But David couldn't help but feel as though Gus couldn't get that right. He also couldn't help the thoughts of their childhood because Gus clearly hadn't grown up and changed, as he should've.

"You need me to get you?" David held saliva in his cheek for a minute before he spit it out. "Why do I need to get you?"

"Because—"

David looked down the alley, listening out for footsteps. He'd been standing there for fifteen minutes, waiting, watching. It was easier to get things done without Gus around and he was happy to be alone.

"Because, David, I don't know my way back home."

With the phone still pressed against his face, David turned, moving deeper into the alleyway. He spit once more before clearing his throat. "You knew to reach me from your phone, right? Use it. Call for a ride."

"I am calling for one," Gus grumbled on the other line. "I'm calling you."

Calling me. David rolled his eyes as he looked up at the sky once more. He was able to make out the end of the Pylon's ship above the clouds. He squinted, staring at it. Glaring at it. And cursed it.

If the ship hadn't fallen apart the night before, he wouldn't have been standing in an alley right there.

"You think I got a car?" David hissed as he turned around. The footsteps he'd been waiting for finally arrived. When he looked to see who they belonged to, he found himself looking at a Pylon wearing a sweater, despite Chicago's warmer than normal afternoon weather. In the alien's hands was a backpack, sealed and zipped shut.

"Can't you get my tío's car? I mean, come on. He's got two in the garage, right?" Gus complained on the other end.

David pursed his lips as the Pylon came closer. With him on the phone, both the alien and David knew they couldn't say a word.

Under the Pylon's hooded sweater, David caught an impatient yellow stare. The look alone said hang up the goddamn phone.

"All right, fine," David sighed. "Give me like an hour. Text me where you're at. I'll get you."

"Thanks, man," Gus said. "I appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah..." David didn't give his cousin the chance to hang up the phone.

As his thumb canceled the call and his hand forced his cellphone into the back pocket of his jeans, he looked back at the Pylon carrying the school bag. "Is this the usual?" David asked him. "Double the order or nah?"

"Can't double it." A look of relief fell over the alien's face once the phone was gone. He handed David the backpack and watched as David unzipped the top, glancing inside. The alien cleared his throat. "We couldn't grab any extras this time."

"Shit." David rolled his head around his shoulders as he shut the bag closed again. "Y'all made that noise last night, breaking shit, I figured everything had been stolen."

"What?" The Pylon shook his head before running his hand underneath the hood. He hissed as he glanced at his palm. Sticky with sweat, he swiped it against his jeans before looking back at David and said, "You mean the engine falling?"

"Engine?" David's eyes widened. "Shit, that's messed up. Why break the engine? Need a distraction that bad?"

"It wasn't us." With a heavy sigh, the Pylon turned his head and glanced back down the alleyway. "We wouldn't do that. Never needed to. That was something else."

"Ahuh..." David pressed his tongue against his cheek.

"Besides," the Pylon shrugged, "because of it, we couldn't even get the product out. We weren't going to risk our asses for it."

"The fuck?" David narrowed his eyes and leaned closer. "You mean to tell me y'all couldn't text me that shit? I went up there, man. I fuckin' waited."

Again, the alien shrugged. He glanced up at the sky as the ship passed by once more.

"What if I died, huh? Y'all ain't got no fuckin' manners, I swear."

Chuckling, the Pylon looked back at David and said, "Manners? You act like a drug dealer with a fucking heart, man. You got the Sapphire you asked for. Deal it. Fifty percent comes back our way."

Yeah, yeah, yeah... David rolled eyes as he shouldered the bag. It was heavier than the others he'd delivered, so that was a good thing. But a part of him was worried about being able to sell it all.

Normally, a pop of Sapphire got him a good one hundred dollars per vial. Everyone crowded him for it. At parks, at the gym. Athletes wanted it the most. Once they were able to get their share, he ventured into the streets and found others to grab a vial or two.

Sapphire was a good 'healing' shot, sure, but if pushed into the right vein, it could induce other effects. Long lasting, winding, hallucinating effects. For that purpose, one would need to buy and take four or five vials of the ether. And David wasn't one to decline the sale.

But after the event at the fair, after a woman died in front of everyone's eyes, he wasn't so sure he could sell it all.

Having delivered the goods, the Pylon finally turned. He whistled as he made his way back towards the street.

David reached out to grab his sleeve. "Hey, this shit ain't laced, is it?" he asked.

The Pylon turned, arching a brow as he looked at him. "The fuck if I know."

David pursed his lips. "It's yours though. Your people. So, you should know."

"Well,"" the alien shook his head, "I don't know."

"Look," David sighed, "I'm good for selling a high or two, but killing someone? I don't know. Murder don't look good on my hands."

A car drove by, too close to the alleyway. Both David and the Pylon stepped back, pressing themselves against the wall. Once silence settled in the streets around them, the Pylon turned to look down at David. "Who's to say you ain't killed someone yet?" He lifted his brows. "You think a hype's going to run to a hospital if they feel like shit after. They could've died already, you don't know."

David stepped back, away from him. "Don't say that shit."

"Sorry, not sorry." The alien turned back towards the street. "You wanted in on this game, ain't no way out. Just sell the shit and let me know when you're done."

David grumbled under his breath as he watched the alien step out onto the sidewalk, leaving him alone in the alleyway. He lifted the bag higher on his shoulder, almost filled with guilt and regret. Almost.

The Pylon had a point.

David wanted in on the game. He wanted the cash flow, the life his dad once had. And he was in too deep to leave.

A little Sapphire never hurt anyone, anyway. It'd been around for too long for anyone to really care. And if the Pylons left with their magical drug, he thought fuck it, let them. But until then, he had sales to make.

After he picked up Gus and took him back home.