When We First Meth

Bro, Youre Totally Not A Billionaire

"We have to be certain it's lung cancer you have."

"I had already paid for the last one with my insurance, and we'll stick with the result."

"Come on, man."

"I'm fine." Darell stood, his jaw muscles tightening as he entered the bathroom, shutting the door.

He gazed at himself in the mirror. His formerly plump cheeks now had prominent cheekbones showing. He ran his fingers over his face, feeling the rough, dry skin.

"Just six months. It's just six months."

The tears rolled down his cheeks, burning his skin with their prickling warmness. He had dreams. All he had wanted at first was to be the world's most influential author, and now here he was, just looking for one flimsy date with a girl he had been obsessed with.

He chuckled, the salty tears slipping into his lips. How the mighty had fallen.

"I only date Billionaires."

Those words rang through his head. He was nowhere near Billionaire status. As a matter of fact, the amount of debt he had on his card was enough to sink the country's economy.

A knock came on the door. "Hey man, I know you're crying like a bitch again."

Darell smiled, shaking his head.

"Just so you know, I'm with you through all this."

"I know Ken."

Ken was making way more money than Darell's job as a poorly paid ghostwriter. His friend had enough money to leave him all alone im this pig sty. But he decided to stay with him and keep paying the rent no matter how many times Darell begged to split the bill. If only he had scored a job using his stupid pharmacy certificate,  surely his friend wouldn't have to stoop so low for him.

"I know what will cheer you up."

Darell wiped his tears. "Oh really?"

"Yes. A ball."

"A ball?"

"Yes."

"That doesn't sound like your thing."

"I know, but it's your thing. You write historical romances, yeah? Those little stupid ball parties your characters always have and the whole dance card bullshit."

"You read my book?" Darell opened the door, shock coursing through his veins.

Ken shrugged, his face turning red. "I might've."

"Wow."

"Bro, please don't make this into something emotional. You writers tend to do this nonsense."

Darell's heart thawed at his friend's kind gesture. He had always wanted the goat to check out his book, but he always came up with an excuse. He never knew he would take the time to read it.

"Ken, you sweetheart," Darell said, grinning.

Ken rolled his eyes. "Here we go." He showed the middle finger and walked towards his wardrobe. "Let's see if I have something in my wardrobe that would fit you."

***

As the evening sun bid adieu, giving way to the twilight, Darrell found himself amid a dazzling spectacle, one that Ken had persuaded him to immerse in, in an attempt to mend the fragments of his heart, which had recently acquainted with the bitterness of unreciprocated affection. The magnificent ball, like Ken had asserted, seemed to be the perfect place to unwind and perhaps find a new beginning.

Darrell couldn't ignore the majestic allure of the hotel where the ball was being held. The place's grandeur was almost intimidating, its sprawling façade bathed in the soft glow of elegant street lamps. The meticulously carved stone accents spoke volumes about the heritage and the royal legacy the place upheld. Equally impressive was the fleet of luxurious vehicles that thronged the vicinity, a symphony of opulence and sophistication, where chrome and glitter danced a harmonious waltz under the moon's gentle glow.

As they approached the entrance, a tapestry of elegance unfolded before Darrell's eyes. The interior was a haven of refined beauty, where sparkling chandeliers cast a golden glow on the intricate patterns woven into the plush carpets. The delicate whispers of silk gowns rustled in harmonious rhythm with the soft music that floated through the grand hallway.

Their arrival was marked with a polite request for the invitation, to which Ken promptly responded, flashing their golden tickets with a proud smirk. Darrell nodded politely, his mind still somewhat ensnared with the thoughts of Tessa.

But before he could immerse himself deeper into the sea of elegantly dressed guests, a frantic burst of camera flashes pulled him back to reality. Like a scene straight from a movie, a Rolls Royce gracefully halted on the red carpet that sprawled in front of the grand edifice. His heart leaped to his throat as the first door opened, revealing a vision that seemed to eclipse the starlit night itself.

Tessa emerged, a vision in white, the gentle folds of her gown cascading around her like a cascade of moonbeams. The gown clung to her grace, amplifying her ethereal beauty, making Darrell's heartache with a longing that seemed to deepen with each passing second. She looked nothing short of a celestial being, an embodiment of the dreams that had often cradled him in the lonely corners of the night.

Beside her, a figure unfolded, stepping into the limelight with a grace that matched hers. The tall, handsome man with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes seemed to blend seamlessly into the fairy-tale scene, an epitome of the prince charming that graced the pages of romantic tales.

"Who is that?" Darell asked, tapping Ken.

"The vitiligo babe? That's Tessa, you dumbass."

"No, I mean the blonde guy. "

"Oh, that's Oscar Hernandez."

"You say it like I should know who he is."

"Dude's worth like twenty billion dollars."

And she's smiling next to him as they take pictures.

That smile was meant to be for Darell, not a stuck-up handsome piece of shit who thought he could have any girl he wanted because he was good-looking and had decent amount of money.

Decent? Bro, the dude has twenty billion dollars.

Darell tightened his jaw, his fists balling.

"Woah, woah, bro. You look like you want to kill him." Ken held Darell's fist. "Relax man, you can totally be a billionaire if you want to."

"How, by fucking lying to myself every morning that one day my book would become a best seller?"

"Something like that."

Darell looked at Tessa and the foolish billionaire one more time before he said, "Fuck this, let's go in."