Deleterious

Chapter 1

I gasped at the large thousand dollar house that we pulled up to, very different from my family and I's two bed, two bath apartment in Indianapolis. I got stepped out of our packed car and stood in front of the house, this new place we get to call, "home."

"Huge, isn't it?" My dad says and i nod.
"Better than the apartment?"
"Nothing could ever beat the apartment." I say as my dad hands me a small box that has my name on it.
"You guys can pick your rooms, so i suggest beating your sister in before she gets the biggest room." He says and i smile. He pats my back and kisses my cheek before i officially make my way inside the house.

When you first enter, you're met by a modern staircase. On the left of that staircase, it's a dining room for our big table and on the right, the living room. Down past the living room, you'll see the kitchen and a counter top the separates the living room from the kitchen. Down a small hallway, you're meet with two doors, on the left is the master bedroom and on the right it's the laundry room.

As i hear my family come in, i quickly make my way upstairs to pick out the biggest room possible, but there is so many doors to choose from. I end up picking the double door room at the end of the right hallway and push the door open. The room is big, bigger than the apartment we just came from. Having its own window set, a built in shelve and its own bathroom. I walk inside the bathroom and is meet with a double sink, and a shower and tub that is separated. I walk back out and vision the things i could do to this room and fall in love with it instantly.

"You like it?" My moms voice calls and i turn to look at her.
"I love it." I say and give her a smile. She makes way over to me and grabs the both of my shoulders with her hands. She kisses my forehead and rubs her thumps against my shoulders.
"Stay out of trouble, okay?" She whispers and i nod.

It wasn't like i was a bad kid or something in Indianapolis, but i hung out with the wrong people and was caught in a bad place at a bad time. I didn't really do anything but i took the blame so my so-called friends wouldn't have to. But this was my fresh start, and i was going to use to my advantages.

Mom and I walk our way downstairs and the sight of seeing my father freak out, freaks me out.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"We don't have any mayo for our sandwiches tonight." My dad responds.
"We can just eat our sandwiches without mayo." My mom says and dad and i both look at her. She looks between my father and i for a quick moment before shrugging.
"What?" She asked.
"Having no mayo on a sandwich is basically opening the door to being the next Ted Bundy." I say as i look at her in disgust and my dad laughs.

"Whatever." She says rolling her eyes.
"I can go to the corner store and get some." I say.
"Are you sure?" My dad ask and i nod.
"There's a small convenience store right at the end of the street, i won't get lost." I say and open my hand so my dad can give me the money. He hesitates to grab his wallet out his back pocket. Not because he doesn't trust me, but because he doesn't trust me in this new city alone...by myself.
"Do you want your kid to be the next Ted Bundy?" I ask and my dad shakes his head no and palms a $20 in my hand.

"I'll be back." I say as i make my way out of the door. I choose to walk since the weather is actually nice enough here to walk in and not cold as it is in Indianapolis. The walk is short as i find myself walking up the lot to the store entrance.

"Hey." A man voice calls and i look back to see a ginger man with blue eyes who obviously looks like his in his early 20s is sitting a a folding chair. The ones you see when the church is crowded or when you're at a cookout.
"Hey..." I respond awkwardly.
"You new here?" He ask and i nod.
"My family and I moved right up the street."
"Are you with the feds?"
"No." I respond quickly and shortly.
"Cool, cool."
"Yea." I say and kick the gravel underneath my foot.

"I'm Fezco but everybody calls me Fez. I'm the neighborhood drug man." He says so proudly.
"Indigo."
"Like the color?"
"Yes."
"Why a color?"
"My mom believes that you can base a person auras on a color."
"Do you believe that?" He ask and i nod.
"What's my color?"
"Lime green." I respond quickly.
"Why lime green?"

"Because you're confident and have high energy. But the downside is that youre materialism and inexperience." I say and the silence becomes thick between the two of us.
"I know somebody you might like." He says. "But go in there and get what you need. Be careful when you get a drink though, most of those doors lead to the drug world." He says and i nod as i slowly turn around and walk in.

A couple minutes go back and i can hear his voice along side another voice that sounds like a female. I make my way over to the edge of the door to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"There's this new girl in town who i think that you will really like."
"No offense Fez, but last time you said that, i end up getting my heartbroken." She says. I listen a bit longer before making my presence known. As i walk out, the light skin girl with the uncomb curly brown hair is staring at me from head to toe until i'm eventually in front of her.

"Indigo, this is Rue. Rue, Indigo." Fezco says and i give her smile. She looks at Fezco then back at me.
"Do you want to go to a party with me tonight? I assume you're going to be going to East highland and there's going to be a few people i can introduce you to."
"Sure." I say without really putting much thought into it.
"Cool. I'll pick you up at your house at 9 tonight?" She ask and i nod.

Rue and I exchange numbers and i make way home. As soon as i get inside and put the stuff down the counter, i text Rue the address and she sends me a thumbs up emoji. I put my phone on the charger and pack away a few boxes before checking the time.
"It's 7pm so i should get ready now." I say to myself as i take my clothes off and head to the bathroom.

It takes me a minute or two to work the shower before i can actually get in it. After the shower, i put on a black mini skirt with some thigh boots and a purple long sleeve crop top. I leave out my natural afro and apply some light makeup. Only doing eyeliner and lipgloss. When i look at the time it's now 9pm and i grab my leather jacket to tie the outfit together. I quickly and quietly make my way downstairs, trying not to be seen or heard and stopped and i reach the door knob.

"What are you doing young lady!?" My mom voice booms quietly, sending shivers down my spine.
"I left something at the store, i was going to go get it."
"Dress like that at this hour?" She questions and i know i have nothing else to tell her but the truth.
"Okay fine, this girl that goes to the same school as me invited me to a party so i can see and meet all the other kids that go to my school." I say and my mom bites the inside of her cheek as if she's trying to come to a conclusion.

"Fine." She sighs in defeat.
"Does that mean-" she cuts me off.
"Yes you can go, but please be safe." She tells me. I mouth the words "Thank you" and quickly walk out the door before she can change her mind. As i walk down the driveway, i'm meet by Rue.

"No car?" I ask.
"The walk there isn't far." She tells me and shrugs. It's silent between us as neither of us knows exactly what to say to each other.
"So fez says you can base people's auras of colors..." She half ask and i nod.
"Could you...could you do me?" I look at her but she's not looking at me. Her eyes are on the ground and her she's biting off her nails.

"Purple." I say.
"Purple?" She questions.
"Encourages others, Royalty, luxury and growth but the downside is that youre immature and sensitive." It's silent between us again but this time, it isn't awkward, it's comforting.
"Holy shit, you're good." She says and i laugh at her words.

We walk and talk the whole way to the part, making sure it's never silent between the two of us ever again. We get a few houses down and the lights of the place are changing and the music is blasting. How are the neighbors not tired of this? I know i would be. Rue links arms with me and gives me a "everything is going to be alright" smile before leading us to the the party.