Stranglehold

Franklin's Tower , Grateful Dead

Soon after Michelle and Kevin's conversation, Slater and Taro had lit up after noticing how much time had gone by, the other two joining shortly after. Time had flown by quickly, the sun now starting to set as the 4 sat in quiet bliss, the noise of Pink Floyd filling the room. Kevin had fallen asleep the second Wish You Were Here started playing, Michelle doing the same a few songs later. Taro and Stoney had been quietly conversing on the floor, hoping not to wake the others up. After the former noticed the time, a groan let their mouth causing Slater to look back over.

"I gotta get goin' home, man, my aunts making dinner when she gets home. Hey, you wanna come? You don't have to or nothin', just thought that maybe we could hang out for longer or somethin'." After noticing Slater's eyes go a little bigger, Stoney started rambling out of nervousness.

"Yeah, yeah I'll go hang at your place, sure."

"Oh, alright! Um..we gotta walk though. It's only a few minutes."

"That's all good man, I don't mind."

Just like Taro promised, it didn't take long at all. By the time the two had finished their walk filled with random conversation topics fueled by the substances smoked earlier, a car was found in the drive way and a kitchen light was on, a silhouette of a women visible. As the door creaked open, a Texan accent slightly covered by the roughness of nicotine spilled through out the house.

"Hey, kiddo just in time! I made hamburger helper again, if that's alright. Oh, who am I kidding you're a stoner you couldn't give a shit." Taros Aunt- Aunt Cheryl, but no one really called her that. Everyone just called her Auntie, she looked after just about true whole block of kids was a tried and true Southern women. Meaning she had a big mouth and didn't know how to make it any quieter. Her last sentence definitely wasn't as quiet as she had meant for. Not like it mattered anyway, Taro was too busy talking to Slater to even notice she had said anything. "Hey, listening to me in there?"

"Oh, yeah! Yeah, sorry." As the two stumbled into the kitchen after taking their shoes off the southern women looked away from the pot on the stove to be greeted by her niece and another. "Oh, uh this is Slater. Is it cool if he stays for dinner?"

"I don't see why not. A pleasure to meet you Slater."

"Thanks! It's cool to meet you too, man." Slaters words were greeted with a small smile and an airy laugh.

"Well, I can tell why you two are friends." The room went to silence as the women turned back around to tend to her food while the two others turned to each other in confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Taro was the first to speak up because Slater still tried to figure it out in his head. She only received more laughs and a shake of the head.

Dinner had been served and eaten in almost seconds and the pair were clumsily making their way from the small dining table to Stoneys room. They didn't do much, just sat and talked for the rest of the night, spinning a few Grateful Dead vinyls. Unfortunately, no more blunts were smoked because they had ran out of paper back at Michelle's.

Eventually the night ended with Slater and Taro falling asleep to the dulcet sound of Franklins Tower as they lay face to face in her bed, under the many mismatch blankets that covered their mattress.