in the ends // jaq

01

"Wagwan, Dris, you alright?" Lauryn said, turning to the man who had just walked in. She flicked her hair slightly and adjusted her posture. Dris didn't respond so she turned back to Shelley, "I'm telling you, it'll be good for you too go out and get with some hotties, you know, just for one night, one night, yeah,"

"I'm single, but I'm not thirsty," Shelley said.

"What, and we are?" Lauryn said and we laughed.

Then Jaq came back downstairs, my eyes averted back to her, she was holding something that was wrapped with a cloth. She passed it to Dris but a gun fell out and dropped to the floor. "Fam, fuck!" Jaq complained, she covered the gun with the cloth again and picked it back up, giving it to him. He stuffed it in his pants. "In-abit, yeah?"

Lauryn kissed her teeth and then turned to Shelley, "He used to be fit before that thing happened, you know?" She told her, and Shelley just looked confused, "Yeah, man had a stroke last year. And they're all jumping, innit, cos of what happened to them Turkish gangsters up in Tottenham."

"You want tea?" I asked, getting up from the sofa.

"Yeah, please, hon," Lauryn replied, still admiring her fresh nails.

"None for me, thanks," Shelley answered and then I went into the kitchen. This house was basically my second home and Lauryn was shit at making tea, so I always stepped in and did it.

"Can you make me one, please, babes?" Jaq asked, coming into the kitchen and opening the fridge.

"Say nothing," I replied, and got out an extra mug for her. Jaq got the milk and put it down on the counter. I boiled the kettle while sorting the teabags and sugar.

"Do you think I look like a man?" Jaq suddenly asked, which made me laugh in response.

"Tsk, what makes you ask that?" I said, picking up the kettle to pour the hot water.

"The Turkish yutes, before they got laid out, thought I was a fucking man," Jaq explained, "Dickheads, swear down,"

"Everyone's a dickhead to you, Jaq," I tell her, stirring the beverages.

She shrugged, "Your not," She told me and I smiled on the inside. I gave her her mug and she took a sip, "So what? Your going to wine on randoms tonight?"

I shrugged, "Kinda," I said, "Why? You wanna come get some dick?" I joked.

Jaq kissed her teeth and I laughed at her, "You know I don't do that fucking thirsty shit that you and Lauryn do," She said, making me laugh at her more, "And I catch the wines instead," She said, smirking, and then Lauryn came in.

"Can you stop flirting with my fucking friends?" She asked Jaq, kissing her teeth, "She ain't interested, man,"

Jaq ignored her sister, flashed me one more smirk and then went upstairs. "Wannabe player, swear," Lauryn repeated, taking her tea.

•••

I did end up going to the rave, except Lauryn and I had got separated. She'd gone off with this guy and left me. I was
pretty tipsy but I managed to make the right decision and leave the rave. It was freezing outside as I'd lost my coat inside and was only wearing this short, light pink dress with a deep cut blouse top. It was freezing outside as well, which made everything 10x better. I somehow managed to locate the bus stop and got on it back to the block.

My journey so far was alright and safe as everyone was inside the rave, except as I walked through the block to mine, I had to walk past a group of unknown boys. They were in puffer jackets and stood around smoking, I didn't recognise them as Jaq's friends because the boys were all out of ends. I took my shoes off, so I could run if I had too, and confidently walked past the boys.