There are probably some errors but who cares. Y'all know what I'm trying to say. 😀
Omniscient
A few hours later.
"See." Payne pointed at the screen. "This the type of anime that make you wanna pick up the manga." He stated
"You know." Aries nodded her head in agreeance. "These little cartoons not that bad."
"At least you're watching." Zen chuckled. "Artemis here fell asleep." She said, running her hand across his face.
Payne laughed. "It'll be Aight. He seen this already."
About twenty minutes passed and Payne had cut the tv off, stretching his arms as he let out a small yawn.
"I'm going to the cafe." He shrugged. "Bout to get me a late night snack."
"Ooh. I'm coming with." Aries said as she hopped off of the bed.
"Bring me back some fries." Zen said.
"Bet." Payne mumbled as he slid off of his bed, slipping some shoes on as both he and Aries headed out the door.
Artemis let out a sigh as he moved around a little.
"You awake?" Zen ales, rubbing the side of his face.
"I guess." He mumbled before letting out a yawn.
"You sleep through like 12 episodes." Zen laughed.
"So? I saw it already." He mumbled. "Where Payne and Aries?"
"They went to the cafe to grab a snack." She said as she ran her fingers through his hair.
Artemis nodded his head as he yawned. Repositioning himself he laid his head on Zen's lap.
"You okay?" She asked.
Artemis pressed his thumb and index finger on the bridge of his nose. "I'm okay."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
Zen sighed, staring at his face. "Seriously?"
"Zen. Please, okay?"
Zen twisted her lips, staring down at him. She rolled her eyes before leaning down to kiss his lips.
"You're lucky you fine." She mumbled.
"Why you wearing all that damn lip gloss?" He mumbled, touching his lips.
Zen laughed, wiping the lip gloss off of his mouth. "It's not even that much."
"Yes it is." He replied. "All you do, every day, all day. If you not touching up your hair, you're putting on some damn lip gloss."
"That's not true."
"Yes it is. You reapply like thirty time a day. Even when you don't need it."
Zen laughed again. "Why you watching my face so hard?"
"You're pretty."
Zen smiled, shaking her head. "You can be really sweet sometimes."
"Think so?"
"Yeah." Zen spoke softly, rubbing her thumb across his cheek as she leaned down to kiss his lips again.
"You could at least wear some flavored gloss or something." He mumbled.
"Art." Zen laughed. "Fine, give me a flavor."
"I don't know." He shrugged. "Long as it's not strawberry."
"You don't like strawberries?"
"I like strawberries." Artemis replied. "I don't like strawberry flavored things."
"Okay. I'll think of something." She smiled to herself.
There was a comfortable moment of silence before Artemis popped his eyes open. He abruptly sat up, staring at Zen.
"What?"
"There's something I forgot to tell you." He said. "You're gonna be upset so I'll apologize in a advance." He sighed. "It honestly slipped my mind but it's still something I shouldn't have forgotten about."
Zen scrunched her eyebrows together. "What?"
______
"I just don't understand how you could something like that." Zen pointed out as she paced back and forth.
Artemis laid on his back, staring at the ceiling. He just decided to let her vent because it's make her feel better and he didn't have an excuse or explanation.
"Me and Aries talked to him."
"When?" Artemis turned his head towards her.
"At that party." She waved her hand. "What is wrong with him. Why haven't you reported him."
"He's been reported." Artemis shrugged. "Campus police don't give a fuck about no rapist. Especially one with decent grades and not to mention he's an athlete." Artemis rolled his eyes. "Sucks but it's the harsh truth."
"How many times has he done this?!" She rhetorically asked. "Can't you or Payne say something?"
"For several reasons neither one of us would be considered reliable witnesses."
"What?" Zen frowned. "Why?"
"Let's see." Artemis crossed his fingers over his stomach.
Over a Year ago
"Yo!" Payne grabbed Artemis's shoulder. "Where Pierre at?"
Artemis shrugged, drinking from his cup. "Some where around her."
"Art." Yuri grabbed onto his arm. "What you doing after this?"
It had been a year since the two had been sexually involved with one another. But tonight they were both a little under the influence.
Artemis smirked, looking down at her. "You, obviously."
Yuri grinned as she leaned in to kiss him.
"Hey. Hey. Hey." Payne stood in between them. "Y'all can do all that after he helps me find Pierre."
"Yeah. Hurry up and bring him back to me, P." Yuri smiled before walking back to her friends.
"Who care where his ass is bro?" Artemis his teeth.
"See. A damn shame." Payne shook his head. "I'm tryna find our friend and you worried about getting some cheeks."
"So?"
"Nigga come on." Payne chuckled. "Forreal though. This Nigga was suppose to give me some weed. I need that."
Artemis shook his, following Payne. They knocked on door after door, looking for Pierre.
Eventually they found him.
"This Nigga." Payne looked him up and down. "Where my maryjane at bitch."
"I'm kinda busy right now." Pierre rubbed his hands together.
Artemis and Payne squinted at him before Payne pushed him out the way.
"He got a shorty in here bro." Payne said as he walked into the room.
Artemis rose an eyebrow, walking in. He stared at the girl who appeared as if she was sleep on the bed underneath the covers.
Pierre closed the door. "So?"
"So what?" Payne frowned. "Where my herbs?"
"I gotchu tomorrow." He said. "Now, who want next?"
Artemis and Payne looked at each other before looking at Pierre.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Artemis frowned
"What?" Pierre chuckled. "Ain't like she gonna be up for a while." He said as he sat on the edge of the bed.
Artemis and Payne both scrunched the faces up. Artemis walked around the bed, staring at the girl. The more he stared, the more he began to realize that the girl wasn't just sleep, she was unconscious.
"Yo." Artemis tapped her face.
"Art, what you doing?" Pierre stood up, trying to grab Artemis.
Payne pushed him back.
"Hey." He then shook the girl but she still don't budge.
"Payne." Artemis called him, his voice just above a whisper. "She not conscious man."
Payne immediately swung and punched Pierre in the jaw. "The fuck you got going on?"
"What?" Pierre held his jaw.
"Nigga." Payne punched him again, this time in the nose.
Artemis felt like he had to throw up. He quickly exited the room, entering the area of the party where mostly everyone was. He tried taking deep breaths but it seemed as if nothing was helping the overwhelming feeling of anxiety that crept over him. Going into the kitchen, he place his hands on the counter, still trying to take deep breaths.
"You okay?" Yuri came up to him.
"I'm fine." He mumbled.
"Art-."
"Don't touch me." He stepped back when she tried to touch his shoulder.
"Sorry." She mumbled.
Artemis walked out the kitchen. "Fuck." He mumbled to himself.
Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a baggie of pills. He took one, two, three, four, five pills at once.
"Artemis!" Payne ran up to him. "You good?" He asked before he look at the polls in Artemis's hand.
Snatching them, Payne started at him. "Where'd you get these?"
Artemis opened his mouth to respond but just as he thought he started to calm down, the room started to spin.
"Do you understand?" Artemis looked at Zen. "As soon as I woke up on the hospital, Payne said he went to campus police but they didn't didn't believe him. At the party there was drinking and smoking. We were all under the influence and I overdosed. There's not a chance in hell anything I could say would hold up."
Zen frowned, sitting next to him on the bed. "What about the girl."
"Once I got out the hospital, me and Payne both went and talked to her."
"And?"
"She didn't wanna do anything. She doesn't want to file a police report. She doesn't wanna go to court none of that. She was embarrassed and disgusted. Not only that , Pierre family comes from money. He would have a great lawyer while she would have an okay one. And we know how that go."
Zen shook her head. "Someone need to whoop his ass."
"Payne did that."
"Well, he need to do it again."
Artemis chuckled, shaking his head.
"I'm serious." She mumbled.
"I know." He said, standing up. "But it's not just because we were drunk."
"What else could there be?"
"Well like I said. He sold weed to Payne. But he also sold those pills to me. He's the reason why I started taking them actually."
"What?!" Zen furrows her eyebrows together. "Does Payne know?"
"Nope." Artemis said. "Don't tell him."
Zen shook her head. "Why don't you tell him that?"
"Cause I'm a hundred percent sure he kill Pierre and then get expelled. I'll tell him when we graduate."
Zen shook her head, blowing out a breath as Artemis headed for the door.
"Where you going?"
"To my room so I can go back to sleep." He said.
"You don't wanna wait for Payne and Aries to get back?"
"Nah. I'm tired." He mumbled. "You coming."
Zen pursed her lips. "You know I am." She stood up.
"Come on then." He grabbed her hand as they headed to his room.
They headed to Artemis room and surprisingly it was Zen who ended up falling asleep first. Artemis stayed up a little longer, staring at the ceiling. He was actually tired but he couldn't bring himself to actually fall asleep. Hearing the front door open and close, Artemis carefully slid out of the bed, making sure he didn't wake Zen up.
"I'm crashing in your room." Aries said to Payne as she head to his room.
"Oh hey." Payne said a he noticed Artemis. "Want some onion rings?"
Artemis shook his head No as he sat down on the couch.
"I figured you'd still be sleep."
"I wish." He mumbled. " I can't fall back asleep."
"Why?"
"I don't know." Artemis shrugged. "I'm tired but yet here I am."
"Just close yo' eyes like you normally do."
"Nigga how?" Artemis said. "I just told you it's not working."
"Bro. I don't know." He threw his hands up. "I'm just tryna give some advice." He said. "I'm pretty sure there's a way we can get you to fall asleep."
"Oh I got a way but unfortunately that's too permanent."
Payne stale faced Artemis. "You know." He ate a. Onion ring. "Sometimes your sense of humor is really dark and I don't like that cause you know." He pointed to his own face. "I don't be laughing."
"My fault." Artemis mumbled, standing back up.
"Where you going?"
"To close my eyes and stare at the back of my eyelids." He replied. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Art."
The Next Day
"My handsome son." Artemis's mom engulfed him in a big hug.
Artemis's mom and his younger brother had finally arrived made it to the college and were visiting both Artemis Payne at the dorms.
"Hey ma'." He mumbled, pulling away from the hug. "What's up, Lo?" He stood in front of his younger brother, holding his fist out.
His younger brother smiled softly, fist bumping Artemis.
"And who might this be?" Artemis's mom smiled at Zen and Aries
"I'm Zen." She politely greeted herself. " And this is Aries. We're friends of Artemis and Payne."
"Well aren't you just as pretty as can be." Artemis's mom complimented. "You too."
"Thanks." Zen and Aries both smiled brightly.
"Now." Artemis's mom clasped her hands together. "How about we all go out to eat?"
"You payin?" Payne asked.
"Boy, obviously!"
"You don't even have to tell me twice Mrs. King. I'm gonna get dressed right now."
"Ma', you don't have to-."
"Chile please." She waved her hand. "Hurry up and get dressed." She kissed his cheek.
______
"Man. I'm full." Payne mumbled as they walked out of the restaurant.
"I would hope so." Aries mumbled.
"Shut up." He sucked his teeth.
"You took all you can eat way too serious." Angelo, Artemis's younger brother snickered.
"Fuck y'all."
"Payne." Artemis mom eyed him.
"Sorry Ms. K." He sighed.
Artemis and Zen trailed behind everybody talking.
"Your mom is nice." Zen said.
"Yeah." Artemis sighed. "She is."
"You guys look alike too."
"Well, she is my mother." He sarcastically responded.
"Okay, smart ass." She rolled her eyes.
As he was about to respond, he heard a small noise come from the left side of him. Walking over to where he heard the sound, he noticed a small brown kitten. He squatted down as the kitten slowly walked towards him, rubbing itself against his leg, purring.
"Aw." Zen smiled. "It's so cute." She crouched down. "He or she likes you." She looked at him.
Artemis rubbed the kittens head, with the knuckle of his finger.
"Is that a cat?" Aries came up behind them.
"You gonna keep it?" Payne asked.
"We can't keep animals on campus." He mumbled, watching as the kitten stood in it's hind legs, pressing their paws against his knee.
"Awe." Both Zen and Aries said at the same time.
"You can have emotional support animals."
Zen pointed out.
"Really?" Artemis glanced at her.
"Yeah. It's in the handbook thing." She grinned.
"I can't believe you actually read that shit." Payne shook his head. "You're such a nerd."
"Anyway." Zen rolled her eyes. "You just have to pay a fee."
"And I'll pay it." His mom said. "If you really want to, we can go get supplies and everything now."
Artemis thought about it as he let the kitten some more.
"Okay." He mumbled.
"Okay?" His mom repeated.
"Yeah. I'll keep it."
"Yeah. Time for a trip to petco." Payne clasped his jeans together.
"Shut up." Zen laughed as she stood up, dusting off her pants.
"Can I get kitten?" Angelo looked up at his mother.
"I'll think about it." She chuckled. "Now come on. Let's hurry up guys.
Artemis took off his sweater he was wearing, wrapping the kitten in it as he stood up.
"Alright. Let's go."
______
Next update will be longer and sooner since it's been a couple of months since I updated this book. This chapter was supposed to be like a little filler chapter that had a important information it. 😊
Thoughts??
Hope you enjoyed it.