AM stands for attempted murder
Silence shrouded the atmosphere in the Jordan's car as they cruised through the north east London streets, suffocating Chardonnay's mind. They halted at a set of red traffic lights. Jordan slowly took in her sorrowful face. Rolling his eyes, he took out a pre-rolled zoot.
"You should stop smoking, it's bad for your lungs," Chardonnay said.
"Didn't your mother teach you to mind your own business?"
At the mention of her mother, Chardonnay blinked away her tears.
"Maybe I don't want you to go to jail or die," she muttered quietly.
"Rah, darling I didn't mean-"
"The light is green, you're holding up traffic."
Once Jordan accelerated around the bend into Stratford, Chardonnay gladly accepted the plunge back into deadly silence as tendrils of weed smoke tickled her nose.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●
"We're here," Jordan announced as he parked the car. "I rented an Airbnb penthouse to surprise my cousin on his 19th."
"Oh really, that's really sweet of you to do," smiled Chardonnay. "Look, I can see Eva at the entrance."
"Go out and see her den. You can go up to the party, it's on the top floor. I've gotta call someone real quick."
"Alright then, I'll see you later."
Instantly, Chardonnay jumped out of the car with her handbag and hugged Eva.
"That cream outfit really suits you," smiled Eva.
"Thank you but look at you! You look like a runway model."
Eva's party outfit
"Thank you! I mean I do model part-time so it's not far from the truth."
They both laughed as they walked into the lobby together of the apartment building.
Eva suddenly looked serious. "Okay, spill. What happened and why were you so desperate to go to this party with a stranger? Imagine if I didn't know him!"
"This was the first time I've been properly invited to a party. I've always wanted to get an invite and today I got it. And he was good looking."
"So? Ted Bundy the serial killer was handsome to his victims. Imagine if Jordan wasn't somebody I knew!"
"He didn't really give me serial killer vibes but in the car, I saw-"
Chardonnay paused. The gun under the seat wasn't something she could tell her best friend about.
"I saw Jordan smoke."
"Erm, that's nice. Now let's go upstairs into the motive... just promise me you won't jump into stranger's cars again."
Chardonnay pressed the lift's button. "Don't worry, I won't."
●●●●●●●●●●●●●
Strolling out of the lift to the penthouse door, Chardonnay firmly knocked on the door. She could hear the loud beats of drill and pop music inside and the familiar scent of weed greeted her again.
Eva looked at her. "Don't knock it's nearly 10pm, let's just go in."
Eva turned the door handle and they both went inside. A sea of faces Chardonnay didn't recognise all stared at them.
"What song is that playing?" asked Chardonnay.
"Fashion Week by Steel Banglez," Eva explained.
"Eva, is that you yeah?!" yelled a girl walking towards them.
She smiled as she hugged Eva with a zoot in her hand. Her caramel skin glowed as her snake print mini dress hugged her curvaceous figure.
"Yeah, long time no see," laughed Eva. "You look so pretty in snake print."
Yasmin Bishop, 18 (looks like Rihanna)
"Thank you sis!" she said. Then she glanced over to Chardonnay and offered her a warm smile. "Hey you're Chardonnay right? Eva often mentions you. I'm Yasmin. It's nice to meet you."
Before Chardonnay could respond, Yasmin dragged her and Eva to a vacant couch in a bedroom and sat down.
"Sorry I'm a bit high so I need to sit down for a bit," explained Yasmin, "but let's talk."
Chardonnay took in the modern interior. She admired the high glass window panels, which offered her a panoramic view of East London. The mahogany walk in wardrobe at the other end of the room complimented the dark London sky.
"It's cool Yaz. Do you know where we can put our bags though please?" asked Eva.
"Put them in the wardrobe there and hide it in the clothing at the back, that's what I did."
"Thanks, Chardonnay give me your bag and I'll put it in there for you," said Eva.
Grabbing the book out of her handbag, Chardonnay thanked Eva as she threw it to her.
"You want to read or something?" asked Yasmin curiously.
Chardonnay shrugged as she sat back down on the couch. Flashbacks to her classmates mocking her for reading earlier that day began to swirl around her head like a carousel.
Jumping onto the bed opposite her friends, Eva explained, "This is her first motive Yaz, it's just a book."
Yasmin coughed. "Say swear, reading is not a problem. You can stay in this bedroom because it's quieter... and not everybody outside is nice. They'll drag you for no reason but I'll be real, I wouldn't mind finishing Things Fall Apart right now."
"Oh I've read that book, it's amazing. Are you Nigerian as well?" said Chardonnay.
"No, I'm Turkish with a bit of Bajan," chuckled Yasmin. "Nobody else here cares if you read in a party to be honest, except for that gremlin girl."
As if on cue, Anna burst into the room. She glared furiously at the three of them as she tightened her grip on the hand of Jordan.
"Speak of the devil," began Yasmin. "What do you want?"
"Just get out, I wanna be in here with J1," barked Anna as she closed the door.
"Really Jordan? I thought you were better than that," said Eva, getting up from the bed.
"Relax Anna, it was never that deep. I just wanted to ask you about something. We can just chill on the balcony and talk," warned J1.
Yasmin stopped smoking. "Nah sit down Eva, she's actually a pigeon getting bare brave to have the audacity to try kick me out of a room. Not on my watch."
In a flash, Yasmin began to remove her hoop earrings from her ears as soon as she threw her zoot in the nearby ashtray. She kicked off her heels with fury and picked one up, brandishing the heel at Anna. Sighing, J1 manoeuvred himself between Anna and Yasmin and sat next to Chardonnay, who was deeply engrossed in her novel.
"I'm just gonna sit here and mind my own business like you," announced J1 as his arm snaked around Chardonnay.
She looked up at him, ignoring the bickering in front of them. "So she is the one you were calling?"
Disgusted, J1 shook his head. "Nah man relax, I saw Anna when I came up. I was calling my cousin's sister. I told her to drive my cousin over, the party is starting."
Chardonnay closed her book. "I'm so confused. You called who?"
"I rung my cousin Kehlani to tell her brother to drive over. He thinks I've bought a new flat."
"What's the name of the birthday boy?"
"He goes by Jsplash."
Shaking her head, Chardonnay sighed as she opened her book again, "You've all got very weird names, I don't know how-"
"Ow! Why would you hit me with your heels?" screamed Anna as she snatched Yasmin's bucket hat off her head, a failed attempt to snatch off Yasmin's weave.
"Because you think you can have chat for me when your legs are moving like McDonalds. Always open 24/7 to serve your meat to the whole block of mandem," growled Yasmin, lunging at Anna to get back her hat.
Eva bit her lip to repress her laugh. Blood trickled down the side of Anna's face, ruining her makeup.
"I don't know why you're laughing Eva, I'm sure your brother would love to know you're here. Who even invited you?" Anna scowled.
"Don't worry babe, my brother is the one that gave me the address to the motive."
Like a hawk catching its prey, Yasmin tackled a distracted Anna towards the ground and raised her heel above Anna's head.
"Enough!" shouted J1. "All of you get out, I paid for this apartment to celebrate my cousin's g day, not witness an attempted murder."
Guiltily, Yasmin stepped away from Anna, who was on the floor whimpering.
"Come on let's go, I'm better than that useless cockroach," said Yasmin, staring into J1's eyes maliciously.
Anna slowly got up and marched out of the room behind Eva.
Yasmin turned back to Chardonnay. "Are you staying in here to read or do you wanna come out and get a shot of Wray and Nephew's?"
"It's alright, thank you," said Chardonnay hastily. "I'll just finish my book here. I'll come out later."
Chardonnay despised alcohol with a passion, especially Wray and Nephew's. Sauntering over to the door, J1's 6'3" figure towered over Yasmin in the doorway. Shyly, Yasmin looked away from his burning brown eyes. She could never handle his eye contact.
"You heard the girl. She wants to read so I think I'll give her some assistance," grinned J1.
"Are you trying to make me jealous? You did what did and broke-"
J1 swiftly slammed the door in Yasmin's face. However, just before he closed the door and locked it, Yasmin caught sight of a single tear rolling down J1's face.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●
Jordan turned the air conditioner to a glacial temperature as he jumped into the bed. Craftily, he hid the remote of the air conditioner in his pocket. Chardonnay curled up on the sofa opposite him, still turning the pages of her book. He walked over to the wardrobe and buried a small gift box in the depths of clothing.
Shivering, Chardonnay asked him, "Please can you turn the AC off, it's really cold in here."
"I can't lie, I think I broke the remote. It's not responding anymore. That's why I'm in the bed. Why don't you just jump in the bed? It's much warmer."
She stood for a minute as she considered his offer. Should she continue the rest of the book in here or go out to see Eva and Yasmin? He wouldn't have an ulterior motive towards her, would he? It was just a bed. They were just acquaintances. Scrutinising his expressionless face, Chardonnay slid in next to him, making sure to leave as much space between them as she could.
"Let's play a game Chardonnay," began J1. "How about 21 questions?"
Chardonnay closed her book. "Alright I'll start, what's your favourite book?"
"Triangle. Now tell me, what's the most you've done with a boy?"
- Read people by their actions not by their words
J1, J1, what are you up to huh? And why does Yasmin seem to have a vendetta against Angelina? Don't forget to vote - Jaymunni