Serendipity [BoyxBoy]

Chapter Fifteen

TW: Slight mention of blood.

Jameelah cupped her hand around the flame and raised it to the cigarette dangling from her lips. Once it was lit, she took a deep drag, pulled it out of her lips with her thumb and her index finger and exhaled the acrid smoke.

For her, smoking cigarettes felt like a fall from grace. It's not like she needed it, she could definitely stop at anytime. Still, once upon a time she believed cigarettes were for the lowlifes who hung around the beer parlors in her neighborhood; for men with yellow teeth and beer guts who probably beat their wives. Despite what she saw in the movies, she stuck to that belief. Now, there she was, smoking the same damn cigarettes she once hated.

She chuckled at the absurdity of it all.

"Are you all good Namesie or have you finally lost your mind?"

She turned around to the direction of the voice. Only one person called her 'Namesie'.

"Naomi. I thought you had sound check." Jamee said, frowning.

They shared one name; Naomi and Jamee would actually rather chain-smoke eight packets of the worst brand of cigs she could find before referred to her by that name. Naomi settled on calling her 'Namesie'.

"I did-- I do," came Naomi's reply. "But I forgot something then I figured why not see if you guys wanted to stop lazing around in a hotel room and come hang with the cool kids."

"I'm busy." Jamee murmured around her cigarette. "And you guys are barely cool, Cheta still thinks drawing on his hand with black biro qualifies as a real tattoo."

A smile broke out on Naomi's face. "That was one time," she protested. Then her smile fell, "And you aren't busy, you're out here smoking like the fucking Marlboro Man and laughing to yourself."

Jamee classified that as busy enough but Naomi did have a point. It was unlike her.

Naomi's eyes softened and she sighed. "I know you're going through a lot right now. I know you're hurting. I didn't know Simi as well as you did but we sang together," she paused and swallowed hard, her throat suddenly tight. "It's hard not to miss someone you've shared music with."

Jamee said nothing.

"I do know Simi wouldn't want to see you like this," Naomi whispered and pulled the cigarette from between Jamee's lips, throwing it on the ground and stomping on it. "I know I need my namesake back."

Jamee stood there and watched her friend walk into the hotel, wondering what had become of her life.

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Nosa and Irekan walked in silence down the street that led to Irekan's house, Uvo trotting between them.

"Aren't you going to ask me what we're going to do today?" Irekan finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Well done, Uncle Phineas and Ferb," Nosa deadpanned.

Irekan barked out a laugh, bumping shoulders with him. "Be serious! Don't you want to know?"

Nosa didn't even think about it, he simply shook his head. If Irekan had trusted him even when he was leading them to the 'evil forest' then he wouldn't ask. He'd rather be surprised anyway.

"Okay," Irekan said, his voice soft and Nosa knew that he understood.

They remained quiet through the rest of the walk to Irekan's house and, when they got to the gate and Irekan slid the deadbolt aside. His remaining three dogs started barking and, this time, Uvo joined them.