1 Chapter One

Caught UP

"Luu, you need to stop drinking please" Eunice pleaded and dragged the bottle out of Luwi's hand.

"What the h-heck man! I was fu-drinking that!" Luwi yelled after struggling to speak, eyes unable to fully open. She was drunk.

"I am sorry but you need to stop this habit and START DOING SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIFE!" Eunice yelled back. Luwi jerked off her chair, staggering.

"Sc-Screw your study class or whatever...it's called" Luwi said and grabbed her bag. She cussed as she lurched towards the door. She paused, then looked back and walked back to Eunice who was standing there staring at her still with the bottle of vodka in her possession. When she got to her, she stopped; burped and leaned in close enough to her ear. "Also, go fuck yourself" She whispered and dragged the bottle out of Eunice's hand. Eunice brushed her forehead. She watched how drunken Luwi staggered out of the bar. She sat down and buried her face in her palms.

Luwi bumped into someone outside the bar. Her vision was muddy, so she could not identify the individual-whether a male or female, on that aspect but, it was a male.

"Hey, watch where you are going." She groaned as she slapped his arm lightly. "What if you pushed me into the ocean? or…or" Luwi sucked her teeth, emptied the bottle, by gulping down the content and handed it to him. "Humans are so fucking weird." He stared at her, watching how she staggered. He chuckled and shook his head slowly. A friend of his came out to meet him and asked him how he got the bottle. He could not explain and threw it out before he was dragged into the bar.

Eunice sat at the table where Luwi was seated, her face still buried in her palms as she sighed repeatedly. The waiter came around and asked for what she wanted. She looked over at him and asked for a bottle of water. The waiter looked confusedly at her and asked for confirmation, she nodded and he wrote it down in his petite note book. He excused himself and went to the counter, gave the bartender the order and pointed at her table. The bartender sharply looked at him. The waiter returned it before they exchanged smiles and attended to what they had to.

The young men walked into the bar and sat down at the bar stand.

"Hey mark! I thought you ran away." The bartender said with a rag in his hand. "I had the bouncers trail you." He added. Mark eyed him.

"Two shots please" Mark said dryly. "So Jamel, how's the new place?" Mark asked.

"So, I just moved here. I don't know what's up...How you guys roll and all...I basically don't know anyone or anything...except you of course." Jamel said. "The new place is nice. King sized bedroom, a really large bathroom, really spacious. You know...dreamy, roomy, broad, wide, large"

"Dude! Is it a mansion?!" Mark asked chuckling, interrupting Jamel. Jamel smiled and scratched his head.

"Okay...maybe I am EXAGGERATING a bit but, it's an amazing house!" Jamel said in a low pitched tone. The drinks came in.

"Thank you" Mark said to the bartender. He rose his glass and Jamel did same "To your new house!"

"CHEERS" Jamel rose his glass and Mark did same and rose to his feet. Their glasses clinked to make the toast. The bartender refilled their glasses.

"HEY EVERYONE! Guess who just bought his house here?!" Mark screamed, drawing attention as they all sharply turned to look in their direction, looking clueless. "This guy!" Mark added, pointing at Jamel who was already pink. It was silent until someone coughed and everyone began to cheer, clapping and whistling. A room filled with drunk people and Jamel, where he was seated, drowning in embarrassment.

"Drink up everyone! He will pay!" Mark said pointing at Jamel. Jamel coughed almost choking on the liquid he had just consumed. The cheering grew wild. Whistling could be heard from every corner of the bar. A few rose to their feet to give him a standing ovation. Jamel gave Mark a stink eye and Mark guiltily turned away sipping his drink.

"Wow. A lot to pay for" The bartender said cleaning the counter. Jamel's eyes turned red and began to water.

"ONE drink per table!" Jamel yelled loud enough to pass the message through the crowd. Murmuring filled the room. "That IS a bottle for each table!" He added. Everywhere went silent. Some people began to rest and some booed but they all calmed down and returned to their activities.

"What's this place?" Jamel asked with his glass in his hand. Mark looked over at him.

"A barn" Mark said sarcastically, took a sip from his cup and looked away. Jamel looked at him, puzzled. Mark sighed. "You ask stupid obvious questions. It's a bar! Come on man. My IQ is too delicate" Mark replied.

"A bar with a strip pole?" Jamel asked, quirking an eyebrow and sloppily pointed, spilling the content from his cup. Not everything.

"Oh. It's also a part time strip club. Listen, every Wednesday and Friday, hot girls come here to make the guys horny as fuck. I cannot count how many times I have drained my pipe! The girls are fire!" Mark cried and drank from his glass. "Worse part, you want to touch them, but you can't!" He added.

"Wow. Mad!" Jamel retorted.

"You should hit here! Just hit me up when you want to, I am always down!" Mark nudged him with his elbow and Jamel laughed.

Eunice sat still, spaced out while Jamel couldn't get the young lady he bumped into earlier out of his head. He stared at the door, worried.

'What if she gets into trouble?' He thought.

"Yo, can I get a glass of Booze?" Mark requested. The bartender stared at him. "That table" Mark pointed at Eunice's table.

"Of all the people in this space, she was the only one who ordered for a bottle of water...turn off, she doesn't drink...I think." He said. "And who's going to pay for everything that you have consumed and still to?" The bartender asked. Mark looked over at Jamel who was staring at the door and the bartender got the hint. The bartender sighed. Only if Jamel knew what was ahead of him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. He called Jamel and mouthed "R.I.P". Jamel looked over at him and smiled. The bartender laughed softly; he didn't get the hint.

"Hey, what's up? Why do you look like...this?" Mark gestured.

"Uh. Nothing." Jamel said and stood up. The bartender cleared his throat and stretched his hand out. Jamel stared at him. The bartender gestured for him to bring out his Debit card. Jamel sighed, rolled his eyes and brought it out, kissed the card and handed it to the him. "I trust you with this" He said and ran out of the bar.

"Wait. Hold on. What's the-" The bartender paused. Jamel was already out of sight. He looked at Mark who stood up and ran for Eunice's table.

Luwi stood on the side walk waving, trying to get a Taxi. It didn't look like she was doing anything because the taxi's kept driving past.

After minutes of deceiving herself, she stopped. It soon became windy. She looked up at the sky and a drop of water fell onto her eye. It was about to rain. Luwi stared at nothing as the cars went by. She sighed, picked her shoes and waved it at a car like a wand. The car stopped.

"Ah!" She squeaked and clenched her shoes to her chest.

"Are you coming?" Jamel asked. She looked at him and gasped before walking over to him.

"OH MY P-PRINCE CHARMING! YOU EVEN BROUGHT YO-YOUR CHARIOT! OH MY GOODNESS." She slapped his hand. "OF COURSE I AM...COMING SILLY!" She said looking for the door handle. She dropped everything she was holding and began searching for what was in front of her. Jamel bent over to pick her bag and her shoes. The taxi driver squinted his eyes in disbelief.

"You must be kidding me" The driver wiped his forehead. "Hey!" He yelled. Luwi and Jamel yanked. He sighed.

"Sorry" Jamel apologized and opened the door.

She leaned on the roof of the car. "Ouuuu, what strong arms you've got." She teased trying to be seductive. Jamel shook his head and grinned. He found her amusing.

Luwi ducked to enter the car but hit her head at the side, leaving a thud. The driver shook his head.

"Where to?" He asked. Jamel looked at him.

"Uh." Jamel looked at Luwi. "Where do you stay?" He asked her.

She looked at him and shook her head. She folded her arms and pouted "Not telling because if I do, you'll harm me" She laughed.

"Please check her purse for her ID or an address slip" The driver ordered. Jamel did as he was instructed.

"Uh. She lives downtown. Demrick street. No 2." He said and closed the door.

"Dude, you aren't coming?" The driver asked bending his head to meet Jamel's face through the window. Jamel bent as well.

"I don't know her." Jamel replied. "Was worried and decided to help"

"And?" The driver asked with disgust. He eyed Jamel. "So, you help a drunk girl, who doesn't know her name or her address to a taxi...without helping her to her house...IN THIS STATE?"

Jamel stared at her, looked over at the bar and bit his lower lip. He inhaled deeply and exhaled. He remembered he hadn't given the bartender the pin, if he left, it'll look like he didn't want to pay which would result to dividing the card into two. If he stayed, he'll get drained. He was in a dilemma.

"Dude, what are you looking at? Do you think you'll rest well if I drop her on the street and the dangerous hood guys probably take advantage of her in this state?" He asked Jamel. Jamel inhaled and opened the door of the front seat.

"What are you doing?" The driver asked, immediately placing his hand on the car seat.

"Doing exactly what you told me to do…getting in" Jamel retorted. The driver looked over at Luwi who was talking to herself and counting invisible numbers before turning back at Jamel.

"Move to the back man" He growled. "I don't want her throwing up on my chair. I just got the leather." He added.

"How is ME going to the back gonna help?" Jamel asked.

"I DON'T WANT VOMIT ON MY CHAIR!" He cautioned yelling, causing Jamel to suspire and move to the back.

"Hello boy!" Luwi said and scattered his hair. Jamel scoffed.

"I have started the journey" The driver said and the car began to move.