ᴘᴜꜱʜɪɴ' ᴍɪɴᴛ | ɴᴄᴛ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ

April 13th

2:21 PM

Chicago, IL

After School

The final bell of the day blared through the school halls, and every student from every classroom fumbled over themselves to grab their belongings and leave the dank facility.

Clumps of students scattered all throughout the parking lot, some waiting for/hopping on buses, hopping into their designated rides home, or simply loitering on campus.

“Alright, I’ll fuck with you.” Mark separated from his friend group to head to his car, and his phone rang as he started up the engine, the AC shutting on soon after he answered his call and shut his door. “Yo, yo.”

“So Jaemin got suspended again.” Renjun’s voice crackled through his ear.

“′Hey, how you doing, Mark?′ Shit, I’m chilling, big brooo...~” Mark rolled his eyes as he spoke, backing out of his spot.

“Cut it out...You heard what I said, right?”

“Yeah, but why’re you surprised?” Mark chuckled, shrugging and shaking his head. “You act like this was the first time this shit’s happened, but it ain’t...”

“This time’s different, though...” Renjun warned Mark. “Not only did we get hit for some tip money, but we also got hit for a few ounces...”

“...Eh...” Mark drew a circle in the inner corner of his cheek, gripping his steering wheel tighter as every second passed. “Add him to the call.”

“Alright, hold on.”

A few seconds passed before Mark heard another voice on the line.

“Before you say anything,” The voice giggled. “I got everything back.”

“And that means...?” Mark raised an eyebrow, pulling up to a stoplight.

“You remember Sungchan from a few months back?” Jaemin inquired.

“The same motherfucker that almost crashed the van when we let him handle it for a day?”

“Mhm...”

“What about him?” Mark stared up at the stoplight, watching as it turned green.

“The Ring camera in the van pinged my phone, saying someone was trying to get inside. Renjun got the same shit, but he was at home. Sent a pic to Jisung, he did some brightening, and I got a look at the face – it was that Bambi-looking fuck.”

“I’m following that, but how does that lead to you getting suspended?” Mark slowed down his car as he pulled up to his house.

“Let me finish.” Jaemin giggled again. “Someone found his second-period class for me, and you guys know I have free period during second period, so I decided to...pay bro a visit...”

“And by ‘visit,’ he actually means he pulled dude from his class to beat a couple of centimeters of height out of him.” Renjun corrected Jaemin.

Mark sighed as his car came to a stop on his driveway, rubbing his temple with the pad of his finger. “Out in the open...?”

“What you mean? There was no one around-”

"Cameras. Cameras, Jaemin, cameras.” Renjun corrected him again.

"Ohhh, right...Oh well – I was angry and tired. Wasn’t in the mood for excuses either, so I – literally – dragged him by his hair to his locker to get everything he stole.”

“Hold on, wait,” Mark paused. “He had the balls to bring that shit to school?”

“I asked him if he had it on him. When he said yeah, I asked him for his combo before dragging him into a bathroom.” Jaemin tutted. “Fucking idiot could’ve fucked us over with that bullshit...”

“Hm.” Mark hummed, stepping out of his car. “Well, in that case, you can keep some of what he stole...How much was it?”

“Twelve hundred in tips and six ounces, I think...” Jaemin informed Mark.

“Keep six hundred and three ounces.”

“Appreciate that, bro.” Mark could practically hear Jaemin grinning through the phone. “Yeah, okay...”

“You know Chenle might ask you the same thing, too, now, right?” Renjun snickered.

“Well, tell Chenle to go beat the shit out of a thief, and then maybe, just maybe, I’ll slide him an eighth...if he’s lucky.”

“Yeah, as if Chenle had the cojones.” Jaemin snorted. “Buddy wouldn’t even think about hurting anyone unless it was through a PC on Warzone...”

“Swear to God.” Renjun agreed, chuckling.

Mark stuck his house keys into his door lock, opening the barrier in one swing to greet his roommate in the living room. “Shop open or nah?” His roommate asked.

“Yeah, pretty much.” Mark shrugged. “Get your asses over here, boys. We’re about to open the van.”

“Finally, fuck...” Renjun groaned. “I’ve been sitting at home dying of boredom for the past three hours...”

“Yeah, nah, same here.” Jaemin cackled. “Did you have a half schedule today, Renjun?”

“No, just a STEM convention – field trip thing, you know...”

“No, we don’t know, Urkel.” Mark’s roommate snorted. “We weren’t born with extra brain cells like you-...”

“Aye, aye, speak for yourself!” Jaemin cut him off. “I’d say I’m pretty damn smart myself...”

“Oh, you’re the smart one now?” Mark’s roommate raised an eyebrow. “Big dawg, you get suspended at least once a month for the exact same shit each fucking time – it’s gotten to the point where most of the kids at school know your M.O. now. Maybe switch it up next time, genius...”

“Jeno, I-” Mark stifled a couple of laughs, quickly covering them up by clearing his throat. “Just shut up, alright? Shut the hell up – take my keys, start the van, and shut the hell up.”

“Don’t act like I’m lying!” Jeno exclaimed as Mark tossed him his car keys, leaving an empty Styrofoam cup on the coffee table.

Mark peers inside the cup, furrowing an eyebrow and turning back to his roommate. “The fuck were you sipping on, sizzurp?”

Jeno scoffed. “Man, fuck nah! Come on, I ain’t Comethazine...It’s Grape Crush and DayQuil.”

“Okay, first off, ew, you’re fucking weird,” Renjun cringed. “Second off, I still have an order I need to fill; I need to refit another spoon...”

“Just do it in the van,” Jaemin suggested.

“You know how I feel about my space, Jaemin...”

"Fine, Rapunzel. Stay in your tower then...” Jaemin griped.

“It’s cool, dude.” Mark shook his head. “You’re gonna be done by the time I get you, right?”

“Yeah, I should be.”

“Then that’s it.” Mark grabbed his name tag off the table, clipping it to his hoodie before following Jeno out the door. “See you guys in a little bit.”

"Bet~!” Jaemin chimed, hanging up the phone call.

6:12 PM

“Jellybean!” You called for your sister from your living room as you stuffed a laptop into your backpack. A few seconds later, a younger dark-skinned girl with a bountiful mane of chestnut curls came jogging from down the hall.

“Yeah?”

“You got ya bag packed for Shotaro’s?”

“It’s right there.” The young girl pointed to the dining table where a lone blue backpack sat partially open. “I brought one of my controllers too.”

You giggled. “Why a controller?”

“Taro said he was gonna teach me how to play COD Zombies again...”

You shot your eyes up at your young sister. “Thought you said the zombies in COD scared you. Remember the last time I played with you? ′Ew, why are they shaped like that?!′ ′Ry, they shouldn’t be looking that real– it’s just a fuckin’ video game!’” You giggled again.

“Very funny...” The girl rolled her eyes. “Shit changes, Ry...”

“I know, I know, I’m jokin’.” You zipped up your backpack. “Don’t let Sho tell you how they operate on the new maps – they on ya neck ’fore you even realize it.”

“It’s not gonna scare me this time, Riley!” The young girl laughed, but her laughs quickly dissolved into coughs, startling you as you pulled her to the couch.

“You...took ya meds while I was gone, right?”

“Y-Yeah...” The girl nodded. “Yeah, of course, I did...”

"Rome...?” You narrowed your gaze at your sister, listening to her sigh, since the only time you’d use her real name was when you were talking seriously with her.

“Okay, not yet...”

You sighed as well, mumbling a curse under your breath. ”Goddamnit, Rome, what I tell you before? You can’t be neglectin’ ya meds like that.”

“I wasn’t neglecting them!” Rome tried to defend herself. “I was just...holding off on taking them too early...”

“Yeah, and holdin’ off is what got you back in the hospital last month.” You counter-argued. “You know I ain’t payin’ for this treatment for nothin’, Rome – what you think ya doctor gon’ say on Monday?”

“...She won’t say anything,” Rome stood from her seat on the couch. “Because I’m not telling her shit...”

“Jellybean...”

“All they ever do in that hospital is drug me up whenever they can’t figure out what’s wrong with me. I already know what the fuck’s wrong with me; I got sickle cell up the ass, my immune system is fucked from all the meds, and even if I wanted to get off them, I can’t! Why? Because then I’ll just get sick, which puts me in a crisis that hospitalizes me, and then we’re right back to fucking square one!”

Your gaze softened at your sister once you heard a crack in her voice, indicating she might’ve been close to crying.

“I’m just so tired of it, Ry.” Rome scoffed as a few tears trickled down her cheeks. “I mean, what eleven-year-old do you know is going through the same things I am? They’re all...normal kids doing...n-normal...kid shit! Why did I have to get the shit end of the stick, Riley, huh?! Explain that shit to me!”

You immediately stood up and wrapped your arms around your sobbing sister, squeezing her as tightly as your strength allowed. You placed a few kisses on the crown of her head, and you felt tears trickling down your face, too.

“I don’t know any other eleven-year-olds like you.” You shook your head. “I don’t care to know ’em either – know why?” You pulled away to look Rome in the eyes.

“They ain’t you, lil’ sis.” You shook your head again. “You one of the smartest, strongest, most kickass people I know – I don’t know many adults who got the same strength as you either. Think of this shit as a race – races are tirin’, right?”

Rome nodded her head sheepishly.

“Look, you right here,” You pointed to the underside of your wrist. “And the finish line right here.” Then you pointed to your palm. “Now, I know you, Rome; you don’t quit nothin’ that easy...”

“N-Not...entirely true...”

“Seriously...?” You raised an eyebrow. “Ya pickin’ up playin’ COD again after you said it scared you.”

Rome smacked her teeth. “That doesn’t mean anything, Riley...”

“I say otherwise, Jellybean.” You chuckled, ruffling her curls. “C’mon now, you my sister, nigga. And we are a couple of hard-headed motherfuckers that don’t like bein’ told no...”

“Heh...” Rome snickered. “Weird...You could...say the same thing about Mom, I guess...right?”

“Ma...” You trailed off, thinking of the right words to say. “Ma’s a different story, but we ain’t about to worry about her...”

“I miss her, Ry...”

“I know...I do too sometimes...” You sighed. “But aye, what else can we do for her? We got her the help she needed, but she wasn’t havin’ it, man – she chose to dip, as fucked up as that is. We both did what we could for that woman.”

Rome looked up at you, genuine curiosity behind her eyes. “Do you think she’ll ever come back here?”

“You want my honesty, Jellybean?” Rome nodded. “If she ain’t come back after three years, I wouldn’t hold my breath on it.”

Rome let out a sigh that made your gaze soften even more at her. “Listen, go take ya meds and get ya stuff together, aight?” You swiped your backpack off the couch. “I’ll be out in the car.”

Rome hummed and watched you leave, turning around to grab her own belongings, as well as her medicine bottles from the kitchen counter.

~~~~