30 13.0: Delicious Parties (2/2)

Tobias and I stare at the wide-open door, lips parted, not knowing what to expect.

Joshua runs his hands through his hair and walks to the dresser, where we stood, only to pick up a blinking phone. A phone recording the fuckery that was happening.

”So it is a challenge,” Tobias says in disbelief. ”What extents are they really willing to go to?”

I don't answer as Joshua turns to Sierra with an appalled expression, leaving his bareback for view. ”What the hell?” He spits out. ”You said it was a one night stand.”

Sierra looks unbothered. ”For me it was.”

”Are you serious?!” Joshua says furiously. ”Mason is out there thinking ya'll in a relationship and you're here thinking it was a fucking fling?” He gestures wildly. ”You know I only did this because I thought that ya'll don't care about each other!”

”And?”

”And I broke his heart!” He points at the door. ”And he's my best friend!”

”Well, how come he never told you about us if we were, in his dimension, a thing?Besides, you said you wanted to finish the challenge and promised some cash and helping find my phone,” Sierra says.

”You don't- you don't care about him,” Joshua says, almost horrified.

”Of course not-” Sierra rolls her eyes. ”My challenge was to isolate Roseline. I had to get Mason on my side. And unfortunately, he didn't do one night stands. He's more of the dating type. It wasn't my fault.”

”This is just ridiculous,” Tobias mutters and I shake my head in shock.

”You just can't seem to get enough money!” Joshua bellows and Sierra purses her lips before smiling, then laughing.

”And you can?” She mocks, getting closer to him. She then traces his chest. ”I mean, what else would you want to fuck me for?” She lifts her eyes to his and pouts. ”Your hate confused itself for love? You caught feelings? Josh?”

Joshua slaps away her hand and she smirks in response. ”You don't understand.”

”Well. Tell me, Papi. Explain your reasons. Maybe I'm too dumb to understand,” she drawls and I cringe at her manners.

Joshua walks past her and sits on the bed. He stares at his reflection in the mirror despondently before sighing heavily and holding his head.

”Maybe I'd tell you if I weren't too ashamed,” Joshua says quietly, averting his eyes to her. ”Maybe I'll tell you because I'm fucked anyway.”

Sierra scoffs.

Joshua shuts his stony eyes momentarily before opening up misty ones. ”All I want is our sex tape,” he says. ”Okay? And maybe the game will be decent enough to get you the hell out of my life.”

”Well, you chose to fuck up your life-” She grins.

”I'd never choose fucking up people's lives for money-” He tells her seriously.

”It is better,” Sierra shrugs. ”I just fail to understand how your brain works. I mean why would someone choose to ruin their own life over that of others? It was a no brainer for me.”

At that, Joshua scoffs. ”You really think that? You really think that you're coming out of this, if you ever do, unscathed?” He lifts his brows before snorting. ”You have it coming.”

”I'm out here literally living my best life,” Sierra says.

”Until it fucks you up mentally-” Joshua snaps.

”Well, isn't that the point?” She crosses her arms across her chest. ”Fucked up people don't really know that they are and thus continue living their best lives.”

Joshua shakes his head and says nothing.

”I think this video is enough,” Sierra changes the topic. ”They'd love to see how you've hurt Mason.”

”I never intended on that,” Joshua hisses. ”You just know how to twist your words.”

Sierra smirks. ”Aight, Mr Noble, let's get our asses out of here before your Mason goes crazy on us.”

Joshua closes his eyes, nods slowly and gets up, leaving his phone on the bed. ”Where's my shirt?” He then asks, pulling up the beds' blankets and looking beneath them.

Sierra smiles wickedly. ”I don't know? Under the bed?”

Tobias and I look at Benji who pants happily at our sudden attention as Joshua looks up at Sierra with an exasperated facial expression before diving to the floor. Sierra then walks to the bed, looks down at Joshua's phone before picking it up and quickly shoving it in her bra.

I gasp loudly and Tobias groans.

”Fetch me my sweater, Josh.” She singsongs and Joshua emerges from under the bed, his hair ruffled, with his and Sierra's sweaters.

He throws Sierra's sweater in her way and she catches it with a smile as he pulls on his.

Tobias suddenly turns me to him. ”This? Did you see what happened? That's the real 'shit' no-one saw coming.”

I look in his bright eyes and my mouth hangs open helplessly. ”Hopefully he'll notice?”

Tobias shakes his head. ”Of course not!” He then points at Joshua who's wiping away at his eyes. ”He's being all emotional and gooey right now.”

”No-” My hands shake (and I think, hey, how is this possible if I don't have nerves and shit? And I think maybe there are too many roaches feasting on my hands right now. Maybe they're dancing on it's dead flesh and throwing a delicious party. Maybe that's why my hands are shaking. No, not because Sierra might kill Joshua, no).

Joshua and Sierra leave the room soon enough and it's clear that he hasn't noticed his phone missing.

I'm staring at the doorway and Tobias is saying something I can't hear and I am acutely aware that maybe it's Joshua's life that she might decide to ruin after having ruined mine and I'm not sure why is it that all the lights outside seem to switch off.

I don't know why Tobias is holding on when I wanted to beg him not to fall asleep yet. When I wanted to tell him, 'wait, Joshua. Tobias, we need to save Joshua'.

What do you do on days when there's so much to do, but sleep, sorry, being dead, seems to always swallow you whole and away?