Page 83 of House of Bass

“You seem very proud.”

“I am.”

Harley smiled at her as she chewed on her laces, the bar of Hershey’s sitting on her lap. She looked back at the London skyline to breathe it all in. The whole city was beautifully lit up and you could see it all from where they were sitting, there were still more places she wanted to see. It was a little cloudy, so the stars weren’t clear tonight and the moon was also hidden behind them.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Scarlett questioned, unwrapping a bar.

“My mum loved chocolate, dark especially was her favourite come down snack along with scrambled eggs. I used to make them for her whenever she’d ask. Sometimes she wouldn’t eat unless I made food for her, otherwise she’d go to Sam’s, the corner shop by ours , and get chocolate till I came home from work or school.”

She chewed on her chocolate and asked, “Do you miss her?”

“A little but mainly no,” Harley confessed, her chest felt heavy after saying that. She knew that she should have missed her mother, on account of her giving her life and all that but Harley was glad to not live how she did before. That life…it took a toll on her that was unexplainable, her psyche was on its last legs. She wondered everyday how she didn’t end up like her sister who was essentially a zombie or an alien sheltering in human skin. Harley was working on learning who she was without all that was grappling her emotionally and physically getting in the way no longer. A lone tear blinked out her eyes and she rushed to wipe it away as she relayed a condensed version of that.

“I like being here with you instead,” Harley said to her, which resulted in a full blown grin on Scarlett.

“I love being with you, too.” An emphasis made on the distinction. Harley refused to dwell.

Some time later, Scarlett said, “I’ve got a spliff and a biff.” Pulling them both out of her bra. Harley laughed at the way she said biff , delighted at the way she was mimicking her accent. “I know you don’t do weed but the option is there if you want to take your mind off everything else.”

Harley thought about it. She had never tried weed because the idea of becoming like her mother was a fear that held her by the throat all the time. Cigarettes were mainly recreational or when she was feeling out of place, nowhere near a crutch. She could do without, it had been a month since she last had one. She didn’t mind other people doing either in front of her, she wasn’t someone who judged another person for the habits they indulged in. Harley didn’t feel she had any right to, nor should anyone else.

“Shotgun?”

“Will you actually?” Scarlett asked, perking up. Harley nodded and brought out her lighter from her pocket and nodded at Scarlett to come towards her. Scarlett dangled the spliff on her lips, her hands shielding it from the wind. They moved a little closer, their knees knocking as they sat crossed legs opposite one another and leaned.

Harley tried to light it the first time but the wind was a tad strong and the light went out at once. She tried again and this time it stuck, the ends of the blunt burnt and the paper slowly began to chip away. Scarlett puffed out a small amount and took a deep inhale for herself as she eyed Harley.

Truthfully, she was nervous. What if doing this was the difference between her and one day becoming an addict? One day hurting a kid the way her mum did her? The idea of that overwhelmed her massively and she almost backed out until Scarlett touched her leg and drew nearer.

“This next one is for me and you, okay?” she said, coming a mere foot away from Harley’s face. Her voice was gentle and soothing, so Harley nodded at her words, preparing herself.

Then Scarlett got even closer, two inches, and blew the smoke into her mouth; the sensation hit her almost outright. Harley coughed a little and felt a rush to her head due to the quickness of the drug setting inside her. However, she did feel it. Lighter, though slightly dazed.

“You good?” Scarlett wondered, observing her reaction.

Harley smiled, nodding, “Yeah.”

Relief settled on her face at her response, then Scarlett gently pressed her lips to Harley’s cheeks with a soft peck. She leaned back a little but was still quite close.

“What was that for?” Harley asked.

Scarlett shrugged, “Felt like you needed it.”

The two of them were inhaling each other’s air again but this time the blunt hung in between Scarlett’s perfectly manicured fingers, delicately being held as she peered at her. Harley loved being this close to her.

“Thank you,” she told her. Scarlett was right, she did need that.

She resisted the urge to touch the spot where Scarlett had kissed her and with the closeness getting to Harley, it felt like this time she would kiss her on the lips this time but all that happened was a sparkling smile spreading on her face.

“Do you want to stay at mine for the next couple days while Bel’s gone?” Harley asked her suddenly, still feeling the remnants of the weed in her system, pushing the strands of hair that flew waywardly back.

“Sure.” Nodding her head at once in agreement.

“Really?”

“Why not? It’d be fun to see how the other half lives.”

“I don’t think I count as the other half.”