Kritvik Bhatt

I wore a red sweatshirt and a black pair of denim jeans as I was walking through the streetlights in between the empty street. I had my hands in the pocket of my sweatshirt. There were some cars on the road, parked sideways. I had my head frontward, lost in my thoughts.

“So, I gotta prepare about seven more chapters, man. And only two more days are left. So, tomorrow, I can prepare polynomials chapter, circles and triangles chapters, and half of the mensuration chapter. Then, the next day…”

Suddenly, I noticed a park approaching on my left side. No doubt—it was the hideout of the gang, and had the giant tree on the left of its entrance. I stepped beside its green fence and turned my head to the left, looking at the bushes and trees on the other side which gave little way for the pathway to be looked.

Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp.

My footsteps echoed around, for some reason.

As I stepped beside the open gate of the park, I noticed the gang members—all in white shirts and black pants—sitting and standing. Everyone was quiet, for some reason.

I stopped, looked at them for a second, and then turned to the left and started to walk in.

Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp.

Some guys turned backward to look at my figure approaching. I hesitantly took both my hands out of the pockets of my sweatshirt as I looked at them. I then, for some reason, stuffed my hands inside the pockets of my pants.

Clomp. Clomp.

CLOMP.

I stood right in front of the gang members, with all the eyes on me. Two guys in front of me walked to the left, and one to my right, so that I could stand in. I faced Vikram sitting on the bench, like always. No doubt, he looked as dominating as he is, with his back leaning frontward.

Some guys had their hands in the pockets of their hands, and some had their hands crossed in front of their chest. They then turned to Vikram, some turned their heads downward, and some continued to glare at me.

“You all seem stressed today.”

“Yeah, man,” Vikram said, and then turned his head downward.

“Can I help you guys?”

“It’d be better if someone like ya don’t interfere in this shit, man. It ain’t meant for everyone.”

I nodded and turned my head downward. I then turned my eyes at Aaryan, who sat on the left of Vikram. He had his palms covering his face, for some reason. No doubt, something was up.

Aaryan snorted in. He then moved his right hand a little backward and wiped his cheek and eye. He snorted in again.

My eyes widened as I worriedly asked, “A-A-Aaryan, are you alright?” I moved my right hand out of my pocket.

“Yeah, asshole.”

“Obviously, you don’t—”

“Who asked ya?” Aaryan rudely replied, his eyes still turned downward as he continued to wipe half of his face.

I turned my head to my right, and then to my left. Everyone was tensed. They had their heads tilted downward. All of them were silent.

I then turned to Vikram again. “V-Vikram, what’s going on?”

“We got in some bad shit this time, man,” He replied, his head still tilted down. “Vaping fucked us up today.”

I remained silent as I continued to glare at him worriedly for a couple of seconds. Then, I asked, “T-Then why you all vape?”

“Like I said, man. Ya should get outta this shit. It’s beyond comprehension for yer brain.”

“B-But…”

“I understand ya wanna help, man. But stay outta this.”

I continued to glare at him, and then turned to Aaryan again. I turned my head down, thought about it for a second, and then nodded. I then turned to the front. “Why do you all… vape?”

“Don’t get started with a fucking monologue this time, asshole.”

“Answer me, man,” I asked him strictly. “Why do you vape? What good has it done to your life, huh?”

Aaryan wiped the sides of his nose, took out a folded handkerchief from his pocket, and started to rub his face. I continued to look at him as he did that stuff.

Vikram had his head tilted down.

Aaryan then turned his head up at me, his narrowed red eyes glaring irritably at me. “Why do ya think we vape?”

“Ya don’t need to answer him, motherfucker,” Vikram said. “He doesn’t understand this shit.”

Aaryan then turned to him. “Then we gotta make him understand this shit now.” He then turned to me. “Tell me, why do ya think we vape, asshole?”

I gulped in, still glaring at him with my eyes frowning at him. “T-To look cool, right? You guys wanna look cool. No doubt, you all do look cool with vapes.”

“To look cool?”

“Yeah.”

Aaryan nodded as he continued to glare in my eyes. He then turned his head downward. “Yeah, ya don’t understand a fucking thing, asshole.”

A couple of guys on my right turned to me.

“W-What do you mean?”

“How many marks do you usually score on your exams?” Aaryan asked me.

“A-About eighty-five percent average.”

“Are your mom and dad satisfied with these marks?”

“Y-Yeah, but they always tell me to get above ninety.”

“Then, asshole, has some girl ever left ya for another guy?”

“N-No.”

“Then, have you seen someone close to ya die?”

“No.”

“Are ya poor?”

“No.”

“Is your life fucked up in any fucking way?”

“... N-No.”

Aaryan pointed his forefinger at me. “That’s the reason why ya don’t vape and get into this shit.”

“And… that’s the reason why ya won’t understand it, asshole.”

I continued to glare at him, feeling dumb and guilty.

“Who the fuck told ya that we vape to look cool, motherfucker?” Vikram asked.

“O-Our teachers at school.”

“The fuck was that bitch even talking about?” One of the guys said.

“Yeah, these adults never understand our side of the story!” Another one said.

“Yeah, man. And they might never will, because their childhood was way different than ours,” Vikram said.

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, man.”

“Those assholes…”

Everyone started to chatter and comment on that statement, for some reason.

“Okay, guys, stop it,” Vikram announced.

The chatter settled at once.

Vikram then turned his head up at me. “Ya heard the side of those fuckers, Kritvik. Now, we’re gonna tell ya our side of the story.”

“Yeah, asshole. Ya gotta know why addiction is the biggest business in our country,” Aaryan said.

I turned to him, and then turned to Vikram again. “W-What are you all talking about?”