Sanity // Fezco Euphoria

Chapter 2

Part 1/3 of Sick Twisted Fairytale (Sick Twisted Fairytale is the name of the chapter but it originally written as a 4k word chapter, so I split it into 3 parts.) 

(Back to the present. 3 years after the party.) (Narrated by the author.)

A lot of things had changed since the duo was 14 & 15. Fezco's mouth got a lot smarter but the same could be said for Leilani. She was reaching her senior year of high school & he had already dropped out. If he hadn't dropped out though, he'd also be on his way to senior year right along with her. Neither of them had yet to let out a peep about what they felt at her party. 3 years strong, going on 4.

Rue was sent to rehab, which didn't really affect Lei too much, seeing as though they'd interact once a month. Usually that interaction was an argument. After their dad's death, Leilani lost most control over all the coping skills that she'd learned as a kid. Sometimes she felt bad about it. Her dad would be disappointed in her because of how good she was doing with her anger management when he was still alive. Lei liked to remind herself that she was still trying. This time it was healthier. She didn't feel as if anger was a forbidden emotion, it was natural & she was accepting of it. On the other hand, as she grew up & became meaner. So, when it would benefit her, she'd weaponize her anger. It quickly taught the other students at East Highland High School that 1. She needed serious help but also 2. She was not to be messed with. As long as she kept her anger under a certain level, Leilani believed that she had it all under control.

Fez matured a lot since he was 15. After what happened with his grandma, he quickly realized that the world doesn't isn't one to show mercy & there was nothing he could do about it. Ash was 12 now. Leilani noticed how much Ash reminded her of Fez... just slightly more violent. She would think to herself sometimes about how if Fezco ever had kids, he would be a really good Father. Not that she wanted to have his kids. It was just an observation that she made based on how caring & protective he was.

The date was May 29th, 2017. Some East Highland kid was throwing a 'start of summer kickback.' To Lei, that meant going out with her friends & having a good time. To Ash and Fez, it meant money & sales.

"Bro Leilani, you needa fucking chill on the weed. For real." Fezco lectured, his eyes were fixated on the road, every so often glancing at Leilani in the passenger seat rolling another blunt.

"Bro Fez," She mocked, "You need to chill on the fucking brakes. I've literally spilled like a gram of weed already & I expect reimbursement." To be fair, Leilani was rolling a third blunt. The other two she rolled were snug in her purse, where the third would join them if fezco would, 'chill on the fucking breaks.' The pair had smoked 2 blunts (together those blunts held 6g's) within the last hour & took a few bong hits.

"I ain't reimbursing shit." She didn't really expect him too, she was just giving him shit & he knew that. They were on their way to some start of summer kickback that some kid in Leilani's grade was throwing. She was going for fun but Fez & Ashtray (who was riding in the backseat) were going for work.

"I'll chill on the weed, if you give me aux." That made both boys roll their eyes.

"Do not give her the fucking aux. She likes Taylor Swift & shit." Ashtray had a mouth on him, but knowing his upbringing, it was expected.

"What do you like, Ash? Kids your age should like cocomelon, not shoreline fucking mafia."

"Aye. Yall chill out," It was now Leilanis turn to roll her eyes, "I'll give you aux if it means you shut the fuck up." Fezco also had a mouth on him, which is why it was so expected for Ashtray to have the same attitude. Lei didn't care anymore though; she was just happy to get her way. (& she had no intention of "chilling on the weed.") Tay-k, Polo G & Lil baby erupted through the car. Truthfully, Leilani did like Taylor Swift, but she considered herself a music connoisseur who dabbled in everything BUT country & K-pop. So, she tapped into her rap playlist & pressed shuffle.

When the three finally pulled up to the party, Ashtray left the two in his dust. He was gone the second that Fez pulled the keys out of the ignition. He & Leilani stayed in the car to do their pre-party BFF promise, which is what Leilani liked to call it, but Fez would always say, 'that shit sound dumb as fuck.'

The BFF promise was something that they did anytime that they went to a party together. Leilani came up with the idea once when she was high in her room, in the dark, alone. Fez didn't think that the concept of the promise nor the promise itself was dumb. As a matter of fact, he appreciated it. Lei hated to break promises. It was a moral line that she refused to cross with her friends. He was the same & found pride in considering himself a man of his word. The only problem he had with their ritual promise was its name.

"So," Leilani had a large grin on her face as she put her elbows on the center console & rested her head in her hands, looking up at her 'BFF.' His freckles painted his face in a way that was pure art. Also, she felt envious of the way his eyelashes deepened the hypnotic abilities of his eyes & the story she could see behind them. Sometimes she wished someone would think that poetically of her, whether platonically or romantically, "Who's promising first?"

Fezco locked his gaze onto her. She was so beautiful, not just to him, to everyone around her. Lei's brown eyes shone bright, especially with the reflection of the outdoor sensor lights illuminating them. He vividly remembered seeing a shattered beer bottle on the pavement outside his shop one day. The first thing he thought of as he observed the sunlight gleaming onto the broken glass was her honey orbs. It wasn't the most beautiful metaphor, nor was it even really a metaphor. All he really knew was that he saw her as pure beauty & grace. An angel put on this earth specifically for him. She was his person. He couldn't remember a time when she wasn't. Both of them were quiet for a moment, each mesmerized by the other.

Sudden loud cheering erupted from the pool area. Fez didn't break eye contact, but Leilani did. She quickly switched her gaze over to the commotion. Nothing interesting was happening. It was simply a group of drunk teenage boys having a cannonball contest. When she looked back, his pupils were still locked on her. There was that feeling in her stomach again. The same feeling, she had way back when, but stronger. This time, she could recognize the vague sense of lust that she was feeling. Almost instinctively, Leilani crossed her legs. It didn't go unnoticed, it made him break eye contact for a moment & then return his to hers. She watched as a small smile formed on his face. The moment was getting too deep, too poetic.

While she racked her brain for a way to de-escalate the moment, Leilani's eyes shot down to her shoes. A sign of submission, but not sexually, she wasn't able to keep up with his intensity in the moment. He noticed the shift in her body language. Fez started to feel bad, thinking that he'd accidentally made her feel uncomfortable.

"I," He began. Lei noticed that the moment was over, feeling a strong sense of relief overcome her,

"Go on," She pestered.