No Pain: Book 1

Chapter 33: Najee

          The light hits my eyes harshly and I try to roll over with my arms still locked around a pillow. The bed disappears and I slam into the ground, the pillow in my arm jolts and its arms fly out grasping for something but we both end up on the ground together.

"Get off me."

Something hard jams into my stomach, it only takes me a second to recognize the feeling. "Star." I gasp pushing myself away from her. She's glaring at me with sleepy eyes and tousled hair. She's possibly the least intimidating thing I've ever come across but that's her weapon. No one ever expects her to put up a fight. She's too small, who could she possibly hurt?

"I'm sorry." I say immediately.

"You've been saying that a lot lately." Star pushes herself up and heads toward the bathroom.

"Someone messed up." I can hear the smirk in Keller's voice.

"Better now than later." I say pulling myself back onto the bed. Pain stabs at head and eyes in the light. My throat is bone dry and my body aches in ways I can't describe.

"What did you do?" Keller pushes Kader's arm away from her and climbs out of bed.

"Thierry came out." I say grabbing a bottle of water from the tiny fridge next to the T.V.

"Star's used to talking with Thierry. Heck she and Thierry even have fun together." Keller grabs a brush from her bag and starts to fix her hair.

"So why is she mad at you?" Keller parts her hair and starts to braid it.

"I don't know." I chug the bottle of water. "When I came back she was angry at me, she didn't even want to talk to me."

"Must've been bad if you let Bruce out." Keller chuckles as she ties the band in her hair. "I mean, Bruce isn't like Thierry or Mason. Bruce only comes out when you want to forget something." Keller looks me up and down. I know I look bad, I think I threw up at one point because there's a bitter acidic flavor lingering in my mouth.

"He's that friend who solves all your problems by getting you drunk." Keller pulls a fresh set of clothes from her bag. It's not mission gear, its just a regular tank top and jeans.

"Did she say anything to you?" I ask hoping Keller will have an answer to this.

"Najee, I realize you and Star have your dark and brooding shattered pasts that you normally bond over and you share this mutually platonic relationship because neither of you are social enough that you'll find someone else but stop being a wuss. Go and ask her what she's mad at you about."

Keller starts to change, I turn around.

"She doesn't want to talk to me." I sigh and push my hair back.

"She's in the shower, Najee." Keller says obviously "she doesn't have choice but to listen."

"That'll make it worse." I stare at the bathroom, she probably has the water too hot.

"Stop being a wuss." Keller sings. I sigh and walk toward the bathroom. I twist the knob, it's not locked, she wouldn't lock it with us, she trusts us.

"Star." I step in, the room is filled with steam. I'm already sweating.

"What." Star says.

"What's the water temperature?" I ask dumbly.

"Probably too hot." She says indifferently.

"I'm gonna fix it then." I stick my hand in the shower, I twist the cold water on and test it. It's still on the warm side but she likes it like that.