7. Rori

As we listen to Lera’s story a text pops up from Shalla. 

Shalla: Clive’s here we R waiting where u @??

“I’m sorry but we gotta go,” I kiss Lera on the cheek, despite the unnecessary fact that even on a hospital bed she still sees a need to lecture me. There’s nothing wrong about my friendship with Shalla. If it wasn’t for it, I wouldn’t have money of my own. Aunt Joyce doesn’t give me any money, not even a penny. Okay, she does give me money but now, as me and Kiki hurry our way out of the hospital corridors, I can’t remember the last time aunt Joyce gave me money and how much it was. Aunt Joyce or anyone for that matter. 

The money my parents left was split among me and Lera. I’m due to get mine when I hit twenty-one, and that’s when I’ll stop making videos with Shalla even though it has become fun. Lera already has her own share of the money, plus dad’s car which she enrolled to driving school for the year we moved to aunt Joyce’s place. Dad’s house was sold and the money was added on my inheritance with Lera, some of the money went to aunt Joyce so she could have something to start raising us with.

Tough times I faced but once I hit twenty-one it’s good bye OnlyFans and goodbye porn. 

📱

Rori: Are you at fun house

Shalla: No. At home. Come now clives getting impatient 

Rori: Told you we coming

Shalla: u & who???

Rori: Kiki. I told you she will take my spot and put on the mask

Shalla: fuck we don’t got time HURRY!! Or this big prick and big money will go away. Clive wanna fuck now

Rori: We are coming Shalla

Shalla: WHEN! 😠

Rori: Wtf!? Now. Why don’t you begin?

Shalla: he want threesome & Its only me & him so do the math bitch

Rori: OK let’s meet at fun house coz we’ll get there quick. Your house is far

Shalla: Ur sis won’t see u? Hows she? 

Rori: Lera’s fine. She won’t know I was there. Don’t forget to come with the camera

Shalla: I never do! Lol! 

📲

Once we arrive at fun house I see my father’s car. Bullet holes everywhere. I can’t look at it for no more three seconds to be honest. I can’t even bring myself to imagine what Lera was feeling when she was in this car being shot at. When we enter the house, we are greeted with a strong smell of a hookah flavor. Banana. 

Some rap song is playing. Ahead of the kitchen at the lounge we see a mic at the middle of the room and a shirtless dude rapping behind it. I think he’s recording a song, because there’s a nerdy guy near him with a laptop stand. Some girls on the couches, the hookah burbles as they pull through the four pipes. Two girls in a corner are busy kissing. All these activities. Do these people know that it was in this house’s yard where Blinx was shot dead?

Me and Kiki greet a few that we recognize.

There’s also this smell of weed although we don’t see who’s actually smoking it. 

As Kiki and I climb up the stairs we come across some kid in a blue school uniform. It’s either he attends at All Light Secondary or at a different school with the same colors of uniform. He’s sniffing some white powder on a piece of glass held by his friend. “Wait, wait, let me try it too,” Says the friend, pushing the kid away and lowering his nose on the same glass. 

At the end of the stairwell there’s a hobo on his ass, blowing a plastic of glue. A swamp of buzzing flies all over his head. His eyes are so big they look like they’ll pop out at any moment. I wonder how did he get in here. 

There are several kinds of beer bottles on the floor and cigarettes butts, takeaway containers and plastic spoons and cups. This part is way messier than the one downstairs. 

Fresh could really use some cleaning services. A loud trap song from behind a closed door. I suspect there must be a mini party going on in there. Suddenly the door snaps open; this girl in a miniskirt tumbles out and starts to puke on the floor, reminding me of my own experience. 

“Shit,” Kiki remarks and looks away.

It’s hard to keep looking at the girl but I do, because I notice her from somewhere. Zinhle. From school. It’s her. She raises her face from all the mess, I now see her well, and indeed it’s her. 

“Is that Zinhle?” Kiki asks. 

“Yeah,” I say. We haven’t seen Zinhle in over two months until now. There were some rumors and gossips in school that she’s dropped out. She’s really zoned out right now, she may not even notice us. She picks herself up, wipes her mouth, pulls down her miniskirt–or at least tries to because it doesn’t lower any further– and returns in the room. I wonder what’s going on inside there. Is it really a mini party or what? 

We then pass a room of which its door is half open; I see a glimpse of two black guys undressing a white girl on the bed. Wait, is it two guys? I try to near my eyes to the half-opened door but Kiki pulls me by the arm. 

Shalla has come out from the neighboring door. “Finally! What the hell took you so long!?” 

She snarls. She can be such a bitch sometimes. 

She gets us inside a room in no time. Clive is on the bed naked and waiting, I can hear Kiki swallow next to me. 

“You sure you want to do this?” I ask her and she nods like she doesn’t want to. “You not a virgin are you?” I whisper.

“No,” she says. 

I realize why would she be a virgin? She’s Liyabo’s ex for fucks sake.

“It’s fine. You’ll enjoy it,” I say and rub her back. She’s seventeen by the way, we in the same grade because I failed grade eleven twice. She caught up to me. I see she wants to change her mind about this but I quickly whisper: “I promise you it’ll be fun. Just think about the money.” I see a curve in the corner of her lips, a small smile. 

Clive is on the bed. He says nothing. Not a single word comes out of him. I’ll be the camera girl this time.

“What are you waiting for?” Shalla says, shooting her gaze at Kiki as Kiki removes her pants with nervous hands. I help her out of her uniform. 

As I pull off her shirt after we unbuttoned it, my hands feel her body’s shivering. 

“You are supposed to be horny, or turned on. Not scared,” I tell her. 

“I’m not scared. It’s just…just,” her eyes run all over the room. 

“It’s just what?” 

“It’s just a little bit cold in here,” she says.

The windows are closed and it’s a summer day. I say nothing, because if I speak then she’ll cry and leave. Shalla, now naked, hands me the Samsung camcorder. I take out the pink cotton mask from my bag. The mask has holes for eyes and the mouth. 

“I think you should just put it on, Rori,” Shalla says. She may have also noticed Kiki’s fear. 

“She’ll be fine,” I say, and give the mask to Kiki. 

“Please don’t tell me it’s her first time,” Shalla says, as if Kiki is not here. 

“It’s not. Doing it on camera is, so she’s a little nervous that’s all,” I say. 

Kiki puts the pink mask on as slowly as she could. We both have the same skin tone so she’ll look a lot like me in the video.

By the time, I switch on the camcorder to start shooting the video Shalla has already started.

Kiki just kneels on the bed behind Clive’s groaning face, not sure which move to take. I bet she misses home right now. 

Clive just grabs on to her from the back, she nearly tumbles on top of him. They do it.