THE INMATE

THE PARTY

“Hello,” Bella’s tiny sweet voice filled the atmosphere as she approached them. Joel was already inches away, while Andrew nervously stared at her.

“It doesn’t look like someone is happy to see me,” she let out, while rolling her eyes at Andrew before continuing with a sweet chuckle.

“Oops! Guess I’ll just go,” she said, then walked away.

“Hey… wait!” Andrew called out as he ran after her.

“What? You clearly don’t want to talk with me, so I’ll just leave.”

“I… I didn’t say that,” Andrew mumbled, reaching out for her hands. “Sorry if I got you pissed,” he added.

“It’s fine. I was only going to invite you for the TGIF. I don’t have anyone to go with me.” Her voice was pitiful. Andrew took a quick glance at Joel, who immediately turned away his face.

“What? You need permission from your friends?” she blurted, confused.

“Um… Nope” Andrew muttered naively.

“Okay… What’s the deal?”

There was a little silence between them, then Andrew gently nodded his head. “Just for today right?” he questioned, then Bella went close and gave him a hug.

“I knew you wouldn’t turn me down. The party starts in one hour, you should go get dressed. I’ll wait for you at the entrance.” She said then ran off after pecking him on his forehead.

“What now? Are you going?” Joel let out as he went closer to Andrew.

“It’s just a party, it’s no big deal, we just have to give it a try.” Andrew muttered in defense.

“Just right? The same thing you said the last time you got bullied by Nelson.”

“I’ve told you not to mention his name again.” Andrew’s voice was venomous as he angrily interrupted Joel. “Going or not, just know I’ll be attending the TGIF night.” he added, then walked away annoyed.

**AT ANDREW’S HOUSE**

Joel walked in wearing baggy jeans with a multi-coloured shirt. With disgust, Andrew gave him a shocking look.

“What the heck! Don’t tell me you are dressing that way for the party.”

“There isn't any dress code for the party, so… guess I have the right to put on whatever I want.” He let out, backing himself on the dressing.

“There aren’t no way you are dressing that way to go with me to the party.” Andrew let out, frustrated while searching through his wardrobe.

“I don’t seem to find the perfect outfit,” he said, then grabbed a jean jacket with a white sleeveless top.

“Do you think Bella would love this?” He added.

“Bella? I think she will love it if I put on a lab coat.” Annoyed, Andrew threw the jacket at him.

“I swear to God I hate you!” He added furiously.

“I don’t mean any harm, bro, but trust me, Bella doesn’t like you, you aren’t even in her league, they are probably praying and thanking God for you. The warlord.” Joel smirked, but Andrew’s face reaction followed after his statement made it look as though he didn’t even say a word.

“I think this is the perfect outfit.” Andrew finally said, relieved, as he pulled out a neatly folded black leathered cloth.

“With my white canvas, don’t you think so?” He continued while looking at Joel, who just shook his head disappointed.

“Umm… now you want to dress like a gangster, alright.” Joel eventually said after a brief silence.

“Not really, you should know I mean well for you, unlike—”

“Bella again?” Andrew chipped in, annoyed.

“You should just learn to love her. Bella isn’t as bad as you think.” He continued, then put on his clothes.

“C’mon, let’s get going, I don’t want to keep her standing.”

At the party hall, Andrew and Joel arrived quite late. The place was already buzzing, people everywhere.

Joel kept staring out, then went quietly as they stood outside of the building while waiting for Bella.

“I thought the party was supposed to start in a few minutes,” Joel mumbled irritably.

“From the look of things, I don’t think so. I think we are late,” Andrew let out weakly.

“You think she has already entered inside?” Joel said after a deep breath.

“I don’t think so, I think she doesn’t know the time either. Maybe we should just hang around,” Andrew said in defense. Joel hissed, then leaned on the wall to the entrance.

“Maybe we should just go inside and check?” Joel suggested, but he shook his head.

“Maybe we should go in and check. As for me, I’ll just wait here for her.”

“Okay,” Joel responded, then tapped him on his shoulder. “See you around then.” He mumbled, then went inside.

Inside the hall, Joel struggled to get himself a place to stay. The hall was too crowded, he couldn’t even feel his eyes. Every lady in the building seemed to be half-dressed.

“Do you want some brandy?” A voice echoed behind him, as he turned to see a lady dressed in a bikini, while holding a tray full of brandy.

“No, thanks,” he replied politely, then turned his mouth away before his eyes caught Bella. She was dancing with her friends.

“Damn!! I warned him” he let out, then quickly made his way back to the entrance but couldn’t find Andrew.

“Where the heck is he?” he blurted, while searching around.

After he spent hours looking for Andrew, Joel eventually went inside. He managed to walk past the crowd to get to Bella.

“Look who is here,” Bella’s friend let out with disgust, as she rolled her eyes at Joel.

“Jo—el,” Bella shuttered irritably while turning to face him.

“Hi,” he whispered nervously, pulling his hands out of his pocket.

“Sorry to disturb, Bella… have you seen Andrew? He has been—”

“Just hush off, dude! How the heck do you expect me to know where he is?” Bella interrupted rudely.

“But you invited him, he has been out, waiting for…”

“Can’t you just stop with the lies already? I mean, who invites a loser for a party?” again, she interrupted, causing her friends to laugh at him.

“What are you still waiting for, huh? Just get the heck out already!” Bella’s friend barked.

Disappointed, Joel turned to walk away, before a loud voice echoed in the background:

“SOMEONE HAS FALLEN INTO THE POOL!!!”

There was a loud uproar; as everyone began running towards the pool. Frightened, Joel followed the crowd as they all headed towards the pool.

Just as everyone got to the pool, there he was—Andrew Sanchez—soaked with water, while receiving several punches from Jasper. Joel was soaked up with fear; he couldn’t even summon the courage to save him, he watched from the crowd, as his friend got beaten up, Andrew’s dull eyes immediately narrowed to his direction, and as he caught sight of Joel, he beamed with agony, as tears dropped from his eyes.

“What are you gonna do now huh? Who’s going to save you?” Jasper teased, as everyone laughed at Andrew.

“LET HIM GO!” Joel’s voice echoed from the crowd.

Andrew tossed his head to glance at him, and with a quick smile, he muttered:

“Silly boy! You are going to get beaten as well” His voice was above a whisper; one could hardly hear him.

“What are you? Some superman?” Jasper mocked, as Joel found himself in the middle where Andrew was.

“A friend is something you don’t…” They didn’t even let him finish up his sentence. Jasper and his friends pounced on him. It was a long fight—or maybe a long beating—for both Andrew and Joel. In the final wrap of the fight, they were both thrown into the pool.

***********

Joel kept looking confused at Andrew, who struggled to come out of the pool.

“See where love has got you bro” he whispered tiredly to catch his breath.

“I’m surprised yours isn't even love, yet we are in trouble together,” Andrew teased, his tone masked with pain.

“I warned you, Bella ain’t no good person. I told you it was a set-up, but you didn’t listen,” Joel let out with a sigh.

“It wasn’t her fault. Jasper came back, as usual. He asked to be my friend...” He muttered, then paused.

“What?! What happened after that?” Joel’s anxious voice echoed, as Andrew smiled, then continued.

“Uhm… I refused. He asked that I do his assignments again. I refused. We got into a little argument, he punched me, I punched him back, and that was it. The only punch I managed to give him before I got beaten and drenched in the pool.”

Joel couldn’t even wait for him to say another word before laughing so hard at him.

“I’m sorry, bro, but that was lame. How the heck did you imagine you could beat Jasper and his friends? Do you fancy yourself as Mayweather or something?” Joel teased.

“It wasn’t funny, bro. I really didn’t think you would come for my rescue,” Andrew eventually said after a brief silence.

“I honestly didn’t want to come out, but I couldn’t bear to watch you beaten up. Don’t you think that would make me a loser?” Joel muttered, then Andrew drily smiled at him.

“Thanks, bro. I owe you,” he said before struggling to stand up.

“Don’t thank me yet, ’cause you just signed up for trouble, and Jasper isn’t going to give up so easily, at least not until you get frustrated and drop out,” Joel let out, standing up as well.

“Just until next time I'd get beaten up, till the next time. I’ll get beaten, how about we go home? looks like the part has ended” Andrew added, leaning on his shoulders.

“It was such an enjoyable beating, yeah?” Joel mocked as he pressed his thumb on Andrew’s bruised shoulder.

“Owsh, that hurts,” Andrew yelled, unfazed.

“So sorry, bro. You’ll be fine, but to reduce the troubles, you need to stay off Jasper’s lane, Jasper ain't no Joke Bro” .

“You look like a chicken with a broken leg. I sure don't want to look like you, so I'll try to stay off his lane”. Andrew let out, as Joel narrowed his eyes at him, then pulled Andrew's hands away from his shoulder.

“If you aren’t leaping like a chicken, how about you go home on your own?” Joel let out, annoyed.

With laughter, Andrew leaped back to where he was.

“Sorry Bro”. He muttered, then chuckled a little, before Joel joined him.

“It's really crazy how you keep getting into trouble because of a woman, and not just any woman, the same woman. First, it was Nelson, and now… Jasper?!”.

“Hey! Stop it already. I didn't get into the fight with Jasper because of Bella, and you know that”. Andrew said in defense.

“Okay… Okay… Do you Bro. But trust me, you will. Sooner or later, you will eventually get into another fight with some dude, all because of Bella. That lady is a snitch bro, she doesn't love you. I'm sure she is setting you up for something. You should let her go before it's too late”. Joel let out, just before Andrew's phone started to beep, and it was Bella.

“I knew it, I knew she was going to call”. Andrew muttered excitedly, while rolling his eyes at Joel who just shook his head disappointed.

“You were saying?”. Andrew whispered jealously, before picking up the call.