Page 41 of Pills and Potions: Kase
What Ishould’vedone was move. Kase pulled the ball back, way too far back, and on the forward swing, he lost control. The ball flew out of his hand sideways like it had a personal vendetta and came crashing downsquare on some man’s footwith a sickeningthud as he was walking past us.
While the man was busy dying,Kase panicked. Tried to catch his balance and instead launched himself forward like a damn linebacker. Before I could blink, he crashedstraight into an old ladysitting behind us. The collision was violent. Her cane hit theground. Her wig took off like it had somewhere to be. And her dentures,I swear to God, shifted. Kase hit her so hard, she spun sideways like a bowling pin and made a sound that didn’t belong on this earth. But wait, hebouncedoff her and went face-first into a tray of nachos. Then, a child screamed,
“HE KILLED GRANDMA!”
Even with all the chaos, it wasstillthe best date I’d ever been on.
Chapter 13
Kase Madoxx
Knights was packed, lit, and loud, just how I liked it. But for some reason, I wasn’t feelin’ it the same tonight. Usually, I’d be in my section posted up with two bad bitches and a bottle in hand, lettin’ the bass vibrate through my bones. But tonight? I was at the damn bar organizing drink garnishes by color. I had a whole system. Lemon to the left, lime center, cherries in a chilled bowl. Who the hell was I?
“Yo, Kase, you straight?” my bartender Red asked, squintin’ at me. “You been... cleanin’.”
I looked down at the sanitized rag in my hand and the clipboard tucked under my arm. “I’m maintainin’ a high-quality customer experience, Red. That’s leadership.”
Leadership?
My eyes flew open,and I shook my head. I was trippin’. I needed to sit down. All I did was hand my bartender the rag and take a deep breath, ’cause my Black ass was tripping. As I was walking, the women were giving me the eye, with their titties out, and all I kept saying to myself was they need to cover up their boobs and really have a conversation with my ass instead of wanting my attention for my money. When the DJ switched tracks, some space-themed shit,and I swear my dumbass brainwhispered,Did you know the Andromeda galaxy is on a collision course with the Milky Way in four billion years?
What the fuck?
“Yo!” I snapped at myself under my breath, tugging at my chain like it could reset my vibe. “Stop thinkin’ about galaxies and go post up like a real one,” I muttered.
Shit, I was goin’ crazy and talkin’ to myself. I decided to go to my office to head out before my customers thought I’d lost it. The door shut behind me, and instead of pouring my favorite shot, I opened the mini refrigerator and pulled out ghost milk. I didn’t know why I had the urge to drink the shit. I simply took it to the head like it was my favorite. Then I plopped down at my desk and, instead of watching the video cameras, I pulled a Rubik’s Cube from my drawer. I sat back in my chair, feet kicked up, Rubik’s Cube in hand like I was born to rotate this shit. I twisted it once, twice, then flipped the red side perfectly in place. My brain was movin’ like it had Wi-Fi now. I wasn't even thinkin', just… solvin’. Colors clickin’ together like I was made for this.
“Red to orange… blue to—damn, that’s symmetry,” I muttered, real low. Then I caught myself smilin’. Smilin’. At a damn toy cube.
What the hell is wrong with me?
The door cracked open and Red peeked in, holdin’ a towel and lookin’ concerned. “Yo, you good? You in here playin’ Tetris with that lil’ cube?”
“It’s called a Rubik’s Cube,” I said without lookin’ up, fingers still movin’. “A classic exercise in spatial intelligence and pattern recognition.”
Red scowled. “Nigga what?”
I paused, looked up like I just got caught watchin’ anime with subtitles. “I mean… it helps keep my hands busy.”
He squinted at me. “You just say ‘spatial intelligence’ like we was at a PopTech?”
I sat up quick, tossin’ the cube on the desk like it was a hot potato. “I said it keeps my hands busy, Red! Mind yo’ business.”
Red started laughin’. “Man, you been actin’ mad weird lately. Next thing I know, you gon’ be wearin’ them knitted cardigans and watchin’ documentaries on your lunch break.”
I pointed at him. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with being informed.”
“Oh my god, it’s happenin’,” he said, throwin’ his hands up. “You turnin’ into one of them dudes who drink hot tea and talk about chakras.”
“Iownnightclubs, Red.”
He nodded, grinnin’. “Exactly. So why the hell you sippin’ ghost milk and rubbin’ on colors like you tryna summon a Care Bear?”
I sighed and leaned back again, hand to my forehead.“I don’t even know, bruh. My brain has been on some nerd shit. I almost cried watchin’ a butterfly yesterday.”
Red damn near dropped his rag.
“I’m serious!” I said. “It landed on my windshield, bro. Wings all blue and poetic.
