LACK OF MAN (part 7)

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Sulli & Anth

 

        Sulli loved women. Though he claimed to have never loved anyone. He’d usually refer to some as jus’ holes fer ma’ dick, but never ever in their presence. Not even Leerna or his four sisters. Leerna would immediately smack him and or call him out on whatever she thought was bullshit.  His sisters would stand there in a row, and then list off the girls they thought were ugly that he had in the past, had relations with. He’d tell his sisters to fuck off, but he just learned to not say stuff like that in front of Leerna, even checking around if she was present. After earning his facial scar, he was shut down repeatedly by the drunken girls he’d hit on in the bar. Some would be attracted to him simply because of that scar. But he always found regrets with whatever he woke up next to in the morning. Still, he’d try for the others.

“I’d prefer a quality hole tonight,” he’d say with a sarcastic smirk. Only Hunter knew what Sulli was really like. Some drugs they had procured in large amount when they were younger led to long talks.

“Can you even fill those holes?” Leerna would ask with a grin.

“Piss off, slut,” he’d say.

“I’m not a slut,” she’d say.

“Hah,” he’d laugh. “And I don’t have a scar.”

“Screw you, jerk,” she’d snap.

“Enough,” Hunter would sigh.

“Shut up,” Anth would say, slapping Hunter in some way. “Maybe she’ll finally punch him.”

 

        It wouldn’t always be like those particular moments of friendly hostility. Other times Leerna would help him acquire those quality holes, taking on various characters to trick poor girls. She would tell them that she was his half-sister, a girl that knew how good he was in bed, an ex, which always seemed to work, but Leerna would rarely act that one out, or the girl he had saved from getting robbed, using his scar as a prop for that one. Usually it was Hunter, Sulli, and Anth helping each other to get laid.

 

        One night, Hunter and Anth were waiting for Sulli to return with fresh pints, both going over something Anth had written. He took his writing very seriously, like a disease that couldn’t be cured, only controlled. Even the lifestyle he chose to live. He’d sleep in the bar most nights, random buildings, at a friend’s on occasion. He would refuse to make money by working, only panhandling was acceptable. He’d never sold any writing or gotten published a single word except a school contest when he was 13. He tripped and split his lips open on the way to collect his award. The entire school was uproariously laughing. But he wasn’t just some kid. He was Anth. He picked himself up, grabbed the cash prize and smiled a bloody smile back at the cackling audience that suddenly had gone silent as he held that smile stepping up to the microphone.

‘Thanks,” he said. The audience, teachers on stage included, were completely silent. The principal stood there completely shocked, readied with a tissue. “Hunter…Sulli…looks like were getting baked.” Now the whole auditorium cackled with a new kind of laughter. The three of them were all brought down to the principals office. Parents were called and detention was given to Anth. Still he wrote, sitting at his booth, scribbling away with pencils in notebooks. Hunter enjoyed reading it, always anxious to see what absurd situation he had placed the group he’d created in or what dimension of his own multi-verse they were in. He was mid-sentence, reading about two characters, Mark and Hailey fornicating, when Sulli finally returned. He looked up at him and the three girls he was flaunting.

“Hi, boys,” the brunette smiled, sitting next to Hunter. One blond was on Sulli’s arm the other found her place on Anth’s lap, immediately scanning his pages.

“Ladies,” Hunter smiled back. Sulli concocted a tale for these girls where he and Hunter were City Officers and Anth was a known author. Jenny backed him up never having seen these particular girls before. The girls ate up every word of his lies. Hunter and Sulli brought the girls back to Hunter’s place. Anth was in the backroom before they had even left.

 

        The next morning when Hunter awoke, he had the girl hanging off of him and was completely unaware of her name. He turned to move but she gripped him tighter in her subconscious state. So he laid there, arm numb, staring at the ceiling. What was this girl’s name? Was she going to leave, accepting the one night stand? Or was this going to be awkward? Was Sulli out on the couch with his girl? What was her name? Did they even get their names? Had Sulli left while everyone was sleeping, leaving him to inform the girls or attempt a continuation? Wouldn’t be the first time. He decided to get up, forcing he girl’s arms off of him. She rolled over, folding the blanket between her legs, her backside mostly visible. He left the room, finding Sulli and his girl entwined on the couch, fast asleep. The bedroom was one place he didn’t want to get back to in a hurry so he set himself towards the kitchen for some coffee. While scooping spoonfuls into the filter, he had two arms wrap around his stomach. He flipped the lid shut, turning around to two naked girls.

“Ladies,” he smiled, trying not to stare at their sexuality.

“So glad you have coffee,” the blond smiled.

“Hope ya like it strong,” he replied, taking down a few cups.

“Oh…” she exclaimed. “Have to wake Sulli for work.”

“This’ll be good,” Hunter thought, watching her leave the kitchen. He stood in the doorway, the brunette still hanging onto his waist.

“Time to get up,” she said, shaking his shoulder. “You have to be at your post soon.”

“What post?” Sulli asked hazily, only stirring a bit.

“You asked me to wake you if you slept past eight,” she replied, sitting down next to him.

“I always sleep past eight,” he said, turning away from her.

“Won’t your lieutenant be mad?” she asked, running her hand along his arm. Hunter was just doing his best not to laugh.

“Lieutenant?” Sulli said, turning his head to her. “I’m not a fuckin’ cop.”

“What?” she asked, glancing at Hunter.

“What makes you think I’m a cop?” he replied, sitting up, rubbing his face.

“Uh…you told us you were?” she said, the tone immediately angry.

“Oh, right,” he laughed, smirking at Hunter. “I did didn’t I?”

“What the fuck?” she snapped, smacking his arm.

“You lied to us?” the brunette asked. Hunter looked down at her as she pulled away.

“I didn’t…he did,” he replied, not entirely lying. He hadn’t lied about any occurrences in his life, he just omitted the fact he was not a City Officer.

“You guys are pricks,” the blond snapped, retrieving her clothes from the floor. The brunette stormed off into the bedroom to collect hers, both of them half-dressed upon exit complete with a slammed door.

“That was fun,” Sulli sighed, standing and stretching his back.

“Put some fuckin’ clothes on,” Hunter said, turning away to mix his coffee.

 

        When they had returned to the bar midday, Anth still had his girl. Her name was Ashley, and Hunter couldn’t stand her once her got to know her which didn’t take long. Sulli did a good job at pretending he didn’t hate her. She was a frizzy-haired ditz that believed she was cuter than she actually was.

“Decided to keep ‘er?” Sulli laughed after she had gone.

“Had to,” Anth said.

“Why’s that?” Hunter asked.

“Best head of my life,” he replied.

 

Leerna

 

        Leerna was a quiet child growing up. Never had many friends in school. She was a primary target for kids to poke fun at, being one of the half-Martians at a school for Martians. It wasn’t until she was fourteen, ninth grade, when they changed the rules and all humans, Martians, and half-Martians could be placed in a unionized schoolboard. Not only did she have the luck to find Hunter, Sulli, and Anth, but she also blossomed into a gorgeous young woman. This gave countless regrets to many people who had mistreated her on the playground. She became more outspoken in the company she had acquired. She came to learn what real friends were, dropping any guy her friends did not approve of or if the boyfriend didn’t approve of them. She had always loved Hunter. But she stayed quiet in this. He’d always be doing his thing with whatever girl he was coupled with while she sat with nothing but second choices, longing for him.

 

        He did not finally enter her arms until they were 24. It wasn’t what she had always envisioned originally, but things change with age, and after ten years of pining she took the drunken night gratefully. Then she met Thell, her third objectionable boyfriend since high school, and the only one to have worked his way past the worries and hesitations her friends put forward. Hunter especially. She stuck with him for another year after Vanessa was brought in. The first time she and Leerna met was on Anth’s 25th birthday. They did hit it off, that however, was due to alcohol consumption. That quickly changed when all four of them, both couples decided to go see a movie.

 

        At the theatre, Leerna overheard Vanessa call a half-Martian a freak, saying Martians should only breed with themselves. Who was she to say anything like that? Leerna was sure it was no one important. Even more so was the term breed. Who could be so offensive? Vanessa. Martians understood love on a much higher level than humans, half-Martians included. They have documents, books, short-stories, poems, sonnets, plays, novels in non-fiction and fiction. All of them used to describe the emotion right down to the atoms that make up that specific portion of the brain that creates the chemical that makes people believe they’re in love. But though they had created that very portion of the brain in a laboratory, they still ignored the facts of what it all was and followed their instincts, finding one person to love and cherish. And that bitch called it breeding.

 

        With Leerna’s attitude on edge, the rest of the night didn’t go any better, especially after Vanessa’s obvious disgust with sharing popcorn. Still, Leerna, true to her best friend, stayed quiet as a mouse. They went down for a stroll down to Jasmin Pond, a man-made river off a dam in Jasmin Park. Though a caged in concrete area with a steel jungle gym could hardly be called a park and none of these people called it as such. There weren’t even any children under the age of twelve around anymore. All of them were participating in the new boarding school program, leaving the jungle gym unused. Vanessa stayed back, holding Hunter’s hand to keep him in place while walking through this area. This annoyed Leerna. With or without the previous problems, it still would have gotten on her nerves. But still, she kept her mouth shut, keeping it occupied with Thell.

“It wasn’t that good,” she said, keeping track of the distance between the couples.

“You kiddin’, honey?” Thell replied.

“No,” she said. “Just a bit too much gore.”

“True,” he replied, looking around a bit, mostly at Leerna’s figure. “That how battles go.”

“I suppose,” she said, checking on Hunter. Vanessa was nattering his ear off. She looked up at Thell, watching his lips as he spoke. He was excited as he did so, his tongue noticeably filling with blood and impeding his speech. The story in the movie was something he liked, even had a strange fondness for it, and the gore. His father had beaten the Martian history into his brain. Every battle, war, coo, and overthrow. She could hear is voice, see his lips and body move, but the words and anatomical language meant nothing, only accepting and processing the words in her own head. The ones she hoped to be fictional. She was sure that Vanessa was continuing to be a decay on the growing Martian and human culture. The snide looks she was receiving were only adding to her anger, annoyance, and surety of Vanessa’s blatant ignorance. The time since the two species had unionized as one could be classified as a long time. Then Leerna couldn’t help herself.

“Oh, Hunter dear,” she called out, a lasting inside joke. This time used as a device to possibly rid Vanessa from their lives quickly.

“Yes, Leerna dear,” he immediately called back, cutting off the middle of his sentence to Vanessa.”

“You still got some at home?” she asked.

“If you still got some on you,” he replied.

“Always,” Thell laughed, the two couples rejoining and eliminating the fifteen foot gap.

 

        Leerna’s plan worked only for the night. Vanessa left before getting to Hunter’s apartment. The thought of getting a halfie’s saliva on her lips from communally enjoying a joint was too much. The three had a better time without her despite Hunter’s growing distaste for Thell’s pompous ways. Like the tobacco, marijuana was also only procured from Thell. His parents grew both plants in their greenhouses. A simple accomplishment due to the fact that the houses and properties in the gated communities of the North and South sides were rarely checked out by police and never raided. Leerna was happy that she could obtain those items for her friends who liked them just as much as she did. But when she realized Hunter was obviously hiding his feelings about Vanessa leaving early and not staying over, picking up the small queues and hints she had come to recognize. This being one of the few times where she felt a little disappointed in herself for ruining a possible chance for Hunter to fornicate and regret her actions. She couldn’t complain in the end because Thell didn’t completely like who and what her friends were.

“Glad to be home,” he said laying down on his bed, Leerna tucking herself in beside him.

“Yeah?” she replied, still feeling guilty.

“Slummin’ is fun, but only for a bit,” he said, sliding his hand over her butt.

“Slumming?” she asked, immediately wanting his hand off of her.

“Yeah,” he replied. “That shitty bar, small apartments, poor kids. And I dunno what that Hunter guy sees in that gutter-slut.”

“I agree,” she said, offended by all of his words. “But why is she a gutter-slut?”

“She looks like one,” he laughed, gripping an ass cheek. “And where she lives.”

“Uh…I live on that side of town, too,” she said, forcing his hand off of her.

“I know, but you don’t have to,” he replied, wrapping his big arms around her.

“I told you I’m not moving in here,” she said, pushing his arms away. “That’s my home, my side of town.”

“Hey, if you wanna live ’round dirt-bags and gutter-skanks, be my guest,” he replied, having that same tone Hunter had complained about.

“You’re being an asshole,” she snapped, pushing herself away from him.

“I just don’t get why you’d wanna live there,” he sighed, only knowing his own cushioned life. Leerna was currently grabbing her belongings, even a shirt she kept there to sleep in. It used to belong to Hunter. Thell didn’t know that. “Come on, babe, don’t go.”

“Yeah, well…you’re being an ignorant prick,” she snapped, waving the shirt at him. “And I’ve had enough ignorance from that bitch.”

“I am not,” he said, moving to the edge of the bed.

“Just as much as that bitch was,” she replied, having all her items at hand or in her bag.

“Just tell me why you’d wanna live there,” he said.

“My family, friends, they all live there and I don’t appreciate you calling my home slums and my friends sluts and dirt-bags,” she snapped. “Not to mention your parents hate me.”

“Okay, sorry,” he said, trying to get closer to her just to end the fight, not actually caring about her feelings. “And they don’t hate you.”

“Your mom always gives me dirty looks,” she said, wiping her lip of saliva remaining from the excitement.

“Oh, she does not,” he replied, laughing a bit.

“Whatever, I’m leaving,” she said. “I’m not going to sit here and be insulted.”

“I’m not insulting you, honey,” he replied, reaching for her back and pulling her closer by her butt.

“Basically,” she said, not resisting.

“Yer different,” he replied, giving her that manipulative smile. “Special.”

“Call it what you want,” she snapped, remembering the last time she saw that smile. He turned back into a jerk the second she was done and stopped pushing herself off of him. She pulled open his bedroom door, completely turning her back on him, Hunter’s distance already on her mind.

“Babe, please,” he said, following her down the massive staircase twirling down at the bottom, adding entrance to the massive foyer.

“Don’t babe me,” she snapped again glancing over at Thell’s mother, a human female glaring at her. She shot one back, and then pulled open the door, exiting.

 

        She went to Hunter’s place to apologize for probably ruining his night. When she knocked, he didn’t answer. She knew he was either in his​ bed sleeping, a place she found herself wishing to be, or blacked-out on his couch, also a wish. So she sent a short video to his phone from her week old armphone, as she called it. The implanted beads still hurt when she touched them and all the hand-gestures were a bit difficult to remember. But recording a video was one thing Thell taught her thoroughly. Then, in a few moments, she was seeing herself in a 6x9 digital screen illuminating from her wrist.

“Listen, dear,” she smiled. “I know it was my fault Vanessa left. So I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting her to be like that and I let it get the better of me. But if it’s any consolation, Thell was a pretty big jerk when we were alone and I stormed out. So neither of us are getting any tonight, I guess. I stopped by with another joint but you didn’t answer the door, so now I’m leaving. Call me when you get this,” she smiled again, adding a short, finger-curled wave before ending the video. “Shit…now how do I send it?” It only took another moment before she found the share button. Hunter was annoyed that he had fallen asleep when he awoke, finding the video message that was left hours earlier.

 

To be continued….