A BAR, A BET, AND YOU

The darkness outside was a cozy blanket, and the alarm clock's shrill cry was a rude intruder. Kay groggily reached out to slap the snooze button, but it was too late – the damage was done, and the morning had officially arrived. He burrowed deeper under the covers, his mind racing with dread as he thought about the school day ahead: morning classes, Unit cats and the dreaded gym session. His mom's voice echoed from downstairs, "Kay, wake up! You'll be late!" Yeah, like that's gonna happen, he thought, snuggling deeper into his pillow. The sprawling college campus was buzzing to life, students rushing to make it to their morning lectures on Time. Kay trudged across the quad, his eyes heavy with sleep, his backpack weighing him down. He made it to his first class, slipped into the back row, and dropped into a chair. The prof's voice was a distant hum as Kay's eyelids drooped... and he dozed off, his head lipping forward onto his chest. "Kay! Kay! Kay you bastard wake your ass up." Sky whispered urgently, nudging Alex's ribs with an elbow. " Has the class ended? " Kay asked in a sleepy tone. "Sure thing sleeping beauty" Sky said. After a few minutes break, the other section of the class was about to begin, which is Kay's "best" subject. Prof. Daniel's voice droned on about quadratic equations, but Alex was lost in a Nairobi nightclub dream, Lil Baby blazing in his head. "Kay, pay attention!" Prof. Daniel barked, eyes narrowing. Kay jolted up, face flushing. The whole class snorted. As Kay scrambled to focus, a folded note landed on his desk. He recognized the handwriting – Poppy, the girl who sat two rows ahead. She glanced back, smirked, and whispered "Payback for sleeping" before turning front. The note read: "Meet me at the old gym after school. -S" Kay's heart kicked. Poppy was Sammy's ' ex and also a friend to Kay, Sky. Kay's mind raced as he tucked the note away. What did Poppy want? Was this about Sammy? He glanced at Sammy, who was scribbling notes, oblivious. At break,Kay tried to play it cool, "Hey, Sammy, you know what's up with Poppy?" Sammy looked up, suspicious. "Dunno, man. Why?" Kay hesitated. "Just wondering. She’s been weird in class." Sammy shrugged. "Ignore her drama you have known her for a long time than I, so you should be able to understand her better. Another thing focus on what brought you here , bruh." But Kay couldn't shake it. After school, he headed to the old gym. Poppy was there, leaning against the wall, looking like trouble. Poppy pushed off the wall, her eyes intense. "Kay, I need your help. There's something about Sammy you don't know." Kay raised an eyebrow. "What about Sammy?" Poppy glanced around, lowering her voice. "He's in trouble. The kind that gets people hurt. I need you to keep an eye on him." Kay frowned. "What kind of trouble?" Poppy hesitated, then pulled out a photo from her bag. It showed Sammy with shady-looking guys at a nightclub in Eastlands. "These guys aren't playing, Kay." Kay's gut twisted. Sammy was his best friend , but he’d never seen this side of him. Kay decided to confront Sammy about the issue. He texted Sammy to meet at the usual spot – a hidden corner of the schoolyard. Sammy arrived, looking chill, but Kay wasn't buying it. "What's up, bro? You got a secret life or something?" Sammy's smile faltered. "What’re you talking about?" Kay showed him the photo. Sammy's eyes dropped. "Do you have something to say for your self." Kay asked giving Sammy a serious look. "It's not what you think, Kay," Sammy muttered. Kay shook his head. "Then what is it? You’re my boy, but these dudes look shady asf." Sammy sighed, rubbing his neck. "Okay, okay. I...I owe them money. A lot. From a bet gone wrong." Kay's jaw dropped. "How much?" Sammy's voice dropped to a whisper. "Enough to get my parents kicked out of their business." Panic clawed at him. " So what's your plan. How are planning to repay them, and does your parents know anything about all this mess you have caused??." Kay asked Sammy with a concerned voice." No plan but very soon I will come up with one, I will keep you and Sky posted no more secrets." Sammy told Kay trying to make him more at ease, and trying very hard to avoid the question about his parents. Kay stared at Sammy. The photo shook in his hand. “No plan but very soon I will come up with one,” Sammy had said. “I will keep you and Sky posted. No more secrets.” Kay wanted to punch him. Or hug him. He wasn’t sure which. “Bro,” Kay said, voice low. “These aren’t guys you ‘come up with a plan’ for. These are Eastlands guys. You know what they do to people who owe them.” Sammy jaw tightened. “I know. I messed up. One bet. One stupid football bet. I thought I could flip the cash and pay my dad’s rent for the shop.” Kay ran a hand through his hair. “Does Sky know?” “No. And don’t tell him. Not yet.” Sammy looked away. “My parents... they can’t know. My dad already had a heart issue last year. This would kill him.” Kay’s phone buzzed. He glanced down. Unknown number: We saw you talking to Samie. Stay out of it if you know what’s good for you. His blood went cold. He flipped the screen toward Sammy. “Check this.” Sammy's face went pale. “How do they—” Another buzz. Same number. _Old gym. Tonight. 9pm. Come alone, Kay. Or we visit Sammy's duka. Sammy grabbed Kay’s arm. “Don’t. Don’t go. These guys don’t play.” Kay looked at his best friend. Scared. Cornered. Lying to everyone. He thought of Poppy’s warning. “He’s in trouble. The kind that gets people hurt.” Kay shoved his phone in his pocket. “I’m not letting you handle this alone.” Sammy shook his head fast. “Kay, no. Promise me you won’t go.” Kay didn’t answer. The bell rang for last period. Students flooded the yard, loud and careless. Kay walked away without saying yes or no. Because he already knew. He was going to the old gym at 9pm. He just had to decide if he was telling Sky first.Kay sneaked out of the lecture room silently so that Sammy could not see him. Good thing, Sammy was too busy flirting with girls to notice that his bro had sneaked out of class to meet with his creditors. Sammy turned to Sky who was packing his bag. “Hey baddie,” “what up bro” Sky asked in a cheerful way as usual. “Where on earth is Kay?” “He told me that he had some business to attend to, so he had to leave early, and we don't have to wait for him.” That statement made Sammy's legs shake in fear. Even if they have been friends for a long time, he never expected Kay to go that far for him. “Is something wrong?“ Sky asked with a confused expression on his face. “Nothing much.”Sammy answered with a voice full worry even a one year old could notice. “Are you guys hiding something from me?, and if you are……………” Even before finishing, Sammy had disappeared in to thin air. “Wow he left me talking to my self, it's okay.” Sky took his bag pack which he had already packed and left feeling left out. Even if he felt disassapointed he could not help but worry. “what are they hiding from me, is Kay in trouble, or is it Sammy.” He thought to him self. “Young man are you talking to me? “ A middle age man sitting next to Sky at the bus stop asked. “Oooh sorry, I was thinking out loud.” Sky bowed respectfully to apologize to the man. The old court smelled like rust and stagnant water. Half the lights were dead, and the one still working buzzed like it was pissed off. I stood at the fence, adjusting the strap of my bag with one hand. My light blue baggy jeans hung low on my hips, swishing against my thighs every time I shifted. Over it, I had on a pink crop top that left my stomach out, and a blue denim coat thrown over it ‘cause it was chilly. The high-heeled black boots clacked against the concrete when I moved. Cute as hell, but also loud as hell if I needed to run. Stupid. I should’ve brought my sneakers. But no, Kay, you had to look good even when walking into a trap. Three guys stood under the light. The one in front had a gold chain thick enough to strangle someone with. He grinned when he saw me. “You’re Kay?” Shit. They know my name already. Sammy really screwed up this time. I rolled my eyes and stepped over the fence. The denim coat shifted around my shoulders, and I felt the gloss on my lips catch the light when I spoke. “Yeah. And you’re the asshole who texted me about my friend’s gambling debt.” “Keep it casual. If you sound scared, they’ll smell it. Don’t give them that.” Kay whispered to himself *Watch your mouth, princess.” His eyes dragged over me, lingering on the crop top, the boots. Like I was the joke here. Princess. Cute. They think dressing like this means I’m soft. Let them think that. It’s easier when they underestimate you. “Princess? Cute.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, making sure the gloss caught on my lower lip. Let them look. Let them get distracted. “I’m not here to be cute for you. And why the hell are you dragging me into this?” “Because Sammy owes us 200k. And he’s not answering calls. But we know he talks to you. He trusts you.” Of course he trusts me. I’m the i***t who still picks up his calls at 2 AM when he’s crying about losing rent money. And who is always ready to listen to his stupid stories that no value in someone's life. My stomach twisted. Sammy was reckless, but he didn’t deserve these guys finding his sister. “So talk. What do you want from me? I don’t have 200k. If I did, I’d be buying new clothes and getting a new designer bag, not bailing out dumbasses.” Don’t let your voice shake. Don’t let them see you care too much. “We don’t need your money. We need Sammy. You bring him here tomorrow, 7 PM. Or we start visiting his little sister’s school.” The words hit harder than a slap. My fingers curled into fists inside my coat pockets. “His sister? The 12-year-old who gives me stickers and calls me “onii-san”? Over Sammy’s stupid bets?” one of the men sayed with a wicked smile on his face. Rage burned up my throat, hot and fast. But if I exploded now, they’d win. “ Don’t you dare touch her.” My voice dropped without me meaning to. Even I sounded surprised at how cold it got. “You want Sammy, you deal with me. Leave his family out of it, or I swear to god I’ll make sure the only thing you gamble on is whether you walk out of here with all your teeth.” One of the guys behind him shifted. I saw it in my peripheral vision.