The party was already underway and guests were moving about, listening to the stereo music while chatting and enjoying soft drinks in the living room and others in the house kitchen. Everybody seemed to be having a good time.

"Did Lindah cut his head off?" Lei said, glancing at his wristwatch and back at the guests in the living room.

"Maybe." Michael replied, as well eyeing the guests while eating his favourite packet of crisps, "I know Lindah is really into him. Maybe she even cut his balls off."

Lei turned, staring at the friend without a word.

"What?" Michael stared back, "Remember John and Lorena Bobbitt? And she was a white woman- women who are known to be more compassionate than the other races when it comes to love affairs. Now imagine what a black woman can do. One who is from Nyeri. Lindah is from Nyeri, right?"

Lei stared at the friend placidly, "Mike, if I were God, I would have created you with more natural reasoning than acquired. Trust me, buddy, I would have done just that."

Michael bit a crisp, "Lei, you are so full of yourself. Every time if you were God, if you were Thor, if you were Zeus. Really if you were one of those, you could have ended the world already. Every goddamn thing has become a sin." He took his eyes off Lei and looked around. Immediately, he spotted two guests on one of the couches deeply and passionately kissing, almost to a hardcore, "See what I am talking about? Folly, foolishness, imbecility and fatuity everywhere!" He shouted loud enough to be heard, "HEY, HEY!"

The guests stopped kissing and looked at him.

Michael gave them a cold look, "I paid more on that couch than the others who contributed buying it, meaning I like it enough not to be screwed on!"

The two guests stared for a while, then the man stood and apologetically got to Michael, "Mike, we are so horny!" He desperately pleaded, "Is there a place or a room we can do a quickie? Five minutes."

"You ape coon monkey!" Michael lashed out repellently, "Hold it up until the party ends. You will have the whole night, not even five minutes."

The lady who was kissed also approached, "Please, Mike." She looked desperate as well, "Only five minutes. We don't need the whole night."

"Guys, a quickie is never a good idea." Lei mentioned, standing beside Michael, "This is because mostly it is never done with protection."

"Neither of us is sick!" The lady belligerently said. The talks and subjects of protection always repugned her.

"That is not only what protection is all about." Lei looked at her, "A lot of things happen in unprotected sex. Things that can change your life for the worst."

"You should join youth discussion groups and forums to know of these stuffs." Michael as well looked at her.

"Sorry, I know what is good and bad in my life." The lady said, then turned to the man she was with, "Let's go. We can do it somewhere else."

The man tamely nodded and walked away with her.

Lei turned to them going, "Lady, protection is your life insurance. If you don't care about anything and want to live your life, then try to insure it first."

Whether or not the lady picked the sense in Lei's words, she continued walking to the door with the man she was with.

"They seriously thought of doing a quickie here and on the sofa?" Michael was still at them leaving, "I do it with Jacky but we can never think of doing it in such an environment."

Lei turned to the friend, surprised, "You do quickies with Jacky?"

Michael stared back, "The last time I checked she is my lady. I can do anything with her."

Lei was still surprised, "Didn't you hear what I just said and all that I usually say in the youth forums? Mostly quickies are not done with protection, because they are unplanned sex."

"Jacky and I always use protection, and even if we wouldn't be using, I trust that chick with all of my life. She gets it only from me. Nobody can give it to her like I do." Michael jested.

"Mike, always plan for a love-making session if you want to sleep with your girl. That way you can always keep protection in check. Quickies don't always guarantee that." Lei appeared serious.

Michael nodded, "Okay, this one time I am agreeing with you." He said and bit a crisp.

Lei shortly looked at him before turning back to the guests. Everybody seemed to be having a good time. As he still looked around, his eyes spotted Jacqueline, "Jacky has arrived." He said looking at the door.

Michael turned in the direction, and also saw the lover, "Now you will be alone." He said and started toward the door.

Lei looked at him go, then saw him and the lover happily hugging with kisses before they both walked to the house kitchen. He smiled looking at them. Truly love birds. He then put his hands in the pocket and started walking to the door, smiling and greeting the guests who greeted him.

He got to the door and proceeded out to the doorstep. Guests were around the doorstep, some getting in the house and others out. He exhaled looking at the sky. Night had already fallen, with winking stars visibly seen in the sky. He shortly looked around and continued outside from the doorstep.

A few minutes later while standing alone in the breeze of the night, he saw Tyson's car arriving and parking a few yards from the house. He walked to it.

Tyson got out of the car and immediately Lei realized his gloomy state. It didn't go well. But that was to be expected.

"On the look of your face," He started upon reaching the friend, "I guess she didn't take it well?"

"It didn't even happen." Tyson lethargically intoned with a forlorn face, "I couldn't tell her! The guilt overpowered me."

"Oh, but, Ty, the guilt always blocks the way. It means you care for her_"

"Lei, there must be another way... at least an easy way to tell. Without that, I don't think if I will be able to tell her."

"My friend." Lei calmly said, "The only way is gathering confidence and telling her. There is no easy way or any other way."

Tyson looked up at the sky with a weary sigh before coming back to the friend, "Alright." He nodded, "I will do my best."

"You should because it is very important to her." Lei as well nodded looking at him, "And, buddy, you don't look so good. You should have a rest." He shortly looked at the house and back at him, "And I don't think that is a best place to have one."

"I will go to the university." Tyson forced a tired smile, "That will be the best place."

"Yeah." Lei looked at him opening the car door, "But are you sure you are going to be fine?"

The friend turned with a genuine smile, "Lei, I am intelligent enough to process my feelings and emotions when need be. Don't ever worry about me on such matters."

Lei lifted his hands up in a teasing submission, "Okay, you're the boss."

As Tyson turned back to enter the car, he spotted a couple of people behind the friend getting by the house, "Look at who has just arrived. Someone who is looking forward to having fun with you."

Lei turned and saw the lover with her friends a few paces away.

"So, unless you stop worrying about me," Tyson continued, getting in the car, "You won't give her the fun she is possibly expecting." He started the car engine, "Make your first night party together the most memorable."

"I will." Lei said and farewelled the friend before walking to the lover and the friends.

"So, this is the place? Nice music." Sharon looked at the house where the ongoing party was.

Katelyn happily smiled, feeling a jovial mood rising from within, "Yeah, this is the place, and there is Lei coming."

"Just act natural, girl." The friend quickly said as Lei approached.

"We are technically already together. I don't need to act anything." Katelyn said.

They all smiled when Lei got to them.

"I was already thinking of the worst." Lei started to the lover, "Baby, I thought you were not coming." He hugged her, tightly.

Katelyn breathed tenderly in the hug, "I wouldn't have missed coming for the world." She came to his face, "By the way, I have come with two friends. I hope it won't be a problem." She said with a sweet, vivacious face.

Lei stared at her beauty for a while. She was still newly beautiful, even after the period they had been together. She seemed to be forever remaining a symbol of admiration, "You are an angel, baby." He said with fascination, "A true form of an angel on earth."

Katelyn smiled with beatific brightness, "Thank you, sweetie, but will there be any problem since I came with my friends?"

Lei shook his head off as if coming out of an interrupted fantasy, "Of course not, my love! There won't and will never be any problem. As a matter of fact, you did an amazing thing. The hosts actually want like all people as possible."

The lover sweetly smiled, "Too bad they are only two and not as all as possible." She turned to the friends and started introductions, "I believe you already know Sharon. This is her boyfriend, Ben."

Lei warmly greeted the guests.

"It's... nice to finally meet you, Lei." Ben said haltingly, awe creeping over him, "It was a great heroic act you did back at the... club... for Kate."

"Thank you." Lei said, "I believe we were all glad it turned out fine." He looked at the house, "The party is waiting."

The three friends happily nodded and started toward the door, but Lei pulled Katelyn to him and put his hands around her waist, "I must first deal with you before you get in." He lovingly said as Sharon and Ben continued walking into the house.

Katelyn brightened with a glow of enthusiasm, "What do you have in mind?"

Lei held her closer to him, "You really look beautiful." He moved his head close to her neck, then whispered, "I like the smell of your perfume."

His closeness to Katelyn send her a delicious throb of pleasure. Her breathing slightly hitched as she spoke, "It's French... Aqua Springs."

Lei let the scent of the perfume flow in his nostrils for a little while before resuming looking at the lady. He saw her necklace, and down under, covered by her coat, he was able to get a glimpse of her yellow top. He slowly started unbuttoning the coat, with total submission from the lady.

He unbuttoned the three top buttons and stopped, getting a satisfactory view of the yellow top she was in. He looked at the top for a while longer- how it held her breasts and the space it left around her chest and the cleavage. The view slowly triggered his testosterone hormones. This was the first time it had happened while he was this close to a woman.

"What are you thinking?" Katelyn softly and quietly said with eyes at him.

The lover's tone further stimulated the hormones inside Lei. He came to her eyes, "When a man stares at a woman's features, particularly his woman, his thoughts are very predictable. What do you think I am thinking?"

Katelyn stared, the words making her heart pound amorously. Indeed it is always predictable. She started to imagine how it would be. My first time! The thought further pounded her heart amorously. She had been from time to time thinking about the moment ever since she was kissed for the first time. Sometimes she had been eager for the moment, believing it would be the greatest experience in her life.

Lei could be able to clearly read her. She feels the same way. He put on a smile, "We will talk about it. Hold that thought, as long as it takes." He buttoned the coat, then started kissing her. Katelyn responded passionately for almost a minute when they stopped.

"There is a place I want you to see." Lei gently said and held her hand after the kiss.

Katelyn nodded with a smile, "Okay."

They walked toward the house and proceeded past it to the stairs that led to the block's roof. They climbed the stairs to the top and reached the roof. From the rooftop, Katelyn saw the surrounding neigbourhood and environment clearly. The scattered lights made it a beautiful nocturnal scene to watch.

"It's amazing up here, my love." She spiritedly said while looking around, "It's wonderful. I like it."

"You deserve all the wonderful places." Lei said while holding her from behind, "A day will come when I will take you to all the wonderful places on earth."

Katelyn turned to him, her eyes sparkling effervescently, “I would love that.”

Lei put his hands around her waist, with his body contact with hers, "You are a wonder in my life, and I will always treat you as such. I will do anything you ask me and I will be around whenever you need me. I will always listen to you and give my best to your wishes, because what I feel for you, really, is something I never thought existed. I thought such a feeling would only be exaggerations. I never thought somebody can feel for another the way I feel for you. It is truly extraordinary!"

Katelyn's whole face lit with a fierce enthusiasm and ineffable joy. She was sure there was nothing that could be able to break the bond and emotional attachment they now had between themselves. It would forever echo in their hearts. There is nothing that can succeed in separating us!

She smiled livelily, "I am truly touched, my love! I also feel the same way towards you. I will do anything you ask of me. We are destined to be together, forever." She leaned in, her hands around his neck, and started kissing him.

Once again the kiss was passionate and lasted for a minute before they stopped. When they stopped, they tenderly embraced while their bodies softly pressed together.

"This is the best time we have ever had, my love!" Katelyn said in an eloquence of passion in the hug, "I have never been happier in my life."

"Me, too, sweetie. I will give anything to always have this, forever."

Katelyn delightfully breathed, laying her head on the lover's shoulder, "Let's be here in the entire party, the whole night. I don't care. I just want to be with you!"

Lei smiled. This was the most amazing experience in his life. There was nothing more he had ever wanted. But when his eyes moved about, he saw something that attracted his attention on the ground from where they were on the rooftop. He looked closely and proved what he had seen right.

He came to the lover's face, "My love, give me five minutes. I will be right back."

Katelyn looked at him, vaguely surprised and concerned from his almost urgent tone, "Where are you going?"

"To take care of something real quick. I will be back soon." Lei said with a smile, kissed her and started towards the ground.

The smile disarmed Katelyn, and she watched the lover go, then turned back looking at the view before her in the light breeze of the night.

"You should remember this…" One host of the party said as he and the other two walked to the house while carrying a crate of beer, "If either Lei, Mike, or Ty get us with this stuff, we will be in for it."

"Come on, Boris." A second host said, "Are we gonna live our lives in a cage just because of them? Denying ourselves the fun of life just because they are our leaders? I respect them, but I will also want to live my life as I please."

The third host saw sense in the friend's words, "I think you are right. Sometimes I want to do stuffs but feel as if I am in a cage just because of their so-called advices. It is a free world and we have got to do what we want."

Shortly after he had just spoken, Lei appeared in front of them, his arms crossed over the chest with a firm look on his face.

The three hosts stopped, looking back at him.

"Gentlemen," Lei calmly stated, "I can see you already made decisions."

The second host kept at him, "It is just a power up to rise a notch the party, or are you going to stop us because you have rules at your place?"

Lei forced a smile at him, standing in equable composure, "If we had rules, we couldn't have allowed you to party there in the first place." He said in a friendly notion, "We are friends. That alone counts if you need anything from us and vice-versa, does it not?"

The second host stared, "So, you will allow us with the drinks, then?"

"It's your party." Lei still appeared equable, "And your decision to organize it as you please."

The three hosts stared in surprise at the most powerful youth leader they knew. They didn't expect such a countenance from him.

"Are you going to allow us, just like that?" The second host curiously inquired with his surprise palpable.

Lei looked at him coolly, as if he had anticipated this was where the conversation would head, "Now, Vince, why ask me that? Is it because I am a youth representative? Or because of your understanding that I know of the wrongs and rights, and you have one wrong with you?"

The hosts kept staring at him, none able to answer the question.

Lei now pocketed, eyeing them all, "The thing that maybe you don't know is that we are all the same- all in one age group, all equal, and all with the same understanding capabilities, which is INTELLIGENCE. Maybe I have never told you this or you have never heard it from me. Let me enlighten you on something important about intelligence…”

“Great philosophers always have inner meanings in their works- to make people figure out and learn something important or something of value in their lives. Sometimes these inner meanings are usually challenging, filled with puzzles and mysteries. An intelligent person can figure out these meanings in a short time, compared to the unintelligent person, but all in all, in the end, anybody can and is capable of figuring out the meaning, no matter how much time is taken."

"Let me give you an example. An intelligent person can find or figure out more than just one meaning in a given problem or idea. He may use the message or content of the problem or idea to easily make him figure out more than one of its meanings.”

“For example, a mathematical equation. The equation can definitely be viewed as a mathematical problem and people will see that its solution is the worked-out answer. To many, its answer is the only thing that can be seen in the equation. But an intelligent person may not only see the answer as its only solution. He may also see that with the answer, the equation can be able to make a certain work easier or run a specific machine more efficiently.”

“The unintelligent person may take time or knowledge to realize this, but still capable of realizing it, making after all, everybody realize it, and in turn, everybody with intelligence capabilities. And anybody with certain capabilities is definitely able of the certain, and this makes anybody human on the planet intelligent."

"So, my friends, we are all equal in all aspects. We only have different levels of understanding. I can see more and wider in the equation, but you, you can only be able to see the solution- the answer. I can be able to see what alcohol does to youth life, absolutely everything. But you, on the other hand, are only able to see that it gives fun at a party.”

“You can't see beyond that, and it is why I am a youth representative- to give knowledge and make your intelligence capabilities realize the knowledge. I am not here to cage your lives, or push you on which way to live. I am here to give you knowledge about life. After the knowledge, your intelligence capabilities will tell you how to live."

The hosts were still at the youth leader, the first starting to feel guilty.

"I am still surprised that after all the advices we share together in youth forums and meetings, including the advices and topics on alcohol and drug abuse, you still carry alcohol to go and use?" Lei continued, his tone piteous, "Why are you doing this to yourselves? Or you think we always joke in the forums and meetings?"

One host looked at him quietly and mildly, "Lei, this is what keeps parties alive. It is what makes parties wild and crazy and fun. This is what defines a party, man!"

"Maybe that is what you fail to understand." Lei said, "People look forward to enjoyment and not craziness and wildness in parties. Nowadays they have knowledge of what craziness and wildness can lead to; spiked drinks, theft, blackmails... you name them. What defines a party should be its intended cause. In our case, it is the celebration for making it to college. So, it will make sense if the party revolves around the fun of making it to higher education, not one that may hinder others from continuing with the education."

"Gentlemen, let me assure you, and trust me on this, alcohol consumption to people who are on the course of making their future comes with devastating effects. You have the chance of studying and making your future. Take the chance and focus on it. Millions across the world wish for such a chance. A chance to make their future and live a life they desire. Alcohol will block that from happening to you.”

“If you are in the addiction phase, and trust me, you will get there as long as you are using it, you will end up miserable. You will always need money to have it, and at the same time you will want to keep up with your studies. There will always be pressures and conflicts and it will block you from focusing.”

“If you don't get the money you will go to desperate measures trying to find it, because addiction is a disease that will always put you under pressure. You will find yourself in illegal and unlawful activities, and that will be the start of your fall.”

“Misfortunes will start in your life, every coming more harmful than the last. You will never make it in life, you will never take it back, nor will you be able to rewind the clock. And that is external factor, I haven't even touched on what it will do to your health."

"People will be pointing at you saying I told you so, and it will be the time when you will feel like the weight of the world is on you. A time you will feel miserable and wretched, and I swear to you, the feeling is sickening and ugly- that is why the weak ones will decide to call it a life and let the family members and friends dig the six feet hole. And what many usually don’t know is that one can never know whether they will be weak or not."

"Guys, the consequences of alcohol and substance abuse takes a part of your life that can never be recovered. Those who tell you that you can still live a fulfilling life only say that to comfort you. Life can never be the same, even if you get cleaned and be in rehab. You will always look back and regret, especially if you see the friends and colleagues who used to advise you, living fulfilling and admirable lives.”

"The regret will always come from time to time, even if you try pushing it away. No therapy nor counseling will succeed in completely curing it. The wound will be cured, but not the scar. And the scar is the life lesson. I have seen many of these people. Visit youth counseling centers and see them, hear from them. They talk of the same thing. They give advices with brimming eyes, saying that we shouldn't live a destructive life. A life that makes almost everybody turn against you when consequences settle, even your own family turning against you when you need them the most- when you at least need anybody."

“They will shut the door before you and tell you to go and die with your miserable life elsewhere, just because you didn't listen to them or any advices from them. It will leave you all alone in what will look like an empty world to you. It is the most traumatizing and gut-wrenching feeling one can ever experience. Don't be ignorant and wait to experience it. Your life is important to you and those who love you and care about you.”

“These people are many in your life. They want your success and prosperity. Don't live a life that has a patient fate of destroying you just because we are in a century of living your life. Don't take advices for granted and do what others do just because you want to gain attention and approval from the peers or you want to identify with certain groups to have a social sense of belonging. Don't make the modern world blind you of the reality awaiting ahead."

"So, gentlemen, if you have seen sense in my advice, help me. Educate others and let us together make the world a better place. Where you see youths using alcohol, remind them of the fate that awaits ahead. Teach and make them see the entire equation. You may make a difference, just like I have always made."

The hosts looked convinced and satisfied with the information. The youth leader's irrefutable words had deeply touched them.

"That is great, man. Thanks." One said, nodding.

Lei smiled, "It's my job."

"But, Lei," Another inquired quizzically, "Some... or others say that drinking occasionally is not a big deal, like only in parties. They say that it won't cause addiction... and addiction is what brings the consequences, right?"

"WRONG!" Lei firmly and decisively answered, "That is wrong, pal. It is not only addiction that brings the consequences. Your drink can be spiked, or you may have had more than enough. That can happen in parties, and it can result in damaging consequences to you."

"And about drinking occasionally, like only in parties, that it won't cause addiction?" Lei was at the youth behind the question, "Boris, everything has a start. Everything must have a beginning point, alcohol addiction included. Even if you drink only in parties or in the weekends, you will build a pattern, and that is the road to addiction. Once you have created a pattern, a tendency will follow. And tendency is only a centimeter away from addiction. So, don't be lied to or believe that occasional drinking won't cause addiction. It will happen. This is a factual guarantee I am giving you."

The host nodded satisfied, then sighed while looking at the crate of beer, "So, what are we going to do with these?"

"I can suggest you take them back and replace them with soft drinks." Lei said.

One nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I believe that is a good suggestion." He paused, still at Lei, "Thanks, man. You have really realized our capabilities to understand."

Lei proudly smiled, "It is why I am a youth leader."

"Okay... let us get these back and bring soft drinks." Another said.

The other two nodded and started walking back to where they had come from, Lei gladly watching them as they went.