Power Vape

The party buzzes through the walls of a crowded frat house, beer sweating onto the floor, bass thumping through the floorboards. Cesar leans against a kitchen counter, nursing a red cup, when his hand brushes against something cool and metallic tucked behind a stack of napkins — a sleek black vape, unmarked, heavier than it looks. He turns it over. No brand, no serial number. Just a faint, warm hum against his palm.

He pockets it, curiosity piqued.

Twenty minutes later, a girl with a sly grin and a crop top weaves through the crowd toward him. She flicks her braids back, nodding at his shirt pocket. "Yo, you mind if I hit that? I lost mine somewhere in the chaos." She gestures at the vape half-visible. "Promise I'll bring it back in one piece."

She holds out her hand, waiting. The bass drops. A few people nearby glance over, mid-laugh.